The Aquamarine Surfboard

A wonderful book about hope, change, and tolerance. The story became confusing at times, but if you stick with it, you will be rewarded in the end. A lovely little book to get lost in, especially for those who love the ocean and the magic that it holds.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Condi wants to be a surf kid, but without the money for a board and wetsuit, she tries to lay low and dream about the day she can join in. That is, until she meets Trustin. Effortlessly cool and talented, she doesn't know what his interest is in her, but she's excited to find out! They embark on an ocean endeavor, and the sea Condi once knew will never be the same...

The story went very quickly from realistic fiction to fantasy and back, but hey, why not? It threw me off at first, but I became more invested as the story went on. There are a lot of meaningful elements to this story, and it is not to be underestimated!

CW: drowning, death of parents, homelessness, discrimination/judgement, suicide, destructive storms/natural disaster

Love the short chapters. Love the characters, apart from the few annoying adult characters. Love the plot, just love the way the riddles are thrown in a manner we readers have to look forward to solving riddles as we read along.

The writing is just beautiful, mesmerising at times.

You will want to protect our main character here the moment you know her and feel her thoughts.

I feel the way the story is written is spectacular. I do not like how brazen the writing gets for mystery fiction, especially with young adult books. But with this one I am thoroughly impressed.

There are moments, special moments, when you feel like you could actually feel the sea around you while reading this book.

The book is short but things are well explained as we come to know more about the characters.

It's a story which will make you tear up, break your heart and make you want to hug the characters.

Moreover, I love the message it gives.

Live your dreams.

Thank you, Atmosphere Press, for the advance reading copy.

I simply loved this book. I would LOVE to have it in paperback and to do a giveaway in my Instagram. The story is very cute, and has some elements of fantasy, is about grown and changing the word with a hawaii vibe. It’s so so cute and I highly recommend for everyone. There is so many triggers, but the author works with it well, using kind of a myth and history all together, an how people can change their way of thinking and acting by simply being open mind by the view of others. I will be posting a review in my Instagram tomorrow!!

Condi has had a tragic loss by her parents dying at sea. She lives with her grandmother in a beach town, and meets a pair of newcomers who teach her to surf. Just as we begin to settle into a realistic-fiction story, it switches to fantasy and surreal experiences, complete with a riddle that must be solved. On land, there are other mysteries, including who are the mysterious women called the Beachlings? How long have they been here? What is their story?

This was a fun read with lots of fantasy and beautiful imagery woven in. I think anyone who likes a dreamy storyline with elements of mystery and thriller would enjoy this.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I dearly loved this book! I found myself lost in the story from the beginning. The writing is so beautiful and detailed, it felt like I was in the set too with Condi. This book told you that even in catastrophe there can be good things that happen. There were some mysteries that were solved toward the end. Most of them made me cry so hard but also made me feel warm.

I think this story will be great too as an animated movie.

If you haven't read this book, please read it.

"The Aquamarine Surfboard": 3⭐

Middle-grade mixed with magical realism? Say my name, say my name!
I always love a book where the setting is the sea. A surfing story is always wanted in the bookish world, especially because there aren't many.
At first, I had a hard time following the plot, it was very confusing and cryptic at times. But by the time I had reached half of the book, I began to enjoy it more. I loved the messages it included, it's perfect for people who need to learn family is important

Condi's world is changing right before her very eyes. Her town is no longer the sleepy little beach town, but being turned into a resort town for the rich. Change is hard for every kid as they grow up and this puts change front and center along with all the mixed feelings that come with it. She's lost her parents and there is a lot of grief and healing written into the book. Its excellent for anyone dealing with loss. Condi is curious but treated like a child constantly, always told to wait or having adults never explain anything to her.

She's always wanted to learn to surf, but doesn't have the money to get her own board. Until the new kid, Trustin invites Condi to a hidden surfing spot and her life changes in bigger ways than she ever imagined. There's magic and mystery and and adventure middle grade readers will love. There are tons of great lessons and messages, and several topics that might be challenging to understand for younger readers. It was a little hard to follow at first, but once I stuck with it, the ending made it totally worth it. There were even a couple of tears and sniffles.

This would be an excellent book to read together with your students or children.