But Thea doesn't carry her mother's skills or her anger. She's soft, afraid to fight, quick to flee, and the opposite of her fiery mother. She wants to be as strong of a person and earn her mother's respect, but her mother's ways are not her own. And when she attempts to stand up to her mother, a tragedy strikes that causes her to question her self-worth altogether. Between her fears, the certain knowledge that she's a disappointment, and her anxious desire to prove that she can be her own person, she sets out on one last voyage to fix everything that has gone wrong.
A beautifully written fantasy novel that is more of a metaphor for the adolescent search for identity. Not every teenage girl will have a pirate queen for a mother or will fight off boys with guns and swords, but Thea's struggle with her Mom over her future and her frustrations with being objectified and marginalized by men will resonate with many young readers. This is an unusual fantasy novel. It's a very dark story with a slow pace and it won't appeal much to people who want action and adventure. Much of the story is really about Thea's physical survival and her ruminations about how she got to this point However, as a coming of age story, this is really an extraordinary read with a lot to say about growing up female. Highly recommended.
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