Review Detail

THIS RAGING SEA is a young adult dark fantasy book. After a carnival, Briar can no longer find Finn, her best friend and the boy she has loved for years. With her two other friends, she is left untangling the history and uncovering the dark secrets of her seemingly perfect coastal town. What is Briar willing to do to save him? Is she willing to work with her enemy?

What I Loved:
The friendship between Briar and Finn, as well as Kai and Astrid, was developed in remarkable detail. The author provides enough backstory and information in dialogue to establish the bond, but there’s also an underlying chemistry between the characters that allows readers to feel the bond. Even the arguments and bickering between the characters feel authentic.

There is so much lore in this book. Briar is having to uncover the secrets and magic underlying her coastal town. As she digs more and more into the history of her town and the desperate things they’ve done, the story gets more and more interesting. Briar must dig through the depths of history and there are layers to it. Some of the history may be guessed by the reader, but it is fun to discover more as Briar does.

De Elizabeth manages to capture a dark atmosphere without getting too dark. The book also isn’t gratuitous. The dark tone of the book makes sense within the setting and history of the town. Nothing felt thrown in just for shock value. The book’s darkness also stays appropriate for teenage readers. It doesn’t delve into topics that teenagers shouldn’t read about.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The love triangle in this book felt underwhelming. There wasn’t really a point where I bought into the third person being involved. It seemed more there to bridge a connection between Briar and someone other than Finn, but it felt off.

Final Verdict:
A dark atmosphere surrounds this story as Briar explores the history of her town and discovers the secrets that have been buried. She doesn’t fight alone though, Briar is joined by her friends and even an enemy. Their bonds are truly the driving force in this book. Briar and her friends searching for the history, but also her love for Finn and her desperation to find him again.

The warmth of Briar’s bond with her friends and Finn is offset by a dark atmosphere and the mixture is intoxicating.