When the Sea Is Rising Red

I really enjoyed reading this one. It's hard for me to summarize my thoughts on it so I think I shall make a list. Hmm, yes, list time.

1. I loved the world building. Classes, aristocracy, a town that revolves around the sea, superstition being so entwined with this society, mythical creatures... that sounds like a quite a interesting mix of elements. And all of this added to the suspense because it made it much more difficult for me to figure out what was going to happen.

2. Let me introduce our main character, Felicita. My first impression of her was not a good one. In fact I honestly hated her because she was a stuck up, spoiled little bitch who put too much face into her family's name. But after she fakes her death and starts living among the hobs, she becomes more likeable. Felicita grows into her own skin and developed the courage to do what she had to do to survive and be happy. I don't think I would have been able to do what she did-faking a suicide and estranging herself from her controlling family, hide her identity and forge a new life, and then something else that I won't give away. This girl has balls, it just took her a while to find them.

3. The supporting characters were awesome too. They were lovable and each had an interesting back story as to why they were squatting on Whelk Street with one another. The only one I didn't like was Jannik. He was whiny and bitchy and just was not the strong male character I wanted. Dash was an asshole as well. There was a lot of his story that seemed to be left out or completely unbelievable. But he did his job and played his role out well I guess. Everyone looked out for one another, and if you were in with Dash you were golden. But it was clear that something was being kept from us and Felicita.

4. This book had homosexuality in it. It wasn't over or underplayed, Hellisen wove it into the story in such a way that it added to the characters' lives and actually connected to other elements in the story. That goes for the romance and love interests as well. I actually got a teensy bit irked because I wanted more gushy gushy and less action/actual plot.

5. That love triangle! See above. It's different and nothing is explicitly said.

6. It's a standalone.... WHY?! It isn't that I'm absolutely dying to find out what happens next to these characters. There was just so much in this book that was left unsolved that a sequel would definitely be welcome. Maybe this is just me looking for answers to little unimportant details, but I hate it when something is touched on and then skipped over for the rest of novel.

7. That being said, A LOT happened in this relatively short book that surprising didn't make it seem rushed. It had great flow, both in character and plot development.

It was amazing. Vivid imagery, great characters and a terrific storyline, all from Hellisen's mind. She has created a world so full of magic and danger, that you wish you had been there to see it's creation. Felicita is an amazing character, but her thoughts skip around so much that she might be mistaken for an insane person in our world, but she fits perfectly in hers. I really would have liked to have read a bit in Dash's mind though, to see what his thoughts were like. The plot had so many twists and turns, I could barely keep my head on straight! I wish I had enough imagination to have wrote this. It is one stunning YA debut.

Here's the Blurb:


After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.


I give this Book Four Stars. Sage is the Greatest.Visit Her Here.
Look at that cover. Isn't it Creepy/Gorgeous?