DNF'ed at 136 pages - this book confuses the heck out of me and not in a good way.

It looks like I'm having an unpopular opinion on this book, which is unfortunate. I was intrigued almost immediately when I saw the synopsis, had spent a decent chunk of BEA trying to search it out (the BEA website had listed the wrong publisher in which to find out about the book), so when the opportunity arose I gratefully accepted the publisher's review offer.

I started it the day I received it, but found my interest dimming the more I read. I can't say what made me lose that spark of interest--certainly the main character is the kind I normally like (sassy, smart, a little reckless) and I still was intrigued by what was going on with her. I just...didn't seem to care enough to keep reading.

So I put it aside for a little while to see if maybe I was just burned out from YA. Came back to it and had the same problem. This third time I came back to it I finally decided this book isn't me.

Titular character, Skylar, is a girl who seems to draw the attention of others quite accidentally. This propensity is multiplied 10-fold when the young woman, seemingly, returns from the dead. The problem is that Skylar doesn't actually remember being dead. In fact, she remembers life going on as it always has. This mystery--set in the odd and quirky town of Blackfin--is a fun and fast read. The plot is a bit predictable and the "big reveal" wasn't a very big surprise. However, Skylar's character is well-written and strong-willed which is a definite plus for a YA, female protagonist. ( )

3.75 stars. Full review at https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/my-kyrosmagica-review-of-blackfin-s...


Snippet from the book:

Silas’ spirit had inhabited the rusting weathervane for many years. From his perch on the school roof he watched the townsfolk of Blackfin through his empty eye socket as they buzzed through their lives beneath him, no more significant than the grains of sand piling up against the shoreline, clinging to the struts of Blackfin pier.

Doesn’t that just grab your attention? It certainly did for me!

Edinburgh Book Festival:

I picked up a copy of Blackfin Sky at the Edinburgh Book Festival, and was lucky to get a signed copy as well as Cat Clarke’s The Lost and The Found. If you’d like to see my photograph with Kat Ellis and Cat Clarke, and my write up of their talk, The Disappeared, here’s the link: https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/edinburgh-book-festival-edbookfest-...

The Cover:

Do I judge a book by its cover? I have a tendency to do this to a certain degree as I think that well executed covers tend to give you a sense of the book. This one fitted the bill, I just loved this cover so much! It is so beautiful, and mysterious. Did the cover match the book? Yes in my opinion on the whole it did, Blackfin Sky had a lot to offer and was definitely mysterious.

My thoughts:

I was so excited about this book, that cover just had me trembling with anticipation but did it live up to my exalted expectations? Yes and No. I liked this a lot, but somehow it didn’t quite reach the ecstatic heights of loving it that I hoped it would. I think this was in part due to my not quite engaging enough with some of the characters in the novel, apart from the main protagonist, Sky, the others just didn’t seem to have enough depth to them. And the baddie with the amber skull, he just needed more baddie factor, I just didn’t really get him. At times Blackfin Sky seemed a bit confusing, and possibly a little too far off the believable line, (I do realise this sounds odd with regard to a fantasy story but even so the emotions sometimes seemed a bit dampened, particularly when Sky turns up after being dead, I just could have done with more feels. I know that Blackfin is meant to be a strange community but even so…..)

I think Kat Ellis tried to cram in a heck of a lot into this novel, (very ambitious,) which is something I like to do too, ah, makes me think possibly it is better to keep things a bit more simple? Maybe. Somehow it didn’t quite pack the four star/five star punch I’d hope it would, perhaps some of the plot threads could have been simplified…. to allow more time for secondary character development.

On the positive side it read extremely well, Kat Ellis can definitely write – no doubt about that, and it has a very imaginative fantasy setting, full marks for imagination Kat. I love the circus aspect, the Blood House, and the idea of pathfinders too. Yes, there are definitely aspects of this debut novel that really appeal to me, I think with a few tweaks it could easily have been a perfect read.

So would I recommend it ? Yes, I would. This is Kat Ellis’s debut novel, I do think she has great potential and amazing promise, so my recommendation would be to read this author and keep an eye out for her, I reckon her next novel might just pack that knockout punch.

By the way don’t forget to vote for your favourite debut author, Kat Ellis is one of the authors you can nominate for First Book Award, vote for your favourite, voting closes at 5pm on Friday 16th October: www.edbookfest.co.uk

My rating:

3.75 stars. Just short of 4, as I say with a few tweaks it could easily have been a 4 star read.
( )

If there is one thing that you should know about this reader, it's that I'm easily charmed by oddities and quirks. I love stories that are rich with the kind of atmosphere that makes you truly believe in the place it is describing. Blackfin Sky delivered this in a most pleasing manner. I was treated to a town brimming with items like the local penny well, which would nip the change right out of your pockets if you walked too close. Or like Sky's home, which had a tendency to whisk away all sugary treats an unsuspecting child might bring home since, as you well know, they are quite bad for you. I was smitten with this town, and eager to learn more about it.

When Sky mysteriously came back from the dead, this story looked even more promising. With a setting like this, I hoped for something magical and even a bit sinister. I suppose I did get my wish partly fulfilled. There was indeed some rather sinister undertones to Sky's story. Some of the events that took place were downright creepy, especially as she slowly came to understand how she was "dead" for so long. Unfortunately, there was plenty that was not fully explained. There was this deliciously creepy circus, that played a part I didn't quite understand. More than a few characters flitted in and out of the story without really being fleshed out. Most disappointing of all, Sky's ability to travel through multiple timelines was only just hinted at. I would have loved to learn more about how it worked, and what the consequences were.

In fact, if you were to ask me right now what the entire point of this story was? I wouldn't rightly be able to tell you. I only just finished it a few days ago, and pieces of it are already lost in the immeasurable space that holds all my bookish knowledge. The things I do know are these: I liked Sky as a character, I loved the town that she lived in, and I just wanted more. So much more of everything. For the things I did enjoy, I'll happily give this book 3 stars. It was well-written, although the pacing felt slightly off. The characters and the setting charmed me enough to keep me reading to the end and that's saying something. Pick this up simply to meet the town of Blackfin Sky. ( )

Strange town where people take the strangeness in stride. Until Sky shows up at school one day, astonishing friends and family who thought she was dead. She remembers leading an ordinary life for three months. But now has to figure out what happened. And do the homework she missed. Reminds me of Welcome to Night Vale, in the acceptance of ghoulish weirdness.
I liked the specific touches of mythology, but could have used more time developing and exploring them. Stands alone, but I would read a sequel happily. Also, one or two plot points that reminded me I was a grownup reading YA (a Boy figures as a plot point in a very First Teen Romance sort of way.)
On the whole, though, a terrific read. ( )