The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska

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Justification

I chose this book for my LTBGTQ requirement because the premise was exciting and intriguing. I have a penchant for fantasy and this certainly fit the bill with a wicked Witch Queen, a romantic girl bent on saving her crush, and a sinking island plagued by flood sirens and a black tide that wanted to swallow them whole.

Response

(e) I initially had a difficult time getting invested in the characters, mostly because the plot felt rushed. The more I learned about them, the more childish they seemed. Upon closer examination, the plot still seems a bit rushed, but the pacing makes sense in conjunction with the premise, that the Witch Queen must make someone fall in love with them before the full moon rises. I feel like the drama and romance would have benefitted from the selection of the sacrifice occurring more than a month before the sacrifice is set to be made. Instead of an elegant and tragic story, it feels more adolescent. That adolescent feeling ended up resonating because Lina isn't a perfect romance heroine. She's flawed and understands herself in a way I wish I had as a teen. She feels such guilt for things beyond her control or not her fault. She feels obligations that a young person should never shoulder, yet students shoulder burdens for their families constantly. I think there is something inherently relatable in that for most people.

(f) As a work of art, I have to say that the plotholes do a fair bit of damage to the book. Purely as a form of entertainment, it is a wonderful story with a great atmosphere. I would like to see it more developed and fleshed out to avoid the rushed feeling.

(g) The premise is incredibly interesting, but the execution of the story left me wanting. In the end, it was less about the sacrifices we make because of love and responsibilities and more about discovering something about one's self. Lina clumsily discovers she is bisexual, and it felt as though Eva is making the same discovery about herself, but it is unclear whether she is attracted to men and women. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere Jasinska created. It felt so appropriate for the anger and guilt Lina felt and the grief that Eva was living with. Overall, this is a decent, albeit clumsy first attempt at an LGBT novel. I hope to read something by Jasinska in the future. I think I would have to recommend this with a caveat that there are some plotholes, but that it's a decent a sweet story on the whole. I really appreciated reading the confusion that Lina felt and how she welcomed her sexuality at the end.

Conclusion

I am honestly excited to see what else Jasinska comes up with. This is a great premise that I want more of.

Citation

Jasinska, A. (2020). The dark tide. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks Fire.

Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ