BOOK TITLE: FREE SINGS THE SEA
AUTHOR OF BOOK: Stacey Bartlett
AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS: staceybartlettauthor@gmail.com
AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://linktr.ee/
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REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Cordelia Tait, originally published at Goodreads
THE REVIEW:
Free Sings the Sea is an exquisite tale of hope over adversity where the promise of freedom for the female characters had me turning the pages into the wee hours to quell my craving.
Shanna’s fierce sense of protection towards her younger sister and mother shone as brightly as the moon over the misty, Blue Ridge Mountains—and it is from these soaring mountains and plush valleys nestling their trailer—where I embarked upon my journey of willing the characters to overcome the obstacles stacked against them from the festering cruelty of the antagonist stepfather and husband, Travis.
The backdrop of some of Mother Nature’s finest creations cocooning the cruel terror that existed in the family trailer lent a poetic, breath-holding slant — the expectant universe waiting for growth and freedom to bloom.
The striking scenery, a salve for the darker themes that lurked throughout this story, was beautifully captured by the author: I could smell the pine trees in the woods, zigzag through them while running free with the wild deer, taste the ripe pears, be enthralled by the horse under that big ol’ moon. Exquisite fairytale vibes of snaking danger coiling through the natural beauty and seemingly elusive escape from terror.
There’s a realistic depiction of the insidious and progressive nature of Domestic Abuse. The survival tactics used by the characters expertly captures the strategies utilised by victims of DA: the placement of the glass of water the night before, the creeping about the trailer and grounds, the various tones of voice used to placate the perpetrator, and the expert skills honed by victims to analyze said perpetrator’s current, twisted deployment.
This book was fantastic in creating the atmospheric tension: “Lia cries and pulls the blanket tightly over her head, because everyone knows that if you hide under a blanket, the monster in the room can’t get you. This one can, though. My one thought is to get him away from her and Mom who’s asleep at the end of the hall. And I need to do it fast.”
Travis’ dark character, and the abusive relationship he has with Shanna’s mother, is juxtaposed with the parallel relationship between Shanna and Free, a burgeoning bond that depicts the healthy tenets of a relationship built on trust, friendship, and boundary establishment, but mostly, respect.
This novel was a beautiful and satisfying read. Where there was tension, there was tenderness. Heartbreak turned to hope. Moments of despondent despair, balanced by delectable victory, and where a delicious denouement occurs and the nuanced title continued to wash over me long after I closed the final page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Stacey is a writer living in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Two of her novels will be published in September 2024 and February 2025 with Monarch Educational Services, and her work appears in the eleventh edition (2024) of County Lines Literary Journal. Her story COUNT ON THE MOUNTAINS was published in the spring 2024 issue of Reckon Review.
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