“Sometimes you have to let your life get messy. That’s how you get to the good parts.”
― Molly Knox Ostertag, The Girl from the Sea

Lee Knox Ostertag has written and/or drawn some of my favorite graphic novels, Strong Female Protagonist and The Deep Dark, to name a few. When I spotted The Girl from the Sea on the shelves and realized that I hadn’t read it yet, I knew I needed to give this one a go.

Published in 2021, The Girl from the Sea is a queer, coming of age romance graphic novel set on an island. Telling the story of fifteen-year-old Morgan and her secrets, readers are drawn into her world as she works to figure out who she is and who she can trust. Morgan can’t wait to escape the island where she lives. Her life may seem perfect, but her mom is sad because of the divorce, her dad is nowhere to be seen, and her little brother keeps getting angrier. Morgan should be able to rely on her friends, but lately her secrets are pushing them farther and farther apart. Morgan’s biggest secret is that she wants to kiss another girl, but she hasn’t been comfortable enough to tell anyone else. Sitting on the cliffs by her house one night, Morgan suddenly finds herself falling into the sea. When a mysterious girl named Keltie saves her, Morgan is convinced she’s in a dream. Waking up the next morning, Morgan realizes that Keltie is, in fact, real. The two become friends, going on adventures across the island that help Morgan to come out of her shell and enjoy life more. Who exactly is Keltie though? She has her own secrets, which could destroy their friendship and budding romance.

The vibrant colors and beautiful artwork pulled me to this graphic novel. I love a coming of age romance, especially when the characters are queer and struggling to figure out who they are. The struggles between friends were realistic, while the romance and relationships were wholesome and relatable. The ending was a bit bittersweet, but still somewhat happy. All in all, I’m glad I picked up this book.