By Megan Amato
Content warning: depictions of kidnapping for the purposes of slavery
The world that debut author Natasha Bowen has devised in Skin of the Sea is breathtaking, full of history that cannot be ignored, and richly detailed with West African folklore and culture. It’s beautifully written and flawlessly plotted; it would be easy to lose yourself in the worldbuilding and characters if not for the devastating roles that the African slave trade and middle passage have in the novel.
Simidele (Simi) is Mami Wati, one of seven mermaids the sea goddess Yemoja remade to bless the journey of those stolen and murdered at sea. Simi is already grappling with letting her past life go and embracing Yemoja’s cause when she threatens the fate of the Mami Wati by pulling a live boy from the sea. With the help from Kola, the boy she saved, Simi sets out to find a set of rings that will help her undo the damage she has done. However, she isn’t the only one looking for the rings, and if the resentful messenger god gets his hands on them first, the world and everyone she loves will perish—including the boy she’s forbidden to love.
Two-dimensional main characters? Bowen has never met them. Simi demonstrates her courage and strength throughout the novel by defending her decision to save Kola despite the consequences, yet she does everything in her power to ensure those consequences are righted. Her character arc is also immensely satisfying. In the beginning, she is unsure and unsettled in her new place in the world, desperate to remember and hold onto her past human life. As the novel progresses, she doesn’t lose that longing—especially as her feelings for Kola grow—but she grows more confident in herself through overcoming adversity, and through shared camaraderie.
Kola is an admirable love interest, unafraid to show a softer side as he cares for those around him. The connection and chemistry between Kola and Simi are beautifully written, and despite their instant attraction, their budding—and forbidden—feelings for each other are demonstrated slowly, subtly, and appropriately for two young adults thrown into a life-or-death situation. The side characters are just as fleshed out and interesting, and I’m especially fond of Yinka, whose strength is constantly shown through not only her combat skills but the affection she shows to old and new friends.
There are many elements in this novel, but Bowen seamlessly weaves them together, creating a new mosaic out of an existing folklore and history. There is a fairytale dreaminess that I love in retellings, and the descriptions of Simi’s environments are described so that I can almost feel the salt on my own skin. The plot is well-paced, moving with an urgency and tension befitting to the issues involved in the book and the characters at play. Skin of the Sea has quickly—I read this in one very long sitting—become one of my favourite books of the year, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You can pick up a copy of it on Nov. 9.
Thank you, Penguin Random House, for the complimentary copy of Skin of the Sea in exchange for an honest review.