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Be warned, once you pick up Beyond the Bright Sea, you won’t be able to put it down...Lauren Wolk's writing is at once lyrical and fraught with danger and suspense, as Crow follows her instincts to hunt down a past that has eluded her and face an unknown future.
— NPR’s Best Books of the Year
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The sight of a campfire on a distant island…proves the catalyst for a series of discoveries and events—some poignant, some frightening—that Ms. Wolk unfolds with uncommon grace.
— The Wall Street Journal
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★ “Creating mystery and suspense in an unusual setting, Newbery Honor–winner Wolk spins an intriguing tale of an orphan determined to find her roots, set in the 1920s…. Crow is a determined and dynamic heroine with a strong intuition, who pieces together the puzzle of her past while making profound realizations about the definition of family.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
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★ “The mysteries—and the words that describe them—are compelling enough to send readers to the islands for years to come. A beautiful, evocative sophomore effort from Newbery honoree Wolk.
— Kirkus, starred review
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★ “Wolk has a keen sense for the seaside landscape, skillfully mining the terror the ocean can unleash as a furious nor’easter heightens tension in the novel’s climax.
— Booklist, starred review
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★ “A stellar story full of heart, action, and emotion that will make readers feel like they are a part of Crow’s family.
— School Library Journal, starred review
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[A] hauntingly beautiful sea song of a historical novel.... As Crow searches for clues to her origins, this soulful book turns into a riveting adventure.
— Scholastic Teacher
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A beautiful tapestry of pirate-treasure adventure, suspense, a search for family, and warm family bonds that’ll keep the pages turning and the heartstrings tugging.
— Common Sense Media
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A sweeping work self-discovery and love, Beyond the Bright Sea is thought-provoking and pitch-perfect in every way.
— The Times Herald
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Heart-wrenching, Lyrical.
— New York Public Library Biblio File blog
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The honesty of Wolf Hollow will just about shred your heart, but Annabelle’s courage and compassion will restore it to you, fuller than before. This book matters.
— Sara Pennypacker, New York Times bestselling author of Pax
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An evocative setting, memorable characters, a searing story: Wolf Hollow has stayed with me long after I closed the book. It has the feel of an instant classic.
— Linda Sue Park, Newbery Medalist and New York Times bestselling author
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Wrenching and true. . . . comparisons to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird will abound. But Wolk gives us her own story—one full of grace and stark, brutal beauty.
— The New York Times Book Review
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★ "Wolk movingly expresses Annabelle’s loss of innocence through the honest, clear voice of her protagonist.
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
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★ "Perfectly pitched to be used in classrooms in conjunction with To Kill a Mockingbird.
— Booklist, starred review
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★ "The tension builds and never lets up.
— The Horn Book, starred review
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★ "The narrative is powerful, complex, and lifelike . . . a truly moving debut.
— School Library Journal, starred review
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“Narrator Jorjeana Marie expresses all the youthful longing of twelve-year-old Crow…[and] the fierce love of these guardians…Marie melds conflict and tenderness beautifully in this tale of family and belonging. The author’s brief postscript expresses her caring for place, history, and characters. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
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"This exquisite debut confronts injustice and doesn't flinch.
— People"[A] powerful debut . . . beautifully written.
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“Mystery and suspense in an unusual setting…an intriguing tale of an orphan determined to find her roots…Crow is a determined and dynamic heroine with a strong intuition, who pieces together the puzzle of her past while making profound realizations about the definition of family.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Every chapter in the book has a new mystery to be solved…The mysteries—and the words that describe them—are compelling enough to send readers to the islands for years to come. A beautiful, evocative sophomore effort from Newbery honoree Wolk.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)