The Hazel Wood meets The Astonishing Color of After in this dreamy, atmospheric novel that follows sixteen-year-old Eli as she tries to remember what truly happened the night her mother disappeared off a glacier in Norway under the Northern Lights.
Never whistle at the Northern Lights, the story goes, or they'll sweep down from the sky and carry you away.
Sixteen-year-old Eline Davis knows it's true. She was there ten years ago, on a frozen fjord in Svalbard, Norway, the night her mother whistled at the lights and then vanished.
Now Eli lives an ordinary life with her dad on Cape Cod. But when the Northern Lights are visible over the Cape for just one night, she can't resist the possibility of seeing her mother again. So she whistles—and it works. Her mother appears, with snowy hair, frosty fingertips and a hazy story of where she's been all these years. And she doesn't return alone.
Along with Eli's mother's reappearance come strange, impossible things. Narwhals swimming in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in Eli's yard, and three shadowy princesses with ominous messages. It's all too much, too fast, and Eli pushes her mother away. She disappears again—but this time, she leaves behind a note that will send Eli on a journey across continents, to the northern tip of the world:
Find me where I left you.
Never whistle at the Northern Lights, the story goes, or they'll sweep down from the sky and carry you away.
Sixteen-year-old Eline Davis knows it's true. She was there ten years ago, on a frozen fjord in Svalbard, Norway, the night her mother whistled at the lights and then vanished.
Now Eli lives an ordinary life with her dad on Cape Cod. But when the Northern Lights are visible over the Cape for just one night, she can't resist the possibility of seeing her mother again. So she whistles—and it works. Her mother appears, with snowy hair, frosty fingertips and a hazy story of where she's been all these years. And she doesn't return alone.
Along with Eli's mother's reappearance come strange, impossible things. Narwhals swimming in Cape Cod Bay, meteorites landing in Eli's yard, and three shadowy princesses with ominous messages. It's all too much, too fast, and Eli pushes her mother away. She disappears again—but this time, she leaves behind a note that will send Eli on a journey across continents, to the northern tip of the world:
Find me where I left you.
My Thoughts
Once upon a time, in a green house at the top of the world, there lived a girl and her mother.This was an absolutely beautiful story showcasing the love between mother and daughter. It was heartbreaking and emotional and oh so moving. I loved it.
I became fully immersed in this world. I was completely captivated by it. The author's writing style really made things come alive. Everything was so vivid. I didn't want to leave the pages of this stunning story.
This was a great blend of contemporary, magical realism, and Norwegian folklore. It's one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and I'm definitely gonna be on the lookout for more from this author. Highly recommended!
Five Stars
I'm so glad this one turned out to be as good as you hoped! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lark! I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this book was. I was pretty sure I'd like it, but it ended up blowing me away. It was so, so good. :D
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