3 Sea Themed YA Books to Read This Summer!

Summer is one of the best times to get lost in a book. There's nothing like ticking off books on your reading list. But here are three books that need to be on your summer list this year because they are worth the read.

'To Kill a Kingdom' by Alexandra Christo

Tagline “To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most—a human.”

Alexandra Christo is a debut author. Her book, To Kill a Kingdom, is kinda in a way inspired by The Little Mermaid. It’s a dark and twisted story that follows a siren, named Princess Lira. When she is forced to kill one of her own, her mother, the Sea Queen, punishes her by turning her human. Princess Lira must deliver a human heart to her mother but not just any heart the heart of Prince Elian, who is is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world, or Lira will remain human forever.

This book is told in many different points of views. My favorite thing about this book, (other than the writing) would have to be the crew of characters. I enjoyed the mix and how they all played off one another. This book is a wild windstorm that flew by and made me become a huge fan of Alexandra Christo. I will be looking out for her next book.

'Sea Witch' by Sarah Henning

Tagline “Everyone knows what happens in the end.

A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss.

But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends.

One feared, one royal, and one already dead.”

Sarah Hennings is a debut author! Evie's an outcast (A freak, cursed, and a witch?) in her small fishing town ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned. When a girl who looks like Anna shows up, Evie believes it's her old best friend back from the dead. The two grow a friendship quickly together. Evie believes that everything it back the way it should be but between new romances and hidden feelings, things unravel fast.

This book is a whirlwind of witchy goodness, sea water, and friendship. I had high hopes for this story and it all paid off. The writing painted such a beautiful sea green world. This is another (pre) retelling of The Little Mermaid. In my heart, this story for me will be how the Sea Witch came about. The way everything plays out is such a joy to read.

'The Wicked Deep' by Shea Ernshaw

Tagline "Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls..."

Shea Ernshaw' debut story: We follow Penny who's seventeen-years-old. She believes in the curse on the town. So, when a new boy comes to town she feels it's her job to keep him safe from the curses. But a windstorm of drama turns the town upside down.

I have to say that my favorite part of this book is the writing style, I love the plot, but the writing took my breath away. The sea salt filled the air around me when I read this book. I stepped right into this world, the small sea town with a splash of witchy magic. The book became an island that I got stuck on and now I want more books by Shea Ernshaw. (This has been my favorite read so far this year!)