by Sara Vlahos
Hello ANS readers! Are you ready to fall into reading? Well hang on tight because this week’s book will knock your socks off.
Are you interested in fiction, adventure, folklore, mystery, magic and fantasy?
When The Sea Turned to Silver is sure to please you, as it provides all of those themes, and much more. This beautiful illustrated book, by Newbery Honor author Grace Lin, is the last of three middle-grade novels. A trilogy of beautiful fantasy stories surpassing wonder, adventure, magic and an emotional rollercoaster for all of its readers.
This story begins with a young girl named Pinmei whose grandmother, Amah, always has the most exciting tales for her granddaughter and the other villagers around the mountain. Everything seems perfect until her grandmother is kidnapped by the emperor’s soldiers, leaving Pinmei devastated.
Pinmei then embarks on a journey to rescue her grandmother with her friend Yishan, who also has his own secrets to hide. Then, the real adventure begins.
Throughout the story, the characters changed in magical ways; From morphing and hidden identities to unimaginable personalities and secrets.
I would definitely say that one of my favorite parts was when Amah, Pinmei’s grandmother, started telling stories to her capturers, the Emperor’s soldiers. I enjoyed this scene of the plot because not only does it demonstrate the impact Amah’s stories have on the community-even on the people who kidnapped her-, but how sometimes words can be greater than actions.
In my opinion, this is a very sentimental form of inspiration that led Lin to writing this trilogy, which may I add is also very sentimental in some points.
Every single chapter of this book has something new in store for its readers. From new fairytales and folklore legends, to new journeys and secrets uncovered; there is something in there for all sorts of readers.
In all, When The Sea Turned to Silver is an outstanding, charming piece of literature. Whether or not you are interested in books that feature adventures, folklore, magic, and fiction, I still highly recommend you read this book or any other book in this trilogy, as there is a little bit of something in there for everyone.
After falling into it, I rate this book a solid 8/10. Charming, humorous, and fantastical.
