252 pages
Published 2021
Read from November 2 to November 3
Rating: 4 out of 5
A bittersweet exploration of the loneliness of being a queer teen, projecting a false self to protect yourself even if it risks never finding happiness within your true self. Morgan, 16 and with no plans to come out of the closet until she’s in college and out of her small town, is rescued from the sea by Keltie, a selkie. Thinking it’s a romantic dream, Morgan kisses Keltie — but it was no hallucination. True love’s kiss allows Keltie to assume human form and walk on land, and aspects of her identity that Morgan wasn’t yet ready to address suddenly become urgent. “You’re the true shapeshifter,” Keltie tells Morgan.
The character design work here is utterly endearing. Keltie and Morgan are also endearing as characters, immediately pulling you into an emotional investment. Morgan herself doesn’t always make the right choices or respect Keltie’s emotional needs. It’s realistic but occasionally heartbreaking.
The coming-of-age story — already emotionally fraught — is complicated by Morgan’s friend group, her brother, and a monstrous harbor tour boat that is endangering Keltie’s seal friends. Things don’t effortlessly fall into place, at least not right away. “Sometimes you have to let your life get messy,” Morgan’s mom tells her at one point. “That’s how you get to the good parts.”
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