Review: The Coming Storm

Title: The Coming Storm
Author: Regina M. Hansen
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Music, myth, and horror blend in this romantic, atmospheric fantasy debut about a teen girl who must fight a powerful evil that’s invaded her Prince Edward Island home—perfect for fans of An Enchantment of Ravens.

There’s a certain wild magic in the salt air and the thrum of the sea. Beet MacNeill has known this all her life. It added spice to her childhood adventures with her older cousin, Gerry, the two of them thick as thieves as they explored their Prince Edward Island home. So when Gerry comes up the path one early spring morning, Beet thinks nothing of it at first. But he is soaking wet and silent, and he plays a haunting tune on his fiddle that chills Beet to the bone. Something is very, very wrong.

Things only get worse when Marina Shaw saunters into town and takes an unsettling interest in Gerry’s new baby. Local lore is filled with tales of a vicious shape-shifting sea creature and the cold, beautiful woman who controls him—a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Marina. Beet is determined to find out what happened to her beloved cousin, and to prevent the same fate from befalling the handsome new boy in town who is winning her heart, whether she wants him to or not. Yet the sea always exacts a price…

Review:

1950, Prince Edward Island: Teenager Beet MacNeill has always been close with her older cousin Gerry. On the night when his son, Joseph, is born in her house, she sees Gerry’s ghost and hears his fiddle song, so she knows he has died on his journey home. A year later, Gerry’s mysterious mother dies suddenly. Her niece, Marina Shaw, appears and takes her place in town as the mysterious loner. However, Marina seems to be able to control Gerry’s baby. Beet is the only one who holds the key to saving baby Joseph.

This was a mysterious story filled with folklore. There was a mix of Scottish and Eastern Canadian folklore. As the story progresses, the real secret behind Marina’s sudden appearance becomes clearer. The story was slowly unraveled through Beet’s present narrative and some flashbacks about people in the town who have met a strange woman throughout the previous century.

The setting of Prince Edward Island was an important character in the story. The beaches and water were influenced by the magic wielded by Marina and Beet. Music was also an important part of the story. All of the senses were used in this setting, so I really felt like I was in PEI while reading the story.

The Coming Storm is a beautiful Canadian story.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read The Coming Storm? What did you think of it?