Skin of the Sea

Starred review from September 27, 2021
In Bowen’s dazzling debut, rooted in West African mythology and mid-1400s history, Simidele is a mermaid, or Mami Wata, tasked by orisa Mother Yemoja to collect and usher to the afterlife the souls of deceased West African people thrown overboard from passing slave ships. When a living teen named Kola lands in the water during a violent storm, Simi defies Yemoja and Olodumare, the Supreme Creator, and saves his life. Haunted by the memory of the captured human girl she was before she was “remade” into a Mami Wata by Yemoja, Simi pleads with Yemoja for help returning the boy home, whatever the cost. To protect her Mami Wata family from certain death at Olodumare’s hand, she travels with Kola to make restitution. But there is something deadly pursuing Simi, and it has a terrible plan. Reinvigorating the image of West Africa as not merely a site of human suffering but a historical place of great invention, fellowship, and hope, Bowen relays a story as lushly described as it is cinematic, centering a brave, headstrong protagonist coming into her own power in an age of change. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Nov.)■

October 1, 2021

Gr 10 Up-It's been three months since Yemoja remade Simidele in the image of Mami Wata (a mermaid) and tasked her with recovering the souls of those who perish in the water. Though she knows this to be a gift, as she would otherwise be a soul sent back to Olodumare, the Supreme Creator, Simidele still clings to the memories of her human life. When a living boy named Kola is tossed from a slave ship, she rescues him and in doing so unknowingly breaks an ancient decree from the Supreme Creator-an act that could cost her very existence and that of her fellow Mami Wata sisters. She needs Olodumare's forgiveness, but another jealous Orisha is dogging her every step, hoping that she fails. It is no easy thing for a single girl to defy the gods. Blending West African mythology with the dark history of the slave trade, Bowen weaves a magical tale that will delight readers. Despite its heavy subject matter, this book is a testament to the strength of the human spirit amid tragedy that never shies away from the horrors it conveys. VERDICT Give this book to everyone, but especially fans of mythological and well-crafted fantasy.-India Winslow, formerly at Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, MA

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2022
Simidele is a Mami Wata, a mermaid who gathers the souls of the dead to be blessed by the Yoruba deity Yemoja. When Kola, a young man not yet dead, is thrown from a passing slave ship, she refuses to let him drown and carries him to a nearby island. But by interfering, Simi risks bringing punishment down on all the Mami Wata and on Yemoja herself. Simi sets out, with Kola's help, to find two rings that can summon the Creator so she can beg for mercy. Bowen combines a classic quest plot with a rich and still-underrepresented mythology (see also Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, rev. 5/18), complicating the stakes with every plot twist. Creatures who assist or oppose Simi and Kola, as well as the ever-present grief of the slave trade (specifically the start of Portuguese slave trading in the mid-1400s, per an author's note), also serve to build out the unearthly tale's West African basis. As Simi and Kola travel together, the attraction between them grows, but Simi's knowledge that acting on her feelings will turn her into sea foam makes for a slow-burn (if occasionally repetitious) romantic arc that enhances this inventive supernatural fantasy. Anita L. Burkam

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from November 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* For her debut, Bowen pens a riveting, fast-paced fantasy readers won't be able to put down. In service to the Gods, Simi fulfills the role of Mami Wata, a mermaid whose duty is to collect the souls of people who die at sea. But Simi's memories of a former life perpetually haunt her and compel her to save a boy from drowning, instead of watching him die. Her choice violates an ancient edict, and the punishment for it threatens all Mami Wata. To atone, Simi must seek out the Supreme Creator; however, a shadowy force circling Simi desires to see her fail. The stakes for discovering what the force is could not be higher, as failure means that all Mami Wata--and perhaps the entire world--could perish. Bowen weaves a tantalizing story of intrigue, romance, danger, and mythology, complete with a lush, immersive setting off the coast of West Africa. The characters are just as unique and dynamic, especially Simi, who is a fierce, fearless heroine. Any story about literal Black Girl Magic featuring a Black mermaid is sure to shine, but Bowen's story swims to sparkling heights.

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Starred review from October 1, 2021
A mermaid seeks to appease the Supreme Creator after a rescue attempt goes awry. Saved by the goddess Yemoja and turned into Mami Wata, a mermaid charged with granting safe passage to the souls of enslaved people who are thrown into the sea, Simidele, a teenager with brown skin and eyes and dark curls, still holds the memories of her family and life on land even though she is now one with the water and its creatures. When Simi instead saves the life of a boy who is thrown overboard, she unwittingly enters into dangerous intrigue. She must return to land, suffering shooting pain in the soles of her feet as she travels in her human form, to save lives from the cruel machinations of a power-hungry god. Excellent pacing moves readers through action-packed introductions to the brilliance and power of surprisingly down-to-earth orisas--Yoruba gods and goddesses--along with other deeply empathetic characters, each combating in their own way the trauma and horrors of the emerging slave trade. The vibrant focus on West African religious traditions organically enriches beloved, familiar elements--like another well-known mermaid, Simi will turn to seafoam if she acts on her love for a human--in a story bursting with innovative inspiration, such as maps braided into hair that showcase West African civilizations' mathematical prowess. A divine debut that explores the glories of West African myth, religion, and history. (author's note, content note, further reading) (Fantasy. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2022
Simidele is a Mami Wata, a mermaid who gathers the souls of the dead to be blessed by the Yoruba deity Yemoja. When Kola, a young man not yet dead, is thrown from a passing slave ship, she refuses to let him drown and carries him to a nearby island. But by interfering, Simi risks bringing punishment down on all the Mami Wata and on Yemoja herself. Simi sets out, with Kola's help, to find two rings that can summon the Creator so she can beg for mercy. Bowen combines a classic quest plot with a rich and still-underrepresented mythology (see also Adeyemi's �cf2Children of Blood and Bone, rev. 5/18), complicating the stakes with every plot twist. Creatures who assist or oppose Simi and Kola, as well as the ever-present grief of the slave trade (specifically the start of Portuguese slave trading in the mid-1400s, per an author's note), also serve to build out the unearthly tale's West African basis. As Simi and Kola travel together, the attraction between them grows, but Simi's knowledge that acting on her feelings will turn her into sea foam makes for a slow-burn (if occasionally repetitious) romantic arc that enhances this inventive supernatural fantasy.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)