THE AQUAMARINE SURFBOARD
by
KELLYE ABERNATHY
Middle Grade / Magical Realism / Fantasy
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Page Count: 290 pages
Publication Date: November 22, 2021
“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”
Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.
Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.
PURCHASE LINKS
No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” ― C.S. Lewis
With its cinematic world-building and evocative prose, The Aquamarine Surfboard tells an engaging coming-of-age story that should appeal to readers of all generations. It is remarkably well-written, dynamically-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Condi resonated well with me despite the disparity between our ages. I related to her grief, dreams, angst, fears, impatience, empathy, bravery, and maturity beyond her years. Ms. Abernathy created a memorable heroine in Condi.
She also drew the supporting characters–Trustin, Grand Ella, the Beachlings, to name a few–so vividly and so distinctly, they came alive in my mind. So much so, I think this book will make a great movie.
I consumed this while I was on the beach and I think that enhanced the reading experience a thousandfold.
PLAYLIST: On Spotify
Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!
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