Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott

Release Date: April 1, 2009
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Childeren’s Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352

From her birth, Abisina has been outcast–for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother’s status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina’s life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and the home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepest prejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find her own way and decide where her true hope lies.

Watersmeet was a fascinating and truly impressive debut novel. Abbott’s writing style is very easy to read. The fantasy world that is created contains many mythical creatures- fairies, trolls, dwarfs, fauns, and centuars, but at the same time it deals with the same issues we face in today’s society- discrimination, prejudice, tolerance and acceptance.

The main character Abisina deals with many of those issues throughout the novel. Abisina is a terribly flawed character, but I think that is what makes her so believable. While I didn’t always agree with her, I enjoyed seeing her personal growth within the novel.

Plot wise, there was some unexpected twists that I didn’t even see coming. The story was revealed at a steady pace, and there were never moments where I felt like it was dragging. I did developed a few issues about three quarters of the way through the novel, but luckily those issues were addressed in a satisfying manner. The ending was a little disappointing for me, I definitely preferred the epilogue.

Overall, a great read for fantasy fans.

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