On a personal level, I first thought, “This is a 4 star read for me.” But, the more I started to think about the story, I was reminded that I’m not part of the target audience. This book is definitely for teens (probably 13-17ish), which I haven’t been for about a decade lol. HOWEVER, the characters and the story - the way it was all presented - are 5 star worthy. Thus, I’m giving it 5 stars!

I love that You Brought Me the Ocean feels like an origin story of a hero we haven’t officially met yet. The characters all have development to them, which is impressive given the size of the cast and length of the book. It’s also extremely easy to follow (like the nostalgic feeling you get when you read old comics) but contains modern themes/obstacles. And the superhero vibes are a great element for young readers to get interested in.

The full color illustrations are gorgeous and the art style stands out from other graphic novels (and manga) I’ve read so far. Plus, the plot doesn’t try to be overly complex (i.e. attempt to develop a novel-length plot with in-depth character development and subplots). When it comes to standalone stories like this, I want it to be either open-ended or have everything wrapped up with a pretty bow.

You Brought Me the Ocean was a book I stumbled upon in my local library, and I’m glad young readers will have access to it! Very enjoyable!