Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Given to the Sea (Given Duet, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Given to the Sea

(Given Duet #1)

Mindy McGinnis (Goodreads Author)

3.20 · Rating details · 3,003 ratings · 506 reviews

Everyone has a place.

Khosa was born to be fed to the sea, to prevent the kind of wave that once destroyed the Kingdom of Stille. She can’t be sacrificed until she produces an heir, but human touch repulses her…except for the touch of the Indiri.

Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, a native race with magic that’s seductive—a force of nature—but dwindling since the Pie ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published April 11th 2017 by Putnam's Childrens

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Given to the Sea, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

YA Novels of 2017

1,094 books — 7,706 voters

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Most Anticipated Books of 2017

963 books — 2,784 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.20 ·

Rating details

· 3,003 ratings · 506 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Given to the Sea (Given Duet, #1)

Apr 11, 2017 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: why-do-i-hate-myself

Her eyes, skin, hair—everything that has always been Dara—comes together in a burning moment in which I want her so badly I would take her there on the blood-slicked grass, among the dead, with her brother watching.

Like, ew.

Let me clarify the quote above. It is spoken by a "prince" (more on the quotation marks later), referring to his adopted sister and her twin brother, who is, obviously, his adopted brother also. Double ew.

This was a pretty awful book. I can't even make fun of it or enjoy ...more

flag 539 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2017 Emily May rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, 2017, coverly-love

DNF - 60%

I started reading Given to the Sea late Friday night. I made it through five chapters before I thought "Wait a second - what is going on? What's the story? Who are these people?" Thinking that I must be overtired, I decided to start again in the morning. But the exact same thing happened.

The first problem with this book is the writing. It has other problems too, but it takes a while to dig through the convoluted, messy narrative in order to figure out what they are. McGinnis is clearly ...more

flag 319 likes · Like · see review

Jul 23, 2016 Nastassja rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: 3rd-pov, boring, 1st-pov, young-adult, fell-short-of-expectations, oh-so-awful, pretty-cover-bad-execution, slow-paced, this-girl-is-daft, fantasy

*ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher.*

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

*ARC of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher.*

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

Given to the Sea was one of my anticipated releases after I've read Mindy McGinnis's A Madness So Discreet and heard a lot of good things about her recent The Female of the Species, which I really want to read as well. Given to the Sea is the author's first fantasy novel, and one of the things that really interested me about this book is that it was about the sea, and we don't have enough 'sea' books in the fantasy genre. But all my expectations drowned when the wave of disappointment caught up with them.

This story is about a girl Khosa. She is Given to the Sea - a sacrifice meant to be fed to the sea and calm the roaring depths from rising a wave and destroying the human Kingdom. After an unexpected attack, Khosa is whisked to the safety of the royal palace, where she becomes friends with Prince Vincent and warrior siblings Dara and Donil, but, also, where she's closer to the sea which calls to her. Meanwhile, the Pietra Kingdom is preparing to conquer every speck of land, including the Kingdom Khosa is hiding in.

If you ask me what was happening in this book for almost 350 pages, I wouldn't be able to give you a straight answer. There was a lot of talk about Given to the Sea, a lot of talk about war, more talk about the Given and that's it? We don't get enough of the world-building, we don't get answers as to why things are the way they are. Why do every 17 or so years the sacrifice is needed? We are practically locked inside the castle and all we get is how everyone is obsessing over war and Given, because of unknown reasons.

The most disturbing thing, though, is how terribly women are treated in that world. I get that the author was trying to show us how brutal the world our heroine lives in, I get that women are treated poorly there... No, actually, I don't get why women are poorly treated there? One person can take so much as reading on every page about everyone's sex life and desires and how the Given must choose a male specimen to impregnate her before she "goes" to the sea. The "suitors" wouldn't stop listing how many 'bed' skills they have, how they will make it good for the Given, and how other girls were impregnated from the first time. You are a very fertile lad, yay to you, this is how many f***s I give about your skills:

Moreover, look at the quote below:

Her eyes, skin,
hair—everything that has always been Dara—comes together in
a burning moment in which I want her so badly I would take her
there on the blood-slicked grass, among the dead, with her brother
watching.

This is the moment when our hero Vincent realizes he likes his childhood friend Dara, a lot. Just no, dude, no girl would like to be an object of such fascination.

Don't snort yet, my friends, more fun is to come! After 200 pages everyone suddenly fell in insta-love with everyone. Hello, love square, or whatever monstrous figure you are:

Dara loves Vincent, Vincent loves Dara (hence the quote above), but he loves Khosa more.
Khosa loves Vincent but she loves Donil's touch more.
Donil loves Khosa and no one else.

Pleeeease, why are you doing this to me, book *bangs her head on the wall*

The only thing that I thought would make this book somehow stand out is that Khosa can't touch another person or in other words, she is repelled by other person's touch or when she touches them. Now, I googled the thing and seemingly the phobia is called Haptophobia. But I am not sure, correct me if I am wrong, please. But all my hopes for an interesting development involving this phobia evaporated when special snowflake Khosa found one sexy man she can touch and enjoy it. Of course, it's Donil, the love interest #2. All you need is love, Khosa, love will save the day. I am so tired of that trope, I can't even.

>> Intriguing concept, but poor execution killed this book for me. Boring, cliched, underdeveloped, lacks charter-development and thoroughly cringe-worthy when it comes to treatment of women. I can't find one reason for recommending this book.
Utter disappointment.

...more

flag 121 likes · Like · see review

Apr 22, 2017 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 2017, fantasy

Trigger warning if you need it: This book depicts a scene of attempted rape and examines rape culture in a fantasy setting. There is also some animal cruelty that is mentioned twice.

If you've read anything else by Mindy McGinnis, you know that she writes about social issues. I was surprised by how much of that carried over into her fantasy world. Here, she shows a flawed society full of sexism, racism, and ableism that our main characters have to face. There were some moments I didn't enjoy read Trigger warning if you need it: This book depicts a scene of attempted rape and examines rape culture in a fantasy setting. There is also some animal cruelty that is mentioned twice.

If you've read anything else by Mindy McGinnis, you know that she writes about social issues. I was surprised by how much of that carried over into her fantasy world. Here, she shows a flawed society full of sexism, racism, and ableism that our main characters have to face. There were some moments I didn't enjoy reading, some moments that felt very empowering, and some moments I don't know what I thought about them. (Specifically, I have conflicted feelings on how the ableism was portrayed. Like maybe it wasn't challenged enough, but this isn't something I know much about, admittedly.)

I've seen several reviews saying the world-building was bad or confusing and so I want to address that. I read a lot of fantasy and I didn't find this world confusing. Maybe you will, we're all different, but don't let that be the thing that scares you away from this book. I actually remember stopping at one point and thinking to myself: "wow, this was easy to get into for a fantasy world," so try it for yourself and see. It's a political fantasy and is a mostly non-magical world. It's more reminiscent of Game of Thrones than YA fae series, so know your preferences. Lots of adult themes. I've been saying it forever, Mindy writes adult books that masquerade as YA.

I enjoyed this world with its threatening sea and different nations with a tangled history. One thing I think would have GREATLY benefited the book though would have been the inclusion of a map! Maps not only show you the land, but they give you an easy reference for all of the nations and groups involved. There are about 4 groups involved in this story, but some of them merged and in the first half of the book I kept forgetting about one of them.

There are four POVs. Two of them are first person, and two are third person. I had a really easy time with the first person narratives (Khosa and Vincent) and blew through them. But then I would get to one of Witt's chapters and just get bored. I really did not enjoy his POV, but I do see why it was important. We needed to see his side to see how things came together. Dara was the other POV and while I enjoyed her character, her POV felt a bit useless since she's already so present in Vincent's chapters. I think hers could have been cut out, but have a hunch that something will happen in book 2 that we needed to have her POV for, though. But I admit, some of the POVs are less interesting than the others.

I mostly liked the characters. Khosa is touch averse and she also spends most of her time in a library. There is a love square involved and two of the characters that like each other grew up together as adopted siblings and I am not shipping that. Nope, sorry.

As for the writing, I've read all of Mindy's books and I wouldn't exactly call her the most lyrical writer, but the imagery in Given to the Sea was so vivid for me! I felt like I had the perfect image in my head for every single scene, and that is very rare for me! She paints the picture without flowery writing (which you may have learned from my past reviews is VERY hit-or-miss for me) so this was just a writing style that really worked for me and sucked me in.

Also, I thought the plot and story arc were solid. It could work as a standalone, but there is room for more.

Overall, I enjoyed the world and characters, but I have definitely preferred some of Mindy's other books. I will be reading the sequel though! ...more

flag 63 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2016 Alyssa rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis
Book One of the Given series
Publisher: Putnam's Childrens
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Rating: 2 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Khosa is Given to the Sea, a girl born to be fed to the water, her flesh preventing a wave like the one that destroyed the Kingdom of Stille in days of old. But before she’s allowed to dance – an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to ...more

flag 47 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2016 Cinda rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, fantasy, ohio-authors

Prepare to dive into a terrifying world where the hungry sea demands human sacrifice and the people are willing to comply—by sacrificing somebody else. The story centers on Khosa, a girl whose sole job is to breed and produce a daughter before she dances into the sea, assuring the survival of those left on dry land. Awkwardly, Khosa seems disinclined to deliver.

McGinnis delivers a tangle of fantasy, love and politics, leavened with veins of dark humor and elements of sly social commentary.

I’ll ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

May 24, 2017 Vivianne rated it did not like it

Shelves: 1-star, dnf, owned-and-signed, series-not-to-continue

DNF (on page 63)!

“A good person does not necessarily make a good king.”

Spoiler free review!

So this was my first Fairyloot book, April 2017. And unfortunately it wasn’t very successful.

Well I tried. Several times even. But I just have to give this up, it’s just not for me.

The concept was interesting but I don’t think that I would have bought this book on my own. I didn’t like the story of Kosha, the fact that she is solely born to have sex, birth a daughter and die had me really in conflict with ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Oct 29, 2016 Allison rated it really liked it

4.5?

Started strong, lagged a little in the middle, and finished strong. One of the best secondary world YA fantasy novels I've read in last year!

Longer review to come! Thanks to Penguin Teen for the review copy! ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Aug 27, 2020 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: fantasy, suspense, setting, another-world, death, caves, aristocracy, politics, risk-taking, cover-love

Extremely creative. I love the different races and peoples of these kingdoms and the complicated politics of this society. I feel like we've just barely scratched the surface of what the Given is and can't wait to see what happens next. ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2015 Sana marked it as to-read-so-bad-it-hurts

MINDY MCGINNIS WRITING A FANTASY YA SERIES, YES.

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2017 Jade Ratley rated it did not like it

Not worth the time of day. This was a pain to get through, I wanted to DNF so many times, but I needed to finish just to justify my strong feelings against this book.
I felt nothing. The characters were nothing, the world nothing. I had no emotion in this read at all.
Do we want to get started on the love octagon? Yeah, not a triangle, so much worse. I can't even describe the frustration at how poorly it was executed.
Big thumbs down from me. Don't bother. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Sep 12, 2016 Kate Quinn rated it it was amazing

This is a terrifically inventive fantasy novel - unlike anything I've ever read before. The harsh world these characters live in is totally believable and utterly captivating, while the characters (with the novel being told from several different POVs) are fully realized. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2020 Jay G rated it liked it

Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

Khosa was born for one purpose, to be given to the sea as a sacrifice. The sacrifice is meant to be impregnated before she is given, to calm the seas to stop it from destroying the human Kingdom with its waves. Khosa is touch averse, making it difficult for her to fulfill her duties as the Given. The sea calls to her, but she can not go until she breeds a daughter. She is taken to the p ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Apr 23, 2017 Zaide rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Actual rating – 2.5 stars

Given to the Sea had a lot of potential but for me personally, it fell short of delivering on that.

The author has built an entirely new world for this story, and while it is impressive and very well thought out, there is a lack of description and actual in-story world-building. As a reader you are essentially just thrown into this world with very little explanation of what the terms used mean and how the world works. I found it to be a little too disjointed. I couldn't Actual rating – 2.5 stars

Given to the Sea had a lot of potential but for me personally, it fell short of delivering on that.

The author has built an entirely new world for this story, and while it is impressive and very well thought out, there is a lack of description and actual in-story world-building. As a reader you are essentially just thrown into this world with very little explanation of what the terms used mean and how the world works. I found it to be a little too disjointed. I couldn't fully immerse myself into the story because I couldn't picture the world properly or understand how it all works and how the different lands and races interlocked.

There are a lot of unexplained things and unanswered questions from the onset and though many of these do get answered, it isn't until much later in the book. I'm not talking about mysteries connected to the story here, I'm talking about simple details related to the world they live in. For example, in Witt’s first chapter (page 11) he explains how he sent his mother and young brothers off to their deaths in boats to the sea, yet we’re not told why. I'm expected to understand his struggle and why it is required of a man in his position, yet I'm given no explanation? I have to wait until much later in the book (around page 191) to learn that it is those of his kind who ‘can no longer be of use to their people’ who are sent willingly to die at sea. Although I now know why it happens, so many chapters have passed that I no longer care and it's not relevant anymore. Why didn't the author just explain that back on page 11 when it was first mentioned?

There are also a load of questions left unanswered. We learn straight away that the Given must go to the sea to appease it and prevent it from destroying the lands of Stille as it did some time ago (exactly how long isn't explained), and yet it’s never explained why. I mean, what does the sea care about a city? What were the motives for it destroying it and starting this strange ‘Given’ tradition in the first place? And what exactly does the sea gain from the sacrifice of this woman? The whole concept made literally no sense to me and the author didn't do much to explain.

My next gripe was the characters. We have four POV’s to follow, which is fine, I don't mind multiple POV’s if it’s done well (one of my favourite books – Six of Crows – has like six POV’s in it and it works fantastically), but I wasn't a huge fan of it here. I didn't really feel like the characters were strong enough to all have their own POV. Khosa was bland and devoid of personality. The only interesting thing about her was the issue with her being repulsed by touch (and even that had a boring reason behind it). Vincent was naïve and boring. I literally can't even remember if his age is mentioned but his thoughts and actions make me think he’s really young. He was just so…dull. Not an ounce of charm or wit to be found. Next up was Witt, where do I even start with him? He was easily the worst character. I just didn't even see the point in his POV. He seemed almost entirely devoid of feeling or independent thought. He’s just mindlessly following the traditions of his people and that made for pretty dull reading. Lastly we have Dara. Thank god for Dara. She is the shining light in this book. Fierce, brave, skilled, she was a jolt of colour among an otherwise bland cast and she easily suffers the most in the book.

I have to talk a little about the romance in this book too. There was far too much of it for my liking and I'm not even sure how to describe it, love triangle doesn't seem right, love square maybe?
We have Dara who loves Vincent (but that's forbidden because he’s a prince and she’s an Indiri, and she wants to breed with her own kind instead anyway…), Vincent loves Khosa (but that's also forbidden because Khosa is destined for death once she has a daughter), Khosa wants Donil (but that won't work because Dara won't allow a child with Indiri blood be sacrificed to the sea in the future) and then we have Donal – who I think does want Khosa but not enough to condemn her to death by impregnating her? Thank god Witt isn't allowed partners because I couldn't take any more. Worst of all this is that Vincent knows Khosa cares for Donil (and he for her) and yet, despite that Donil is a man who he has grown up with as a brother, he’s more than willing to come between them and try to keep them apart (view spoiler). There's so much romance and jealousy going on that it kind of detracted from the plot.

The plot was pretty basic under all this, Khosa needs to get pregnant before she can give herself to the sea and Witt is planning on invading Stille and killing everyone - that's it in a nutshell.
It builds up to this potentially huge battle at the end where either Vincent and the Stille, or Witt and the Pietra will fall but when the end finally came it was such a massive disappointment. The most anticlimactic ending I've read since the almost-battle at the end of Twilight! I won't say nothing happened, but it was as good as. (view spoiler)

The ending killed this for me. I highly doubt I will be reading the sequel unless I see it extremely cheap somewhere.

As I said initially, a lot of potential and some interesting ideas but overall Given to the Sea was a huge let down for me. I rated it at 2.5 stars but didn't feel that it deserved to be rounded up, so have rounded down to 2 stars. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2017 Lauren Stoolfire rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Khosa has been born to be given to the sea, as was her mother and her mother's mother and beyond, as a sacrifice to appease the brutal sea and prevent another wave like the one that once destroyed the Kingdom of Stille hundreds of years ago. However, before she fulfills her purpose she must give birth to an heir to follow in her footsteps in order to secure the kingdom's safety for generations to come. Unfortunately, Khosa can't withstand the touch of anyone except an Indiri. Siblings Dara and D Khosa has been born to be given to the sea, as was her mother and her mother's mother and beyond, as a sacrifice to appease the brutal sea and prevent another wave like the one that once destroyed the Kingdom of Stille hundreds of years ago. However, before she fulfills her purpose she must give birth to an heir to follow in her footsteps in order to secure the kingdom's safety for generations to come. Unfortunately, Khosa can't withstand the touch of anyone except an Indiri. Siblings Dara and Donil are the last surviving Indiri, a magical people of the earth with special abilities, including the ability to see and relive the memories of their ancestors. The Pietra, led by Witt, slaughtered the rest of the Indiri several years ago and now they're coming to claim Stille for the survival of their own people. Vincent will one day inherit the Kingdom of Stille. His father, the prince, will do anything to ensure that Khosa does her duty to the Stillean people as their Given. Vincent knows he must do whatever it takes to make sure the kingdom prospers, but the more he actually gets to know this Given personally, the more he begins to question the traditions of his kingdom.

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis was easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2017 and it really delivers on so many fronts. The author has written in multiple YA genres, but this is her first fantasy novel which is also the first of a duet. McGinnis has quickly become one of my favorite authors, so of course I'm glad to say that her first foray into fantasy really worked for me. In this novel, her world-building, her character development, and tackling of social issues stood out in particular to me. However, I will warn you right off the bat that while quite a bit happens I wouldn't consider this an action-packed book. Events travel at a slower pace here than in most YA fantasy, but it is definitely worth sticking around to see how everything comes to a head.

For me, the success of a second world fantasy often hinges on the author's world-building skills. The world of the Kingdom of Stille and its surroundings, from a vengeful sea to an unfriendly neighbor bent on war, is uniquely imagined and designed. Stille has a destructive history that they have to prevent from coming to pass again and again each generation. Even if that means a girl must be born and raised specifically to sacrifice to that vengeful sea. The world of the novel is a mostly non-magical one that focuses on the political machinations of those who have power, and to great effect. I do believe, however, that the book could definitely benefit from the inclusion of a map in order to better see the lay of the land and the sea.

Turning to our cast of characters, this story is told from four alternating perspectives - two in first person and the other two in third. Our first person POVs are Khosa, the Given, and Vincent, the grandson of the King and one day heir to the throne of Stille, while our third person POVs are Dara, one of the last two surviving Indiri, and Witt, the cold-blooded warlord and leader of Pietra. Of these four, I will say that I found myself most interested in Vincent's and Dara's chapters and they quickly became my two favorites of the novel. As much as I enjoyed getting to know Khosa and explore issues of personal and political autonomy in terms of her life and future, she is quite bland, a little too much so even though I know that that's how her character has been raised - to do her duty for her kingdom regardless of her own personal wants and needs. I will admit that it is great when we see her begin question her future and the horror and revulsion she feels at what she knows that the future holds for her. Anyway, while all perspectives are handled well I wouldn't say all of them are absolutely necessary, since the characters overlap quite a bit - Dara's, in particular, as her and Vincent's story are very close. Regardless of the necessity of her chapters, though, Dara quickly became a favorite and made me wish that Donil, her twin, also had POV chapters.

Overall, Mindy McGinnis's Given to the Sea is a great first foray into fantasy. If you're a fan of this author's work, this first in a two-part series is a must read. If you are also interested in mostly non-magical political fantasy that doesn't travel at a breakneck pace, but features excellent world-building and character development, this novel may be your cup of tea. I know I'm certainly looking forward to the second part of this duet and McGinnis's upcoming release, This Darkness Mine. ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2015 Morgan rated it did not like it

Shelves: left-unfinished, fiction, young-adult

DNF

Nope.

Did not take long to come to the conclusion that this was just a huge nope for me personally. Was glad though to see that others had very similar reactions for similar reasons.

I'm very disappointed. My first Mindy McGinnis book was Not a Drop to Drink and that was 3 stars. My second was A Madness So Discreet which I LOVED. (5 stars)

Third time was not the charm, because I just can't make myself do this.

A whole string of generations of women from one family who are all compelled to drow ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2015 Sandra rated it it was ok

I love Mindy McGinnis both as an author and person, but this book bored me to death. It was hard for me to keep up with the multiple POVs and to actually care about the characters. I really wish I had loved this book as its premise sounded truly interesting.

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Mar 07, 2017 Rachel (APCB Reviews) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-releases

"Given to the Sea" was a pleasant surprise, despite its being completely different from my expectations. It is a solid standalone fantasy novel, but if you're looking for a fun fantasy romp then I recommend you set this book aside for another time.

"Given to the Sea" centers on a land surrounded by a terrifying and merciless sea and the lengths the leaders will go to as they attempt to save their people. Mindy McGinnis did a wonderful job crafting the setting. The world-building was detailed and "Given to the Sea" was a pleasant surprise, despite its being completely different from my expectations. It is a solid standalone fantasy novel, but if you're looking for a fun fantasy romp then I recommend you set this book aside for another time.

"Given to the Sea" centers on a land surrounded by a terrifying and merciless sea and the lengths the leaders will go to as they attempt to save their people. Mindy McGinnis did a wonderful job crafting the setting. The world-building was detailed and easy to follow yet left me eager to learn more about the people, the land, the culture, the creatures, and the history.

Mindy's beautiful writing has a refined elegance to it that perfectly suited this story. The writing had an archaic and proper flair that matched the customs and traditions the people in this story followed. I was engaged by this story from the very beginning, yet my interested waned near the middle as it does in most books. She did a great job balancing among four points of view, and I commend her for making each voice differentiable and keeping the story cohesive.

Unfortunately Khosa is not the most likable main character. I honestly didn't care for her, but that might have been the point. She was so bland and unfeeling by design that I couldn't connect or empathize at all. I really liked how all of the characters who had points of view were so entangled with one another in the story. Vincent is the compassionate but begrudging heir to the throne. Donil and Dara are the misfits and lasts of their race. Witt is the ruthless leader of the Pietran people with a heart he tries to hide. Each of the characters were explored to such a depth that is hard to pull off in a standalone novel. With the exception of Khosa, I really liked all of the other characters! The one thing this book did lack was humor though, I wish there had been more lighthearted moments to combat the blood and viciousness.

The plot of this book is simple yet complicates as the story unfolds. Mindy expertly weaves a tale that becomes more and more intricate with shocks coming left and right. I really had no idea where this book was going and all of my predictions were wrong. My only qualms are with the ending. It felt like such an easy way out of the predicament the characters were facing. Yet it also solved nothing. I was also left very confused by how the story ended. I would like a companion novel, novella, or anything to help clear things up!

Overall "Given to the Sea" is a great standalone fantasy novel that I highly recommend you try. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2017 Anniek rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2-ya, 1-2017-releases, 3-sff

It doesn't happen all that often, but I really disliked this book. And I believe I have good reason to. From the start, it was full of harmful concepts like a massive focus on racial differences, and disabled babies being thrown away to die. Furthermore, nothing about the story had me interested in what would happen, as the main character, whose only purpose in life was to have a child and then drown herself, wasn't exactly the most likeable character, nor were any of the others. This book was a ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 15, 2017 Danielle Steenrod rated it it was ok

I really wanted to like this book. I really, really did. It took everything in me to finish it. The premise was great and I was excited to read it. As I was reading, I noticed this book was full of sexual references and I became highly frustrated very quickly. I didn't like the way the book focused on this topic. A little bit is fine, but my goodness! Every chapter had a sexual comment about men taking women to bed or something along those lines. I didn't like the message that was sent basically ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2017 Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard added it

Shelves: did-not-finish, tbr-2020-december

*several blinks with confused face*
I have absolutely no idea what in the hell is going on. There's four POV which are relatively easy to keep organized but the entire plot and appeal is just going right over my head (or doesn't exist).

DNF @40%

--------

Attempt to reread: DN at page 100. I just can't ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2017 Isabella marked it as maybe

But before she’s allowed to dance – an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to the shore in a frenzy – she must produce an heir.

...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2019 Erin rated it liked it

Shelves: magic, fantasy, 2019

Not sure how to feel about this one. I mean I love the concept.

Khosa is the given, a girl who dances her way into the sea as a sacrifice so that the waves will not destroy her kingdom. However, she must first give birth to the next girl who will be given to the sea. The problem is she cannot stand even the slightest touch of another. Her village is destroyed and she ends up at the palace where she meets Prince Vincent and his two adopted siblings, Donil and Dara. For the first time she is attracted to someone, Donil. At the same time, Witt, the leader of a neighboring city is preparing to start a war with Khosa's people.

Overall, it was a good, but not great book. The book switches constantly from one perspective to the next and I had to keep checking the chapter heading to remember who the narrator was. It had a great concept, but I am not sure how much I liked the execution.

Spoilers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Okay, I hate Dara. She is kind of scary and evil, right? I mean I get her anger, but she was gonna let Khosa die. Also, she is just constantly hot headed and angry. I also don't really like Donil, so I am unhappy with the fact that Khosa prefers him. I like Vincent, but it is kind of sad that he keeps trying to keep Khosa to himself when she obviously prefers his adopted brother. It is just too convoluted for my taste. Everyone loves, but doesn't love each other. And they are sleeping with other people and flirting all the time, which makes me just feel weird.

I did like Khosa, although I found her personality to be inconsistent at times. At the beginning she couldn't really understand a lot of emotions and couldn't express them; however, then she would have a lot of situations where she would. It was as if the author forgot she wasn't really supposed to feel a lot of emotions and kept showing scenes where she didn't. I also didn't like her and Donil together because they never had and real moments where they connected. She really only seemed to like him because he was the only one she seemed okay with touching. She had a better connection with Vincent and they had more moments of actual understanding who the other person is.

I really enjoyed the fact that the sea would come over her and she would dance her way to it. I really liked that idea. Also, when the king was killed by the woman being carried to him. I did not see that coming. Very nice!

Overall, good book, but not great. Still, I want to see what ends up happening. Hopefully Dara finds someone else or dies, don't much care what happens to her and Khosa overcomes touch and loves Vincent instead. Alas, I don't think that is gonna happen. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 21, 2018 Kayla rated it liked it · review of another edition

****SPOILERS*****

Sooooooooo I liked the story . . . but there was A LOT I didn't like.

I don't like how it seemed Vincent forced himself on Kosa. She liked him enough to be his friend, but if she can't stand anyone's touch but Donald and Dara, none but those 2 should attempt to touch her unless to save her life. I hate that Vincent basically ignored his feelings and attraction to Dara all because a shiny new toy (Kosa - who didn't even want him that close) was in front of him. He was like a spoil ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 03, 2017 Hannah rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, expected-much-more, really-tried-to-like-it, meh, first-time-read, not-as-expected, love-the-cover, fantasy, 2017

I am so sad

This was so disappointing I don't even think I can explain it. I've been looking forward to reading Mindy McGinnis for so long and I thought this sounded amazing but it's not executed particularly well at all.

To be fair, I had misunderstood the premise of this and thought it would be like a political fight in a tower to get away from the rising sea- how it looks on the cover (which frankly is a better idea!) so when it wasn't that I was immediately disappointed. I didn't like th ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 21, 2017 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy, library, love-triangle-of-doom, this-is-probably-going-to-kill-me, 2017

It's Mindy McGinnis, so duh, I wanted to read it. But as with all her books, I knew going into this one not to expect a happy ending, and so I've put off reading it. Thus, the audiobook from the library, which probably helped since there are so many freaking points of view. I'm loathe to actually read a book when there's more than two perspectives and this one had plenty more than that. The one I really could have done without was Witt's. I understand that what was happening with the Pietrans wa ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2017 Michaela (Journey into Books) rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

DNFed

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2018 Cassandra (Thebookishcrypt) rated it really liked it

*Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I've never read anything by Mindy before this but I have to say that this is one of the most unique duets I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The premise, the world, the characters, the romance... they all fascinated me to no end. They brought fresh experiences to the table and I was awestruck from the very first page.
The fact that this book followed 5 different point of views didn't even daunt me. I couldn't even tell you which one *Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I've never read anything by Mindy before this but I have to say that this is one of the most unique duets I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The premise, the world, the characters, the romance... they all fascinated me to no end. They brought fresh experiences to the table and I was awestruck from the very first page.
The fact that this book followed 5 different point of views didn't even daunt me. I couldn't even tell you which one was my favorite point of view in this novel. I loved them all so much and they each captured my attention. They have yet to let go but it's not like I want them to.
We have our main character, Khosa, who has known her entire life that she would one day dance into the sea, to her death, after bearing a child who will one day do the same. We meet her as she is trying to learn how to mimic emotions through facial expressions. It was pretty interesting being inside of her head when she struggled so much to show any emotion externally. I really loved that we could all connect to her through her love for the written word as well.
Then we have Vincent, the prince who is third in line to become King, something he is absolutely dreading to become. I found myself sympathizing with him a lot. He set himself apart with the fact that he didn't act like any other royal I've ever read about. He was genuine and it showed through his every action.
There's Dara & Donil who are twins and the last two of their kind, the Indiri, who were adopted by Vincent's mother. They both have amazing powers that are completely opposite of each other. I won't mention what they are so it can come as a surprise to you guys as it did to me. These two reminded me so much of the dynamic between my brother and me. I couldn't help but relate to Dara since I feel like my temper matched hers. I absolutely loved these two; I just couldn't get enough of them! The banter between Dara, Donil and Vincent had to be some of my favorite moments ever.
Lastly, we have Witt, who is the leader of the Pietra, a rival people with some of the fiercest warriors who take whatever land they want, whenever they want. For a leader of such bad men, I couldn't tear my eyes away from his POV. He also set himself apart from other characters due to everything he kept hidden on the inside. This book really drove home the quote 'don't judge a book by its cover' or at least, in this case, a person. If I didn't get the honor to read these characters' every thought, my opinion of them would be a bit different.
I enjoyed the dark undertone I felt through the entirety of this novel. It had me flipping through the pages without pause. The chapters were short as well so it enabled me to read this novel in less than 24 hours. Mindy has become an instant favorite and I can't wait to read more from her!
What happens when your most powerful enemy is the rising sea itself? Read this duet and find out! Everyone's world is turned upside down due to it and we are left wondering who will be left standing.
4.5 insane stars! ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

May 30, 2017 Kat rated it it was ok

This book was.. forgettable.

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2017 Amber rated it really liked it

Plot: Given to the Sea was a wonderful high fantasy novel that managed to bring the human element to all sides of the conflict. Khosa, like her mother before her, and her mother's mother, was destined to dance to her death to appease the sea gods. Without her sacrifice, the world would be consumed by a giant tsunami, and kingdoms would be lost. People were uneasy around her because she had yet to deliver a child and a neighboring kingdom decided that was the perfect time to invade.

Despite its s
Plot: Given to the Sea was a wonderful high fantasy novel that managed to bring the human element to all sides of the conflict. Khosa, like her mother before her, and her mother's mother, was destined to dance to her death to appease the sea gods. Without her sacrifice, the world would be consumed by a giant tsunami, and kingdoms would be lost. People were uneasy around her because she had yet to deliver a child and a neighboring kingdom decided that was the perfect time to invade.

Despite its size, Given to the Sea explored a lot of ideas and never seemed to stall - even though it wasn't an action-packed novel. McGinnis examined the idea of sacrifice on multiple levels and heavily focused on the idea of using women as a mean's to an end. I'm not sure if she accompanied a message with these numerous scenes, but it definitely made me think about the role of women in this world. This novel also solidified the fact that McGinnis does not like formulas, Given to the Sea was unique and its ending lines lingered with me for a few days. When I finished Given to the Sea, I didn't know that it was the first part of a duology and I am extremely eager for the concluding novel.

Characters: Given to the Sea was told from four perspectives, but only two of those perspectives were told in the first person narrative: Khosa, the Given, and Vincent, the prince of Stille. Although Donil and Dara are both important characters, only Dara had chapters, which I thought was a loss - Donil had a lot of good back story that I would have liked to learn more of. And lastly, we had Witt who had the least amount of chapters. Witt was the equivalent to a warlord in the kingdom of Pietra. Because I'm basic, I fell in love with the prince almost immediately. Vincent was a young man who didn't want to serve his kingdom and had a rocky relationship with his lecherous father. I found him to be cunning, but also vulnerable, and his conversations with Khosa made him seem almost happy. Khosa, on the other hand, had been raised in isolation and wasn't used to societal norms, or how to show emotions. I, at first, loved the idea of a young girl trying to navigate her way in a new world, but her lack of emotions was only apparent when McGinnis remembered to mention it.

Worldbuilding: McGinnis' world was nothing short of magnificent. I fell easily into the world and could understand the various conflicts and superstitions that each group had. I loved how McGinnis used every part of her creation, from the flora to the creatures. Everything served a purpose and helped make the three lands three-dimensional. I really look forward to the conclusion because I know that there are more stories and histories to explore.

Short N Sweet: Given to the Sea is remarkably original and will leave you feeling some type of way. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Fans of Fairyloot: Given to the Sea	1	2	Aug 13, 2020 05:24PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: Given to the Sea (Given Duet #1) by Mindy McGinnis - Starting April 16th 2018	3	9	Apr 19, 2018 07:19AM
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	1	Apr 11, 2017 08:41AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

385 users

Young Adult

171 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

48 users

Romance

39 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

35 users

Fantasy > Magic

31 users

Fiction

26 users

Young Adult > Teen

12 users

Audiobook

9 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

9 users

See top shelves…

About Mindy McGinnis

Mindy McGinnis

3,535 followers

Mindy McGinnis is an Edgar Award-winning novelist who writes across multiple genres, including post-apocalyptic, historical, thriller, contemporary, mystery, and fantasy.

While her settings may change, you can always count on Mindy’s books to deliver grit, truth, and an unflinching look at humanity and the world around us. ...more