The Seas

“Hunt blends myth and reality — if her father is from the sea, our narrator wonders, then isn’t such magic in her blood as well? — and ends up with something truly stunning.”—BuzzFeed

“Urgently real and magically unreal . . . A breathy, wonderful holler of a novel, deeply lodged in the ocean’s merciless blue . . . [Hunt] sinks an anchor into the soul of its lost young protagonist.”—The Village Voice

“Spare, elegant, affecting . . . The Seas is a testament to doomed romanticism, to the ways in which we hang our hopes on impossible things becoming possible.” —NYLON

“This modern feminist fairytale reels you in with its strangeness and beauty and gives voice to the dark realities of alcoholism, mental illness and the everyday messiness of life.”—Forbes

“An aqueous affair, flooded with water themes . . . Hunt’s writing is free of affectation and carries surprising conviction.”—The New Yorker

“In this dazzling, wrenching novel, Hunt challenges traditional mermaid mythology and constructs an unforgettable story about young womanhood in the process.”—Bustle

“It’s hard to imagine that a book so brief could tackle the Iraq war, grief over the loss of a parent, the longing for freedom, an enthrallment with the ocean, loneliness, sexual awakening, faith, and etymology, all in less than 200 pages, but Samantha Hunt has done it, and done it well.”—Chicago Review of Books

“To describe Samantha Hunt’s entrancing first novel, The Seas, is to try to interpret a watery dream that pushes the boundaries between fiction and fantasy. . . . Hunt’s nimbleness makes the idea of leaning toward mermaid fantasies enticing.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“One of the most distinctive and unforgettable voices I have read in years. This book will linger in your head for a good long time.”—Dave Eggers

“Hunt’s spare narrative is as mysterious and lyrical as a mermaid’s song. The strands of her story are touched with magic, strange in the best possible way and very pleasurable to read.” —Andrea Barrett

“The Seas is creepy and poetic, subversive and strangely funny, [and] a phenomenal piece of literature.” —Michelle Tea