Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea

“I am a girl with a scar. I am a girl who is afraid of the water.”

Living with a physical scar is one thing. Watching your mother carry her own invisible ones is much harder.

“I keep my eyes open for the cracks. I keep my eyes open for the end.”

Hazel thinks she can prevent more loss by staying hyper-vigilant. It just makes her miss out on the magic of Rose City.

Lemon is such a bright spot in this story. She proves that being different doesn't mean you have to be lonely.

“The sea takes things. But sometimes it gives them back, too.”

Grief feels like a literal ocean sometimes. You think you're drowning until you realize someone else is swimming right beside you.