Something about a mysterious island has always intrigued me in literature. I think it’s the unknown and the possibilities the mystery offers that pulls me in. Providing elements of mystery, will-they-wont-they, intensity, and desperation, Habits of the Sea by Shea Ernshaw did not disappoint.

Right from the beginning, I was kept on my toes. The mystery of the island pulled me into this book, but the characters hooked me.

When Ellie is first introduced as a child, and later as an adult, she is very in her head and a bit back-and-forth in her thinking. I quite liked this quality because I felt it made her character more relatable and interesting to follow. I never knew what she was going to do or think. Ellie kept me guessing right from the get-go; I found myself thinking it could go either way when it came to her searching for the island again and leaving the island permanently (when they eventually saw land).

On the other hand, my heart broke for Clay the entire book. A man who lost his family and life as he knew it in one evening, forced into isolation and having to make the best of an impossible situation. While I enjoyed being inside Ellie’s head, I do wish there had been direct thoughts from Clay and more information about the island’s logistics.

That said, even though Habits of the Sea is told from Ellie’s perspective, all characters are fully fleshed out and well-written as individuals. One of my favourite characters was Nana. She was an iconic force to be reckoned with, and I loved that she was so compassionate, and I could really feel how much love her and Ellie had for each other.

In addition to getting Clay’s thoughts, I also found myself wanting more information on what happened ‘in the real world’ with the host of the podcast, James, and Ellie’s job when she went missing. Even so, this was such a fun and thrilling read that I still loved it without these elements. Habits of the Sea is truly one of those books that has something for everyone and I will definitely be on the lookout for future titles from Ernshaw.

From StoryGraph:

The night Clay Lockhart’s wife dies, a violent storm tears their home—and the eight hectares of land beneath it—away from the Scottish coast, sending it adrift into the Atlantic. Thirty years later, twelve-year-old Ellie Mills discovers the fabled floating island off the coast of Nova Scotia and finds Clay still living in the weatherworn farmhouse perched on its highest hill.

When the island vanishes overnight, Ellie is left questioning whether it ever existed at all. But decades later, now in her thirties, the island resurfaces—and Ellie returns, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds is even stranger: Clay hasn’t aged a single day.

Faced with the impossible, Ellie learns that some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved—and that a life shaped by wonder may hold more promise than one bound by certainty.

Spanning centuries and coastlines, Habits of the Sea is a haunting, romantic journey through time, memory, and the invisible tides that pull us home.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me an advanced digital copy of this book.

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