The Great Offshore Grounds, by Vanessa Veselka, follows four members of an unlikely family through tragedy, triumph, and self-discovery. From the outset, this story pulls you in with it’s sass. It’s central characters are two sisters, Cheyenne and Livy, both with strong personalities but not much else – no money, no promising careers, and no close relationships. I was intrigued by both from the start.

Admittedly, I was a little skeptical as I started reading this novel. Cheyenne and Livy set out across the country to find the woman that birthed just one of them – and this is where things felt a little shaky for me (there’s quite a few unanswered questions I have about this point in the plot). From there, the narrative follows these two sisters as they butt heads, make mistakes, travel the country, and figure out their own values. It’s a fun ride, with a lot of misadventure, tragedy, and joy along the way, and gradually the two women come to value their relationship with eachother, their mother and loved ones.

Another thing I couldn’t help but love was the setting in this novel – it’s mostly set in the Pacific Northwest and Veselka does an incredible job of capturing the landscape, beauty, and vibes of my hometown. Woot! Woot!

Get the book HERE!