The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons: Lucy at Sea is the sequel to The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons. I hadn't read the first book, and I was a little worried about reading the sequel first. I decided though, that since it's a middle grade read I could probably follow along fairly well. While I did have some trouble with the many characters at times, I found it easy to follow for the most part -- especially because this book had many new characters.

The book picks up right away in the midst of an adventure. Lucy and her group of friends/family are swept away in her "ship" which is really her family home which transformed into a beautiful ship. The story takes place in the 1906, and I love the time period! It's really unique for a middle grade fantasy adventure to take place in the 1900s without feeling historical -- and I loved that. Lucy's parents were recently drowned at sea (in the previous book), so she spends this book sailing to Australia looking for her last of kin, Aunt Pru.

I did enjoy this story overall. My complaint is with the pacing. I found it to be a little too slow in the middle and too fast towards the end. My measurement scale of an excellent middle grade read is one I finish in no more than 48 hours. This took me way longer to finish, and even though I did enjoy the book I felt it could've had been more evenly paced. I did also really like the magical elements. The magical flute and magic deck of cards which came to life were enchanting! That aspect was so unique-- it's not often I read a book in this genre that has completely unique elements as this did. So major props for that. It even has a nautical glossary in the back of the book! I thought that was really cute.

I'll definitely be reading the next installment to see what happens to Lucy! I, not sure if I'll be going back and reading the first book at this point, because I know everything that happened. I recommend this book to lovers of middle grade fantasy who enjoy unique magical elements! ( )