Since losing her mother to a plane crash over the Indian Ocean three years ago, Sienna Jones has been haunted by nightmares and fears of the ocean and planes. So when her father invites her to join his international relief team for two weeks in Indonesia to help tsunami orphans cope with their losses, she thinks he must be either joking or out of his mind. However, her desire to help triumphs over her fears, and she makes the long journey to Indonesia. There, as she helps with the relief efforts, she finds new friends in some of the orphans and a new romance in the form of the mysterious, handsome Deni. Their connection is instant and intense. As Sienna works to help the orphans deal with their tremendous losses, she may find romance and even healing for herself. Set in the tragic aftermath of 2004's Indonesian tsunami, Heidi R. Kling's Sea is an emotional journey of loss, love, hope, and healing.
Sea is an incredible debut from Heidi R. Kling that excels in every aspect imaginable. From the gorgeous cover to the unique premise and setting and the fantastically written characters, it is simply amazing. The setting of post-tsunami Indonesia and the stories of the orphans it left behind were both heart-breaking and inspiring. Even in the wake of such destruction, hope and the will to rebuild what was lost remained. Sienna was a refreshingly real character: her pain was real and understandable, and I loved seeing the way her experiences throughout the novel transformed her, and believably so. Both of her love interests, Spider - the one who knew Sienna even before she lost her mother and became distant - and Deni - the one who knew all-too-well the pain she was experiencing - were amazing as well. Even though Sea is a debut novel, one certainly would not guess that from reading it. The story is real and emotional, and the journey of heart it inspires make it perfect for all types of readers. This is a book you do not want to miss.
Date of Review: September 19, 2010
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release date: June 10, 2010
