Review: Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (June 10, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardback: 336 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Review: This story takes Sienna on a journey she never expected to take. At first she isn't thrilled with the idea of going to Indonesia, but she decides to take a chance. When she arrives, it's nothing like she expected. She meets Deni, a young boy who has been through more than Sienna could ever imagine. Their immediate bond shocks them both and leads them on a journey of learning and discovery that will last a lifetime. From the surface they couldn't be more different. However, their connection ran deeper than cultural backgrounds.

The way Heidi describes the settings in this book are astounding! You can feel the water and visualize the scared children through the detailed accounts Heidi presents to us in this book. Your heart will break because Heidi has painted an amazing visual masterpiece, that just happens to be real in the lives of so many children. The characters Sienna meets help her get past the issues and fears she has carried with her for so long. Deni helps her learn to take risks and to live her life to the fullest. Through everything, he has hope.

Sea takes us on a adventure to a place so many people are unaware of, and into the lives in a culture we may not understand. Heidi's words bring us closer to a story that is real in an area of the world that still needs so much help. This story will stay with me a long time. I found myself in tears during many parts. To know this catastrophe took place and that people are living in these situations, it's hard to not be impacted by that. 

Parts will leave you breathless..waiting for what may happen on the next page. 

Characters: I immediately loved Spider, Sienna's longtime friend, and Sienna's father. The children from Indonesia broke my heart. They were so young but so full of hope considering what they had been through. They looked up to Sienna and needed the kindness she provided. Deni was full of adventure and never afraid to take a risk, or hope for the best no matter the circumstance. Sienna was very mature for her age and showed a level of understanding well beyond her years. The way she was able to reach out to the children and react in bad situations, would be a trait I think most adults wish they possessed. 

This will be a book that you will never forget!

Beautifully written, wonderfully told, this story is a light shining on a dark place.  

Check out my other posts about Sea: 
Waiting For: Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Sea book trailer and cuteness

For more information on Heidi or Sea go to:

Heidi R. Kling / Livejournal / Twitter / Goodreads 

Buy from:  

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Indie Bound / Kepler's

You can get a signed edition from Kepler's 

Book Trailer: