Genre: Publication.Date February 24th 2014 Pages: 208 Published By: Fire & Ice Young Adult Books Author D.G. Driver Cry Of The Sea on Goodreads My review copy: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Where to get:
Juniper Sawfeather is choosing which college to attend after graduation from West Olympia High School next year. She wants to go to San Diego to be far away from her environmental activist parents. They expect her to think the way they do, but having to be constantly fighting causes makes it difficult to be an average seventeen-year-old high school student. Why do her parents have to be so "out there?"
Her feelings on the subject are changed when she and her father rush to the beach after a reported oil spill. As they document the damage, June discovers three humans washed up on the beach, struggling to breathe through the oil coating their skin. At first she thinks they must be surfers, but as she gets closer, she finds out that these aren't humans at all. They're mermaids!
Now begins a complex story of intrigue, conspiracy and manipulation as June, her parents, a marine biologist and his handsome young intern, her best friend, the popular clique at school and the oil company fight over the fate of the mermaids.
Her feelings on the subject are changed when she and her father rush to the beach after a reported oil spill. As they document the damage, June discovers three humans washed up on the beach, struggling to breathe through the oil coating their skin. At first she thinks they must be surfers, but as she gets closer, she finds out that these aren't humans at all. They're mermaids!
Now begins a complex story of intrigue, conspiracy and manipulation as June, her parents, a marine biologist and his handsome young intern, her best friend, the popular clique at school and the oil company fight over the fate of the mermaids.
(Goodreads)
And if the mermaids were harmed it would all be my fault.
Mom's frantic call in the middle of the night changed evertyhing.
Cry Of The Sea turned out to be such a great and pleasant surprise for me! It's not only a very well written, captivating, emotionally engaging and insightful story, it's also completely different from any other mermaid novel I've ever read.
Juniper is a high school senior about to decide on the carrier path she wants to pursue. Her parents are hardcore activists, always fighting for what they believe in, sometimes taking it to a whole new level of extreme. While Juniper admires their dedication and supports their views, she doesn't really want to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a lawyer herself. She wants a different path for herself, a different future, one that can still do a whole lot of good for the nature and the planet, but through different ways and means.
And just on the day when she finally breaks the news to her parents, something completely unexpected happens. Something that could - and will - change her life. While documenting yet another oil spill and the damage it has caused to the wildlife, June and her dad discover three ocean creatures unlike anything they've ever seen before. They're all badly covered in oil, and before they can help them, two of them die. The third one, though, survives. June and her dad, along with a local marine biologist and his young intern, will now have to race against time and fight against the oil company to help a creature they believe is a mermaid.
This story has so much depth, it's really quite a fantastic experience to be diving into it. I loved the complex, mature and meaningful plot line, with all the difficult and relevant subjects it explored. It was an eye-opening read, at times really shocking and heart-breaking, and definitely one I won't soon forget. This is a great, mold-breaking YA for those who want more from their books than just silly romance stories and sparkling mythical creatures. It's a story of bravery, dedication, protecting all those things that are unable to protect themselves, and making a difference. An inspiring, insightful, powerful tale with great characters and interesting plot developments. I really enjoyed reading Cry of The Sea and would not hesitate to recommend it to teenagers and adults alike.
I thought the ending, while quite unsettling and heartbreaking, was very well thought out and perfectly satisfying, but I do hope there will be a sequel. I just can't get enough of June, Carter and Driver's brilliantly engaging writing. And of course, I want to find out how it all will turn out.
Overall, this was such a pleasant reading experience. And not only just that, because while really compelling and entertaining, it's also a book full of meaning and important messages. A story worth reading for many different reasons. For me, this is a keeper. I want my daughter to read this book one day, so she, too, can learn to be passionate about helping others and fighting for what is right.
For more reviews, author features, discussion posts and giveaways, click on the banner to see the full MERMAIDS & MYTHS schedule!
No comments:
Post a Comment