Title: Sea Change
Author: Aimee Friedman
Publisher: Point
Pub. Date: 6.1.10
Genre: YA
Keywords: Mystery, Mermaids, Love, Family, Friendship, Secrets
Pages: 292
Description (from GoodReads):
16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.
There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality.
Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?
Aimee Friedman's SEA CHANGE is a quintessential summer beach read that features a big mystery and a dash of romance.
I have mixed feelings regarding Miranda, the main character. At times, I found her actions to be inconsistent and unwarranted, but, then again, she is only 16 and there's a lot going on in her life. The fact that Miranda has a scientific mind was a breath of fresh air. I love when my main characters are bookworms, but it was nice change. I think that Miranda's actions and attitude towards events and people would have been much different if she had been a reader and romantic like so many YA main characters are.
A good summer read always has a love story, so it's no surprise when Miranda meets, and falls for, the mysterious Leo. There is a bit of a love triangle and, while I think it was necessary for Miranda's growth, I felt for Leo. I felt like Miranda was silly for even considering someone other than Leo, but I think it made her face truths she would have avoided otherwise.
It's difficult for me to determine where SEA CHANGE belongs in the YA genre. It does have supernatural elements, so it isn't really contemporary fiction, but the supernatural elements, to be honest, aren't very prominent. There are hints of something mystical occuring, but it wasn't explored as much as I would have liked. For this reason, I think SEA CHANGE would definitely appeal to readers who are hesistant to read supernatural YA, but those who want a novel with strong supernatural elements may want to look elsewhere.
Grade: B
Cover Notes:
This cover fits the novel perfectly! It's gorgeous and I definitely approve of the models chosen to represent Leo and Miranda.
Check out the guest post Aimee wrote for The Hiding Spot regarding her favorite summer reads... then enter for a chance to win her top 5 and your own copy of SEA CHANGE!
