I thought this would be one of those great YA books, so dissapointed, it was good, just not as good as I thought it would be. *sad face*. ( )

I liked this book, but I just didn't love it.

My main problem with the book was Sienna. I just didn't feel a connection with her character... she felt one-dimensional and I didn't always find her very believable. I know she liked Deni and found him attractive and whatnot, but running away with him in a dangerous area when she barely even knows him? Maybe I'm jaded, but I simply didn't believe or understand her character.

I did, however, really appreciate the rest of this novel and plot. The focus on volunteering and the discussion of the tragedy that befell Indonesia and surrounding areas are very important topics and I commend Kling for including them in SEA. I felt inspired to go out and make a difference... regardless of how big or little. This novel has the potential to encourage readers to take notice of what's going on in the world and do their part to make it a better place and there's always more room for that in YA lit!

SEA is definitely worth exploring... and hopefully you'll have a deeper connection to Sienna than I did. ( )

The tsunami that effected Indonesia and other countries in 2004 is an even in history you will always remember EXACTLY where you were when you heard the news. On Christmas, the day prior, I went snowboarding the first time with my now husband and a bunch of friends in Michigan. The following day, we went to a friend’s house to stay the night and woke up the next day and everyone was sitting on the sectional in the family room when we saw the news on the TV. At that point we had no clue of the devastation to come.

In Sea, out main character Sienna or Sea for short, takes us to Indonesia just six months after the Tsunami hit. During the first 30 or so pages before Sienna heads out, I wasn’t sure about the book yet. Knowing what happens during the book, I see we are just getting some background information on Sienna and informing us about characters who are important to the story. Once Sienna gets on a plane to Indonesia, the story takes off.

I felt horrible for the whole country while reading Sea. I wish I could go back in time and help out more! Seeing how children were effected after the tsunami is heart-wrenching. I’ve never read a book about a girl going to a disaster torn country before, I loved this one!

I’m never one to leave romance out of a review. It was a very whirlwind romance between Sienna and Deni…I loved every second of it!

The romance mixed with the tsunami aid made this book one of my favorite contemporary novels I’ve ever read! I was moved by this story and I was crying lots and lots! ( )

After seeing so many rave reviews of this book, I knew I had to read it. But once I finally got through it, I was so disappointed. It was a good enough read, but a lot of things bugged me. First off, the main character is 15. So basically, this book is about a 15 year old going to another country and falling in love with an 18 year old. I'm sorry, but that's just too young for me. Of the 15 year olds I know, I would laugh if that happened to them because it's so unbelievable. Also, I didn't really feel the connection they had. Sienna was just suddenly like, oooh I can't take my eyes off of him after he stares at me and I'm just like seriously? And from the description, he doesn't even sound that attractive (goatees just don't do it for me). I would have been okay with the book if it ended 50 pages sooner. The events that happen in the last 50 pages made me feel like the story was just a waste of time. As good as the reviews and cover are, the story itself is disappointing and not all that believable. ( )

Wow. What a stunning debut from author Heidi R. Kling. I heard about Sea during the Fall of 2009 and have been anxiously awaiting its release day, and it lived up to my expectation. Sea was beautifully written, full of emotions, and deeply touching.

Sea expertly deals with loss, love and life, all in one book. While reading Sea, I constantly found myself thinking what I would do in the characters situations and wondering what a struggle it is for some people to make it day to day.

What I really enjoyed about Sea was the characters. All the characters, everyone from Sienna, to Deni, to Spider, were so real and well written. Each character was there own distinct person who had their own issues that they had to deal with throughout the book. For me, I loved Sienna. Her emotions were so real, I felt I could truly connect with her. When Sienna experienced sadness, I felt sad; when she felt joy, I was happy. I love when a book can make you connect with a character on a personal level and in Sea, that is truly what happened.

What I truly loved about this book was its setting and the topics it dealt with. Heidi truly recreates what it would be like living in Indonesia after the 2006 tsunami. You truly get a feel for Indonesian cultures and traditions thru Sea. Reading this book made me want to hop on a plane and go visit this country to see the beauty for myself. While reading this book, I also realized how catastrophic the tsunami in Indonesia was in 2006 and the struggles and loss that the people had to go through and it deeply saddened me. After reading this, I wished I could have gone back in time to help with the relief efforts in that country to less the pain of characters such as Deni.

Sea is one of those books that I know will stay in my mind forever. The powerful messages of loss, love and hope are messages that are crucial to living. As Sea reminds us we must Dare to Love and Dare to Live. ( )