Sea

Wonderful concept, sweet romance

When Sienna goes to Indonesia as part of her father's relief team (helping tsunami orphans suffering from PTSD), she doesn't know what to expect. She's resistant to going, but there's not much to keep her at home: her mother died three years ago in a plane crash over the ocean, and since then Sienna's stopped surfing, flying, or doing much of anything. The one bright spot in her life is the hint of tension with her guy friend Spider, a surfer who still calls her by her old nickname "Sea" (painful irony there, as she's now afraid of the ocean). But once she gets to Indonesia she meets Deni, a 17-year-old orphan who takes care of the other children from his region and has problems with the orphanage leader's authority. The two of them grow closer together as they help each other emotionally overcome their past losses.


With this wonderfully unique premise, Sea engages with the trauma of a fairly recent world tragedy and spins a compelling YA romance from it. The Indonesian culture is portrayed in respectful detail, the love story rings true, short chapters keep the pace clicking along nicely, Sienna is a sweetheart and Deni...well, it's easy to see why Sienna falls for him.


An observation: though there's plenty of peril in the story (psychological, physical, sanitary), the scariest moment in novel for me was when Sienna rides off into town with Deni on his motorcycle. I was thinking, Girl, you are so lucky you're in a YA romance, because under any other circumstances, driving off with a cute boy you recently met in a country where you don't speak the language, without anyone knowing who you're with, where you're going, or when you're coming back is a baaaad idea. The trip with Deni was fantastic and really advanced the story and the emotional arcs, but my big sister alarms were going crazy anyway.


Lastly, when reading Sea, you can look forward to a fantastic and very unexpected ending. Usually, when a book takes an unexpected turn toward the end, I'm upset by the imbalance, and ready throw the book against the wall, but in Sea, the change is totally satisfying. I highly recommend it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Sea is a Beautiful Story about Love and Loss

I wasted no time reading the book from the moment I got it. This book is a tragically real story, one that makes you reconsider the life you have and the things you take for granted yet also yearn for the love that builds this novel.

Sea starts with main character Sienna Jones receiving a plane ticket to Indonesia on her fifteenth birthday. Still affected from her mother's death years ago, Sienna remains closed off and hostile, refusing to go on the plane, mainly for her fear of them. After talking with her father, Sienna eventually agrees to go on the trip, which is turns out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to her. Not only does Sienna find love, she finds herself.

Sienna is probably one of them most developed characters I have read in a long time, by the end of the novel she is practically a different person. She matures so much, and learns to accept the past and embrace the future. The writing was well suited for the novel, and I loved how Heidi ended Sea. There were many themes and symbols in Sea, ones that only made the novel stronger.

Overall, Sea was a refreshing debut with a painstakingly real message and a close look on what it means to love.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Breath-taking debut

Heidi R Kling has written a breath-taking debut with Sea! Readers are plunged head first into a heartbreaking story of loss, hope, and new experiences. Sea is a book that speaks to everyone, but everyone can take something a little different away.

Sea is a touching story that helps a person connect with themselves. It is a book to make you think, and think deep. You look at the situation these characters are in, and it makes you look at the world around you in an entirely different way.

The characters were wonderfully written. I fell in love with Elli - I wanted to pull her off the page and just give her a hug. She was a little ball of sunshine even after all the horrors she had been through. Sienna was a wonderful main character. She was compassionate, and had drive - she had experienced horrors in her past and wanted to help others work through their horrors. She fit no cliches and was her own person. One of my favorite things about Sea was there were so many characters you may have only heard from once or twice, and they stuck with you throughout the entire book. And with all the characters, it almost seemed like you could hear their voices in your head.

When I first read this description of Sea and heard there was this relationship between Deni and Sienna I was excited. As I read, I found out Sienna would be in India only 2 weeks, and for a moment I remember thinking, "Oh no! Will that connection be real? I mean, can something that awesome believably build in that short of a time?" I was worried for a minute that that connection they had would fall flat, and not live up to my expectations, but Heidi R Kling left no room for doubts or anything with the strong connection Sea and Deni had. It was so intense and beautiful, you were simply drawn to it. Their relationship was so involved, and blew you away.

As you read, you get this feel of Indonesian culture. You saw the characters' struggles, and that presence of culture just intensified the reality of them. I also loved the setting - it was unique. I had never read a story in this setting, and everything was new. That made Sea a hundred times better, as you didn't just feel like you were along side the main character discovering this new world to them. In Sea you literally were along side Sienna discovering Indonesia and its culture.

When you are reading Sea, you would by no means guess that it is a debut novel. The story leaps off the page and speaks to you. It's a journey of the heart and emotions. Once I started reading, I had troubles putting it down. Sea is a book for all types of people, it is one you don't want to miss

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

SEA is a Must Read

I just finished this book. I am blown away. Heidi Kling wrote one of my favorite novels. Sea was thrilling, sweet, adventurous, while still having that feel where everything seems like it's going to be ok. I fell in love with these characters, they were written wonderfully.
Some people think that the author chooses the book and some people think that the book chooses the author, in this case, Sea definitely chose Heidi. While reading it, I couldn't help but think that this book was mad...more I just finished this book. I am blown away. Heidi Kling wrote one of my favorite novels. Sea was thrilling, sweet, adventurous, while still having that feel where everything seems like it's going to be ok. I fell in love with these characters, they were written wonderfully.
Some people think that the author chooses the book and some people think that the book chooses the author, in this case, Sea definitely chose Heidi. While reading it, I couldn't help but think that this book was made for her to write. The love story in this book is unbelievable, it is short, yes. But you get so involved in it. Every page left me hanging, thinking to myself "What will happen next !?"
Every few pages I would talk to the book. No, I'm not crazy. but that shows just how much you will get pulled in when reading. I know this review involves a lot of fangirling. But, I am being completely honest. Sea will take you through an amazing, heartfelt story. You will laugh, you may cry, but one thing I am almost positive. you will love it

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What clan is it

Battery out of power

???

How many pgs are there in this book?

Buy it! Buy it

Yes its worth the money. I won it last year at the end of 5th grade for top reader in the school. I hate reading books more than once and i have read this 7 times-litterally! This book is so good! (And appropriate if you're young) wonderful book. I wish that I could give it 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000029 stars! A must read.

Worth it?

I havent bought the book uet, but I was wondering if its worth the money?

H

WE NEED A MED CAT ASAP NOW!!!!! 11RESULT AT MICE HELP!!!!

Rosebloom

No understands me ho well

JOIN RAYCLAN!!!!!

All positions are open!!! Please join by searching "fee" first result!!!!

P.s. sorry for trespassing!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Rushpaw to wavestar

I will be gone for a while i will reply as soon as i get back

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wavestar to Tiger

Thank you Tiger

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A moving story <3

I finished this book last night, and all night I had Sea, Deni, and Spider's words running through my head. This isn't a book you easily forget. It's a story about finding yourself, what it means to lose everything, love, heartbreak, and it's written beautifully. I couldn't put this one down, it was just so captivating and I loved it.

Sienna, Sea, Jones is afraid of flying and constantly haunted by dreams of her mother's disappearance. Ever since her mother has died, she has never been the same. So on her 15th birthday when her dad decides to go to Indonesia, he wants Sienna to go along to help. After debating with herself, she goes. While there Sea meets Deni. Deni is hot, troubled, and somehow just like Sienna. I loved these two characters. They helped each other in so many ways that it was just amazing. Heartbreaking (I was upset - I don't know how Sienna did it), but amazing.

Now we can't forget the other characters... one who happened to be probably my favorite, which was Spider. Hot surfer boy sweetheart, Spider. I just loved how he was there for Sienna. He's such a good-hearted kid and believe me, if I could have my own Spider... I would go get one now! Haha. Also I loved Elli. She was adorable and the way Sienna helped her was just meant to be.

Hearing the stories from the tsunami, during this book, just broke my heart. I can't even imagine what it must have been like and how these children kept going. I would have been devastated. Thankfully, this book shows you that, there are people who are willing to help you along the way, you just have to let them.

This story was beautiful, and I can't get it out of my head. Heartbreak, finding youself, love, helping, friendship, and letting go. This book has it all. If you get a chance this book is a must read. :)

Stunning Debut

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.

Poorly Written

I thought the premise for this book was very interesting, and a welcome relief from the ad nauseum fantasy novels on the market. Honestly, however, I found that there were passages I had to reread from the outset because sentences were so oddly structured and verb tenses seemed to jump. It just didn't flow well for me.

In terms of the characters - the adults in the book are frankly disturbing. They laugh at Sienna's mistakes when they know she's going through difficulties. Sienna herself is such a shallow person who appears to also be completely uneducated. I find no redemption for her character by the end of the story, either. Deni is an interesting character, but is completely overshadowed by the conclusion of the book. For me, the book was less about the tragedy, and more about a summer surf read that happens to be set in different region. It was frustrating for me as a reader, because I did start it with high hopes.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in an extremely light read. Just don't expect anything spectacular. Sadly, I must agree with another reviewer who said that it might have been better if the concept had been taken on by a different writer.

Highly Recommended!!!

I'd have to say that if it weren't for the few people I follow on twitter who are big book bloggers, I would have never heard of Sea by Heidi R Kling. Maybe because Heidi is from the West Coast and I live on the East. Either way, I'm so pleased I took a chance with this book! This novel was extremely easy to get sucked into and I kept telling myself, "one more chapter and then I'm going to bed..promise!" Well 2 am later and I'm forcing myself to go to bed so I can get up in the morning for work!

After struggling with the death of her mother and seeking unanswered questions surrounding her mother's death, Sienna Jones talks herself in going to Indonesian with her father's international relief team to help in the aftermath of the tsunami that struck Indonesia in 2004 and left so many without their family and friend. It's there in Indonesian that she finds herself again. She spends two weeks of her summer vacation at a orphange trying to help other childern cope with their losses. It is here that she meets up with an intriguing young man named Deni. Their chemistry is instant and from the moment they meet, they can't stay away from each other. When Deni receives word that his father may still be alive, Deni and Sienna run away to the epicenter of the tsunami to search for him. Both not expecting what they might find when they get there.

This story made me feel so strongly for all the people who were deeply affected by this tragic disaster in 2004. Even though this is a young adult fiction novel, I understand the stories of surviving the tsunami where so real for so many people. It made me wish I could fly directly to Indonesian and give up two measly weeks of my life to help someone cope with all they've lost and made me thankful for all that I have in my life.

I would recommend Sea to everyone and I believe it's an excellent debut novel for Heidi R Kling. Great Job and I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

Inspiring!

This is my first novel that has I honestly became so inspired by, I wanted to jump in the book and help in the Pesantren. I truly loved how the author gave us enough details about the customs in Indonesia. I felt while reading I should be wearing a Jilbab. The way Indonesia is portrayed along with their people is perfectly written. The Story takes place 6 months after the tsunami hit the shore of Aceh.


Sienna is the main character we follow through her grief from loosing her mother 3 years before while her mother was on a mission in Thailand. Sea is her name given by her best friend Spidey, who she has in interest for in her hometown. Sienna Dad for her birthday gives her the gift of traveling to Indonesia with him and Team Hope. She has not been on a plane or water since her mother's disappearance in the ocean. So Sienna father does this to help her start getting better and hopefully learn to cope. They arrive and Sienna sees how the orphanage needs her help as much as she needs their help too. She has to stay in the girls room and learn to adjust to their customs of showering and eating. She then meets Deni, the mysterious boy with a limp. She is intrigued by him and start to get to know him more, while breaking rules. They build a beautiful sweet relationship and Sienna and Deni help each other cope. I don't want to give to much of this Beautifully told story of Love, Loss and breakthrough. It will inspire you I guarantee it.


Terima Kasih! (Thank you!)

Review link: http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2010/09/sea-book-review.html

Fantastic

I've been pretty unenthusiastic about quite a few of the books I've read this year, but Sea not one of those books. I liked it so much that I rounded up some of my buddies and made a video about it: http://bit.ly/cy9Pmv

I'll get my few negatives out of the way first: I would have loved to see more of Sienna's work with the kids. The scenes where she interacted with the children were some of my favorites- they were sad but sweet and a nice break from the romance, even though I loved that aspect of the novel. I also don't see what the big deal about Spider is. Many of the other reviews I've read have made a point of mentioning how much they love him, but he's in the book for like 30 pages. Maybe I don't see the hype because surfer boys totally don't interest me, but I really don't see the appeal.

On to the happy lovey stuff: While I don't see the Spider appeal, I definitely see the Deni appeal. He's kind of totally awesome and sweet and ahh. Lovely. The romance between him and Sienna is completely believable, and I'm SO glad that it wasn't love at first sight (I'm over that plot element). Their relationship was sweet to begin with, but as it developed it became even more lovely to read about. I also liked that their time wasn't perfect- there were plenty of obstacles in their way that made their story all the more realistic.

Most of the other story elements were excellent as well- Sienna's back story and grief were written beautifully. I totally understood why she was so distraught over her mother and father's developing relationship with a new woman; seeing her try to overcome her issues gave the story much more depth- SEA's not just a fantastic romance.

And the ending? Broke my heart. That twist! I may have cried. Maybe.

In short: LOVED IT.

Achingly Lovely Love Story *pinky swear*

I know this one will come as a shocker to most of you. What? I read a book that had no paranormal character in it whatsoever?? *pauses for your still processing brain to catch up*

I did. Furthermore, I gave it FIVE shiny stars. Pinky swear.

Until I read SEA, I'd forgotten what it was like to read a really, really good story without some mysterious boy popping up and using his magical powers to fight off a mythological monster. Yes, there's a mysterious guy. And yes, there's even a love triangle. But there is so much more.

You see, SEA is set in the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami and Sienna and her father travel there to help out an orphanage with their children who are suffering from PTSD. Sienna is only fifteen and having survived her own mother's plane crash and resulting disapperance, she can relate to the trauma these orphans have suffered.

This is where Heidi's writing becomes so subtle because she never gets preachy about a very real and sensitive mission. Instead, the tsunami damaged orphanage becomes the backdrop for some unbelievably well constructed characters. The ring leader of the boys is Deni and Sienna's father asks her to get to know Deni a little bit better so that Deni can help them lend credibility to their therapy sessions.

I won't spoil this further so let's just say that a achingly lovely love story unfolds between Deni and Sienna. Two kids from such different worlds and yet with so many similarities. The very best part of the book is the ending. It made me think of all those summer moments of my teenage years. A stolen kiss. A crush. A first love.

Now go on and pick up SEA and enjoy a story that will remind you of all those moments before you file them back in your memory once more.