Mundie Moms

Friday, October 2, 2009


Title: Sea Change
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: June 1, 2009
3 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis: 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?


The imagery and folklore in the story completely intrigued me and that's what kept me turning pages. Who was this mysterious boy named Leo? And why did he have some rather peculiar habits?

Although, the plot was fairly standard, the whimsy spun by Friedman made up for some of the twists I saw coming with the predictability of the next crashing wave. The inherent magic of the island itself, made me wish for a summer house on Selkie. I found myself wanting to walk through that drippy mist that surrounds the island. I wanted to lunch at the local place where Leo takes Miranda. I wanted to slip my toes in the mystical water.

Friedman encapsulates the story of a summer romance in this gorgeous setting. You feel for her scientifically-bent protagonist, Miranda, who struggles with the queasy feeling which defies all logic as she realizes she's falling for Leo. Their developing love unfolds in a sweet rhythm and you're caught up in Miranda's deductive reasoning while she tries to figure out if Leo is a mythical creature of just a handsome local boy.

If you like a story line which will cause you to daydream about folklore and settings filled with possiblities be sure to check out Sea Change.

Labels