After her mother's plane went missing over the Indian Ocean, seventeen-year-old Sienna Jones gave up everything she loved about living in California. No more surfing. No more swimming. No more ocean, period. Playing it safe, hiding from the world, is the best call.
Until her dad throws down the challenge of a lifetime: spend a week with his humanitarian team in Indonesia, working with orphans who lost everything in a massive tsunami.
The day they arrive, Sienna meets a mysterious boy named Deni, whose dark, intense eyes make her heart race. Their stolen nights force her to open up and live in a way she thought she couldn't anymore. When she’s with Deni, she remembers the girl she used to be…and starts to feel like the woman he sees in her.
A woman he wants for his own.
Gulp.
But when Deni’s past comes looking for him, Sienna’s faced with losing another person she loves. She can’t do it. Not again.
Fortunately, this time, she has a plan.
5 stars: "...a richly woven story as turbulent and beautiful as the sea itself..." –Sarah Ockler, author of Twenty Boy Summer
5 stars: "All in all, this book is one of the best I've ever read and undoubtedly qualifies to get a five star review from myself." –Junming Guan
4.5 stars: "[N]ow the author has written a sequel. As much as I was okay with the ending of this book, now I can't wait to see what happens next with these wonderful characters." –Terrill Rosado, Goodreads Reviewer
4 stars: "Very different from anything I've read!" –Whitney Atkinson, Whitty Novels
5 stars: "One word: Extraordinary. I have never loved a book so much, I have never been so amazed by an author, and I have never been so moved by a story." –Andye, Reading Teen
5 stars: "it’s difficult to explain what is at the heart of Sienna’s journey. What it means when you read it. How it sort of reshapes your insides and makes you feel different after finishing the last page." –Novel Novice
4 stars: "I also loved that my religion (Islam) was actually quite a focal point and there were no discriminations against it so kudos to the author for capturing it so perfectly."––Husnaa Hassam, Goodreads Reviewer
5 stars: "Sweet, sweet sweet! Wasn't ashamed to shed a few tears...." –Jen Bigheart, I Read Banned Books
5 stars: "Bottom line, I am so glad that I have finally read this book, but I am sad that I have gotten to the ending. This book deserves all the stars in the world. Terima kasih, Heidi Kling." –Aisha Khairi, Goodreads Reviewer
4 stars: "I have never read from this author before but this book was really good!" –Joshualyn Prater, Goodreads Reviewer
5 stars: "Beautifully written, wonderful characters. Fast-paced story that flowed effortlessly. I cried. I actually cried." –Kindaslick, Goodreads Reviewer
5 stars: "Love!" –Nikki, Goodreads Reviewer
4 stars: "It has a heartfelt storyline with an element of truth. It's about finding yourself and moving forward with life." –Danielle, Chapters Through Life
5 stars: "The story is full of heart and feeling and I'm so glad I chose to read it. Definitely one of my favorites I've read this year." –Jo-Jo, Goodreads Reviewer
5 stars: "I cried and I laughed and I fell in love. It was completely amazing." –Gabie, Owl Eyes Reviews
What I Learned From This Book
1. A book takes a long time to write.
2. Most of writing is revising.
3. I'm grateful and happy I have a book coming out.
4. I hope people like it.
My rating system: A star for each year I worked on SEA: 2005-2010. =)
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"The seaweed is always greener in sombody else's lake, you dream about going up there but that is a big mistake. Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor. Under the sea......."
And, here we have yet another book that 100% shocked me...
I thought this was going to be either:
a: a ...more
"I wanted to tell him that you can meet someone and they can change your life forever, even if you have only known him for a short while, that when you leave, you're a different person than before you meet him....."
This is the story of Sienna who's mother disappeared in a plane crash overseas when ...more
Very different from anything I've read! I only knocked a star off because it was a little bit angsty. ...more
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 ...more
Sienna stopped living the day her mother died. She stopped loving everything and became distant from the life she once knew. On her birthday her dad gives her the opportunity to turn her life around and get back on track with her dreams. Her dream was to follow in her parents footsteps, but this is ...more
Sea is a story about a girl named Sienna Jones, once she lived her life large, but her mothers death made her fearful and so she became distant and lost.
Her father, who also feels the weight of lost wants to help others to feel useful again and wants Sienna to join him on Team Hope to Indonesia, to ...more
Imagine, if you will, a book that will melt your heart simultaneously reminding you of a 1940s black and white film, despite it being set in the present. Are you picturing? Picture an exotic location, such as say, Indonesian. Now, add in a large smattering of romance and you have Sea by Heidi R. Kli ...more
3.5 / 5 Fangs
I did not know what to expect going into this book, but I was pleasantly surprised! This story was full of romance, self-discovery, loss, angst, and hope. The author tied in so many different elements to this story, which kept the plot refreshing and interesting. The angst in this book ...more
First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
Where, oh where, do I start. I wasn't prepared for all the emotions that I would go through while reading this story. But I loved it. I truly loved the story and I loved that I got to feel all the feels.
Summary: After her mother's plane went ...more
Sea is unlike anything else I've read this past year. The story is rich and unique--I can't fathom the amount of research that must have gone into this beautiful tale. The characters were compelling and believable--you could feel their emotions, feel their heartache, pain, and love. Seeing the inter ...more
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this book first! It definitely sets the stage for 'The Sea Takes Me' is an insightful look at how one teenage girl reacted to her mother's disappearance. When her father challenges her to spend part of her summer working in an orphanage in Indonesia she relu ...more
this was so good, i literally could not put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. review to come :) ...more
It's hard to believe that Sea is Heidi Kling's debut book. Sea is a richly written story that will capture the readers attention and pull them right into the wonderful world Heidi has created. It's both real and captivating. Woven with a beautiful, sweet summer love story, Sea is one read I highly r ...more
Between the fanatical reviews posted by several bloggers and Sea’s gorgeous cover, I had to have this book for myself. Even though I knew a large part of the plot was about tsunami relief, part of my brain expected this book to have lots of idyllic romantic scenes where the characters work through t ...more
Sea is a luscious, intriguing tale that was beautiful and dreamy. I was pulled straight under the waves from the beginning. It was expertly written and researched. Kling captured the allure and fascination of the Indonesian culture, and the desperation and tragedy of the tsunami perfectly.
Kling did ...more
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 re ...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 th ...more
What a fantastic and original book! Addictive from the very first page, Sienna's story was one I could not get enough of. Her reluctant adventure into the aftermath of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami to try and help heal orphans who lost loved ones, ends up being a journey to her own healing. Sienna nee ...more
Sea was a fascinating little adventure/romance that I very much enjoyed. I applaud Heidi for writing it, and wanting to give the Young Adult world a different taste of literature, as its definitely unique. It was not my typical genre that I read, so for me to like it as much as I did was quite brill ...more
Love, Love, Love it! I love books with romance, but sometimes the romance genre feels oversaturated with paranormal or new girl falls for hot guy who finally notices her storylines. Sea stands out among these romances and is a breath of fresh air. In Sea, you'll find a wonderfully lovely story about ...more
SEA is a wonderfully solid, emotional, and un-put-downable debut by a highly talented YA novelist.
Heidi Kling writes her characters with assured realness. Sienna thinks and sounds like a 15-year-old with a tragic past: she has the fears and (occasionally petty) concerns appropriate for her age and s ...more
It's funny, I find it really hard to write reviews of books that I enjoyed. In books that were just so-so, it's a lot easier because I can focus on both the good and the bad things, but books I like? I get a little fan-girly about them.
Sea was definitely one of those books. I read it in practically ...more
I first noticed this book on a lot of people’s book blogs. It has rave reviews so without really knowing that much about it I added it to my wish list to be brought at a later date. However I kept seeing this book everywhere! So intrigued I decided to read what it was about and after finding out I o ...more
This book was incredible. It had been sitting at the top of my TBR pile for months when I finally picked it up two days ago. I have no idea what I was waiting for.
What was so great for me was the realistic quality. I've been to Southeast Asia 5 times, and Kling captured the culture beautifully. When ...more