Wednesday 5 September 2012

Ocean of Secrets - Aimee Friedman


Ocean of Secrets – Aimee Friedman

Pages: 335
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 5th July 2012
Edition: UK paperback, unsolicited review copy

Other Titles by this Author: South Beach, French Kiss, Hollywood Hills, A Novel Idea, Breaking Up, The Year My Sister Got Lucky

Many are drawn to Selkie Island. Few know why.

When Miranda Merchant escapes her lonely, hot summer in New York City, little does she know what awaits her. She steps off the ferry onto an island rife with legend and lore.

She isn’t expecting to feel a connection to this unusual place. And when she meets Leo, a mysterious local boy, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship, reality...and love.

But is Leo hiding something she never could have imagined?

My sister read this when it was released in 2009 as Sea Change and has been on at me to read it ever since. And now I know why!

Miranda is a fantastic heroine. It’s not uncommon to have a protagonist of a novel with a supernatural or mythical element being scientifically minded and completely disregarding of anything without a concrete explanation, but Aimee Friedman makes it work. I loved that it took her time to even come around to the possibility that something mythical existed on Selkie Island and even though when the clues started to slot together, she still dismissed it as impossible. It was refreshing to find a rational heroine in such a situation.

Even with a scientific character, sometimes everything that comes along with that is lost, but not with Miranda. Her sharp intelligence and knowledge about science comes through in her narration and the way she speaks and interacts with others. This did bring along with it a few stereotypical traits, however. She had trouble connecting with people her own age and really had no idea how to talk to boys, although she had had a boyfriend before the beginning of the novel which redeems the cliché!

One of my favourite elements of Ocean of Secrets is the atmosphere that Aimee Friedman created surrounding Selkie Island. And island of the coast of Georgia in the US, Selkie is humid, sweaty and exotic and full of luxury and old money. It had a sumptuous old-Southern feel with the lavish mansions, spoilt rich kids, prejudices and scandalous pasts. I loved it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ocean of Secrets and I hope to read more from Aimee in the future.

Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a review copy.

Sophie 

7 comments:

  1. I remember enjoying this book when I read it as Sea Change. Interesting that it's being published here and with a pretty new cover and title change.

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  2. I don't remember this as Sea Change, but I do have a copy of Ocean of Secrets. What a brilliant review - you've really made me want to read it! *digs about in review pile*

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  3. Great review, sounds like an awesome book!

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  4. Sounds good. I remember seeing Sea Change around but it must not have spoken to me. Miranda sounds like an awesome character.

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  5. I read it as sea change when I had just started my blog and loved it. it was so great. I like the new name too. and cant wait to read more from her.

    great review was so much fun to read. made me want to reread it :)

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  6. I love that this book balances supernatural with science. It's something that makes a story more believable for me! Great review!

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  7. I have Sea Change and really liked it! I love the new name and cover which makes me want that copy instead now!

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