Sea by Heidi R. Kling / Book Review

By Heidi R. Kling

Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons (Penguin)

To Be Released: June 10th, 2010 (TOMORROW)

Source: Heidi Kling and Penguin

5 Stars-This is a must have and one I'll be reading again and again

A moody tale of romance set in the turbulent aftermath of the tsunami.

Still haunted by nightmares of her mother's death, fifteen year old Sienna Jones reluctantly travels to post-tsunami Indonesia with her father's relief team to help tsunami orphans with their post-transumatic stress disorder. But the last thing she expects is to fall for Deni, a brooding and handsome Indonesian boy who lives at the orphanage. A compelling summer romance, Sea marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in YA.

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 recommend.

Fifteen year old Sienna Jones is still grieving over the death of her mother, when her father, a psychiatric Doctor surprises her for her birthday with a trip to go with his Team Hope back to Indonesia. Sienna's parents started Team Hope, to help bring relief to the orphans who are still grieving and coping from the traumatic tsunami that devastated Indonesia. In reluctantly going to Indonesia for two weeks, what Sienna doesn't expect to do is fall in love with the little girls she's there to help, discover the truth in her mother's death, and find love in an intense 17 year old Indonesian boy, named Deni.

Set in both Angel Miguel, CA and in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Sea's rich setting is both breathtaking and hauntingly beautiful. Heidi's vivid description of Indonesia made me feel like I was there with Sienna seeing Indonesia for the first time. From the way Sienna describes what she sees when they land, to the orphanage they are there to help out, to seeing the sites with Deni, everything about Indonesia's descriptions were beautiful, and delicately written. What I enjoyed most, is the relationships that Sienna made while there.

The characters and their relationships are real and their emotions so strong and engaging that my heart ached for them. Sienna and her father's relationship is a real father and daughter relationship. Their trip brings them closer together and brings some closure from the death of his wife and Sienna's mother. Like Sienna, I fell in love with the little girls at the orphanage as she formed a lasting bond with them. There to help them cope with their post traumatic stress disorder, Sienna finds they helped her, more than she has helped them. As Sienna was moved by their stories from when the waves hit, I found myself feeling the same ways she was.

The romance is beautiful and pulled at my heart strings as Sienna has to choose between the boy she's grown up with and the one she's grown to love and wants to help in Indonesia. The relationship Sienna has with her best friend back home is Ca, Spider, and the immediate connection she has with Deni, left me breathless. How do you choose when both are equally wonderful? Spider knows everything about Sea (Sienna's nic-name), and Deni has lost everything, but finds hope with Sienna. When Sienna decides to help Deni look for his father, who has been missing since the waves, she learns that love is also about letting go.

Sea truly had it all. Strong emotions, vivid descriptions, characters who I completely fell in love, and relationships that I want to see more of. The story is moving, and brilliant. I am looking forward to reading more about Sienna, Deni and Spider. Brilliantly written, moving and a captivating love story mixed in, this is a must read!

Be sure to join us on Friday when we host a *spoiler free* live author chat with Heidi Kling, and talk about Sea.
Be sure to visit Heidi's site here to find out more about Sea-http://heidirkling.com/