Cry of the Sea

This review was from Evie Seo of Bookish reviews:

Cry Of The Sea turned out to be such a great and pleasant surprise for me! It's not only a very well written, captivating, emotionally engaging and insightful story, it's also completely different from any other mermaid novel I've ever read.

Juniper is a high school senior about to decide on the carrier path she wants to pursue. Her parents are hardcore activists, always fighting for what they believe in, sometimes taking it to a whole new level of extreme. While Juniper admires their dedication and supports their views, she doesn't really want to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a lawyer herself. She wants a different path for herself, a different future, one that can still do a whole lot of good for the nature and the planet, but through different ways and means.

And just on the day when she finally breaks the news to her parents, something completely unexpected happens. Something that could - and will - change her life. While documenting yet another oil spill and the damage it has caused to the wildlife, June and her dad discover three ocean creatures unlike anything they've ever seen before. They're all badly covered in oil, and before they can help them, two of them die. The third one, though, survives. June and her dad, along with a local marine biologist and his young intern, will now have to race against time and fight against the oil company to help a creature they believe is a mermaid.

This story has so much depth, it's really quite a fantastic experience to be diving into it. I loved the complex, mature and meaningful plot line, with all the difficult and relevant subjects it explored. It was an eye-opening read, at times really shocking and heart-breaking, and definitely one I won't soon forget. This is a great, mold-breaking YA for those who want more from their books than just silly romance stories and sparkling mythical creatures. It's a story of bravery, dedication, protecting all those things that are unable to protect themselves, and making a difference. An inspiring, insightful, powerful tale with great characters and interesting plot developments. I really enjoyed reading Cry of The Sea and would not hesitate to recommend it to teenagers and adults alike.

I thought the ending, while quite unsettling and heartbreaking, was very well thought out and perfectly satisfying, but I do hope there will be a sequel. I just can't get enough of June, Carter and Driver's brilliantly engaging writing. And of course, I want to find out how it all will turn out.

Overall, this was such a pleasant reading experience. And not only just that, because while really compelling and entertaining, it's also a book full of meaning and important messages. A story worth reading for many different reasons. For me, this is a keeper. I want my daughter to read this book one day, so she, too, can learn to be passionate about helping others and fighting for what is right.