Review of Sea Change

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Pages: 292

Genre: YA Fantasy/Mystery

Pub. Date: June 1, 2009

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "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?"

Miranda Merchant, a self-proclaimed science enthusiast, is spending her summer at the mysterious Selkie Island off of Savannah's coast.  She welcomes this much needed break from New York City and the drama that comes with it.  Her mom and Miranda will be living at The Mariner, which is her grandmother's famous mansion on Selkie.  The Mariner was was given to Miranda's mom, Amelia, in the will, which was a shock to her as she had a falling out years ago with her mother.  Amelia's mom, Isadora, is the quintessential southern belle, which is the complete opposite of Amelia and Miranda since they both live in New York City. Amelia is a high powered plastic surgeon and Miranda is a science geek that is more concerned about physics than eye shadow.  However, spending time in Selkie brings up some questions concerning Amelia's past as well as Isadora's.  Meanwhile, Miranda befriends a group of privileged teenagers (a.k.a. "the heirs") who vacation on Selkie every year and many of them want her to date dreamy T.J. including her mother.  But Miranda has her eye on Leo, a townie who works at the Selkie Marine Center, which is right up Miranda's alley.  Unfortunately, dating a "townie" is frowned upon by not only the "heirs" and her mother.  At one point, Miranda thinks that maybe they are right, because it seems Leo is hiding something.  Miranda learns a lot about life, about her family, and essentially, a lot about herself as she spends time on Selkie Island.  Sea Change by Aimee Friedman is a breezy, entertaining read which is perfect for summer.  


I am a huge fan of Savannah so I really loved Friedman's special southern touches in the novel.  I enjoyed the slow pace of the day, the spanish moss, the mint juleps, and the call of the ocean.  One thing that I especially loved was Isadora's house, The Mariner.  As Miranda explored the house, the library, her grandmother's closet, I was captivated.  It was the perfect mystery!  Also, I enjoyed Friedman's use of mythology and lore in this novel.  It really added an extra layer of mystery to the novel.  Lastly, I thought it was interesting how Miranda learned more about her family has she navigated through her grandmother's belongings.  She also witnessed her mother transform from a stressed out surgeon to a relaxed southerner and learning about her mother's past also proved to be highly entertaining.  Without a doubt, I will be recommending this one to my relcutant female readers next school year.


My only problem with this book is Miranda's relationship with Leo.  I feel that it progressed extremely fast and for me, it didn't feel believable.   All of a sudden they were this serious couple.  But once I got past that, I was hooked with the mystery of Amelia's and Isadora's past as well as the mystery of Selkie Island.


If you are looking for a light, fun, carefree read this summer, Sea Change is a must for your beach bag.  This novel made me want to frolic in the sand, search for sea creatures on the beach and lastly, finish my day with a sweet tea on the wrap-around porch all while looking out at the mysterious ocean. 

*Buy Sea Change

*Read an excerpt here