Strong Like the Sea by Wendy Swore, New Release & Review
Book Summary:
Even though twelve-year-old Alexis was born in Hawaii, she won’t surf or swim with her friends—not since the ocean and its hidden creatures swept her out to sea. Instead, she grabs her best detective hat and decodes her mom’s latest challenge.
Alex’s mom works in counterintelligence and leaves codes, ciphers, and puzzles
behind for Alex to solve, always with a “treasure” at the end. It’s a brilliant
game between them, and Alex loves figuring out her mom’s puzzles—especially the
tricky ones—but when an emergency at sea puts her mom in possible danger,
solving the next one suddenly feels far more urgent.
Friends help as Alex races to decipher each clue before time runs out, but when
the trail leads to grumpy old Uncle, his enormous dog Sarge, and a sea turtle
unlike any other, the challenge changes into something bigger than any before.
With storms on the horizon and lives on the line, Alex must face her fears to
solve Mom’s challenge and save those she loves. With her ohana to help, she
must be strong like the sea.
Featuring a secret ocean code with a hidden message for YOU to decipher!
My Review:
Strong Like the Sea by Wendy Swore is a middle grade read about a girl named Alex who lives in Hawaii. She has to solve puzzles and clues left by her mom while she is away working. I loved the thoughtfulness of her mom to create these challenges and the connection between the two of them. Alex has a great group of friends and a wonderful dad, Auntie and Uncle. The focus on the importance of family (Ohana) and rising where you stand is a great message for the reader. Being strong like the sea really meant something to me by the time I was done reading the book. Swore has beautifully woven together a story of family, hardship, and overcoming challenges that I believe all readers will relate to! If you want a fun, uplifting, and inspiring book, Strong Like the Sea is just the book for you! I received a copy of this book for free; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Happy Reading!!!
You can pick up your own copy via Amazon.
About the Author:
Advanced Praise:
“Swore packs this story
about a curious, competitive girl full of moving themes and vivid imagery.
Alex's resiliency, strong mindedness, and intelligence carries her through her
worries. Swore's descriptions of Alex's anxieties ring true, and elements of mystery,
ecology, and personal growth give this tightly constructed novel plenty of
appeal.”
-Booklist
“Exciting story features
lush descriptions of Hawaii. An intriguing mystery. Themes of family (both
found and blood) at its heart.”
-School Library Journal
Comments
Post a Comment