Review: Girl at Sea

Title: Girl at Sea
Author:  Maureen Johnson
Published: 2007 by HarperCollins
Version: E-book
Obtained: Library Download

The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.

The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.

The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea-her own heart.

First Sentence:
“Lightening flashed over Big Ben, and a bruise-like darkness draped over the dome of St. Paul’s.” (Prologue)

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Maureen Johnson is perfection. While this story did not have as quirky of characters as her Suite Scarlett series, the amazing creativity of Maureen Johnson is still there.

Clio had her summer all planned out. She had a new job and a possible future boyfriend. Instead she gets shipped off to her dad. Since her parent’s divorce, she hasn’t really liked her dad, and she is sick of his impulsivity. So to be stuck on a boat with him and four other random people for weeks does not sound like her dream summer.

This story about a modern day treasure hunt, even though Clio doesn’t know it yet. Clio’s dad is trying to find a precious stone that was sunk in a shipwreck years ago. Clio has to figure out what her dad is trying to do, and finally whether or not she wants to help him. After being let down so often by him, she is hesitant to agree with anything he plans. Slowly, through learning to give him another chance, she realizes that sometimes people make mistakes and they need second chances.

I really appreciated Clio’s growth as a character. In the beginning, she was so bitter, upset, and negative. She thought she knew best about everything, and she did not want anything to do with anyone on the boat. But slowly, she let herself relax and really invest in other people’s lives. By the end of the book, she’s almost a completely different person. She isn’t so obsessed with finding perfection, which will always escape her, and she sees more joy in simple life. She takes advantage of the opportunities presented to her instead of waiting for everything to be perfect.

Literally, Maureen Johnson is amazing and sometimes I can’t handle it. Definitely read this book, because you will never regret it!

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Content Warnings: Some language and kissing

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