Selkies! One of my favorite legends growing up was about Selkie Maidens--they were always up there with mermaids and sea monsters for things I had to look for whenever I was at the shore (never mind I lived in NJ). And Sea Change manages to preserve the mystery of those mythical creatures quite well. We're not told, one way or the other, the truth behind the legend so like Miranda we can only guess based upon circumstantial evidence and our own fanciful thinking. It doesn't help that everything she imagines about Leo can easily be explained in a totally not mythical way--she's a scientist after all, so logical explanations for previously mysterious things should be first nature to her.

There's a sense of wonder to the book--not just because of the legend and the island itself, but about the society that Miranda suddenly finds herself in. These are not the type of people she is used to being around--these teens who act like they are college students and not in high school and who's parents are proud of such things as being able to hold their liquor at fifteen better then their friends. Miranda can logically explain away the occurrences with Leo, but understanding the signals and wordplay that CeeCee and her friends engage in...well that's a whole new science in and of itself.

The Selkie legend is more of an undercurrent to the story, then the actual driving force. Its always brewing in the back of Miranda's mind, but between her mother's shift in behavior (her sensible mother begins to act just like all the other society's ladies), her own pain over what happened with her first boyfriend and the attraction she feels for Leo, she is understandably distracted from obsessing over the matter. The narrative gives a good feeling of the frustrations she feels, the irritation she tries to keep contained and the growing separation she feels from her mother.

Some of the book took a bit too long to occur--Miranda's questioning Leo, the showdown she has with her mom--while others occurred quickly and were gone just as quickly. Also aside from CeeCee none of the other Summer Kids are given much depth. CeeCee fills Miranda in that squares them out a little bit, but overall I was left with a distinctly shallow impression and a need to shake them. CeeCee grows up a little bit, proves herself better then her original appearance predicted at least.

Leo...oh gosh Leo is kind of perfect. Not in the 'he has no flaws at all' way, but in the 'every teen girl wants one' sort of way. He listens, he cares, he gives Miranda thoughtful gifts, talks about their problems, is sweet, and saves her...I mean if you ignore his total evasiveness in regards to his family, where he goes when Miranda doesn't see him, how he just 'appears' when she needs him, his stubbornness about night time swims...he's the perfect summer guy.

Miranda is very mature for her age, but I couldn't tell if that's the product of being a scientist and keeping tight control on her feelings or if she is just that way. She remarks a few times that her older brother was the one who did all the wild stunts and she is happy to be the 'good' child. As we only have a two line conversation between her brother and her on the phone to go by, I can't say what that means. Pretty much her father and brother are non-entities as far as the book is concerned--they're off in California, and thus mentioned but not elaborated upon.

The ending is a left to interpretation. It depends on if you are a glass is half-empty or a glass is half-full sort of person on how you take it. Personally I'm a glass is half-full sort of gal when it comes to my romances, so hope blooms eternal for me. ( )

This one surprised me a little, in that it barely had anything to do with mermaids. Seriously, next to nothing. Other than the protagonist terrifying herself with a book of legends, that is it on the finned folk. Still a decent bubblegum fluffy read, though. ( )

Mermaid lore is revisited in "Sea Change", except this time with a little twist. Instead of the mermaid seeking her prince we're given a "normal" human girl falling for a fish. Friedman's mermaid tale is a lovely take on the whole forbidden love genre. The characters are perfectly painted teens, going through their angst riddled struggles with aplomb. Instead of a loopy heroine we're given the very grounded and logical Miranda, a refreshing voice to carry throughout the story. In true "coming-of-age" fashion, Miranda must be pulled out of her comfort zone and effectively changed by her circumstances. The queen of science is thrown into a world of supernatural mystery, effectively woven by the capable Friedman.
Even though I was already aching for a sequel to pick up immediately after, the ending is the perfect bittersweet companion to a realistically rendered Once Upon a Time. ( )

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman is a young adult paranormal romance that draws on the legends of the selkie. Miranda and her mother have moved to Selkie island to the ancestral home.

Miranda is thrust into a society built on generations of tradition and a rigid class structure. She is expected to understand. Except, she doesn't, but it's apparent that her mother does and for reasons she keeps to herself, she doesn't readily share them with Miranda.

Into this mix is the handsome outcast, Leo. Rumor has it that he's a selkie. To make all of this work, Miranda must learn the island's history and her family's dark secrets. ( )

Library Summary: "When her estranged grandmother dies and leaves her mother the family home on Selkie Island, seventeen-year-old Miranda meets her mother on the Georgia island, where she discovers mysterious family secrets and another side to her logical, science-loving self."

When I first saw the cover of this book, I thought "Well this looks interesting." So I put a hold on it at the library, got it, read it, and all I can say is...

OMG! I LOVE THIS BOOK! IT IS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!

I was so drawn into this book that I read the whole thing in one day! I love the romance and the mystery surrounding the plot. I also like that Miranda did not believe in the "sea serpents" until she thought that Leo was one.

I recommend this to all people who like paranormal romance. ( )