***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***
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.
My Review
Strong Like The Sea is another super Middle-Grade book by author Wendy S. Swore. Again, there is a strong focus on family and sticking together. The story takes place in Oahu, Hawaii. Swore does a wonderful job of bringing to life Hawaiian culture and heritage. The main character is 12 years old Alexis who lives a busy life. She's always trying to please her mom and be just like her. Her mother is a very intelligent woman who works as a contractor for the US Navy and is often gone away from home on a submarine. Alexis is often left with puzzles and codes that she tries to figure out while mom is away. This was such an enjoyable part of the book. I had fun trying to figure out the codes and puzzles, so I know that kids from 9-14 will love it even more.
Some big issues are going on during the story such as Alexis dealing with one parent gone a lot, the other parent working overtime, and her extreme fear of the water. With the help of her sweet Auntie Kama and her gruff and grumpy Uncle Tanaka, Alexis receives help and support with her school work and with her emotional issues. I truly loved both of these characters in their grandparent roles, and I especially grew to love Uncle who also needed Alexis. With the help of Uncle's sea turtle, Saisei, and his dog Sarge, Alexis learns lessons and lives her family's motto of "Rise where you stand". There are such excellent things for tweens and teens to learn from reading this book. They'll also find many things they can relate to such as school rivalries, friendships, and especially love for family. Strong Like The Sea is another Middle-Grade Book that will provide a great read for families, classes, tweens, and teens.
Meet Author Wendy S. Swore
Go here for more information about the Virtual Tour: booktours@shadowmountain.com
For more information about the author and her book, visit: https://shadowmountain.com/wendy-s-swore/
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***Praise for Strong Like The Sea***
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