Sea Change

This is the kind of book where people use the words "lyrical" and "haunting" a lot. I'm going to go with "unsettling" instead. I can't give it a star rating because I'm really not sure what I thought of it; perhaps I'll know after a while.

Lilly Rosa is the ugly, neglected daughter of a self-made nobleman and his unhappy wife. Her solace is the sea, and the friend she makes there - a baby kraken she names Octavius, and teaches manners and morality. But she is not the heir her father wanted, and sooner or later she leaves home, only to discover that Octavius has been captured and now resides, dry and withering, in a circus, its star attraction.

The quest she goes on to rescue her friend is steeped in fairy tale logic, but the very first show more encounter she has lets you know that this will be a fairy tale as brutal (if not more so, in its detail) as the old Grimms - a troll takes as payment her hair and female parts, leaving Lilly bald and sexless.

I find that I like the idea of this story - the fairy tale logic, the explorations of gender, the whole idea of the central relationship being a girl and her sea monster friend rather than a girl and her lover - but the execution is something else entirely. It's a strange book, with archaic language and moments of extreme brutality laid over top the constant eerieness, and I never quite felt settled in the story.

_Sea Change_ falls squarely within the category of books of which I can say, I know it was good, whether or not I liked it. I wouldn't be surprised to see this nominated for next year's Tiptree Award, either. show less

Reading this book is like reading a traditional heroine's quest fantasy turned 90 degrees. Nothing quite happened the way I have been led to expect by countless plucky heroine stories before it. This is the story you find when you turn the shiny river stone over and see the beauty in the ugly, mossy black wet underside

Sea Change is a delightfully written coming-of-age fairy tale, but the old school kind of fairy tale in which there is not really a happy ending and although everyone learns something about his or herself, no one is really better off than they were at the beginning of the story. What I’m trying to say is, this is my kind of fairy tale.

I finally got around to borrowing Sea Change from the library a few weeks ago. I greatly appreciate Wheeler’s writing style and I enjoyed the flow of story. Lilly, the protagonist, is raised by her merchant father and her formerly-giant-serpent-loving mother. Lilly’s best friend is a kraken. There is also a troll, witches, and bandits. If you’re not interested yet, your sense of fantasy may be show more defective. Schedule an appointment with your local librarian to set up a treatment regimen.

As I mentioned, this story is a fairy tale in the classic sense. Lilly, an only child, has had a lonely sort of childhood that seems to be unique to a certain class of protagonists and to people who never quite feel connected with the rest of humanity. Of course, in Lilly’s case, she is raised in a wealthy household and there are rumors that she is a witch.

Read the rest of the review at http://digitalmanticore.com/?p=172 show less

Peculiar in the most exceptional way! Sea Change captured me with its unique and old world style narrative. What do I mean by "old world" exactly? - imagine how it is to read any of the classics and that would come close to the feeling of this book except everything was mystical, magical and not a bit too unusual. Taking that into consideration this wasn't a book I could devour in one sitting but instead has to move thru at a leisurely pace. Also, be aware there are no chapters in this book! Though sections are separated by a short italicized paragraph, so there are still convenient stopping points.

We first meet Lilly at the tender age of 8, she is the only daughter of quarrelsome and not exactly living parents. Let's call them show more indifferent. Due to a large birthmark on her face she is viewed by everyone as a cursed child and a witch. She is spurned by almost everyone, until one day I the beach she befriends a small kraken, Octavius. We see the friendship between these two grow stronger with each passing year until when Lilly comes off age, he disappears and she knows something terrible must have happened to keep Octavius from her.

Lilly sets off on a harrowing journey the likes of which readers may have experienced before. Her quest to save her friend leads her to meeting one strange character after another. Each encounter testing her resolve to save her friend as each person asks something of her. Fantasy readers will recognize this quest, sub quest model and appreciate it. Undoubtedly, Lilly's fortitude and strength of will is nothing short of admirable and awe inspiring in my mind. Any person would count themselves fortunate to have such a loyal friend as she.

I can only say that the books description is very adequate in preparing the prospective reader for what they can expect to encounter but at the same time that couldn't be further from the truth. It is not often that a book can elicit from me such a great range of emotion and I am all the luckier for it for deciding to read Sea Change. Be aware this work is literary fantasy is not for everyone, nor the faint of heart. While Lilly is a young girl embarking on a quest and coming of age story I would in no way consider this a young adult book. Also, I remember originally thinking when receiving this book that the cover design was such a strange choice, but it fit so perfectly by the end of my reading.

Sea Change is a book I will absolutely read again someday, because I know there are things that I would be better absorbed on a second pass thru. I can say this is adult fantasy at its best, and worth giving a chance. You can expect a not quite fairytale of a darkly delicious kind such as the original Grimm's tales.

FYI, I just learned there is going to be a second book!

S. M. Wheeler @SMWWrites
HARBOR: the novel in which everyone is certain that Lilly knows what's going on (even when she doesn't).
---
Tabitha @Pabkins
@SMWWrites So there is going to be a second!? *does a little dance that looks something like a crazed happy chimp with a bunch of bananas* show less

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“The unhappy child of two powerful parents who despise each other, young Lilly turns to the ocean to find solace, which she finds in the form of the eloquent and intelligent sea monster Octavius, a kraken. In Octavius’s many arms, Lilly learns of friendship, loyalty, and family. When Octavius, forbidden by Lilly to harm humans, is captured by seafaring traders and sold to a circus, Lilly becomes his only hope for salvation. Desperate to find him, she strikes a bargain with a witch that carries a shocking price.

Her journey to win Octavius’s freedom is difficult. The circus master wants a Coat of Illusions; the Coat tailor wants her undead husband show more back from a witch; the witch wants her skin back from two bandits; the bandits just want some company, but they might kill her first. Lilly's quest tests her resolve, tries her patience, and leaves her transformed in every way.”

Oh, I do love me some dark fairy tales, and this one certainly fits the bill. Fantastic creatures, witches, trolls, bandits—all of those staples that you see in Grimm’s stories appear in this novel. It’s not only what shows up, but what happens when they do, that pushes this tale into the truly dark areas that it attains. The synopsis above hints at the price that Lilly pays to the witch, but nothing will prepare you for what Lilly gives up in order to find Octavius.

And it’s this act that begins the exploration of identity that suffuses much of the novel. I suppose it’s no coincidence that Lilly’s quest begins when she’s eighteen, a traditional benchmark for becoming an adult. At this point, Lilly loses her oldest friend, leaves home for the first time, and surrenders a part of herself for aid. She reinvents herself more than once in the course of the story, but it’s interesting to note that many of her core qualities do not change. No matter whom she interacts with or how they treat her, she reciprocates with politeness. She also accepts responsibility for her choices and actions.

The biggest aspect of her personality, however, is her compassion. This sort of goes hand in hand with her polite nature, but in the course of her journey, she learns to extend it beyond mere cordiality into true caring. For this, my favorite part of the book was her growing friendship with Horace, the witch’s servant. He’s not immediately likeable, but Lilly learns to look past his gruffness to see who he is and to appreciate him for it.

My only small quibble with the book is that the section where Lilly is with the bandits seems to go on a little too long. Up to that point, her quest led to her different people and places fairly regularly, but she stays with them for several months. On the good side, this gives Lilly the opportunity to bond with Horace; on the other hand, the story’s momentum stalls out quite a bit. It’s not that the novel is less interesting during this sequence, because it’s still a powerful story. It’s just that it’s noticeable that the pacing of the novel has drastically changed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel for its willingness to weave together the ugly and the lovely, the gentle with the cruel, and the hope and the loss. It puts me in mind of the quote (and pardon my terrible paraphrasing) about thinking as a child while still a child, but putting away childish things as an adult. Sea Change is a difficult book, not because of any faults of writing or storytelling, but because it forces you to confront hard questions about identity, gender, and love. I recommend that you accept the challenge of reading it and forming your own opinions.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on August 26, 2013.
http://www.owlcatmountain.com/sea-change/ show less

Wheeler's début will leave you breathless, exhilarated, and a little disturbed. This gorgeous tale of a young girl who sacrifices everything to save her friend (a Kraken!) from imprisonment touched my heart, and I didn't want it to end. Sadly, it did end, as all great books do, but I am left amazed, enthralled.

I love the way that Wheeler tells this story - it's so rare to encounter a début novel with the level of sophistication that is evident throughout Sea Change. Wheeler describes the fantastic landscape beautifully, and I never had any trouble imaging the lush scenery or the wacky characters. From the very first page, readers are immersed in the otherworldly feel of the book, and the magic and mysticism, although subtle at first, show more won't fail to intrigue. Coupled with the this visualisation are the hints of many things left unsaid. This is a book where the things the author and characters don't say are as important as those they do.

The next thing that will pull readers into the book is Lilly herself - distant, sceptical and wise beyond her years, she's a delight to read about. Alongside her is Octavius, the Kraken she befriend at an early age and her secret solace amongst the many disappointments in her life. I initially thought I wouldn't connect with Lilly, with her character being so different from my own, but I happily found myself taking a liking to her, and applauding her maturity and loyalty. I also love the loyalty Octavius has to Lilly and the way he always strives to protect and soothe her, and relished how alien and unknowable he seemed. Their friendship is the stuff of legend, all the more inspiring when considering it's between a girl and a sea monster.

Sea Change is peppered with the weird and the wonderful, and I love how many amazing elements of Fantasy the author has managed to weave throughout the narrative. Not only is there a Kraken, but there's a troll, a skinless witch, a few undead, and a magical coat. Bizarre though it may seem when I list them like that, I think the elements come together to create a wonderful story, and the sheer creativity of it boggles the mind. Amongst them are the humans, who are as varied and interesting as the magical creatures.

Unexpectedly delightful, Sea Change is among my favourite reads of 2013 so far, and I highly recommend it to those looking for a dark, gruesome fantasy with nods to the traditions of fairy tales. This book will undoubtably change you.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.
allthingsuf.com

SEA CHANGE takes the alien brutality of Grimm’s tales, washes them smooth and small with the hush of the sea, and transmutes the familiar pieces of magic and friendship, villainy and madness, love and happily ever after into something altogether new. Haunting, heart wrenching, and beautiful, SEA CHANGE is a book I won’t soon forget… or entirely understand.

The story opens with a young Lilly and Octavius, human and kraken, each sharing glimpses of their own worlds with their best friend. Just as any young children try to decode the lives and strange rules of the adults around them, they each trade stories about land and sea. Spying on a village at Midsummer Festival or show more watching merpeople kill and devour their prey, to this young pair it all seems exotic. To a fantasy reader, both sides of the exchange will have their familiar elements, but all of it takes on a new and alien beauty when viewed through the smokey sea glass of Wheeler’s prose. Like our own world, SEA CHANGE can be both beautiful and terrible, and the characters around Lilly are as mysterious and nuanced and broken as any true adult.

I am not a fan of sad endings in books, especially when I feel I’ve emotionally suffered alongside the characters for no reason. Though SEA CHANGE is dark and realistic, though wounds don’t miraculously heal and true sacrifices are made, it also offers a sense of beauty and truth. It hurts when something precious is lost, but the act of loving it in the first place is its own kind of gift. Not a book for children, but rather, a book that reminds adults of the pain and beauty of being a child. Wheeler tempted me to fall in love, to feel once more the youthful, pure passion of a childhood best friend, and that gift is worth all the growing pains in the world.

Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex, an attempted rape. show less