Girl at Sea Book

Ok. I have to comment on the cover. WTF? That girl on the cover could never, ever be Clio. I've noticed a pattern with Maureen Johnson's books: Find a picture of a pretty, slim girl (with no face). Put her in tight pants and a tank top. Add in a few pieces of plot-related decorative flourishes. And Voila! A cover girl that has nothing at all to do with the strong heroines Johnson writes. (At least Suite Scarlet seems to have broken this pattern)

I'm probably overreacting, but this really bothers me. This cover is so generic that it short-changes what's inside. I'm glad I didn't judge this book (or 13 Little Blue Envelopes) by its cover. If I had, I likely would have assumed the novel would have been another formulaic teen romance drama. Which it definitely is NOT. If I wasn't lazy, I'd start a petition to stop this cover design travesty. :)

Ok, onto more serious matters... Girl at Sea has a great pace and likable characters. There's a bit of everything here: mystery, romance, drama. It was a great book to read while stuck in winter misery.

I'm quickly growing into a huge Maureen Johnson fan, almost entirely because of her heroines. Johnson does not write stereotypical teen girls- they are all fully fleshed out young women with diverse talents, desires, and motivations (which is why the covers bother me so much). Clio is highly relatable, even though many girls probably can't even imagine living the life Clio has cruising around the Mediterranean. But Clio's feelings, her relationships, her fears, and her weaknesses are all very real. The exotic locale is just that: a setting. It adds interest to the story, but does not serve to alienate readers. While most readers might not be able to imagine how it would feel to jump off the deck of a yacht into the dark sea, most can probably relate to being hurt by a friend or fighting with a parent.

Another thing I like about Johnson's heroines is that they have romantic interests but do not need to be rescued. Clio does not need a boyfriend or a kiss to complete her. Clio needs to find something inside her- even though crushes and first kisses seem to take priority in her life, it's not really what she's looking for. While Clio gets what she wants in the love department, the other things she gets, the things she didn't know she was looking for, are so much more
meaningful, satisfying, and life changing.

The inclusion of old letters keeps the mystery going and clues readers in on details related to the secret search that Clio is not yet aware of.

I highly recommend this book.