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    Sea Change
    Sea Change
    Sea Change
    Audiobook11 hours

    Sea Change

    Written by S. M. Wheeler

    Narrated by Bianca Amato

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Wheeler' s stunning debut is a sophisticated fantasy whose lush descriptions, lyrical dialogue, and engaging structure are reminiscent of the very best fairy tales This profoundly beautiful evolution of fairy tale elements will have readers eagerly awaiting Wheeler' s next book." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) 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 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. A powerfully written debut from a young fantasy author, SEA CHANGE is an exhilarating tale of adventure, resilience, and selflessness in the name of friendship.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 6, 2013
    ISBN9781470393564

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    Reviews for Sea Change

    4/5

    91 ratings15 reviews

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    • 5/5
      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, 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.
    • 4/5
      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
    • 5/5
      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 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*
    • 4/5
      Sea Change put me strongly in mind of The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington. Unlike the latter, its tone is decidedly serious, but both share a how-astonishingly-gross-why-am-I-so-thrilled fairytale world. Carnage and wild strange magic. 5 stars for delightfully awful weird.

      However, I felt let down by character motives and personality. I sympathized with Lilly, but she was single-minded and I didn't get enough of Octavius's character to appreciate why (he is an extremely passive kraken). Lilly's parents remain completely opaque to me, and I only understood about half the motives of the supporting cast. 3 stars, maybe 2, for character development.
    • 3/5
      A not bad if very odd story. The main character is so flat aspect and bland I'm amazed she could have such adventures. If this book were made into a motion picture, it would definitely be a 'FILM', not a 'movie'.
    • 4/5
      Odd books seem to be my cup of tea lately, and Sea Change by S.M. Wheeler definitely fit the bill. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book about a young girl and her kraken friend, but I have to admit within a few chapters I was fascinated.This story is not about all the strange elements, as I've learned most out of the ordinary stories tend to be, but rather the coming-of-age tale of young Lilly. I was reminded of the King Arthur stories I read earlier this year as Sea Change contained quite a few similarities. The young child with a pressing need to prove herself, the quests that lead to subquests that lead to even more subquests. The strange creatures, unusual methods of overcoming challenges, and growth of Lilly all contributed even more to the similarities between this story and those older tales. So once I connected the dots I began to enjoy myself even more. I followed the winding path through Wheeler's imagination and loved it ... until I was a little more than 3/4ths of the way through. Then the story really started to drag for me - not because of the arc itself but because I was just tired and ready for resolution. So.. my only real complaint is the length of Sea Change - I think had it been just 20-30 pages less and the story tightened up (especially at the beginning, it really takes a while to get going), then this would be nearly perfect.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comSEA 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 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.
    • 4/5
      3.5
      Very unexpected, but not necessarily in a bad way.
    • 4/5
      I thought I knew how this would end. The author is a skillful writer.I was pulled in by page 11.I enjoyed the love story,mystery and historical and supernatural aspects of the book. 3 women tell their stories, Ava, Pamela and Gloria.Al their voices intertwined.The story kept building and building.The last 1/3 of the book just seemed to get bogged down.It made a very climactic ending quite anti-climactic. I was almost relieved the story ended. I just think it could have been a bit shorter. Enjoyable and I was wrong abt the story ended.
    • 3/5
      I like this one better than The House on Tradd Street. However, it is still not great. I would charge this one with a lack of subtlety and a repetiveness of certain details which leads the reader to feel she is being beaten over the head with a "this is important...I'm giving you a hint...IMPORTANT!" hammer. Also, how many time is she White going to use the "seeminly devoted wife and mother abandons husband and son for another man" thread? Bit of a lack of inventiveness, no?

      Need mind candy with a romance, mystery, history angle? This will do. Need good writing and a fascinating and suspenseful plot? You might want to look elsewhere.
    • 3/5
      "For Ava Whalen, a new marriage and a move to St. Simons Island means a new beginning. But what she doesn't realize is that her marriage will take her on an unexpected journey into the deep recesses of her past that will transform her forever. Have read all Karen White's books, as love the Atlanta author; however this one was not quite as good as her usual works. Moes back and forth from the historic 1800's, to the mother and daughter- a little slow moving. "
    • 3/5
      Well, I love Karen White's series about houses in Charleston but this book left me in right field,,, the ball went to left. I really wanted to like the change up between each chapter, 3 woman, but it just went on for 400 or so pages and got a little too much unreal at the end for me. Sorry, will look forward to the next book though.
    • 4/5
      Such an entertaining novel and one in which I became thoroughly immersed. Of course it was set in one my favorite places, St. Simon's Island in Georgia and I loved reading about the places I had visited and the islands history. The characters were fantastic and the storyline stretched from the 1800's to the present. One quote from the novel that really resonated with me is " Know what you want to take root, and what you want pulled out." They were, in the story talking of gardening and flowers but it could of course be used to describe many different situations. Wonderfully enjoyable story.
    • 4/5
      Sea Change by Karen White revolves around the story of thirty-four year old Ava Whalen who’s just been married and has moved to a new home in St. Simons Island, Georgia. This book explores the whirlwind romance following the very short engagement and surprise marriage to Matthew.It then moves on to Ava’s search for the secrets of her husband’s past.This book also explores the possibility of past lives and reincarnation. Ava is haunted by the feeling that she knows St Simons and her new husbands house even though she has never been there before.There is much she doesn’t know about Matthew, including the mysterious circumstances surrounding his first wife’s death. And Matthew's ancestral home seems to hold as many mysteries and secrets as her new husband. With the help of a new friend, Trish, Ava throws herself into uncovering Matthew’s family history and that of the island. She slowly begins to realize that she has a connection of her own to St Simons.What I really liked was the constant mystery and intrigue in this book. What I did not like was that it sometimes seemed to move slowly in releasing it's secrets and I was so anxious to discover what was going on. Lots of suspense and build up and it all comes together in a dramatic ending.
    • 5/5
      Add this book to your summer reading list. Seriously. Do it! Sea Change by Karen White is a mixture of mystery, romance, and history. Ava Whalen has been afraid of water since she was a baby. Nobody knows or understands why. Ava's mom, Gloria, loves her but has always been standoffish towards Ava. Pamela lived 200 years before in the same St. Simons Island house as Ava and her new husband, Matthew Frazier. The story is told from all three women's point of view.Ava and Matthew married after a whirlwind romance. They decide to move to the coastal town of St. Simons. They move into Mathew's ancestral home. They are both eager to start their new lives together. On their first night there, Ava learns that Matthew has been married before. She is upset that such a big detail was withheld from her. Eager to know more about his first wife, Ava starts to uncover some disturbing details about the mysterious death of Mathew's first wife, Adrienne. Ava digs deeper to find out if the man she loves could be responsible for Adrienne's death. Ava and Adrienne also share an obsession about a mystery that happened over 200 years ago on the island. Meanwhile Ava's mother, Gloria, is devastated that Ava moved to the island. Gloria and Ava have always had a strained relationship. Since moving to the island, it has become even more so. Secrets are being kept from all sides.Sea Change is a great read. It's reminiscent of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It has the same mysterious, haunted feel that Rebecca holds. The journeys from the past to the present are fascinating as the story unfolds. The characters are fantastic. White keeps you guessing on who to trust. One of my favorite characters is Mimi. She's Ava's ninety-one year old grandmother. Despite her age, she has no intention of slowing down. She's a feisty, spirited woman that made me laugh. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.