Reviews

…because people expect that a girl would choose her beauty over anything else. But maybe one day you will write your own version of the story about a girl who overcomes her hardships instead.

I love how Nia is not perfect but she’s strong, feisty, and determined. She’s relatable and inspiring, and I find myself rooting for her as she faced various challenges. I think important themes such as poverty, education, family, loss, empowerment, self-acceptance, and friendship are explored so well in this book.

Built into the layered story are mesmerizing Javanese folktales, traditions and customs. Kadarusman's prose is lyrical, painting a vivid picture of Nia's world and her internal struggles. The story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

She couldn’t take away the ache of hunger or the hurt of harsh words, but she could give comfort through the magic of stories.

This was a fast-paced Middle Grade novel that I truly enjoyed despite the difficult themes.

katec9999's review against another edition

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5.0

So good, the kind of book you want to shove into people's hands and insist they read.

cassidybone's review against another edition

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3.0

Read for YAL class, it’s definitely for younger readers, but I love the hope in this story and the recognition of being able to change your fate and circumstance, but it takes work, not magic or luck. It’s a quick and easy read with a complex and hopeful storyline.

shannonsnextchapter's review against another edition

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4.0

The Girl of the Southern Sea by Michelle Kadarusman is a moving, heartfelt story of a young dreamer from Jakarta. Main character fourteen-year-old Nia spends her days caring for her younger brother, working at her family’s fried banana cart, trying to stop her father from drinking arak, and dreaming up stories about Dewi Kadita, a mythical Javanese princess. Throughout the story, Nia discovers her sense of self, her own power, and her capability of pursuing the future she hopes for.

Michelle Kadarusman is an Indonesian-Australian author, and this perspective allows her to paint a clear, vivid representation of her story’s Indonesian setting. The Girl of the Southern Sea takes place in a richly described Jakarta, a setting that informs many of Nia’s experiences, values, and beliefs. In this story, worldbuilding is a key feature, and Michelle achieves a beautifully executed result.

Nia, Girl of the Southern Sea’s main character, is still just a young teenager, and yet she already bears burdens far beyond her years. Since the loss of her mother five years ago, Nia has taken on the responsibility of raising her younger brother and keeping an eye on her bapak, who increasingly turns to arak to quell his grief. Without money for the education she needs to achieve her dreams, Nia must reconsider ways of achieving her goals—and even what these are. Nia is forced to navigate mounting responsibilities and changing values. Throughout the book, Nia’s character grows in important ways, making her character arc powerful and meaningful.

Girl of the Southern Sea is a story of family, responsibility, honesty, duty, dreams, and more. I recommend it to fans of The Theory of Hummingbirds (also by Michelle Kadarusman).

A big, big thank you to the teams at Ausyabloggers and UQP for including me in the Girl of the Southern Sea blog tour. Be sure to check out the other stops!

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molly_dettmann's review against another edition

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4.0

Loved Nia’s story and how hope and help from some unlikely people got her through such terrible times, mostly caused by her drunken father. This was an interesting look at life for a teen girl in India. The writing is very accessible, lots of simple and controlled language and short sentences throughout, but the topics and what Nia dealt with were mature enough for a teen to get into.

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