Reviews

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day

nextpaige's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Read as part of volunteer work. Well-written, covered a lot of ground in a short number of pages. Would be great for kids 10-14 experiencing anxiety/depression or dealing with feelings of shame/inadequacy/perfectionism.

raethereviewer's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely love the way Christine Day writes families. Everyone in this story felt so real and I ended up crying three different times while reading it. This is the kind of book I would’ve loved to read as a kid and it’s definitely one I recommend for middle school and upper elementary classroom libraries.

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

My second Christine Day novel that I've LOVED! Two words I'd use to describe this one are poignant and melancholy, but in the world of middle schoolers, that's just perfect. I read this as a mother of two teens and as a mother, all the emotions and relationship struggles hit home so hard - I imagine that almost any middle schooler who is struggling with friendships or sports will relate so well to this. The fact that this book is from the Heartdrum imprint makes me incredibly happy as well - finally an imprint devoted to Native authors!

While the main character in this book is in 7th grade, it is appropriate for a wide range of readers, as far down as reading ability allows and I can even see it aging up if you know any ballerinas or any other readers struggling with an injury or a major change in dreams.

theinkwyrm's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I'm so disappointed that I didn't love this as much as I wanted to. I feel like this had great potential to be a lot more than it was (which you can definitely tell if you read the author's note at the end). I feel like the author missed a great opportunity to talk about how white-washed ballet is and for Maisie to find a different source of joy among the community of those who share her cultural heritage and to get active in social justice (which is just barely hinted at in the end and makes the ending feel kind of unsatisfying). In the end, Day tried to bring in a bunch of different threads and it didn't quite do that successfully, at least for me.

hilaryjsc's review against another edition

4.0

Quiet and still with such a beautiful beating heart.

bookish_4life's review against another edition

hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emily_mh's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jazzyjan94's review against another edition

4.0

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day was a touching middle-grade that follows Maisie Cannon, an aspiring ballerina who recently suffered an injury and how she tries to cope and remain strong on the outside, even though inside she feels a tumult of emotions. When her family goes on a midwinter trip to visit sites near the Makah community that her mother grew up in, she starts to feel even more alone and isolated, despite her family's support and encouragement, especially when her injury starts to flare up again. I really appreciated how the author broached different topics such as blended families, injuries, mental health, as well as the recent history of Native Americans. I feel like I learned quite a bit about some of the communities, as well as their struggles, especially their recent struggles as far as being oppressed by outsiders who don't understand their way of life, or refuse to understand. Along with this, is Maisie's struggle to feel like she belongs and not knowing what her place is in the world, since so much of her identity has been in dancing for so long. I think this is a great book, and in some ways an important book that many should read, if anything just read from someone's perspective and background that is different from one's own.

raechsreads's review against another edition

4.0

A story about Maisie, who finds herself struggling to re-center herself following a knee injury. It was such a heartwarming read. I found myself rooting for her and her family.

rozesntea's review against another edition

5.0

If I didn’t read before bedtime, I would have read this in one sitting. This is a middle-grade read, but honestly it is a wonderful read for any age. It explores family, mental health, Seattle and Makha history. I think anyone who lives in Seattle should read this to bring more awareness to the peoples who were here before many of us. Day really reminds us that no matter what age we are, we’ll always go through a period of pain and loss, that we might not know if it’ll be okay in the end and that’s okay. It also reminds us to humanize our younger folx and how much more inquisitive and aware they truly are.