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ava_bean1717's review
2.0
Thank you NetGalley and Atthis Arts for allowing me an advanced readers copy.
I’m disappointed to say the least. I thought this was going to be so fun and enjoyable and atmospheric. And it wasn’t. I thought the stories were going to be adventure, pirate-like stories and they were not. I do appreciate the diversity in this story. Very good. But overall it did not deliver. I am hoping this story finds the right audience.
I’m disappointed to say the least. I thought this was going to be so fun and enjoyable and atmospheric. And it wasn’t. I thought the stories were going to be adventure, pirate-like stories and they were not. I do appreciate the diversity in this story. Very good. But overall it did not deliver. I am hoping this story finds the right audience.
vortacist's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-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? No
4.5
emmakbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
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? No
5.0
tachyondecay's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I touched the ocean only once. In 2014, flying back home from England for the first time, I stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to attend the wedding of two Canadian teachers who had been colleagues in England. The timing was perfect, and it also allowed me to visit an old friend who lived there. The two of us took a trip out to Peggy’s Cove, and I touched the Atlantic. Beyond that, I have barely ever been on boats. Water is not for me! So when I received a request to review Be the Sea, I was intrigued. So much of science fiction focuses on space, yet we know more about deep space than we do our deepest oceans. While this book is not a deep dive into our oceans, Clara Ward nevertheless gets you thinking about how ocean life is connected to life on the rest of this planet, including humanity. While there were parts of this book that didn’t work for me, I overall appreciate a lot of the ideas shared here.
Marine biologist Wend Taylor invites themself aboard photographer Viola Yang’s zero-emissions sailboat as she crosses the Pacific, bound for Hawai‘i. Viola’s family member and self-appointed cook, Aljon, rounds out the crew. After talking their way aboard, Wend settles in and shares stories with Viola and Aljon as the three slowly bond. When the boat arrives in Hawai‘i, rather than going their separate ways, the three of them remain connected by business and by a mystery that has something to do with their birthdays. As Wend and the others dream of flying, of being attuned to the sea life around them, Wend also reconnects with people from their past—some friendly, some not so much.
Be the Sea is set in 2039, which is scary to say only fifteen years into the future. Ward envisions a world that has taken dramatic steps towards mitigating climate change—or at least, islands like Hawai‘i has; we don’t see much of the rest of the world, which is fine. Most of the characters in this story are eco-conscious and very concerned with reducing emissions, and many of their conversations and actions revolve around how to be more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, etc. Ward mixes contemporary technology and best practices (such as reducing meat consumption in favour of plant-based proteins) with logical, near-term extrapolations of technology and ideas (such as the Seward generators that make up one of the subplots). Wend and their cohort are presented as being on the cutting edge, yet at the same time, they clearly live in a world where addressing climate change has acquired a more tragic urgency than we seem to feel here in 2024.
If you are into marine biology, then this is a book for you. Told from a limited third-person perspective following Wend, Be the Sea has plenty of discussions of marine ecosystems, from the effect of warming oceans on coral reefs to the way that ocean currents distribute bacteria widely around the world. It’s fascinating, and I appreciate a good dose of science in my science fiction.
Without going into spoilers, the science-fictional aspect of the plot comes into play late in the book (though Ward lays the groundwork early on, in the form of people’s flying dreams). Suffice it to say, it’s of the Gaia-hypothesis-we-are-all-connected flavour. Ward’s attempt to provide a scientific basis for this experience is enchanting. I like how several characters raise different philosophical questions that logically follow from what happens, demonstrating how easily scientific discoveries provoke new lines of thinking about not only what we believe but what we are capable of believing.
I found myself, as I was reaching the end of the book, wishing that all of this had been more prominent up front. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Be the Sea is slow and feels, at times, interminable. I almost set it aside while Wend, Viola, and Aljon were still at sea; their arrival at Hawai‘i came just in time to prevent this. Once they get there, the plot does pick up—but it also turns into a peculiar genre mash-up. At various points the book is intimate and cozy before quickly turning into a thriller, and there’s a fair amount of tonal whiplash as a result.
Wend is a neat main character. They’re seventeen years older than me, yet I could still relate to and appreciate the portrayal of a progressive person in their sixties, grappling with how much the world has changed while still trying to hold on to ideals that have been bent and stretched by the passage of the decades. It made me think a lot about who I will be in 2039. I also enjoyed, to various degrees, Viola and Aljon. However, as the cast of characters expands, some of the interpersonal conflict feels very contrived, and the book fails to establish a clear and convincing antagonist. Shelley is somewhat one-dimensional in her extreme, hot-tempered perceptions of everything Wend does as a misstep. Mira, similarly a tempest-in-a-teapot, comes in out of nowhere in this brief vignette of indignation before being defused and set to one side. The two characters who seem like they are the primary antagonists have fuzzy motivations, and likewise their actions feel over the top. After spending a third of its length doing almost nothing but character-building among its core trio, the book suddenly springs into action yet cannot seem to decide what kind of story it wants to be. The result is very muddled.
I have similar, albeit more mixed, comments on the characterization and dialogue. There’s a lot to like but also a lot that didn’t work for me. First, I really appreciate how hard Ward works to build an inclusive, respectful, and open environment among this cast. There’s a lot of explicit discussion of labels, of boundaries, of the distinctions between kink and sex and the fluidity of gender and attraction. As a trans and aroace woman, all of that is as energizing to me as the pacing of this book was enervating. Not only is Wend a great nonbinary, autistic, demisexual protagonist (whose pronouns everyone respects!), but they are surrounded by a diverse group of people of various ages, shapes, abilities, races, and genders, all of whose needs are discussed, accommodated, and respected. There is often a complaint (sometimes even justified) that, in our effort to improve representation in fiction, sometimes diversity becomes tokenistic, or conversations about a character’s identity become soapboxes that detract from the plot. That never happens in Be the Sea, and this is one of its strongest and most endearing qualities.
On the other hand, some of the mechanisms of how we get to know all these wonderful people feel clunky. There’s a distinct dearth of guile among most of these characters. Everyone very plainly says how they feel, and so the conversations become very overt and lack much in the way of subtlety or messiness. Don’t get me wrong—I think there is a time and a place to model healthier communication, so I don’t want to be too harsh. However, conversations in real life are never as cut-and-dry and clean in their process as the ones depicted here. When every conversation goes smoothly and it feels like every character got a chance to say exactly what they wanted, it shatters the illusion. I want dialogue to feel like the conversation got away from the author because the characters picked it up and took it off in their own direction.
To summarize: Be the Sea is messy in its plot and not messy enough in its dialogue—maybe I am just too picky. There’s a lot to recommend this book in terms of creativity, diversity, and general ideas. The actual style and execution left much to be desired. I’m glad I read it, and I hope it resonates better with others than it did for me.
Originally posted at Kara.Reviews.
Marine biologist Wend Taylor invites themself aboard photographer Viola Yang’s zero-emissions sailboat as she crosses the Pacific, bound for Hawai‘i. Viola’s family member and self-appointed cook, Aljon, rounds out the crew. After talking their way aboard, Wend settles in and shares stories with Viola and Aljon as the three slowly bond. When the boat arrives in Hawai‘i, rather than going their separate ways, the three of them remain connected by business and by a mystery that has something to do with their birthdays. As Wend and the others dream of flying, of being attuned to the sea life around them, Wend also reconnects with people from their past—some friendly, some not so much.
Be the Sea is set in 2039, which is scary to say only fifteen years into the future. Ward envisions a world that has taken dramatic steps towards mitigating climate change—or at least, islands like Hawai‘i has; we don’t see much of the rest of the world, which is fine. Most of the characters in this story are eco-conscious and very concerned with reducing emissions, and many of their conversations and actions revolve around how to be more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, etc. Ward mixes contemporary technology and best practices (such as reducing meat consumption in favour of plant-based proteins) with logical, near-term extrapolations of technology and ideas (such as the Seward generators that make up one of the subplots). Wend and their cohort are presented as being on the cutting edge, yet at the same time, they clearly live in a world where addressing climate change has acquired a more tragic urgency than we seem to feel here in 2024.
If you are into marine biology, then this is a book for you. Told from a limited third-person perspective following Wend, Be the Sea has plenty of discussions of marine ecosystems, from the effect of warming oceans on coral reefs to the way that ocean currents distribute bacteria widely around the world. It’s fascinating, and I appreciate a good dose of science in my science fiction.
Without going into spoilers, the science-fictional aspect of the plot comes into play late in the book (though Ward lays the groundwork early on, in the form of people’s flying dreams). Suffice it to say, it’s of the Gaia-hypothesis-we-are-all-connected flavour. Ward’s attempt to provide a scientific basis for this experience is enchanting. I like how several characters raise different philosophical questions that logically follow from what happens, demonstrating how easily scientific discoveries provoke new lines of thinking about not only what we believe but what we are capable of believing.
I found myself, as I was reaching the end of the book, wishing that all of this had been more prominent up front. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Be the Sea is slow and feels, at times, interminable. I almost set it aside while Wend, Viola, and Aljon were still at sea; their arrival at Hawai‘i came just in time to prevent this. Once they get there, the plot does pick up—but it also turns into a peculiar genre mash-up. At various points the book is intimate and cozy before quickly turning into a thriller, and there’s a fair amount of tonal whiplash as a result.
Wend is a neat main character. They’re seventeen years older than me, yet I could still relate to and appreciate the portrayal of a progressive person in their sixties, grappling with how much the world has changed while still trying to hold on to ideals that have been bent and stretched by the passage of the decades. It made me think a lot about who I will be in 2039. I also enjoyed, to various degrees, Viola and Aljon. However, as the cast of characters expands, some of the interpersonal conflict feels very contrived, and the book fails to establish a clear and convincing antagonist. Shelley is somewhat one-dimensional in her extreme, hot-tempered perceptions of everything Wend does as a misstep. Mira, similarly a tempest-in-a-teapot, comes in out of nowhere in this brief vignette of indignation before being defused and set to one side. The two characters who seem like they are the primary antagonists have fuzzy motivations, and likewise their actions feel over the top. After spending a third of its length doing almost nothing but character-building among its core trio, the book suddenly springs into action yet cannot seem to decide what kind of story it wants to be. The result is very muddled.
I have similar, albeit more mixed, comments on the characterization and dialogue. There’s a lot to like but also a lot that didn’t work for me. First, I really appreciate how hard Ward works to build an inclusive, respectful, and open environment among this cast. There’s a lot of explicit discussion of labels, of boundaries, of the distinctions between kink and sex and the fluidity of gender and attraction. As a trans and aroace woman, all of that is as energizing to me as the pacing of this book was enervating. Not only is Wend a great nonbinary, autistic, demisexual protagonist (whose pronouns everyone respects!), but they are surrounded by a diverse group of people of various ages, shapes, abilities, races, and genders, all of whose needs are discussed, accommodated, and respected. There is often a complaint (sometimes even justified) that, in our effort to improve representation in fiction, sometimes diversity becomes tokenistic, or conversations about a character’s identity become soapboxes that detract from the plot. That never happens in Be the Sea, and this is one of its strongest and most endearing qualities.
On the other hand, some of the mechanisms of how we get to know all these wonderful people feel clunky. There’s a distinct dearth of guile among most of these characters. Everyone very plainly says how they feel, and so the conversations become very overt and lack much in the way of subtlety or messiness. Don’t get me wrong—I think there is a time and a place to model healthier communication, so I don’t want to be too harsh. However, conversations in real life are never as cut-and-dry and clean in their process as the ones depicted here. When every conversation goes smoothly and it feels like every character got a chance to say exactly what they wanted, it shatters the illusion. I want dialogue to feel like the conversation got away from the author because the characters picked it up and took it off in their own direction.
To summarize: Be the Sea is messy in its plot and not messy enough in its dialogue—maybe I am just too picky. There’s a lot to recommend this book in terms of creativity, diversity, and general ideas. The actual style and execution left much to be desired. I’m glad I read it, and I hope it resonates better with others than it did for me.
Originally posted at Kara.Reviews.
chaptersbydani's review
Thank you to the publisher, Atthis Arts for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF’d at 32%.
Be the Sea is futuristic sci-fi book focusing on nonbinary marine scientist, Wend Taylor, or throws themselves aboard a ship to join the crew of Viola Yang. Viola Yang is a nature photographer. Wend bargains stories in order to earn their place on board.
Ultimately, this book just did not work for me. Wend’s stories just come off as emotionally charged and awkward info dumping. Though the story is told from Wend’s point of view, we don’t fully understand why Wend chose Viola’s crew or is seeking emotional connection with Viola so intensely. Although I stopped reading, I read a little over a third of the book and only got a slight hint at Wend’s reasoning. Considering the POV choice, I thought we would get more insight.
Other dialogue is also awkward. It’s disappointing that millennial jokes are still being made at this point in the future and that any attempts at empathy (example: asking if something is triggering) is treated as stupid and brushed off as “millennial speak.” There is also a LOT of science jargon in the books and it was hard to understand, in my opinion.
There were other odd elements to me. Such as a character saying they were proudly declaring “post-problematic” or two characters “holding feet” as a sign of intimacy. Ultimately, this was a very meandering story during which at no point I felt no connection to the characters or any grasp of the plot. The book would have benefitted from more explanation- we knew what the characters were doing but hardly ever why.
I chose not to finish this book when conversations about healthcare became a central issue in one chapter. Healthcare is just a touch too stressful of a topic in my life right now (a personal issue, I know) and seeing it in this book was the final straw for me.
Although I loved that there was a very queer cast of characters and neurodivergent representation, this story was not what I hoped it would be.
lisarue's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
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? Yes
4.5
This book explores in many ways the interface between humans and the sea . Beyond physical utilization or misuse, the ocean has countless emotional resonances. Interfaces between humans, bad and good, accidental or intentional, are just as much a focus, and the two themes are inter-related in a structural way. The result is a book that while at times has a 'cozy' feel, at times is fast-paced and plot driven, but this holds tightly together. The slower times help the reader understand the characters but their reactions under pressure in the rush to a conclusion build on and deepen that understanding.
Be the Sea is deeply sensitive, inclusive and unique.
Be the Sea is deeply sensitive, inclusive and unique.
andysshelf's review
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
This book was good, but I found it to be incredibly confusing. This book consists of the main character, Wend, telling two other characters about their life via stories. The stories are mostly told through Wend talking, and there are very little breaks in text, which means it begins to get confusing when another character speaks. Or when Wend is repeating something someone in their stories said. It's possible this is an issue that will be fixed in copy-editing and in-print will be much less confusing.
For me, this spoiled the whole book. It's also a very slow-paced book, so if that's not for you, I wouldn't recommend this book in particular.
This book was good, but I found it to be incredibly confusing. This book consists of the main character, Wend, telling two other characters about their life via stories. The stories are mostly told through Wend talking, and there are very little breaks in text, which means it begins to get confusing when another character speaks. Or when Wend is repeating something someone in their stories said. It's possible this is an issue that will be fixed in copy-editing and in-print will be much less confusing.
For me, this spoiled the whole book. It's also a very slow-paced book, so if that's not for you, I wouldn't recommend this book in particular.
jazzyjbox's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-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? No
4.5
Full of sea-based magical realism and sci fi elements, reading this felt like swimming: sometimes floating, sometimes speed swimming.
Wend (neurodivergent and nonbinary) takes a chance by offering themself as crew on Viola's boat in exchange for Wend's stories. With all too real dreams, Wend, Viola, and Aljon make their way to Hawai'i, where Wend rediscovers personal connections and uncovers a mystery.
I absolutely love the way neurodivergence was represented in this novel. It's not often I read about older protagonists so having the majority of the cast in their 60s was a really great change too. The queer rep was also fantastic with a pan and nonbinary MC and supporting characters that are ace, Sapphic, and poly. The pacing was a little rough with the beginning being very slow which made the last third feel jam-packed by comparison. However, I LOVED the found family aspect and thoroughly enjoyed the magical realism in the flying/swimming dreams.
Wend (neurodivergent and nonbinary) takes a chance by offering themself as crew on Viola's boat in exchange for Wend's stories. With all too real dreams, Wend, Viola, and Aljon make their way to Hawai'i, where Wend rediscovers personal connections and uncovers a mystery.
I absolutely love the way neurodivergence was represented in this novel. It's not often I read about older protagonists so having the majority of the cast in their 60s was a really great change too. The queer rep was also fantastic with a pan and nonbinary MC and supporting characters that are ace, Sapphic, and poly. The pacing was a little rough with the beginning being very slow which made the last third feel jam-packed by comparison. However, I LOVED the found family aspect and thoroughly enjoyed the magical realism in the flying/swimming dreams.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
gintonic95's review
Thanks to NetGalley and Atthis Arts for this ARC.
Unfortunately I decided not to finish Be the Sea, so my review is that of the first 20%.
In my opinion, the blurb did not do a good job of describing this book. Yes, it is about a neurodivergent person telling their life story, but there is nothing magical, or extraordinary about their life, aside from the fact that they are neurodivergent. Maybe the magical things happen after they reach their destination in Hawai'i?
The pacing is very slow. We learn the main character, Wend's backgound in detail, as well as all their coping mechanisms, and familiarise ourselves with the way their brain works. This, I find is a good way to introduce neurodivergent people to those who never met one in person, (like myself.)
All in all, thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I really enjoyed the sci-fi-esque detailed descriptions of the equipment and the main character's scientific discoveries.
Unfortunately I decided not to finish Be the Sea, so my review is that of the first 20%.
In my opinion, the blurb did not do a good job of describing this book. Yes, it is about a neurodivergent person telling their life story, but there is nothing magical, or extraordinary about their life, aside from the fact that they are neurodivergent. Maybe the magical things happen after they reach their destination in Hawai'i?
The pacing is very slow. We learn the main character, Wend's backgound in detail, as well as all their coping mechanisms, and familiarise ourselves with the way their brain works. This, I find is a good way to introduce neurodivergent people to those who never met one in person, (like myself.)
All in all, thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I really enjoyed the sci-fi-esque detailed descriptions of the equipment and the main character's scientific discoveries.
theaceofpages's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Set in the future, humans have become more aware of the impacts we have on our environment and have finally made proper strides in sustainability. This book follows Wend, a marine biologist as they sail with Viola (a marine photographer) and Aljon (a talented cook) as they make their way to Hawai'i as well as what happens after their journey.
I loved the characters in this. Mostly. And I think that this greatly contributed to my enjoyment as this story is very character driven. Yes, plot happens to them (things get pretty intense towards the middle!) , but I felt like the focus is always on the characters. I absolutely loved Wend and found them incredibly relatable as a neurodivergent non-binary person who works in biology. I also adored Aljon (an asexual person who needs to escape from people and their drama) who I also saw a lot of myself in. Although we saw less of them as they only really appeared later, I also loved getting to get to know most of the rest of the cast. EspeciallyAvery . I would absolutely love a book about the three of them and their adventures! I loved the diversity and well-executed representation of the variability of human relationships. That being said, there were other characters I was less fond of. While people like her definitely exist, I very much disliked Shelley and her hostility. Most disappointingly, I feel like we never fully get to know Viola, even though she has spent so much tie with Wend. Although I do wonder how much this is due to how other closer relationships are written about.
Although the characters are delightful and there is some beautiful found family in the pages, this book does delve into some darker themes. I found myself having to put this down a couple of times. But I found it all to have been written respectfully and believably - this was definitely not the "I am mad now" kind of need to put the book down, but rather the "well this has brought up some feelings I need to process" variety. But contrasting that was a much more accepting world than the one I am familiar with. While there is some queerphobia and the like, it's so much more normalised (the fact that so few people respond to Wend's pronouns!) and the characters are largely so respectful of each other and their boundaries. This and the more eco conscious world are really so beautiful to see.
If you love well-developed queer and/or neurodivergent characters, found family, the ocean and mysterious dreams I can definitely recommend this book. Things may develop slowly, but I loved the journey that the author has taken me on.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
(Also, I would just like to add that the author has an impressive knowledge of sea life and explored this in a very creative way!)
I loved the characters in this. Mostly. And I think that this greatly contributed to my enjoyment as this story is very character driven. Yes, plot happens to them (things get pretty intense towards the middle!) , but I felt like the focus is always on the characters. I absolutely loved Wend and found them incredibly relatable as a neurodivergent non-binary person who works in biology. I also adored Aljon (an asexual person who needs to escape from people and their drama) who I also saw a lot of myself in. Although we saw less of them as they only really appeared later, I also loved getting to get to know most of the rest of the cast. Especially
Although the characters are delightful and there is some beautiful found family in the pages, this book does delve into some darker themes. I found myself having to put this down a couple of times. But I found it all to have been written respectfully and believably - this was definitely not the "I am mad now" kind of need to put the book down, but rather the "well this has brought up some feelings I need to process" variety. But contrasting that was a much more accepting world than the one I am familiar with. While there is some queerphobia and the like, it's so much more normalised (the fact that so few people respond to Wend's pronouns!) and the characters are largely so respectful of each other and their boundaries. This and the more eco conscious world are really so beautiful to see.
If you love well-developed queer and/or neurodivergent characters, found family, the ocean and mysterious dreams I can definitely recommend this book. Things may develop slowly, but I loved the journey that the author has taken me on.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
(Also, I would just like to add that the author has an impressive knowledge of sea life and explored this in a very creative way!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Acephobia/Arophobia, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Also moderate drowning and minor polyphoia, bombs and mentions of cults