Reviews

Fata şi marea by Maureen Johnson

Only show reviews with written explanations

stephxsu's review against another edition

3.0

17-year-old Clio Ford wants to make the summer before her senior year her best yet, starting with a job at the local art supply store alongside her longtime crush Ollie. Then her mother delivers the blow: she’s going to Kansas on some art grant. She’s taking her boyfriend with her. And Clio is relegated to spending the summer with her father aboard a boat in Italy. Her father, the man who had made her childhood perfect, but through continuous absentmindedness and impulsiveness had almost ruined them.

Things get even worse. Clio’s shipmates are her dad’s girlfriend Julia, an intense professor/researcher; Julia’s daughter Elsa, beautiful and loyal; Martin, Clio’s dad’s longtime friend; and Aidan, Julia’s research assistant with the arrogant attitude. And this motley crew is supposed to live together on a yacht and search for something that nobody has told Clio anything about.

Can this summer, which is shaping up to be the worst one ever, actually end with Clio finding true love, a best friend, and a better relationship with the man who had once deserted her?

Once again Maureen Johnson delivers a winner. Not much really goes on, and all the mystery surrounding the crew’s mission is a bit overdone, but Johnson creates remarkably vivid characters, flavored with snappy, smart dialogue and off-handed snort-out-loud remarks. Fans of her previous books should love this one just as much.

melissa_who_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Fun and quirky, loved it. Very good teen romance, about truth telling and truths that aren't the whole truth and hiding things for no good reason - and complicated relationships with parents and finding romance.

intherightlight's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

aelong1399's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Hands down my favorite Maureen Johnson book. I love that all her plots are a little surreal, a little improbable, and this one was by far the best.

flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Ms. Johnson pulled me into her story and kept me hooked! I wasn't entirely sure what to expect about this oddball group of people stuck on a boat together. But it was fun! Clio makes some big mistakes and big assumptions; she has a whole lot to learn about herself and her father. But to be fair, I couldn't really blame her for feeling the way she did. She should have been told what was really going on long before she was. Elsa's entertaining though, as is Aiden, and this trip is quite an adventure! I mean, they're in the Mediterranean Sea stuck on a yacht, not exactly a miserable time. Add in treasure-hunting, scuba-diving, denial of obvious romantic feelings, not to mention father-daughter learning how to like each other again, and you end up with a lively experience. It's not perfect, but a nice way to spend a few hours!

aniyamarie_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I enjoy novels that take place in modern times but provide a bit of history in the plot. This book by Maureen Johnson is one of those and it definitely does not bore you. Here and there, she’ll provide you with humor that tickles your sides and situations that all young adults can relate to Clio with.

In addition, it’s a perfect summer read. Even though I read this through my online schooling for the fall, I still received that summer vibe; I felt as if I were actually with Clio on her adventure. It doesn’t matter when you read this book, you will feel a part of it somehow.