My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I keep wavering between four and five stars. I think the five may stick.
Six years ago, Clio and her father made a board game, and then they got rich. And then her parents got a divorce, one thing lead to another, and now Clio and her mother are deep in debt. Her father's not so well-off either.
Clio is pretty happy where she is, though. She's got a best friend, Jackson. She's sure that this summer, working at the art store, she's finally going to have her first kiss, with Ollie, who works there too.
Everything looks a-okay. Until Clio's dad calls, and says they're going to Italy. Clio's mother will be in Kansas, and her father has visitation rights after the divorce... so she doesn't have a choice. She's shipped off to Italy.
Clio knows that it makes her sound like a brat to hate the idea of going to Italy for the summer. But... what about her plans? And more importantly, what about her dad? He's insane. This summer is going to be the worst of her life. There's no way around it.
Well, okay, maybe there is. There's Elsa, the dairy goddess (or at least that's what she looks like), who's actually remarkably nice. And Martin, Clio's father's partner, who's definitely not that bad. Oh, and Aidan. Annoying, obnoxious, and incredibly arrogant. Elsa's official summer fling to get over her last boyfriend.
Oh, and Elsa's mother's assistant. Elsa's mother, Julia. Who also happens to be Clio's father's girlfriend. This is going to be one loooooong boat ride...
Incredible! Amazing! It's not love at first sight! Aidan is genuinely irritating! Clio is genuinely unhappy, but genuinely not a brat! Elsa is genuinely likable! The conflicts are genuinely... conflicting?
Maureen Johnson is a master of emotions, and weaves a surprisingly believable yarn in Girl at Sea. Every character is real. Every character is deeply developed. They all have their little quirks, even--like Elsa's fancy for wine--but it's not methodical to the point of exhaustion. The story flows. It is natural. It is smooth progression. It is beautiful. And it is a page-turner. Maybe too much so. But that's a different story.
That's it; the five stars is sticking until much further notice.
(Coming up... another Maureen Johnson. And another. And another. Because my library apparently has every Maureen Johnson book known to man.
Want something other than MJ? Make a suggestion in comments!)
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