DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA BOOK 1: HANNAH
Kathryn Lasky
ISBN: 978-0-439-78310-1 (Hardcover)
978-0545238038 (Trade Paperback)
B003719G1I (Kindle eBook)
September 29, 2009 (Hardcover)
February 1, 2011 (Trade Paperback)
February 1, 2010 (Kindle eBook)
Scholastic Inc/Scholastic Press
Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy
Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook

Courtesy of Amazon

Hannah Albury is a young girl at a Boston orphanage. When she comes to the ago she can no longer stay in the home, Hannah is sent to central US , only to be struck so ill, she had to immediately return to the east, and take a position as a scullery girl in the rich Boston home of the Hawleys. There, Hannah starts to really question who she is because of an irresistible urge to be close to the sea, her propensity for shedding small sparking crystals wherever she goes, and leaving a residue of salt in the tub after bathing.

When a famous painter is hired to do a portrait of the three Hawley children, including the troubled and destructive Lila and her seemingly evil cat, he immediately notices Hannah and recognizes something in her. Now Hannah is on a quest to discover who she really is, and to hopefully claim the destined life of the sea awaiting her.

While I enjoyed a peek into the life and times of a wealthy 19^th century blue blood family, the minutiae of daily life bogged the story down with unnecessary details, taking up time that could have been better spent on uncovering the mysteries of Hannah and company.

I was a little bit confused about why some of the characters were introduced and so much attention given to them. For example… Lila. There is this huge build up around her, her destructive ways, and her “evil” cat. So much time is spent detailing her antics, that I was expecting some huge showdown between her and Hannah, or some deep dark secret revealed about her and why she hated Hannah so much. But when the moment is there, it’s so anticlimactic that I was left wondering why there was so much buildup. Then there is Mr. Wheeler, the painter. While his impact on Hannah is of a positive sort, the same type of thing happens. We are given so many hints to his secret, which I had figured out after the first “mysterious” mention, that there is an implication he will have a huge impact on Hannah’s discovery of her true nature. But again, when the big reveal occurs, all I could think was “that’s it?”

While Hannah had an intriguing premise, the slow pace of the story and the buildup to climactic moments that aren’t all that exciting, it just didn’t keep the pages turning non-stop for me. I kept reading, waiting for something exciting to happen, or one of the great revelations that were hinted at throughout, but when those moments should come, there was just a feeling of let-down. I don’t really believe that has to do with the fact this is a young adult novel, since  I read almost as much YA these days as I do “grown-up” books. I do think however, that this trilogy would make better children’s fiction than YA since the slower pace may make for easier reading for younger children and pre-teens.

I do have to say though, even though the story is written the way it is, I do plan to finish the series. Mainly because I want to meet the other Daughters of the Sea, and find out what will happen in the end.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, October 2011. All rights reserved.

Reviewed By:

I have been reviewing since 2001 and got started on it completely by accident. That accident turned out to be a blessing in disguise as I discovered a hobby I thoroughly enjoy and an outlet for my opinions about the books I love... or love to hate. Now I don't think I'll ever stop! I live in the DFW area with my three "children" of the four-footed and furry variety, Sheba, Aker, and Amun, affectionately known as cats. I work as an environmental contractor for the Army Reserves, a job I've had since 1997 in which there is never a dull moment and no two days are the same.

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