"The Awakened: Soul and Sea and a New Life by the Sea" is a one-of-a-kind, coming of age novel. Our main character is Samantha Lonodson. She is affectionately called Sam by her loved ones. Sam's love for marine-life inspires her to want to become a marine biologist one day. She is persistent about this, and our girl Sam is not someone who backs down from a challenge.
The book commences with Sam starting her freshman year at high school. Along the way, Sam encounters new experiences at school, such as navigating through her peer life and standing up for herself. Additionally, her personal life has its own share of challenges. Sam's mother is battling stage 2 breast cancer. To complicate matters even more, she discovers that her father isn't really her biological father. These significant life changes (and many others stressful life-occurrences) are just a few of the life-events that Sam experiences over the course of the book. Fortunately, she has the love and support of her aunt and her amazing best friend to help keep her grounded. Because of this, she is able to maneuver through these many hurdles with her head held high.
I give this book 5 stars for its creativity. This is the first book I've read that is written solely using a 'dear diary' format. Initially, I was uncertain about how I'd rate it, but by the final chapter, I fell completely in love with the storyline. I especially like Sam's 'no nonsense' attitude. There are some minor grammatical errors throughout the book, but for the most part, the chronological sequence of events are simple enough to absorb and become immersed into. The book contains some adult language, so it's better suited for older teenagers and adults. Overall, it is a decent read. I have no doubt that people who love YA fictions will take pleasure in reading this fascinating coming of age novel.