Click here to buy this book! Kindle Edition Download to your Nook (eBook) Download from Apple iTunes (eBook) Download from Smashwords (eBook) Lulu Cry of the Sea Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Fire and Ice Young Adult Books (imprint of Melange Books) ISBN-10:  1612357865 Type: Fiction Pages: 206 Copyright: Feb 23, 2014 ISBN-13: 9781612357867 Price: $0.99 (eBook) Teen environmentalist, Juniper Sawfeather, disovers mermaids during an oil spill. Can she save the from being exploited or killed? Juniper Sawfeather is the teen daughter of environmental activists. When helping her father at a reported oil spill, she discovers real mermaids washed ashore, coated with oil. In her efforts to save them, she finds herself in a struggle between her parents, the media, a marine biologist (and his handsome young intern), the kids at school, and the oil company over the fat of the mermaids. Can she protect them from being exploited? Or killed?         Excerpt They must be surfers, was all I could think as I ran toward the three squirming bodies. Who else would be in the water this early in the morning? But even for surfers, this was pretty early. They’d have to have been surfing in the dark. That didn’t make any sense. Were they crazy? I knew some surfers at school, and they were definitely nuts sometimes, but surfing before the sun rose seemed extreme even for them. Well, crazy or not, they didn’t deserve to be caught in an oil slick. I crashed down to my knees beside the bodies and dropped my gear. I started to reach out my hand to tap them and see if they were all right without even stopping to get a good look at them. But before I touched any of them, my arm recoiled back to my side. “Dad!” I screamed. “Oh my God! Dad!” My dad rushed up behind me. “Are they alive?” he asked, trying to catch his breath. “I… I…” Words didn’t come. I couldn’t formulate a thought. I was too startled. These three figures lying in the sand in front of me weren’t surfers at all. They weren’t even people. From their facial features and upper torsos, they looked kind of like women, but all three of them had silver-colored skin. They were bald, with strange ridges marking their skulls. None of them seemed to have ears, only holes in the sides of their heads. No nose was visible, not even a bone or nostrils filled that space between their eyes and mouths. Although their mouths seemed to be moving, they were actually breathing through what looked like gills in their necks. And if that wasn’t weird enough, instead of legs, their upper torsos stretched out into long, scale-covered, silver fishtails. If I had to say what these things stranded in front of me, splattered with oil, appeared to be, I’d say mermaids. And no, they didn’t look like they’d start singing songs or granting me wishes. They looked a little bit scary—but fragile too. Most of all, they looked like they were going to die, and no handsome prince was there to kiss them and keep them from turning into sea foam.

Evie Seo, Bookish Lifestyle
"This story has so much depth, it's really quite a fantastic experience to be diving into it. I loved the complex, mature and meaningful plot line, with all the difficult and relevant subjects it explored. It was an eye-opening read, at times really shocking and heart-breaking, and definitely one I won't soon forget. This is a great, mold-breaking YA for those who want more from their books than just silly romance stories and sparkling mythical creatures. It's a story of bravery, dedication, protecting all those things that are unable to protect themselves, and making a difference. An inspiring, insightful, powerful tale with great characters and interesting plot developments. I really enjoyed reading Cry of The Sea and would not hesitate to recommend it to teenagers and adults alike.

"I thought the ending, while quite unsettling and heartbreaking, was very well thought out and perfectly satisfying, but I do hope there will be a sequel. I just can't get enough of June, Carter and Driver's brilliantly engaging writing. And of course, I want to find out how it all will turn out.

"Overall, this was such a pleasant reading experience. And not only just that, because while really compelling and entertaining, it's also a book full of meaning and important messages. A story worth reading for many different reasons. For me, this is a keeper. I want my daughter to read this book one day, so she, too, can learn to be passionate about helping others and fighting for what is right."

Rachel Poole, Cullen House Reviews
"What an amazing story! Juniper (June) is a young woman of substance and holds firm to who she is despite heavy pressure from her parents and peers at school. She's the kind of role model for girls that I love to see in YA books.

As expected, this book has a strong message about environmentalism but I'm impressed that the author was able to convey it without sounding preachy in the slightest. You're not going to get a sermon but you will see enough of the damage caused by oil spoils to be horrified by it. To be honest, I'm barely interested in the subject but I went through a whole range of emotions and I cared about what was happening. Ladies and gentlemen, that can only be credited to a writer with great talent.

The events of this story are linked back to traditional mermaid lore, which actually made them sound plausible. Unlike other mermaid stories, they aren't described here as anything remotely human. They have silvery skin, gills, no nose or hair, and are incapable of speech.

So... if you're looking for a book with a strong heroine and something fresh and unique to offer, this is for you."


Tome Tender review
"Cry of the Sea was unlike any mermaid story I've ever read. It was full of intrigue, passion, activism with a great message and it had a satisfying end… June is a beautiful young woman who knows what she wants in life. And she isn't bothered by her image or what the other kids at school think of her and her crazy parents. She has many enviable qualities. Carter is the dream guy that makes you swoon. He's smart, funny and caring. The chemistry between these two is instant and June's reactions brought back fond memories of my teenage years!...

"I really enjoyed the different take on mermaids. I'd love to see a drawing of what the author describes, just so the picture could be clearer in my mind, although Ms. Driver's description was excellent. What really blows my mind is that this could quite possibly be a reality. An extremely exciting prospect! The tragedy of the oil spill is reality that is very disturbing. The author clearly has a great knowledge or experience in this field. I really enjoyed this story and the seriousness of the topic. It made me realize that oil spills probably happen a lot more often than we realize."