To Hear the Ocean Sigh

by Bryant A. Loney

TO HEAR THE OCEAN SIGH is a contemporary-realistic, coming-of-age narrative by satiric novelist Bryant A. Loney.

Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.

In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief, and understanding, readers will ask themselves what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities.

Genres: Young Adult

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2015

About the author

Bryant Alexander Loney writes for the page and the screen with a passion for inclusive storytelling and snarky zillennial energy. Presentiment is his second poetry collection; he is also the author of three novels and numerous art and video projects. He loves dogs, beaches, and haunted mansions. You can follow him on Instagram (@BryantLoney) or visit him online at www.BryantLoney.com.

Reviews

[Nikka | adventuresofnikka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review on my blog, P A P ∃ R & T R E E S!

To Hear The Ocean Sigh is a coming-of-age novel about Jay Murchinson in his sophomore year. It started with him talking about how unpopular and lonely he is which made me think "Crap. Not this again.", but I read on. And damn, was I surprised.

During the first few chapters, I found it difficult to connect with the story as well as the characters. I mean, it's very easy to read, but you just have no idea where it's headed so you have to keep guessing. The pacing takes a bit of getting used to, but as the story progresses, it gets more and more interesting, mysterious, and exciting.

I also didn't like how inconsistent some characters were and the immateriality of their fates in terms of relationships. (Tag: SMALL WORLD)

In John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Hazel's favourite book An Imperial Affliction served as a vital part of the story. In To Hear The Ocean Sigh, there was Rudderless at Sea.

To summarize:
The Fault in Our Stars:To Hear The Ocean Sigh
An Imperial Affliction:Rudderless at Sea

Rudderless at Sea, a book within a book, is highly discussed all throughout the story, but I thought it lacked a decent introduction. It was frustrating for readers like me to read only parts and connect said parts. Understanding the message of the book is another thing. Do I know the characters? No. Do I understand what happened? No. Would I like to know? Of course. BUT THE BOOK DOES NOT EXIST.

The thing I enjoyed most was the writing. God, the writing is just fantastic. Can you imagine he was only 14 when he wrote the first draft? It is simple as it is deep. Also, the characters felt so real. I really love the uniqueness of each character's voice; it was so easy to identify them from one another.

Saphnie was my favourite character. She was the popular girl who everyone knew but didn't really know. Wherever you go, there's a notion that popular girls are dumb and all about the things that don't matter. People don't realise that they are people, too, and have feelings. They are preempted to have perfect lives. "Why are you sad? You have everything!", "Why the long face? Everyone loves you!". It's just sad.

FINAL THOUGHTS

To Hear The Ocean Sigh is one of those books that you just have no idea what is about, but you want and need to know what happened, so you just keep reading. There were only 267 pages, but each was filled with meaningful words all leading to a wonderful—not perfect—story. It's a beautiful book in its simplest way.

I recommend it to every teenager.
We all live in a society that profits from self-doubt. We allow "likes" and "comments" to validate ourselves. Despite this book's imperfections, I am giving it 4 stars for the message it delivers and the tears I shed while reading it. Dammit.

[Defne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I received a copy of this book from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review.

"(...)

'Some people were simply created with the right genes and the proper social skills, I figured. They ended up at a lunch table with a group of good-looking individuals, like them, who did what all good-looking individuals managed: making the rest of us feel both envious of them and sad for ourselves, intentional or not. They had activities outside of school and followers online—people of social necessity who sat at home on Friday nights and 'liked' popular posts in hopes that they, too, might one day be as attractive and personable.'

(...)

So yeah, this book was nice and relatable but I want to talk about what I didn't like about it.

First of all, there were details that were a bit unnecessary. For example, I don't really think we needed to know the brand or the model of the smartboard (or board?) they use in classes. I also felt like they spent maybe too much time speaking about Rudderless at Sea. I mean yeah, it was basically the whole reason why Jay got those new friends in the first place, but as people who cannot read the said book from the start to the ending, we can find reading about it and only being able to get parts from it frustrating -or at least that is what I felt while reading those parts- . Connecting those parts is another thing, it is really hard especially since I guess Rudderless at Sea doesn't have a specific message or a meaning, each reader's comment on the plot and the book is different.
Secondly, I didn't think the characters, including Jay even though he is the main character, were built deeply. And what do I try to say with this? It means that the characters didn't really feel real. I talked about how relatable Jay's feelings and thoughts were above but besides those specific points, they weren't described well. (again, I'd like to state that this is my opinion)

Lastly, the book was very slow-moving. I don't particularly have a problem with slow-moving books but it takes me some time to read them and it can be very frustrating, especially when your expectations are very high. If you aren't patient about these things, then this book probably isn't right for you."

Full review → Creased Book Spines

[JM Cabral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Wes Florentine of Verona Booksellers, for sending me an eBook copy of this book! It did not, in any way, sway my opinions about it.

The Cover: The cover features a very "Percy Jackson" approved type of color scheme. It's extremely blue. The background is blue, the fonts are blue... But in the background, you could see the ocean, which was a big symbolism for the book. The cover's okay for a debut novel. (3 out of 5 stars)

The Story: I never expected myself to read a coming of age story for the next couple of months. For the rest of 2015, I wanted to focus on romantic contemporaries, and fantasy novels since they are my favorite genres. But when Wes Florentine of Verona Booksellers came to me, asking me to review this book, I, being a start-up blogger, immediately said yes, and no, I do not regret my decision.

The story focused on life's many issues: Depression, peer pressure, the advantages of being popular, and the giddy or heartbreaking feeling of making or losing friends and significant others. I loved reading from an unpopular guy's perspective. We usually read about teen angst among women, especially in the Young Adult genre, but we never try to read or comprehend what males usually go through when they experience being alone, without a friend. It widened my literary horizons, now that I have read Jay Murchison's story.

The characters were all very diverse. They were well blended, and each of them complemented the others. The full roster of characters were brilliantly written in terms of character developments and each and every one of them helped in making the story a whole lot more interesting.

The writing style was great. Fast-paced and simple, this [writing style] has the makings of a wonderful book. You guys know how much I love fast-paced reads, right? (Although, because of school works, it took me a week to finish this.) There is something about it that will compel you to keep on turning the pages, not knowing that you will be finished in a matter of minutes.

One thing that I didn't like about this book, though, is that there were scenes that had too much details. Especially towards the ending. Don't get me wrong, details are important especially in literature, but when you describe something with too many words, insignificance tend to take it's toll and readers might get disinterested in a matter of minutes. Good thing the writing style was fast-paced and that didn't occur in my reading of this book. (4 out of 5 stars)

The Ending: *This part is filled with spoilers. I suggest you skip this part if you don’t want to cry later on.* I did not see that one coming. Rarely do I find plot twists like this one's where a person is popular and yet, suicidal. I mean, I know it's realistic, but I have read anything about it, thus, my passivity. But wow. The character death in this work of art was nowhere near predictable because the character development weren't as evident as it is supposed to be, but it ended up being a nice twist to this book's ending.

To me, the next few days after Saphnie's death were very dragging. I know it was hard to move on from it, especially for Jay, but prolonging the agony doesn't seem like a good way to move on. I get that they had to spend days on vacation where Jay and Saphnie were supposed to meet, but if you're trying to forget about it, why would you say yes to visiting the place where your friend died? Hmm.

But everything seems great to me as the story came to a close. Everything was as it should be, even if I wasn't able to predict it. And, I find Jay's question to Mr. Metres extremely witty and also unpredictable. (4.5 out of 5 stars)

The Verdict: Again, To Hear The Ocean Sigh is filled with life's greatest complications. It is with this book that I learned more about the many pros and cons of being unpopular, and the immense greatness of having friends for when you need someone to talk to about life in general. A great read for a debut novel! (3.83/4 out of 5 stars)

[Sally Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

    Jay Murchison knew he wasn't popular to begin with, but it hit him hard on his 16th birthday, when no one even acknowledged the fact besides his parents, who had finally gotten him his own cell phone. He knew he wasn't popular to begin with and always felt on the outside of everything. But with a phone, he thought everything could actually change. Living in Arminster, OK, Jay's life is average, to say the most. Nothing happens to him, he always follows the rules and he never questions anything. Until he gets a text for a different person from a wrong number.....


Review:

    I really liked this original coming-of-age novel. I haven't read anything like this. The whole plot is very unique. And let me just say, this isn't a love story- it's about friendship in the people who never would have guessed you would ever need in your life. To Hear the Ocean Sigh deals with issues not only of suicide, but of the underlying of people- that do you ever get the chance to ever really know someone? Jay Murchison never really gets to know the secrets in his friends, but everyone needs something to keep them going. Jay Murchison is the example of at least one person at every school, same with the teachers. This book is great for someone in desperate need of wonder. It's even a good book for people who want to understand a teenager better. The characters were well thought out and had multiple personalities- like real people with real problems (how many times can I use “real”?).  The plot of this novel caught me off guard, it was well thought out and original. This novel had a great start and went on a “roller coaster that only goes up” anyone get that reference? But in all seriousness, this novel was a great example of teenagers and how we deal with issues. The items I wish was a little better developed was Jay's own thoughts on items such a gay marriage, religious views, and definitely I wish there were more characters of different races and color. I think I remember only one race besides white and no one of color. This could have been a little better developed to help carve the characters and peel off a few more layers of the regular teenagers. But besides that, this novel was well written and skimmed the levels of a lot of issues most teenagers go through.




Rating:


4.0/5

[Jamie (Books and Ladders)]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 10%

This was just *sighs*. I don't want to be rude or mean, but it was not good at all. Like at all. Jay's character was whiny and weird and did not make any sense. I DNFed when he said he didn't know how to make a frozen pizza. But honestly, the text conversations were poorly written and the jumping around in topics was not fun for me. I am all for authors including texting in their stories, but please find a better way to do it than this. But also, he was complaining about not having friends and no one to talk to but he did have a friend? And idk even when I wasn't part of a large group in high school, I still had people to talk to. And no one yells at you and storms away when you ask them if they are named after Presidents. That was just a strange interaction. None of the interactions were very well done, though. I couldn't believe any of them. Anyway, I'm done. Peace.

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[Nancy Cothrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased "To Hear The Ocean Sigh" in the Kindle edition when Bryant's Dad on Facebook mentioned it. It did take me sometime to start the book but when I did I was captivated. As an adult, it provided insight to the teenage life and what they all go through. It also took me back to my teenage years with the emotions and experiences I dealt with.

To see the struggles of Jay Murchison with his many friendships, loves, losses & grief through the 5 1/2 months absolutely made the story quite real. The many struggles with his friends Ethan, Lily, Ty, Megan and Saphnie. I was actually rooting for Jay and Saphnie to meet up and possibly start dating. The ending was absolutely shocking, surprising and made you think.

I was glad he did talk to someone else about everything that happened. I loved what he wrote to the writer of the book since he had won a copy and was allowed one question. Like he said, the question was not specific on whether it was the book or not. The question he asked may not ever have an answer for the living. That answer can only be answered by Saphnie and God.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to know the struggles of what teenagers go through and relive their own struggles when they were teenagers and see how stronger they are now for these struggles.

[Kassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did have some issues with this story and the writing, this book was overall a decent contemporary YA novel. I gave it a 2.5 stars.

Jay is trying to figure out where he fits in the social world of high school and ends up making some friends sophomore year which takes him through some very stereotypical high school situations.
He also makes an unlikely friend in a girl, Saphnie, who accidentally texts him instead of someone else.

My issues mostly lie with the characters feeling much older than they are described to be at some times and also being rather undeveloped throughout the story. With how the story ended, I expected to care a lot more about these characters than I did by the end of the book.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. This book is a young adults book but adults can definitely relate to it. This book makes you think about the possibilities of things to come, chance meetings and what ifs. It makes you realize what can happen in a blink of an eye. Being popular isn't always what it is cracked up to be. This book also speaks the truth that you should always be friendly to everyone, for you never know what their struggle is. The ending of this book left be speechless but also wanting to more. I have one question for Mr. Loney: When does your next story like this come out?

[Brigida Afonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a copy of this book from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my opinion on the novel or its author.)

Where should I even start? I have several things that I want to point out that I'm seriously afraid I'll even mix up my thoughts.
Well, let's start with the 2 characters I liked the most, which are one of the things that made me like and reflect so much about this book.

First of all, Jay Murchison. One word: Loner. More than one word: Someone afraid to trust anyone, afraid of being left at a corner alone, unpopular/unknown. This doesn't mean he's not a great character, which he actually is. Why? We get to see him grow up in a couple a months, experience several things most teens do, create friendships, make mistakes and learn with them but most important, experience several psychological feelings. We get to experience the ''teenage years'' through his eyes and his personal experience. His perspective in life and the meaning of it changes a lot. He goes from believing he had a good life without any friend and anyone for him to care about besides his family, to accepting that you make mistakes and have to live with it's consequences but life goes on; you suffer major loses but you learn with those or the people you lose. What made me like Jay even more was that although it took him some time, in the end he truly understood people, mainly Saphnie. He could see their ''true colors'' and for that I congratulate the author for doing such a great job with this character that for some could look like some regular teenager but is indeed a very complicated mind who observes and analyzes his surroundings.

The other character of course it's Saphnie (how obvious of me). What we get to know from her is mostly the information she provides through the messages she exchanges with Jay, although we get some extra info from other secondary characters which is quite helpful to get to understand her a little more. I think she's the most complicated character of this book since we only get to really understand her almost at the end of the story were a lot of incidents happen and a lot is revealed. She was like a philosophical person who would analyze everything and question it.
Saphnie gave some great advises to Jay but her perspective in life was the opposite of him. Where he was a loner, she had many friends; where he was unpopular, she was the other way around. What she had was what Jay wanted but all Saphnie wanted (in my opinion) was basically to know the purpose of everything, like did good people die, why did life had to be so complicated, why was she misunderstood? She needed someone to understand her mind and, in a way, her heart.

Besides the characters, the writing could be complex and simple at the same time. When I got to read the messages exchanged between Jay and Saphnie, I would always get eager to read more of it because the difference between them both was quite obvious but so well written, funny, sentimental and helpful. While Jay was like every other teenager, Saphnie was very articulate and expressive in her messages.
But the high point of Bryant's writing and imagination, are his inspirational moments in the story which I shall quote one:
''Even if all someone ever reads is fan fiction, any form of writing is a beautiful thing, and we must not waste precious time trying to understand the intention of the author. Rather, we should decide what the story means to us.''
And with this quote I will all decide, or rather, say that this story means to me. A lot. It means a lot and it made me see life in a different way. Sometimes we take life for granted, we don't risk and keep with our routines afraid that one day we may lose it all but nothing stays the same forever. In one moment you think that your friends are the best you have and the next one you just dump all your emotions on top of someone and finally lose your emotional control. Like Jay in the beginning, we should try to make the best choices for our lives but like Jay throughout the book, we should live and enjoy it to the fullest because all we have and know, one day could disappear and that special one who actually hears you, understands you, the one who ''hears you sigh'' could be gone in a second.

I finished reading the book at 06:00 AM and then kept staring at a wall thinking: What is life? Why do we breath? Okay, maybe not those questions actually, but I tried to pick this book story and compared it to my life and the choices I've been doing or might do. It was almost like a ''realization moment''.

Once again I congratulate the author Bryant Loney for writing such a complex and yet funny book with great inspirational sentences and moments.
I recommend this to everyone!! Even if this isn't the type of book you would read, it wasn't mine but I've certainly do not regret reading it whatsoever and it was an awesome experience to read something more realistic and out of my reading comfort zone.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my opinion on the novel or its author.

I was a little bit hesitant to pick up a coming-of-age novel in my final months of high school. To me, coming-of-age has always seemed a little too realistic to be enjoyable, if that makes any sense. When I was fourteen, I didn’t want to read about pimples and popularity paranoia because I was living it. These days, I’m far happier to pretend those dark times never happened – I don’t need a book to stir up all those dark memories I’ve shoved into a bottomless pit in the recesses of my mind.

Nonetheless, I am so glad I decided to read this novel.

Like all coming-of-age novels, To Hear The Ocean Sigh deals with real issues that real teens face. Unlike most coming-of-age novels, it’s genuine. Heartfelt. Loney isn’t necessarily using his novel to uplift teens or warp their struggles into a cringe-worthy comedy – he’s sharing a story that most teens have either witnessed or experienced firsthand, and he does so without romanticizing or undermining his characters’ problems.

I loved most things about this book. It’s an almost perfect representation of real life in high school, from the difficulties of identifying personality disorders, depression and broken backgrounds underneath picture-perfect facades, to the struggle of trying to fit in when you don’t even know who you’re supposed to be, let alone how you should get people to like you. The characters were extremely well developed, and their tendency to irritate the hell out of me was really just a result of them being so similar to actual sixteen-year-olds. Nobody really likes you when you’re sixteen – you’re annoying and whiny and care too much about what other people think about your hair, or whatever. But you’re just beginning to develop your own opinions, which brings about such delicious confusion and conflict that it drives everybody crazy. Jay, Lily, Ethan and Saphne were exactly that: they were real and they were diverse and they were interesting and they were beautiful in their brokenness. And that was perfect.

Loney’s writing style was also stunning. He managed to find the ideal balance between simplicity, accessibility and delicate detail – perfect for a coming-of-age novel. Although I got a bit restless in the last fifty or so pages on account of the pace slowing down significantly, the ending completely made up for it. The last few pages were heartbreaking, and all of a sudden Loney’s style transformed into this fragile and bittersweet masterpiece. I don’t think I breathed from page 258 until I turned the final page.

A wonderful story as moving as it is unique.

Read more of my reviews at All Things Amy.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

“There’s always hope.

And oceans.

Hope and oceans.”

–Bryant A. Loney

Thank you to Wes Florentine and Verona Booksellers for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

This coming of age novel is a story of conflict, growing up and forgiveness. It deals with real issues that most teens may face in their lifetimes. To Hear the Ocean Sigh is about a boy who feels very lonely due to his lack of friends and a text message that changes his life. This novel is genuine and honest.

Jay Murchison is a sophomore in high school. He has zero friends. On his sixteenth birthday, the only thing on his mind is the fact that no one, except his parents, has wished him a happy birthday.

When his parents give him his gift, a shiny new smartphone, he immediately posts his number on social media, thinking that this would spark something. He gets nothing for hours, except one text message from a girl who thought she was texting her ex-boyfriend. This text message is what alters the course of his life.

I thought that this book was very well written. I loved that it wasn’t told in the typical style of chapters, but rather in months and a count down of days starting from 178 days and ending at the present day in Jay Murchison’s life.

The ideas presented in this novel are relatable for teens. The novel presents a variety of issues from discovering who you are as a person, to the topic of depression, to the home lives that are presented by different characters, to other high school issues such as partying, smoking weed, etc.

The characters were relatable as well. Jay Murchison is a quiet teenager who feels like he doesn’t have any friends. He clings to the relationship he develops with Saphnie because she is the first person who has really wanted to talk to him and actually enjoys talking to him. Saphnie is a girl who is lost and suffering through depression. Readers don’t get to see her thoughts but they do get to read the text messages that Jay receives. I believe that readers will still be able to make a connection with her even though she is not a narrator of the story.

A lot of teens and young adults will be able to relate to this story.

I recommend this novel to all teens and young adults as well as people who enjoy contemporary and realistic fiction.



Rating

 This review was originally posted on little-book-wyrm

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jay Murchinson believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay's self perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know. In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief and understanding, you will ask yourself what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities.

I found it a bit hard to focus during the first few chapters, as I found them a bit confusing. But as the book moves along, we get to now the characters fairly well. I found that the characters in this book were quite diverse and were all very interesting. The story itself focuses on many issues that both girls and guys go through during their high school years; peer pressure, depression, popularity and heartbreak. This story was a different take on the usual YA books on teen angst, as it was written from a male perspective, rather than a female perspective. I found the author's writing style to be fairly fast-paced and easy to read, after the first few chapters. I did find that some of the writing seemed to drag on a bit longer then necessary, perhaps there wasn't a need to go as in-depth in certain descriptions as the author did. I can say that I did not expect the ending and as I always write spoiler free reviews, with a few exceptions, I won't go into detail about it. It was sad and unexpected, but did go along with the themes in this book. I did recognize some themes and similarities that I have read in other books (I.e. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green) but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Verona Booksellers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Caty (rayofbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to thank Wes Florentine of Verona Booksellers for sending me a pdf copy of this book. I'm really glad I had the chance to read it because it was really great. The story is deep and focus on many issues, such as depression, being alone, friendship and relationship. Jay Murchinson, the protagonist, was a great character. He is the unpopular guy who wants to make friends. He is good and nice, I felt a connection with him as soon as I started reading. Every character is so well-written that all their flaws made the story more interesting and kept me reading. I loved the writing style. It was so great and fluent. It made me reading so fast that I couldn't believe I was at the end until I saw the book was already over. The plot twist at the made me cry. I was so into this book that I dind't see that coming. I'm not going to spoil anything but if you are going to read this book you will find out by yourself. I liked how it all ends and the last page was so unexpected. You will keep reading until the very last page. This is my honest opinion and even if this book is not perfect, I felt in love with it and with the story. It's an incredible debut novel that I highly raccomend.

[Jamie Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved J & Saph. Their texts where often funny but many were thoughtful & poignant. This story had me crying & laughing & most importantly it made me think about really listening to the people you care about. Don't keep taking from others without giving back more than you receive, you may save a life in doing so.

[Holly Storrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

#To Hear The Ocean Sigh‬is a clever and heartfelt read that explores love, friendship, serendipity, and the unfortunate injustice of life. Check out my full review here!

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion of the work.

"It’s human nature not to think of storms when the ocean is quiet."

This coming-of-age story follows Jay Murchison, a self-proclaimed loner who leads a seemingly comfortable life, but is filled with a yearning hope for something more. Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower can find familiar comfort in Jay's noted self-awareness and observations of the people around him. Readers may also find such an air of mystery and need for understanding that can only be compared to that of Looking for Alaska's.

It seems that overnight, Jay has fallen into step with a close-knit group of friends. These friends are church-goers, weekenders (for lack of a better term), and dysfunctional in the way that most of us were/are at 15 years of age. One might think their motto is: Sin on Saturday/Repent on Sunday. I sincerely apologize if that offends anyone, as that is not my intention. Basically, Jay transitions from wallflower-status to partygoer. More notably, a mistakenly sent text message results in Jay forming a close "textual" relationship with a girl named Saphnie. These new relationships converge and slowly unravel as Jay attempts to make sense of a tragic event and the incidents leading up to it. If you want any more information about the plot, you will just have to read the book.

Before I get into what I liked and disliked about the book, I would like to point out that this would have been a lot more enjoyable if I hadn't already experienced my own horrific version of high school. Maybe I am getting too old for coming-of-age stories. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a very quick and (mostly) painless read. My thoughts are a bit scattered though, so bear with me.

I was only a few pages in before I became skeptical of the direction of this book. I'm referring to the interaction that Jay witnesses between Nick and the distressed girl on the bus. Would anyone seriously outright ask someone if they considered killing themselves? Much less a stranger? In retrospect, Nick seems like a truly disturbed being so I'm not as confused/annoyed by this conversation anymore.

And then there was that little comment by Aunt Nancy regarding Canadians. "They’ve got a fuggin’ marijuana leaf as their flag". I laughed out loud. It's true though. I never thought of it that way, but it's more than fitting if like myself, you're from British Columbia ("BC Bud").

And then there was this gem regarding a picture that Jay's mom took: “Sometimes you’re the pigeon, sometimes you’re the statue.” Why is this so relatable? I actually had to pause to think about this. It is so relevant.

I want to say that Saphnie, but more specifically her perspective on things, was my favourite part of this novel.

After Jay tells Saphnie about some troubling events, she responds with "I like how your friend suggested you be a photographer since you clearly need to find your focus." Saphnie, you witty, little ray of sunshine.

Without bombarding you with too many quotes, I want to note a few things that could have been better:

1) There was too much high school drama. That being said, this wouldn't be a coming-of-age story without it. Maybe this is just me being old and bitter.

2) I understand that technology/social media was important in forging and maintaining Jay's relationships, but it is really annoying reading text message threads in a book. The majority of the dialogue seemed like it was through text message. On another note, I will say that it wasn't as bothersome to me as it has been in other books. So maybe it was well done.

3) There was a paragraph near the beginning that basically sold me on exactly what was going to happen. I won't even post that here in case in deters someone from wanting to pick up the book. Luckily, I kept reading because I still wanted to see how everything unfolded.

Besides that, I quite enjoyed this read. Normally, I determine the strength of a book by the impression it leaves on me, whether that be negative or positive. This was a small moment in the grand scheme of things, but I kept thinking about when Jay says: “Let your parents deal with this, not you." I wish someone would have told me that when I was younger (when I was 9, or 10, or honestly any year after that). Picking up the pieces of broken plates and broken people is not a skill anyone should acquire from a young age. It's just not right. Fortunately, I've seemed to keep the pieces together so far.

We all have this need to make sense of the things around us. Why do people say or do certain things? What do we really know about ourselves? What do others really know about me? What do I really know about others? It's all about perspective. This book is a great example of that.

I want to give this book 3.5 stars, because there's always hope. And oceans. But it's definitely closer to a 4, so I'm giving it 4 stars, and hope, and oceans.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent an e-book of To Hear The Ocean Sigh from Verona Booksellers in exchange for my honest review.

To Hear the Ocean Sigh is a coming of age novel about a mid-western boy in his sophomore year of high school. Truthfully, I had quite a hard time getting into this book initially. It is written in first person from the perspective of Jay Murchison, a smart but awkward high school student. I found his voice to be quite stilted for a teenager and I couldn't tell how much of it was intentional because of Jay's unusual personality, and how much of it was the style of the writer. Either way, that made it difficult to get into.

However, as the story progressed, I started to get caught up in the developing friendship between Jay and Saphnie who accidentally met via text message and maintained a virtual, long-distance friendship. She gets him to read a book which continues to play a role throughout the story. I thought the use of the book as a plot device was really interesting and added some needed gravity to the story. The progression of Jay and Saphnie's relationship contrasts with the teenage drama Jay is dealing with in school and she becomes a catalyst for his increasing self-awareness and growth. The friends he hangs with in school pull him into typical teenage situations, albeit ones that he has had little prior experience with. I thought the ending was poignant and hopeful.

I will say that at times the author does get a little preachy about teenage behavior and the Christian faith through the local youth pastor's monologues (this happens 2 or 3 times I believe). Those passages felt a bit overdone and at times unnecessary. I would have liked to see a little more subtlety with that strand of the plot.

Ultimately, I did end up enjoying the story and the arc of character development was satisfying and thought-provoking.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I have to say that in the past couple years I have read many Young Adult novels. I got started when my small-town library started running out of books for me to read. One day when coming up pretty empty-handed, the librarian suggested I try a couple YA books. I told her that I really didn't have any desire to read books revolving around teenagers and all their drama, as I am a parent of a teenager myself and really don't need to read about it - I LIVE it on a daily basis. Anyway, she talked me into trying a few, and I have to say that I have never looked back from that day. These books are nothing like I expected. Most of the ones I have read are beautifully written, poignant tales that stick in your head. I have discovered some amazing writers this way and I am glad that I gave the genre a chance as I would've missed out on a lot of great books.
To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant Loney is my most recent read. I received an e-book copy in exchange for a review on The Book Binge, a blog where I am a guest reviewer. First, I would like to say that I liked how the author told the story with text messages and how he showed how social media connects all the characters. With this being such a big deal with every kid on the planet these days, I felt like this added to the whole reading experience, making it so much more appealing to the age group it is written about.

The main character Jay is basically your typical high school sophomore. He's not a popular kid, doesn't have a lot of friends, he's not a trouble-maker, a brainiac or a jock. He is pretty much cruising through his high school experience like the rest of us did - below the radar. Jay finally gets a cell phone for his 16th birthday and is looking forward to being "connected" with other kids his age. One day he gets a random text sent by mistake from a girl named Saphnie who he doesn't know. After he texts back to her explaining that he just got the phone and didn't really have anyone to talk to, the two develop an unlikely friendship through their messages to each other. Jay begins to look forward to the texts he receives from Saphnie, and she becomes someone he relies on for not only her thoughts on life in general, but also her taste in literature and music as well. I felt that she gave him courage to break out of his rut and try things from a different perspective. He finally acquires some friends and starts to have a typical teenage life. Life seems to be looking up for our main character.
Now here is where it gets a little slow for me. I found myself having some trouble keeping myself engaged in the story at this point. I felt there was a lot of descriptive stuff that I was wading through that I could've done without. I got a little bored a couple times and would have to lay my tablet down for awhile. Now this doesn't mean that I didn't like the writing. This is Mr Loney's first book after all, and he does a fine job. I just found myself becoming stalled in a couple of spots - it could just be me.
I have to also be honest at this point and admit that I really thought that I had the whole thing figured out by about the 5th chapter. Our little underdog was going to meet his female "texting buddy", they would fall in love and live happily ever after. (**Spoiler Alert**) Well......that doesn't
happen. I got it all wrong. This is the point where it starts getting interesting. The story makes a turn at this point and I am once again interested.
The ending of To Hear The Ocean Sigh totally surprised me. Bravo to Mr Loney for bringing it home in the best way possible. You deserve serious kudo's for that. This story covered so many different issues that all teens have dealt with for years. It doesn't matter if you graduated in 1981 or 2014 - things really haven't changed all that much. Every high school has a Jay Murchison. My school did and so will yours - it's a given. I enjoyed being able to experience this impressive coming-of-age story through the eyes of Jay. It was real and raw and honest.
I would like to thank the publisher as well as the author for giving me the chance to review this book. I think Bryant Loney has great potential and will appeal to readers who enjoy similar books by authors like John Green, Sarah Dessen, etc.

[Michael woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was asked to review this book I jumped at the chance because the blurb really sold it for me. Its about Jay Murchison who is not very popular, but on his 16th birthday he receives his very first mobile phone and thought that it could be the start of a change. Jay’s life does change when Saphnie, a girl he does not know, texts his new phone by mistake. After an awkward introduction the two of them start to get along and become friends. Both characters have problems in their lives and they discuss and help each other out.

First off to me this is a very original coming of age story and not something that I have read about before. As soon as I started I couldn’t stop listening to the story, I actually listened to this book in one sitting because I was so gripped by it. Jay is such an engaging and relatable character. I could really feel the isolation in his life and I did feel for him throughout the book, especially at the end. Throughout the book Jay shows and goes through a range of emotions and you are with him all the way, by the end you feel like you know Jay personally.

I know people will say that all coming of age books are the same, and they are all about one person falling in love with another person. However to me this is not a love story but a story about friendship and how you can find friends in the most unlikely places and even if someone is miles away they can still help and listen to your problems. To me this book is also about aloneness, at the beginning all Jay is craving for is attention and friendship. This book really delves into Jay’s mind and you get a real insight to how a teenager like Jay thinks.

To be honest all the characters in this book are fully developed and fleshed out. In some contemporary books only the main two characters are the ones that are fully written, while the other characters are very two dimensional, however this book doesn’t do that. The author has obviously put a lot of thought and effort into making all the characters in the book relastic and relatable to the reader.

The writing in To Hear The Ocean Sigh is exquisite. I know I didn’t technically read the book, but I found myself just stopping what I was doing and just listen and take in the words because they were beautiful. Bryant A. Loney knows how to write and knows how to write like a teenager. They think like a teenager and ask and answer the questions that most teenagers are thinking. I’m not a teenager anymore but I could fully relate to this story and its characters. I will definitely be checking out Bryant A. Loney other works.

I would recommend To Hear The Ocean Sigh to anyone who wants to read a different and original coming of age story. This book is ideally for people who are probably teenagers or older because some of the themes that are explored in this book.Someone who wants to read a realistic story about teenagers, then this book is a must read. I know I will be buying a copy of this book to keep just so I can read this over and over again because I can never see myself getting bored of it.



I would rate this book 4/5 stars.




I just want to say that I received a free audiobook copy from Wes at Verona Booksellers, to write an honest review. This review is my own and honest thoughts on the book and not that of anyone else.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is my review for To Hear the Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney. I was sent this ebook for an honest review by Verona Booksellers. This does not change my opinion of the book.
/
To Hear the Ocean Sigh is a YA Contemporary Fiction Coming of Age Story.
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Synopsis:
Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.
/
My rating is 3.5/5 stars! Here are some things I picked up about the book.
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-The book is fast paced, it has a slow point about three quarters in, but overall it is fast paced to read.
-Bryant A. Loney put lots of metaphors and quotes in this book and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I highlighted some of the metaphors/quotes that I liked!
-The chapters were in the course of a month, the book was set over six months, being six chapters. Since the chapters were longer, there were also days in the month that you could stop at instead. I really enjoyed how it was formatted and thought it fitted with the story.
-There is a lot of character development which I really enjoy in books, and you could see how the events in the story affected him and how he learned from them. One being how at the beginning of the story he has no friends.
-I really enjoyed the ending and how you could interpret what the reply was.
-I loved the different languages the author used in the story, using Latin and Spanish, you can tell that he had done some research for the story.
-The book was super easy to read, but there was depth to it.
-This book is a standalone, but I would really love to learn more about Amos Meters and Annihilation!
-Though Jay was annoying sometimes you could tell he was a good person.
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Below are some of the reasons this book was lowered:
-The book was kind of obvious about what would happened, ie; it was not surprising.
-The book had a really simple plot, this could be good or bad, but since it was not surprising it was lowered.
-Jay had no friends at the beginning and he was complaining how he wanted to be popular and didn't do anything about it, this was really annoying to me.
/
That's it! Once again thank you VeronaBooksellers for sending me this to read and review! I really enjoyed reading and reviewing this! I do recommend anyone to read this who is interested in a new author and a YA Contemporary Coming of age book! If you would like to purchase To Hear the Ocean Sigh it is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Kindle, Nook, Google Play, and more, along with an audiobook available on iTunes and Audible or go to http://www.veronabooksellers.com/

[The Fearless Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be ready for the tears... because this book made me cry. To Hear the Ocean Sigh was so beautiful! When I first started reading, I thought this was going to be just going to be another love story, but I couldn't of been more wrong. Just like the winds roaring of the ocean, Loney has truly blown me away! There are many unique things that he did in this one, I don't know where to begin! The way he formatted his writing style was so perfect, every page cascaded to the next making everything refreshingly coherent. I also loved that you don't realize what you're truly reading until the last few pages; which was about the point when the water-works really started flowing. I also cried at how Loney left the ending open of your interpretation, but I also loved it at the same time. Yes, it killed me! Yes, I need answers! (Loney, if you're reading this and evilly laughing, I hope you're happy you killed me.) Without knowing what really happened; I do have theories, but I don't want to spoil the story for those of you out there who haven't read, so I'll keep them to myself... for now.

I could also tell that Loney had a lot of fun building his characters throughout this one. Jay was a very relatable and reliable main character, He alone has taught me a lot form this story, not just about other people, but about myself as well; which made this read more enjoyable. Saphnie on the other had taught me that even when your world could be crumbling around you, it's important to never lose faith, because it can lead to a lot of pain for others and yourself in the end. Then there were other characters too like Lily, Ethan, Megan, Ty, Sandy, Carl, Eliza, and tons more that I really enjoyed reading and learning about too. But I also had another favorite character too, Kukowski. He was a nice emotion reliever, especially when the story turned to serious, critical, or sad; he was always there to make me laugh.

I also really loved the fact that this was a coming-of-age story. To Hear the Ocean Sigh makes you realize how ignorant human nature can be, how much we take of granted, and the prices we pay for these choices. This book also taught me that even if we don't meet a person in real life, our actions can still affect them in ways no one may be able to understand. I have Loney to thank for teaching me these valuable life lessons, so thank you. I highly recommend that you pick this on up, and learn a lot about yourselves, just like I did. To Hear the Ocean Sigh is beautifully written, and such a lovely story that everyone should have an opportunity to read it. Loney is an 18-year-old just like me, and I'm very impressed that he wrote such am amazing book, I look forward to reading more form him in the very near future.

Originally posted on my blog.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished To Hear the Ocean Sigh, and I loved this book. I have read a few other books that touch on the subject matter of this one, and this one blew me away. (I'm not going to say exactly what that is because it will spoil the book for you.)

This book follows Jay and his account of his past few months. He has just turned sixteen, and he has no friends to speak of. He ends up getting a text on his new phone from a girl trying to reach her ex-boyfriend, and they end up becoming some semblance of friends. That is how his story begins. Throughout this book, you can really feel everything the characters experience, from the typical teenage drama to heavier, more serious issues.
I really like the way this book was told in first person, but I do also kind of wish that we would have had an objective view to kind of see the other characters as well, but I completely get why this one was written the way it was, and it makes perfect sense. I just really enjoyed a lot of the characters and wanted more from them. This book has a pretty prevalent religious theme, so that may not be for everyone. I personally really enjoyed it, though, because you get to see different reactions from individuals in the book about it. Also, it is so real in terms of the teen years. For example, Jay gains a friend simply because they read the same book. That kind of thing actually happens for kids, and I like that Bryant Loney kept true with many things pertaining to teenagers. I also really enjoyed that, despite being a contemporary novel, I could not predict a lot of what happened. This book kept me shocked and surprised through its entirety. Overall, I really liked this story, and I'm excited for more work by this author in the future.
If you like contemporary stories with more serious subject matter, I would HIGHLY recommend this book. I only give it 4/5 stars instead of 5/5 stars because for me, it took a little while to really get into the story. After that, though, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to say thank you to Wes from Verona Booksellers for sending me a PDF copy to review. This did not in anyway sway my opinions about this book.

Part of the synopsis:

Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.

My review:

From the prologue I was hooked on this book. I found the prologue very interesting & it made me want to read more. Surprisingly, it didn't take me a couple of chapters to get into, like most books do. The writing is fast paced, so you aren't stuck for chapters trying to actually get into the story itself.

I found most interesting the real life issues the characters had to face. Each book teaches you a lesson & this taught me that we should stop & think about what people are going through.

The ending was really unexpected. I was shocked! This book left me sad & asking the same question Jay does at the end.

The only problem, and this may just be my personal reading dislikes, but it seems like toward the end there was a little too much describing. Sometimes too much describing isn't a bad thing, but in some cases you tend to lose focus.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were humorous parts, but there were also sad parts. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a John Green fan!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent a copy of To Hear the Ocean Sigh by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and I rated it as 5 out of 5 stars. I loved the narrative of this novel and the layout which was separated into months and days and I found the main character, Jay, to be very relatable. I got through this book quite quickly as I found that the plot was really gripping and I wanted to continue reading to find out what was going to happen. I really wanted to know what happened to the various characters in this book, specifically Jay and Saphnie and even though parts of this book were definitely sad, I found that the ending concluded the story perfectly. I would really recommend this book!

[Sara (A Gingerly Review) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

FRTC

[Olivia Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this review along with others on my blog by following this link: https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/

To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney is a contemporary, young adult novel that deals with themes like loneliness and suicide. Jay Murchinson is essentially his high school's loser - or "Suicide Kid" - who is in desperate need of friends. But, one day, after finally getting a phone for his 16th birthday, he receives a text message from a girl named Saphnie by mistake. As aforementioned, Jay is in need of friends, and so decides to dive into an unlikely friendship with Saphnie via text messages, despite them living states apart.

The first thing I'm going to address is that is this novel is very slow-moving - if you like a fast paced read, this is not the book for you. Thus, at some points, I found it quite boring, and frankly couldn't wait for the end, or at least some action. The reasoning for this, in my opinion is that, throughout the novel, Loney is commonly giving lengthy descriptions into things I do not care about. For example, pages and pages are dedicated to the description of a video game that has no relation to the story, nor does it further the story.

On the other hand, the plot for this book is very unique, and is definitely one I've never seen before. I really enjoyed how unpredictable some of the plot lines were, and also how this wasn't a love story. Oh how I assumed I'd stumbled into a predictable love story! But I was wrong - To Hear The Ocean Sigh is a story of unlikely friendship, and the importance of making new friends, even to those you'd never usually approach.

Despite this, though, the characters lacked both originality and depth. I've read about all of these characters before in the majority of YA novels: the lonely boy who strives for popularity; the popular girl who is secretly just as much of a nerd as the boy; the on again, off again couple who have so many ups and downs, but finally realise they were meant to be after all. Jay doesn't have a distinct voice at all, and - although likeable - he is very boring. This is very saddening, because it really drags the book down. What could have been a 5-star review, suddenly becomes a 3-star one.

Furthermore, on many occasions I feel as though this book tried too hard to be relateable. For example, on one occasion Saphnie - who comes across as a very smart and intellectual character - says, "I swear to God if anything happens to him I'll cut a bitch." Now, where have I heard that before? Oh wait, I know! All over Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - frankly, every other place that is trying be funny and relateable. Now, I'm not saying it's illegal to say this phrase, nor am I saying smart people can't be funny, either, but it just seemed so unnatural, and cringe-worthy that I had to put the book down for a moment or two. There's also the fact that Saphnie switches from relateable to intellectual within a sentence, causing the attempt at being relateable painfully obvious.
Likewise, a character known as Kukowski exists as both Jay's chemistry teacher and - in my opinion - a method to force laughs from the reader. After really looking, I found no other reason for him to even be in the book other than to try and make me laugh, which didn't really happen at all. Frankly, instead of laughing, I sighed in discontent with this novel - it could have been so much more! However, as the story progressed, I did find Kukowski's scenes to be a welcome break from all the heavy action on Jay's part, so I guess it wasn't all bad.

Alternatively, of course, there are things I liked about this book. Firstly, I really enjoy the structure of this novel; instead of simple chapters, this novel is formed into months, and sections within that month. These sections are named "so-many days ago" (eg. the first occasion of this is entitled "178 Days Ago".) I really like this method, for it implies some action will come at the end, or there's something really big coming within those days.

Also, finally, a book has been written dedicated to the mutual love of books! It's always music or films or comics but now we have a book about the love of books! Bookception but also ultimate book love! I really enjoyed how Loney did this, because it's the book, in a way, that ties all the characters together, and - obviously - I love books, too!

Overall, I did enjoy this novel, despite is being a little boring and slow. The plot was original, but maybe not portrayed as well as it could have been, thus concluding why I gave this novel 3/5 stars.

(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Verona Booksellers in Tulsa, Oklahoma in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to Wes Florentine for this book, and also to everyone at Verona Booksellers, as well as Bryant A. Loney himself.)

[Tess · Rating 1 out of 5]

-I was sent an eBook copy of this novel by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.-

This novel is one of the worst books I've read in the past couple of years, and I must admit I walked into it knowing that could possibly be the result. While YA Contemporaries don't spike my interest much anymore, the publishers reached out to me, and I was excited to review a book sent to me for that purpose. I recognize that while I am the target age group for this book, I am not the target genre reader. However, I was surprised at how far off this book was from it's market audience-- young adults, a.k.a 14-18 year olds in the book publishing world.
To best explain my surprise, I will quote a few passages from the prologue of the book. The main character Jay, is describing his school hallways and the students that fill it. The author, wanting to set up the themes of the book, wrote "'Introvert, extrovert,' I would hear in the hallways from the mouths of those quick to criticize. 'Type A, Type B'-- always one or the other, it seemed." Jay gets on his school bus, headed home, when a guy named Nick gets on. Nick is instantly characterized as being different and better than Jay, along from other students. Following Nick, a girl gets on the bus, sobbing. Jay thinks to himself, "Sure, I wondered why this girl was so upset, but it never occurred to me to do something about it. I had learned to keep to myself, maybe establishing me as a loner by some definitions."
Let's pause here. The reader is not given the responsibility of thinking. We must be blatantly told that Jay is in a close minded, constraining environment which fits every cliche high school ever written. We must also be told that Jay is a loner who doesn't like getting involved, RIGHT after we see Jay do an action that suggests that Jay is shockingly, a loner who does not like to get involved. This type of narration and story telling continues, steadily, without end.
Nick, the charismatic "different" guy previously mentioned, then goes and comforts the sobbing girl. She asks him, "Have you ever thought about killing yourself?" Nick replies, "Who hasn't?" Besides being the most obnoxiously unrealistic social interaction I have possibly ever read (Nick does not know this girl, nor she him, in case I forgot to mention) but it also, in an almost patronizing way, slams the theme of this book in the readers face. The reader can't pick up on cues. The reader can't read context. The reader can't see literary devices or follow motifs. No, the reader must be told. Everything.
Being told everything, is enough to bring this book's rating down to a two no matter the substance of the book, but this novel lacks expertise at creating mood. While I don't think that the narrative voice is necessarily far off from typical first person YA novels, any emotion or mood or theme isn't developed. We must be told at the end of chapters that something bad is going to happen with a cheesy, ominous line. Even in the chapter headings, which follow the pattern of a critically acclaimed and well read YA book, Looking for Alaska (which may or may not be coincidental) shoves into the readers face that in these many days, some shit is going to go down. NO mood, atmosphere, or pretense is developed outside of these things. This is the classic example of show don't tell.
The dialogue in this book is so obviously crafted, obviously made to serve some type of "deep" purpose that the book is aiming for. There is relationship drama that comes out of no where, and it seems to all have been written in one night with no second draft.

I didn't finish this book. I made it maybe half way through. I wanted to stick with it, but I almost felt patronized by simply reading it. Everything in the first half of the book could've been developed in maybe 15 pages. It was a train wreck.

I know this review is extremely harsh, but honestly, it's deserved. This rough review isn't intended to make the author seem like an idiot or a horrible writer. I personally know many great writers who when they attempt to write YA, over simplify and discredit their audience. Teenagers read Catcher in The Rye, Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, and Poe. They don't need to be blatantly told every single thing, even when they're reading genre fiction.

Thank you to the Publishers for sending me this book, and I wish the best of luck to both them and the author.

[Sam (Green Eggs and Sam) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Verona Booksellers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

So this review comes to you from two people: Sam (S), the owner of this account and a cynical high school graduate, and Katie (K), a girl who is actually the coming-of-age age and who read the entire book.

Sam’s rating: 2 stars
Katie’s rating: 2.5 stars

TL;DR
S: You know when there’s that really annoying kid in your English class who can talk forever and reference obscure philosophers and writings but the whole time that he is making some supposedly profound point about a certain aspect of the reading that is not worth such thorough inspection you are just sitting there thinking, “Words. You are just saying words...”? That is this book.

K: This book could be for somebody… Personally, I did not feel invested in any of the characters, and the plot seemed too unfocused.

Let’s dive in:

Opening:
K: Well, I pity this kid. The author does a good job of portraying how lonely he is. But, I don't feel convinced of his inability to rectify his loneliness.

S: Writing text exchanges in a book takes skill as each character has to have a distinct voice. I’m not finding the necessary nuance here.

Middle:
K: This plot has too many directions. It kind of reminds me of Pretty Little Liars and all its perspectives, except it’s that same kid ALL THE TIME.

S: The presence of Rudderless at Sea is giving TFIOS vibes reminiscent of Augustus’s and Hazel’s fascination with An Imperial Affliction. This whole book is feeling like a deflated TFIOS lethargically leaking air and relying on predecessors to do its grunt work. Of course, in writing, there are no true original ideas, so I am rather forgiving on this issue.

Here is where I fizzled out. There was no specific reason I stopped. I just read less and less often until I stopped. I may even go back to reading it. The book was not painful. It was just boring and was not providing a promise of anything interesting to come.

Climax:
K: By this point, the storyline is just too muddled. It seems as if the author is trying to cram multiple books into one.

Ending:
K: The writing in the end is better-ish. The resolution manages to answer my initial questions regarding title and plot. Also, the convoluted problems throughout the story are all tidied up, which is satisfying.

WRITING:
K: The writing succeeded in evoking emotion. However, all the contemplation was too much.

S: People will disagree with me here, but putting a crapload of quotes in your writing does not make it poignant. Trust me. A crapload of quotes was how I bullshat my way through writing a graduation speech three hours before the ceremony. It is just a facade of intelligence.

CHARACTERS:
K: I HATE almost all the supporting characters. No good qualities. If this was intentional, it resulted in my not becoming invested in any of them. The main character seems to be okay, just stupid. Honestly, the character I enjoyed most was the chemistry teacher. Goodness, that guy’s funny.

S: There is the caveat that this is a coming-of-age novel where characters do not know themselves well enough to even think about being relatable, but there is a fine line over which a writer may kick the reader from reluctant understanding to not giving a damn.

Jay is a seahorse. He floats without a sense of self and can not anchor to his own life nor to any f**ks the reader has to give.

Final Thoughts:
K: In conclusion, if you’re feeling like you want to think a lot (which many readers do, so props to you), read this book a thousand times over. I appreciate that this book is with its time. It addresses issues that are common for this generation, making it relatable to those that are interested in this genre. I am not one for chaos, and this book is filled with drama. The writing does not contain anything to dislike; it is just much too stressful for me to read. It wasn’t the book for me, but oh well.

S: This pseudo-intellectual tone does not attract me as a reader. If you do like to think deep and overanalyze things, by all means go for it.

I will close with the point that where you are in life affects how you read and perceive a book. I was most definitely not in the prime place of my life for this book.

[Brooklyn Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Hear the Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney is a contemporary, coming of age, young adult novel that follows Jay Murchison and his experience with high school relationships and friendships.

I feel like Loney's novel is a less poetic version of Looking For Alaska by John Green. It follows a similar structure with 'chapters' counting down the days. Also, the main plot twist of Saphine's death felt very influenced by Alaska's death in John Green's novel. The novel within To Hear the Ocean Sigh, Rudderless at Sea, I feel had the same purpose as the novel in John Green's The Fault in our Stars, An Imperial Affliction, to inspire the characters and give them something in common.

The beginning of To Hear the Ocean Sigh didn't captivate me like it should have. I think if I had not received this novel for free and had purchased it instead, I would have not continued past the prologue.

The main character, Jay, was relateable to me at first, however, this connection lessened for me as the novel progressed. This could have been because of the influences that he was around. The novel also became less relateable for myself when Jay started going to church. I am positive that a lot of people would enjoy this aspect of To Hear the Ocean Sigh due to their christian faith, it just wasn't a connection that I personally felt within the novel.

Another point I would like to make is addressing the character building, or rather, lack of it, in relation to Nick and Saphine in particular. Nick's 'insanity' seemed to come out of nowhere and it was a slap in the face after reading the prologue. My impression from the prologue was that Nick was a really nice guy and I even thought the novel was going to be about Jay and Nick forming a relationship. Saphine on the other hand was a bit more realistic. Losing a sibling brings on heavy depression and grief. However, once again, the phone call and her death were very unexpected as there was no real build up to them.

There were some very unrealistic characters and scenes within To Hear the Ocean Sigh. The most obvious one was the chemistry teacher, Mr Kukowski. I assume that the school Jay attended was a public school. As I go to a private school, I am not sure that my views are completely valid on this but in real life, if he was a teacher, he would have been fired a long time ago. All of his words and actions were completely ridiculous and completely unrealistic for a chemistry teacher, or any type of teacher in general. The other unrealistic scene is when Lily is going to Jay for comfort after they found the photo of Lily on Nick's phone. A girl who is crying over her relationships and talking about how much of a stuff up she is would not start making out with the person she is seeking consult from unless she was setting them up or she was dreaming.

To Hear the Ocean Sigh was an interesting read. Fans of John Green would enjoy this novel and teenagers of the christian faith may find it relateable. I am interested to see how Bryant A. Loney progesses with his writing and thank you to Verona Booksellers for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Verona Booksellers for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so totally different from all the contemporaries I've been reading lately. It's no secret that summer is the season for girly romantic love stories and after a while I just start to associate that storyline with every contemporary book out there. And let me tell you, To Hear the Ocean Sigh does not at all fit that bill.

First of all, it's told from a male POV. This is both refreshing and slightly aggravating to read as a female as this is proof that boys and girls do NOT have the same thought processes at all. Jay is blunt, shy and socially challenged so this isn't the type of book where a lot of things are happening all at the same time. I usually prefer multiple things to be happening all at once and then it all comes together nicely (or not so nicely) in the end; but Jay, on the other hand, prefers to be more one speed. For instance, logging onto CoffeeFolder (the book's version of Facebook) is the beginning of most chapters. Honestly this book is essentially a re-telling of my middle school years in all their extreme awkwardness; I wish I had known that before going in because I was not prepared for all those scarring flashbacks.

Something else that bugged me initially but I grew to love was the text message style between Jay and Saphnie. At first I was totally frustrated because reading texts is not the most engaging, so it was hard to stay focused between the overuse of exclamation points and non-emojis. But eventually Saphnie's random knowledge of Latin proverbs became endearing and I really felt for her when she came to Jay for advice and they developed a budding friendship. It nearly killed me to read the end of the book because when reading from Jay's POV it sounds like everything is going well, when it actually isn't.

The only real problem I had with this book was that it was supposed to take place in high school when personally it felt like middle school/junior high; the way relationships just started and stopped at the drop of a hat after being announced on CoffeeFolder, trying to be cool by going to parties and having first sips of alcohol, and not being able to really talk to any of the 'popular' kids. Just overall it felt like Jay was in his pre-teen/early teen years instead of being a sophomore in high school. But once I got past that aspect it was totally fine.

Overall this book was extremely realistic so I have to commend it on that front. About half of this book was dedicated to checking social media updates, entering contests to win books, and how to go about making friends. Sometimes it got too real, to the point where I was bored reading some of the fake status updates and Rudderless at Sea author tid bits, but other than that the characters were enjoyable, realistic and they faced legit school problems. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels the need to reconnect with their middle-school self or needs help getting through middle school/early high school the first time around, this book is for you!