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To the Sea
Kai Kūulu, half Hawaiian and half Swedish, is a normal 15-year-old hapa boy living in Mid-Coast Maine when his mother suddenly dies. To escape the pain, Kai's Hawaiian father, Keaka, moves them to his birthplace of Pahoa, Hawaii. Kai is thrust into a culture he knows little of, but is lucky to have three cousins by his side to show him the way. Soon after his arrival, Kai meets the beautiful Leilani from the Lona Hui. Kai being from the Kūulu Hui knows that the families have a centuries-old hatred of each other. Leilani is also the daughter of Keaka's former best friend and now enemy. Kai's cousins and Leilani introduce him to dormant gifts that he has always had and is able to explore in the safety of Hawaiian waters and on land. Kai learns his history, why his Swedish side is looked down upon in the islands, and why his father kept secret Kai's gifts. The teens do not realize that the Gods are awakened to the Scandinavian blood now in Hawaiian waters and an unlikely bond is formed between the two Huis to rescue young love. Kai is in a battle against time to learn his gifts and unify people of land and sea.
195 pages, Paperback
Published March 27, 2021
6 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 25, 2021
Kai is a 15-year-old of half-Swedish, half-Hawaiian descent. He’s lived in Maine his entire life, until his mother unexpectedly dies and his father moves them to Hawaii to be closer to their family. TO THE SEA does a gorgeous job of describing Hawaii and its culture in rich detail. Kai is immediately swept up by his cousins (so many cousins!) and welcomed into the extended family he has never known. But it turns out the family harbors secrets, and Kai himself has buried memories that begin to resurface when strange things start to happen. I loved the way this book combined Nordic and Hawaiian myth and wove an intricate fantasy tale. The set up of the book was gradual (though extremely interesting because of all the detail!), but as we progressed towards the end and the fantasy elements began to take on a larger role in the book, and Kai came into himself, it came to a really exciting finale. Recommended for fans of Percy Jackson!
October 1, 2021
This is a great book! The story centers on Kai, who deals with loss and building a sense of identity over the course of the novel. To the Sea is relatable on a personal level because everyone confronts such obstacles in life (but not in the same way, of course). I also loved the prose and the strong sense of place the author establishes. In addition, the pages are laced with myth and magic. The author seamlessly melds different belief systems to create something delightfully unique. Highly recommended for those who love their coming-of-age stories with magic.
October 4, 2021
I found ‘To The Sea’ to be a fun read. I enjoyed the mix of mythologies and found the main character Kai to be relatable. The author gives us an exciting start to a possible series with a Percy Jackson kind of feel. What the story needs to make it very good, however, is a good edit. The story is often told in Pidgin, and those parts are fine, at least as far as I can tell. The parts not written in Pidgin, though, still suffer from many grammatical errors that a good edit could fix. The story has great potential and just needs to be polished up. The only thing (sorry possible spoiler here) that grabbed me as a reader that I would have liked done differently was the meeting with the gods and goddesses. It felt too easy for the main character and his family to get the gods to back down. Still, I recommend this book and think it is worth the read. 3.8 stars, rounded up to 4. I look forward to reading more by this author.
October 21, 2021
In "To The Sea" we meet fifteen-year-old Kai just after his Swedish mother passes away. Kai's Hawaiian father takes him from the home he has known in Maine to a new life in Pahoa, Hawaii. Kai soon learns that his father is an important figure to the locals, but not everyone is happy to welcome them; in fact one clan treats Kai with overt hostility. In time, Kai will learn the secrets of the past and the surprising powers passed down to him by his parents. This was an engaging and unique story; a fascinating read!
October 4, 2021
A Fascinating Concept
To the Sea follows the story of Kai, a half Hawaiian and half Swedish boy who has to adjust to a new life in Pahoa after the death of his mum. Though Kai quickly learns that this isn’t any normal place and he isn’t any normal boy as life as he knew it is turned upside down.
The first thing I loved about this fantasy novel was the fascinating mingling of Hawaiian and Norse folklore that runs throughout. I thought it quite unique in it’s take on the lore.
I also have to say that I loved that this story was fast paced and had some interesting twists and turns that get your thumbs scrolling and fingers turning those pages to find out what happens next.
I have to mention that I’m a sucker for themes surrounding identity and family and this novel has them in abundance.
There were some typos here and there. Not something I mind personally as I appreciate not all self published authors have the means to pay an editor but I thought I should mention it incase you are someone who penalises people for this. I also found myself craving a little more vivid detail during those big moments.
All in all, Carlson has huge story telling potential and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
To the Sea follows the story of Kai, a half Hawaiian and half Swedish boy who has to adjust to a new life in Pahoa after the death of his mum. Though Kai quickly learns that this isn’t any normal place and he isn’t any normal boy as life as he knew it is turned upside down.
The first thing I loved about this fantasy novel was the fascinating mingling of Hawaiian and Norse folklore that runs throughout. I thought it quite unique in it’s take on the lore.
I also have to say that I loved that this story was fast paced and had some interesting twists and turns that get your thumbs scrolling and fingers turning those pages to find out what happens next.
I have to mention that I’m a sucker for themes surrounding identity and family and this novel has them in abundance.
There were some typos here and there. Not something I mind personally as I appreciate not all self published authors have the means to pay an editor but I thought I should mention it incase you are someone who penalises people for this. I also found myself craving a little more vivid detail during those big moments.
All in all, Carlson has huge story telling potential and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
August 9, 2022
To the Sea follows Kai, a half Hawaiian half Swedish boy. After his mother passes, his father decides to take him back to his family in Hawaii. On his first night, he discovers there is a long history and tradition in his family that brings stories of myth and legend to reality. But, it's not only his father's side that hold strong ties to the Gods and Kai and his friends are stuck in the middle of ancient feud.
To The Sea was an enjoyable read and it is always nice to see my culture represented in fiction.
The mashup of Norse mythology and Polynesian was not what I was expecting but it was done in a unique and interesting way that made me want to keep reading.
There were a couple of inconsistencies in the book that I think only someone from the Polynesia would pick up on but it didn't take me out of the story enough to make it unendurable, just left me with a couple of questions.
My main takeaway and thing I enjoyed most was the importance of family and unity as a people, culture and community, even when all forces are trying to create division which I think was apt especially with the current state of the world.
A great urban, low magic/magical realism book and I'm looking forward to the next adventure of Kai and his tribe
To The Sea was an enjoyable read and it is always nice to see my culture represented in fiction.
The mashup of Norse mythology and Polynesian was not what I was expecting but it was done in a unique and interesting way that made me want to keep reading.
There were a couple of inconsistencies in the book that I think only someone from the Polynesia would pick up on but it didn't take me out of the story enough to make it unendurable, just left me with a couple of questions.
My main takeaway and thing I enjoyed most was the importance of family and unity as a people, culture and community, even when all forces are trying to create division which I think was apt especially with the current state of the world.
A great urban, low magic/magical realism book and I'm looking forward to the next adventure of Kai and his tribe
July 1, 2021
To the Sea is a fascinating story of Hawaii and it's mythical past. A past that comes alive again when Kai returns, along with his father, to the Big Island after the death of Kai's mother.
Kai's father is a native of Hawaii but Kai's mother was Swedish and Kai is concerned that he may be ostracised by his peers because of this.
But being the haole is the least of his problems and he soon discovers there are two types of native Hawaiian - those who belong to the land and those who belong to the sea. Actually, there are three if you count the ancient gods.
Which one is Kai? Read this book to find out!
I loved this story of Hawaii and it's history. It is an exciting tale of ancient and modern battles between mortals and the gods.
My only minor complaint is that a lot of the dialogue is written in Hawaiian Pidgin and rather hard to understand at first, though I did pick it up as I went along. And I learned some cool Hawaiian words and phrases which I sure will be most useful to this Northern Irish wahine!
To the Sea is definitely a very enjoyable book. Mahalo!
Kai's father is a native of Hawaii but Kai's mother was Swedish and Kai is concerned that he may be ostracised by his peers because of this.
But being the haole is the least of his problems and he soon discovers there are two types of native Hawaiian - those who belong to the land and those who belong to the sea. Actually, there are three if you count the ancient gods.
Which one is Kai? Read this book to find out!
I loved this story of Hawaii and it's history. It is an exciting tale of ancient and modern battles between mortals and the gods.
My only minor complaint is that a lot of the dialogue is written in Hawaiian Pidgin and rather hard to understand at first, though I did pick it up as I went along. And I learned some cool Hawaiian words and phrases which I sure will be most useful to this Northern Irish wahine!
To the Sea is definitely a very enjoyable book. Mahalo!
August 3, 2021
Julia's book is interesting to me in her way of narrating, and I appreciated it hugely.
The setting is Hawaii, and acquaintances with a significant part of Hawaiian characters, written in the nearby vernacular (or pidgin) Hawaiian language. It shows the importance of language to the author. Her book is indeed indebted to the beauty of language. It adds another layer of vibrance in the picturesque writing.
The book is a fantasy fiction, but is relatable enough. Be that as it may, the story likewise has the parts of love, disdain, bias, struggle, and compromise in a multi-social setting with elements of cultural diversity and alienation.
After Kai's mom dies, his dad moves their family back to the huge island of Hawaii. There he discovers that in addition to the fact that he is in good company; his family, is bigger than he envisioned. It is the place where he first becomes hopelessly enamored with Leilani, a girl of the Lona faction, and finds out about the set of experiences and ensuing animosity between the Kuulu tribe and the Lona group.
Kai's dad is a local of Hawaii yet his mom was Swedish and Kai is worried that he might be excluded by his friends along these lines.
He before long, finds there are three kinds of local Hawaiian - the individuals who have a place with the land, the individuals who have a place with the ocean and, the ones descending from the ancient Gods.
Which one is Kai? Will he discover his orientation and learn to live with his reality? What about the tribe hierarchy? There is a lot to know about, and the author does cater to every question, in time.
The story is well written, but might have aided with a little more critical editing. The language also creates coherent obstacles. It’s like learning a new language from a different perspective. I do hope the readers shall enjoy this experience because looking at the brighter side, the book poses a challenge to the readers. And what's better than a literary trial?!
This astonishing story of love, misfortune, and mental fortitude will carry you from chuckling to tears, and everything in the middle.
The setting is Hawaii, and acquaintances with a significant part of Hawaiian characters, written in the nearby vernacular (or pidgin) Hawaiian language. It shows the importance of language to the author. Her book is indeed indebted to the beauty of language. It adds another layer of vibrance in the picturesque writing.
The book is a fantasy fiction, but is relatable enough. Be that as it may, the story likewise has the parts of love, disdain, bias, struggle, and compromise in a multi-social setting with elements of cultural diversity and alienation.
After Kai's mom dies, his dad moves their family back to the huge island of Hawaii. There he discovers that in addition to the fact that he is in good company; his family, is bigger than he envisioned. It is the place where he first becomes hopelessly enamored with Leilani, a girl of the Lona faction, and finds out about the set of experiences and ensuing animosity between the Kuulu tribe and the Lona group.
Kai's dad is a local of Hawaii yet his mom was Swedish and Kai is worried that he might be excluded by his friends along these lines.
He before long, finds there are three kinds of local Hawaiian - the individuals who have a place with the land, the individuals who have a place with the ocean and, the ones descending from the ancient Gods.
Which one is Kai? Will he discover his orientation and learn to live with his reality? What about the tribe hierarchy? There is a lot to know about, and the author does cater to every question, in time.
The story is well written, but might have aided with a little more critical editing. The language also creates coherent obstacles. It’s like learning a new language from a different perspective. I do hope the readers shall enjoy this experience because looking at the brighter side, the book poses a challenge to the readers. And what's better than a literary trial?!
This astonishing story of love, misfortune, and mental fortitude will carry you from chuckling to tears, and everything in the middle.
December 7, 2021
‘To the Sea’ is a magical story about a teen boy who learns that his family has secrets which affect him more than he thought possible. After suffering the loss of his mom, Kai and his father move to Pahoa, Hawaii where his father is from. When he arrives, Kai learns of a divide amongst the people who are ‘from the sea’ or ‘from the land’ and somehow, he stands in the middle.
I enjoyed the mix of Norse and Hawaiian folklore, the mythical elements woven into the core of the story with an effortless ease. We all know that when Gods are involved, drama and danger will surely follow, and this novel certainly had both with a sweet romance thrown in.
While I had some initial problems with the style/language used since it’s not what I’m used too, I eventually picked up enough to dive into the story. I became immersed in Kai’s life as he struggled to re-discover a side of himself that he’d been made to forget, to take on those more powerful, all the while just trying to find his place.
I enjoyed the mix of Norse and Hawaiian folklore, the mythical elements woven into the core of the story with an effortless ease. We all know that when Gods are involved, drama and danger will surely follow, and this novel certainly had both with a sweet romance thrown in.
While I had some initial problems with the style/language used since it’s not what I’m used too, I eventually picked up enough to dive into the story. I became immersed in Kai’s life as he struggled to re-discover a side of himself that he’d been made to forget, to take on those more powerful, all the while just trying to find his place.
May 3, 2021
A charming little read
This is a highly imaginative story that delves deep into folklore and the history of the ancients on Hawaii. For an indie author, this is a pretty impressive start, which shows a great deal of promise and has a real charm to it. The book could be made so much better with a good proof read and edit, and my only other criticism is the way the local dialect is written as it would be pronounced with detracts from the story. It would have probably been much better if the correct words were used with one or two examples of how the sentence sounded instead, I would have like d the fight scenes to have been a little more detailed too, but a damn good effort nonetheless. Well done!
This is a highly imaginative story that delves deep into folklore and the history of the ancients on Hawaii. For an indie author, this is a pretty impressive start, which shows a great deal of promise and has a real charm to it. The book could be made so much better with a good proof read and edit, and my only other criticism is the way the local dialect is written as it would be pronounced with detracts from the story. It would have probably been much better if the correct words were used with one or two examples of how the sentence sounded instead, I would have like d the fight scenes to have been a little more detailed too, but a damn good effort nonetheless. Well done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2023
To The Sea is a great YA novel, set in Hawaii, featuring many adventures for the teenagers.
Sadly the editting was atrocious!
Spelling was incredibly bad eg: tiered for tired (several times throughout the story) and I'm not talking about the Hawaiin dialogue, grammar was not good and the use of incorrect words such as eminent instead of imminent!
Otherwise I would recommend 'To the Sea' for YAs
Sadly the editting was atrocious!
Spelling was incredibly bad eg: tiered for tired (several times throughout the story) and I'm not talking about the Hawaiin dialogue, grammar was not good and the use of incorrect words such as eminent instead of imminent!
Otherwise I would recommend 'To the Sea' for YAs
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews