Customer Reviews

Seven Tears into the Sea

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this while flying between Bangor and San Francisco. Ms. Farley was right to venture into new territory. She has written a highly enjoyable story about what is real and what isn't. Gwen has spent seven years trying to determine the difference while dealing uncomfortably with her perception of how others in her life view her following her mysterious encounter at the edge of the sea when she was ten.
Now she is back, helping her grandmother at the inn overlooking the very spot where she encountered the mysterious boy in the midnight surf. Was he real; is he human or something else? This is a well-crafted story with believable characters and a smoothly flowing plot. It reminds me of Kotuku by Deborah Savage, another YA story I greatly enjoyed. This would be an excellent addition to any library YA collection or as a gift for someone who likes light fantasy. The ending invites a continuance.

It was so beautifully writtent that I will never look at the sea the same ever agian. It makes you question your own heart and what you would do if you were in Gwen's position. I couldn't put it down since I read the first page.

This is the first time I ever hear of selkies. As per Wikipedia - Selkies (also known as silkies or selchies) are mythological creatures that are found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore. Selkies are able to become human by taking off their seal skins, and can return to seal form by putting it back on.

In Seven Tears Into the Sea, Ms. Farley tells the tale of a selkie boy and his lady love. What I most enjoyed about this story was the writing - it flows with a lyrical quality making the story sometimes feel sad and other worldly, yet there were times that were light and funny. Her characters are realistically portrayed although there is a paranormal element. The descriptions of the beach, the town, and the bed and breakfast where Gwen is helping out at during the summer, really give it a relaxed feel but at the same time there are so many moments where it feels whimsical - almost like a modern day fairytale.

The story is told through Gwen's perspective so you only get to see and feel what she does. I wish we would have learned a little bit more of Jesse - this would be my only complaint. But I was still pleased with the story as told through Gwen's eyes. The relationship that forms between them is sigh worthy and even tear inducing (on my part).

All in all, this was a lovely story. Ms. Farley masterfully uses the selkie myths and interweaves them into this story - making it a poignant yet mesmerizing read. I found it to be a very refreshing, unique and the perfect summer read.

Today it increasingly seems like practically anyone can write a young adult novel and get it published, even if the contents are...less than good. I picked up this book mostly because I have a horrific addiction to the YA section of the bookstores and bought about eight others with it. Of them all, I have enjoyed this the most. Gwen managed to be a strong, realistic heroine while Jesse had just the right amount of sexy-but-naive. As a romance, it was a great pairing, but that wasn't all that made the book. The setting on the shoreline of California (I'm assuming the Big Sur area, or somewhere close), reminded me of all the drives I've ever taken with my dad down that long windy road and how we'd stop to see the sea lions stretch across the beaches. Farley's descriptive powers amazed me without overwhelming me as some author's are wont to do. Simply put, this was a fantastic, beautiful book.

I read this book two summers ago (yes, I unfortunately turned it into the cliched "summer read," but it doesn't have to be that way), and loved it.

I decided, not long ago, to re-read it, and once I did, I picked up so many small facts and witty one-liners that I hadn't picked up on before.

This book is so jam-packed with clear details that it's almost impossible to read them and let them all sink into your mind the first time. Also, in addition to frequent and helpful details, Terri Farley also wrote this book with a lot of similes, metaphors, and symbolism adding key elements to the plot and pace of the book, as well as shaping the main characters into what makes them so peacefully pleasant and so horrifyingly horrendous in their actions.

Like a few other reviewers, I had also read the PHANTOM STALLION series prior to receiving this book. However, I don't think Terri Farley's writing has ever shone more brilliantly or creatively than with this one piece of work.

This book is, above all else, a romance, and should be treated thusly. It isn't a cute, fluffy summer blanket read, which I discovered the first time I read it. I mean, sure, it's set on the beach during the summer and all of that, but I was pleasantly surprised (although admittedly a little disappointed) at the ending. It was definitely a far-cry from how I thought it would end. Hopefully, one day in the future, Terri Farley will continue the story of Gwen and her love interest Jesse, whose mystical secret defined her childhood.

Anyway, I would absolutely recommend this book. Even if beach scenes aren't quite your thing, who knows? Maybe you'll like it for the characters and the quick-paced plot. I know I did.

This was a really, really, really good book! i am a lover of horse books, so i usually dont read a book unless it has something to do with horses, but when i first saw the cover of this wonderful book, i knew it had something special about it. but if you're a fan of Terri Farley's PHANTOM STALLION books, you may/may not like this book. if you are a die-hard lover of books about horses, you probably wont like this book since it has NOTHING to do with horses at all. but if you like a bit of fantasy, romance and myth, you'll just love this book. Both ways, you should really get it. The reason i gave it four out of five stars, though, is becouse it is a bit predictable, like other people said. but you probably wont guess the beautiful ending, though. All in all, it's a great book and you should read it.

Seven Tears into the Sea was fantasy and real life mixed together.Gwen Cooke comes to stay with her grandmother over the summer but learns much more than she expected. Mirage Point, where she's staying, is where a mysterious past awaits her arrival. Her fears are replaced with love when she meets a boy from her past who sweeps her off her feet. Who is He? Why has he come back to this place? Seven tears in the sea will tell.It was beautifully written and I hope she writes many more.

As a young girl Gwennie had was a sleep walker. One evening she found herself in the sea off the beach of their cottage, being rescued by a young man, an unclothed young man. When she was found the adults all thought she was troubled, or even abused by some stranger, but Gnew had nagging feelings about the reality of that night.
7 years later, her gypsy-like grandmother breaks her leg and needs help to run her sea-side inn on that same beach. When returns to the small town where the people still whisper about her. Once she reaches the cottage and is left alone, the cove and the waters call to her. She goes to watch the sea lions, and recalls her strange night of sleepwalking and suddenly Jesse appears. He is dark haired drifter that she is drawn to, and finds unnervingly familiar.
This book started out on familiar note of fairy tales, but draws deeply of Scottish and Irish lore of selkies, handsome men who are also sea lions who shed their skin to walk on land. Gwen, the main character is likable, though the others could be more developed. Jesse has almost too much mystery to him, but is intriguing.

I enjoyed this book, and the ending will have me rereading it to check for more hidden myths I might have missed. It's a quick, interesting read.

Seven years ago, Gwen Cooke met a strange boy with dark, slightly titled eyes on the beach. He whispered words in her ears and then disappeared. Soon after, Gwen's family left the beach.

Now seventeen, Gwen is returning since her nana asked her to come. Yet, Gwen knows it's time to go back for a different reasons: She yearns for the sea. Is it the sea itself calling her? Or is it the memory of the boy and his haunting words drawing her back? Either way, it's time for Gwen to find out the truth.

Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley is an enchanting book. It's full of haunting drama, romance, and suspense. The characters fit in easily together and the feelings Gwen has are ones that most girls can relate to, though probably for different reasons. This book is definitely one you'll never want to put down and when you do finish it, you'll want to read it all over again.

I've been a fan of Terri's writing ever since I recieved the first book in her Phantom Stallion series for Christmas a few years back. When she took a break from her horse books to write this celtic fantasy, I wasn't sure I'd like it. It was, after all, very different from what I was used to reading. After reading many good things about it, I finally broke down and bought the book. It definitely did not disappoint. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys celtic fantasy, romance, suspense, or is just ready to read a great book.

I just finished Seven Tears Into The Sea and had to let others know how wonderful this novel is. It is an enchanting story that has left me wanting a sequel. It can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. If you want to lose yourself in a book about the ocean, magic and love, this is worth reading.