This book really blew me away. I vividly remember the horrors of the tsunami and indulged in a lot of the stories about it, which were absolutely devastating. One of my kindergartners took it upon herself to start up a collection to help support the orphans left behind in this terrible tragedy, so it took on even more meaning at the time. And you know that the aftermath was not easily contained. I am sure there are still after effects all of these years later.

I think it was brave for Kling to take a step away from the traditional YA romance story and to put hers in this setting. I feel like I learned a lot about what happened to the orphans and what life was like post-tsunami by reading this book. It gave a lot of insight into the culture and the importance of those who wanted to help to remember to abide by the established culture, in order to be able to make a difference.

I understand Sienna's attraction to Deni. He is kind of the bad boy of the group, but more because he is angry at what life has dealt him as opposed to being a bad person. He's intense in his feelings and needs help. I think Sea recognizes some of his pain as she is still trying to come to terms with her mother's death. And by trying to help each other, they may stand a chance at being able to heal.

Their attraction does happen quickly, and you almost wouldn't expect it to get so intense so fast. But they're in an intense relationship. I have to admit that I wanted to jump into the book and throttle them both when they do something drastic to confront Deni's past. I honestly don't know how they managed to pull it off the way that they did, but it's literally a different world over there and was a different time.

They both grow and find a new way to cope with the tragedy and pain in their lives. Both of them have lost who they are, thanks to circumstances outside of their control. But then together, they are able to find themselves again. I see a lot of maturity in them, despite their crazy antics. They both learn and love so much and you just know that they are going to find happiness one day in their lives. They're not quite there yet, but they are definitely well on their way.

I really liked this book because I felt it had more maturity about it than typical crazy bubbly YA romances. Now don't get me wrong; I do get a kick out of those as well. But this was just something wonderfully different. And I am so glad that there is a sequel.

After her mother's plane went missing over the Indian Ocean, seventeen-year-old Sienna Jones gave up everything she loved about living in California. No more surfing. No more swimming. No more ocean, period. Playing it safe, hiding from the world, is the best call.
Until her dad throws down the challenge of a lifetime: spend a week with his humanitarian team in Indonesia, working with orphans who lost everything in a massive tsunami.

A story about taking chances instead of playing it safe that I thoroughly enjoyed, and the description of the settings was wonderful.

I enjoyed this cross-cultural romance for its setting and the way the main character grew through the course of the story. Traumatised by the loss of her mother, Sierra has basically frozen in place, isolated herself from the world and the things she once loved and enjoyed. Her father, who is a relief worker, manages to convince her to come with him on a mission to Indonesia in the wake of the Aceh tsunami. Sea doesn't want to go initially, but finally agrees.

Once at the school her father volunteers at, she is drawn to a charismatic drummer. As she adjusts to life at the school, complete with squat toilets, she finds her path crossing this handsome stranger's more and more often.

The book follows Deni and Sierra as their friendship becomes more, all within the confines of a Muslim country where men and women are kept defiantly separate. As her feelings for Deni grow, Sierra comes further and further out of her shell and is able to accept and embrace new experiences which change her life forever.

It is clear the author knows about the area and about how volunteer work in these areas plays out. I liked the grounding in reality and I especially liked the ending..

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read this book first! It definitely sets the stage for 'The Sea Takes Me' is an insightful look at how one teenage girl reacted to her mother's disappearance. When her father challenges her to spend part of her summer working in an orphanage in Indonesia she reluctantly agrees.

This is a thought provoking story with evocative descriptions of the conditions there, the treatment of the orphans and the trauma many of them have suffered after escaping the tsunami which together make it a graphic reading experience. Her budding romance with one of the orphans, Deni, and their interactions together with cultural insights make this a very different story and I look forward to reading the sequel next!

It's a great YA novel. I quite enjoyed reading it. Story is interesting and it's very well-written. Characters and places are also well-written, which makes it all the more entertaining to read. I think any YA fan would love this book, it's definitely a must read story, especially for those who enjoy novels grounded in reality.

Entangled: Teen and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Where I Found You. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Despite living in California, surrounded by the surf, seventeen year old Sienna Jones has shied away from any activities having to do with the ocean. Her fear stems from the fact that her mother disappeared over the Indian Ocean years before and the lack of a resolution has changed Sienna from the carefree child that she once was. Pushed out of her comfort zone by her father, Sienna finds herself along side him, helping Indonesian orphans cope with tremendous losses after a tsunami. When Sienna meets Deni, will she be able to open her heart to the possibilities?

There are moments in Where I Found You that will allow readers to glean information about a culture that may be foreign to them. However, the romance between Sienna and Deni takes over in the second half of the book, changing the focus from the humanitarian efforts to the relationship. In my opinion, the novel would have been more successful had the author chosen one path or the other. Where I Found You represents a missed opportunity to teach readers about both a culture and a natural disaster, giving life to a region that may be unknown to many. YA readers who are looking for romance would be a good fit for the novel, but I thought that the author did not take the premise far enough.

One of the great things about blogging is that it has pushed to me read books that I wouldn't normally and this book falls into that category. The story being set in a place where a natural disaster has happened probably wouldn't really have sparked my interest  at all but then I signed up to do a blog tour for the second book (mainly because the cover caught my attention) and so I got sent the first book to read first and boy am I hooked! It was surprisingly addictive reading in the best way. 

Ever since her Moms plane went missing over the Indian Ocean, Sienna has pretty much given up on life and doing the things she loves. Then her Dad throws down the gauntlet and asks her to spend summer in Indonesia volunteering at an orphanage where children have lost everything in a Tsunami. It's there that she meets Deni, they bond over their shared losses but when his past comes calling Sienna knows she can't lose another person in her life. 

Firstly the Tsunami in the story is based around the real Boxing Day Tsunami that happened in 2004. Which I remember fairly well, the news coverage was extensive so I didn't really need to use too much of my imagination when came to picturing the devastation. Deni's story is probably one of many but still so heartbreaking. 

I really liked both Sienna and Deni. Sienna is still very much grieving the loss of her mother and that really comes through when she doesn't want to share her feelings and also with her anger towards her Dad when he appears to be moving on. The relationship between Deni and Sienna was very sweet and full angst but in a good way.  

The ending of the story was bittersweet and Sienna makes a really grown up decision which I was very impressed with. I love this book, which was a real bonus because I wasn't really expecting much going in.

As someone who lives in Malaysia—Indonesia’s neighbouring country and a country with similar culture—this book is quite entertaining to me (at least the earlier parts), because of Sienna’s experience with culture shock and her reactions. It was also sort of a déjà vu thing for me because my friend and I were just talking about how we always read about people from Malaysia’s reaction to experiencing different cultures but never foreigners’ reactions to our country’s culture, such as how some people drive, and bring the whole family on a motorcycle meant for two. And so, Sienna’s reactions kind of satisfied me.

I love books with traveling in it, and I love books where people do this volunteer thing and make connections or attachments with people they helped, and this book has both a.k.a Sienna going to Yogyakarta with her father (and his team), and her bond with Elli. Also, talking about Sienna’s father, I also like that she has a good relationship with him (it’s always great when main characters has healthy relationship with their families), and love the banters and teasing she had with Tom, and also with her friends.

However, there are still a few things that I didn’t like, but the main ones are these two: A) the somewhat instantaneous romantic relationship Sienna and Deni had (I don’t think people really falls in love that fast; and B) Sienna’s reckless behaviour.

Overall, I think this book was an okay read. It was definitely a fast read, something you can read on a two-three hours flight. It certainly has potential for more (I would love it more if other characters were more involved and there was more about the PTSD) but that’s my own personal opinion. I think tweens and teenagers under the age of 15 would enjoy this book. I know I would, when I was that age, because I don’t think much about consequences or realistic love at that age.

I rate this book three out of five stars.

2.5 stars because I found this book to be in the exact middle. Things I liked were about equal to things I didn't like. In the end, I didn't finish the book, because it was just too middling for me to feel like I had enough momentum to read it.

I liked the concept. There were just weird things that bugged me. For example, the main character's father, who's a psychiatrist, says something like "I'm tired of hearing rich people complain about their problems, when there are people with real problems in the world." This is unrealistic to me, because a psychiatrist should know that while poverty is a huge problem, (a) money does not solve everything, (b) people with money can be mentally ill, and (c) seeing a psychiatrist is not about complaining. Maybe this just bugs me personally as a person who struggles with mental illness and has been told variations of "How can you be depressed? You have money." But yes, I see how wanting to help poor people is a noble cause, and I see how a person can get disillusioned with their everyday job.

Then, the romance is very okay, if cliche at times. The main characters says many times that she misses her mother, but I'd like to see that explored with more depth. It's told to us, rather than shown.

As for the positive, there are some touching things, like the main character discussing grief with the love interest. And she befriends an adorable little kid. I like the message that's being sent, which is that helping people can be rewarding, and can help you get through your own stuff.

I wanted to like this book, but I just "eh".

This was such a sweet, lovely book that made me feel all kinds of emotions. I had a really good time reading this heartfelt novel, complete with character who really brought the book to life and made it even more interesting. I can't wait to read more novels by this talented author!

5 ★ – WONDERFULLY AFFECTING AND EXCRUCIATINGLY BEAUTIFUL

This book is one of my Top Ten Favorite Reads in 2017 and it’s no surprise that it would be from Entangled Teen. I’ve been slightly obsessed with Entangled Teen (Crush) books and have enjoyed/loved all the ones I’ve read so far. BUT this…THIS IS DEFINITELY WITHOUT A DOUBT MY FAVORITE!! I LOVEEEE THIS STORY SO MUCH IT HURTS!

Where I Found You by Heidi R. Kling is absolutely heartbreaking, wonderfully affecting, and so excruciatingly beautiful in every way.

After Sienna lost her mother from a tragic plane accident, she gave up everything she loved to do. She stopped surfing, swimming, and being carefree. When her father surprises her with a chance to travel with his humanitarian group, Team Hope, and spend the summer in Indonesia helping children orphaned after a devastating tsunami, Sienna didn’t expect to find solace, kindness and hope. Let alone fall in love with the mysterious and devastatingly alluring Deni.

This book gracefully captured my heart and touched my soul. The writing is poignant, heartfelt, and so incredibly gorgeous. The story fascinated me throughout the entire time and I honestly could not stop reading. I absolutely love stories that make me FEEL so much and leave me wanting more. The sweet moments between Sienna and the orphans were absolutely delightful and endearing. This book is just so beautiful and real and I loved every moment! The ending surprised me though – I certainly wasn’t expecting what happened. I felt heartbroken, but at the same time not. It was extremely emotional and so real and that’s what I loved about it. That being said, I’m so glad the story isn’t over just yet. Because after that intense wave of FEELS… I need more Sienna and Deni.

The characters were all really great. I completely adore Sienna and David. They’re fantastic characters – genuine, vulnerable, relatable, and utterly lovable. I really enjoyed getting to know them and watching their friendship bloom into something more. Their chemistry was just so amazing. Every scene they had made my heart melt. I could feel their emotions, their attraction, their longing, and I loved it! I was definitely swooning the entire time and rooting for them.

Aside from the sweet romance, you also get a glimpse of how difficult life is for the orphaned children. Their lives made me appreciate and be grateful for what I have because even with what little they have and their harsh realities, these children still smiled and laughed. They still hoped and even saw the beauty in life. That was definitely heartwarming and so moving to read about.

Where I Found You is such a beautiful story about hope, forgiveness, falling in love, and living life to the fullest. It’s sweet, healing, fascinating, and inspirational from beginning to end. I am so in love with this book and absolutely cannot wait for the sequel.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher Entangled Teen via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Where I Found You is a reprint of Heidi’s first novel, Sea, which was published by Penguin in 2010. I’m not sure how much has changed, since I didn’t read it in its original incarnation, but I’m thrilled about the fact that there is going to be a sequel to the story coming out in April 2018. You certainly could read this book and be done with the story, but I have a feeling I’m not alone in clamoring to hear more from Sienna and Deni!

This is a sweet contemporary and a quick, easy read. At the same time, you do learn a lot about Indonesia, particularly after the devastating tsunami that ravaged the country’s Indian Ocean coast in the Aceh province in 2004. (Side note: I was stunned to realize it has been almost exactly 13 years since this event; I remember so vividly seeing it on television, and it definitely doesn’t feel like it’s been 13 years.) Heidi gave us a portrayal of some of the “Aceh orphans” that was compassionate and empathetic without being maudlin or patronizing, which I imagine was no easy feat. Back to what I said about it being an “easy read,” though, I never felt like Heidi was trying to make a point about the Western response to the tsunami or anything like that. She just gives us a straightforward portrayal of people who lost everything in the tragedy and yet persevered. Deni and the other orphans, including his friends Azmi and Sitti, are great characters with whom it’s easy to fall in love.

The end of this book ... phew! I bet I’m not the only one who was a mess as this ended! At the same time, it’s one of those where you feel hopeful even as you are bawling. Like I said, you could comfortably stop at the end of this story and be satisfied that you’ve gotten a full story. But I have no doubt that most of you, like me, will be anxious to get your hands on the sequel come April! I can’t wait to hear more from Deni and Sienna and see the directions their lives have gone. I highly recommend Where I Found You, especially for those who love contemporaries and folks who enjoy reading books located in places other than the United States. I dare you to maintain dry eyes at the end, though!

Rating: 4 stars!

**Thank you to Entangled Teen for the advance copy of this book for purposes of the blog tour. This is my honest and voluntary rating and review. Thanks also to YAReads for including me in the tour.

Where, oh where, do I start. I wasn't prepared for all the emotions that I would go through while reading this story. But I loved it. I truly loved the story and I loved that I got to feel all the feels.

I mean, the summary of the book pretty much tells you, that this won't be a cute read full of rainbows and unicorns. So I should have known. I didn't.

First of all, I loved the setting. This is the first time I ever read a story that is st around the work of a humanitarian team and the work they do for a country after a natural disaster hit. I loved the writing, it was real and didn't sugar coat anything, whilst also really bringing us (well, at least me) closer to a different culture. I loved that element of the book so much.

I loved the characters. Sienna, the main character. She's one of those characters, that I read a few lines about and that I love right away. Not saying, I was okay with all her decisions and okay with everything she was doing. Her backstory with her mother, the effects all of this still had on her, gave me all the feels right away. I pretty much loved everyone in this book, there wasn't one character that I just felt meh about whenever they showed up. I even really liked Vera, who maybe didn't seem as likeable from Sienna's point of view.
But let me tell you, the other character besides Sienna, that I loved the most, was Elli. Little Elli stole my heart in a matter of a few seconds. I loved her relationship with Sienna. I just loved that little girl so much. She deserves the world and all the happiness in it.

Of course there was this whole thing with Deni and Sienna and their relationship. I didn't care much for that and at the same time, I loved it. I love the non romantic part of their relationship, them talking to each other and getting to say things that they can't tell anyone else. Them, helping each other out, getting over things and moving on, even if it's tough as hell. I liked that part. I'm a bitter old lady at this point in my life, I don't get excited anymore about people getting together and being head over heels in love in the span of such a short period of time. I'm not saying it's not possible but you know, I don't feel it. I don't connect with that.

But I loved, LOVED, the story and would totally read it again, which is a feeling that I love. There is also going to be a second book coming out this year and I'm really excited for that.

Review: 2 out of 5 stars

Where I Found You is the first book in the Sea series by Heidi R. Kling and
follows the story of seventeen year-old Sienna Jones who after three years is finding it hard to move on with life following the tragic death of her mother and is being encouraged by her friends and father to start to do things that she once loved like swimming and surfing, something that she hasn’t been able to do. When her father purchases her a plane ticket to accompany his team on a humanitarian project to tsunami devastated Indonesia she is most reticent but agrees to go along.

What I did enjoy about Where I found You was learning about the Indonesian culture and customs and how the Indonesian people were dealing with the after effects of the Tsunami, it was utter devastation to see how affected the children and the area that was hit were coping and how they were attempting to move on and rebuild their lives. Sienna was working with a group of orphaned children and helping them with their loss through therapy, this aspect was written well.

What I didn’t enjoy was the rushed romance, I didn’t feel the connection between Sienna and Deni at all and everything happened so quickly; it was too much, unrealistic and the way Sienna continually defied the strict traditions and the rules of the orphanage as well as her father made her look like a spoiled brat. I didn’t enjoy this aspect whatsoever; she didn’t seem to show any respect at all.

Sienna was a character that didn’t grow on me over the course of the book and Deni was a bit mysterious and secretive, he was a bit of an unknown; I did like the secondary characters – the children of the pesantren (orphanage) showed strength and resilience despite their PTSD and were able to connect with Sienna as she too suffers with night terrors and grief over the loss of her mother; reading the conflict between Sienna and her father was difficult as well as her loathing towards his Team Hope colleague Vera who he had started to show affection towards. I was keen to see the relationship between Sienna and Spider explored further.

Where I Found You is a book about grief and loss but also hope; the author has written about one of the most devastating natural disasters and you are saddened and reminded of the utter loss and turmoil that the Indonesian people experienced, it was heart-wrenching.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book and I won’t be continuing with this series. Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Where I Found You.

The first half of the book was reeeeally slow. After that things speeded up a little, but it wasn't great in my opinion. The instalove really frustrated me. Like, you know each other for 2 weeks now. How can you be so in love? Besides that, Sienna has a fear of flying, but after she spoke to her friend, she just goes? That's not really realistic in my opinion..

Where I Found You” is an adorable, surprisingly heavy, but also light and fun read. Following Sienna Jones a girl with PTSD whose mother was lost to the sea many years ago. Here mother Hope was a humanitarian and traveled with her husband helping others in various countries by setting up programs and providing medical aide both in the mental and the physical aspects. With the loss of her mother Sienna spirals from being a confident surfer and boogie border of the sea, to never setting foot there again.

Her father’s challenge to go to Indonesia on a two week trip to help Orphans who have experienced something quite similar to what Sienna herself has (and they might just be the right ones to be able to heal each other). Since I have never read a book that centered around humanitarian efforts this book was a really wonderful new point of view for me. I loved reading about Sienna’s interactions with the children affected by a tsunami. In so many ways, this book inspires a special kind of compassion that comes from understanding that the ways you have been hurt can give you a passage to be able to help those who have hurt similarly.

When Sienna meets Deni, it is a special bond of kindred souls that forms from their shared hardship. However, there bond runs a bit deeper then that and the moments that they share together over such a short period of time changes them both in beautiful ways.

“Where I Found You” has a lot of soul. It is a novel that has the ability to capture your heart and make you fall in love with its characters and everything they stand for.

I really enjoyed this book and I NEED the second one! Definitely recommend to all YA fans out there.

Where I Found You was definitely different than anything I have read before. I appreciated the author diving into some heavier topics. While I liked both main characters, but I did think the first half of the book was stronger than the second. I didn't care for direction the story took in the latter part.

In 2004, I was a resident of China, attending an American school. Like many of my teachers and classmates, I spent Christmas in South East Asia. (It was closer and therefore cheaper to go to a tropical destination than home to South Africa.) My family was lucky. We met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousins in Singapore, then headed down to an island off of El Nido, Philippines. On the 27th of December, we left, taking a boat, and then a rickety plane, and then another plane back to Singapore. It was only then that I discovered what had happened on the 26th. An enormous earthquake (magnitude 9.1-9.3) occurred in the Indian Ocean, triggering tsunamis that hit coasts all around it, killing over 200,000 people. Just after New Year's, shortly before returning to school, I learned that one of my friends was visiting Thailand, and his entire family, save his 4-year-old sister, were washed out to sea.

So you could say I had a lot of baggage going into this book, and it was difficult for me to read.

I had an initial wobble with the book at the start. I think this was due to a mismatch of expectations and reality, so I'll save you the trouble. This is a bit more realistic and serious than your typical YA contemporary from Entangled. I should have known this; I would have probably been a bit offended in the long run if the author trivialised the aftermath of the tsunami. But it's more than just the experience of people in Indonesia. Sienna, the MC, had her own troubles to deal with, a lingering grief and PTSD after losing her mother years before. Add to that changes to her friendships over the years, plus watching her dad move on, and she's got a pretty tough adolescence. All of her issues are laid out in the first chapter, and this is probably why I stumbled. I wasn't prepared for the emotions, especially when I was already nervous about how I would feel once she got to Indonesia.

Aside from a few bits that I thought were iffy, I appreciated the exploration of all the complicated feelings and experiences the Indonesians – and Sienna – were going through. While this was a romance, it was more than just your typical fluffy story. Sienna and Deni helped each other tackle their respective problems, helped each other to begin healing. And it was more than just that still. The book was filled with so much culture. Having been to Indonesia and having some friends from there, it was nice to return to the country via this book, even if it was through the eyes of an American going over to save people. And it also brought even more nostalgia because I, too, volunteered at an orphanage, except in Cambodia, and those children gave me so much life.

It took me a while to get through this book because of the start and my own feelings, but it was an interesting and unexpected adventure. But I want others to read this, mostly because I want people to remember that this tsunami happened, and that it had such a devastating effect on soooo many people. The ending was perfect, and it made me well up. There's a sequel coming, and I need more of this soul medicine!

Review A little reckless. A little angsty. A lot of heart. You'll fall in love with Sienna and Deni as they take on the world around them.