Book Review: "Sea Change" by Gina Chung

robertmcgrath

Apr 30

Sea Change by Gina Chung

Aurora (Ro) is in a rut, and sinking fast.

Ro is lonely and alienated from her mother and friends, her father disappeared when she was 15, her boyfriend off on an expedition to Mars (!).

Ro works in an aquarium at a mall—the same aquarium where her father used to work before he disappeared. She is pretty good taking care of the animals, including the Dolores—the rare giant octopus her father brought to the aquarium. She lives in the same apartment she used to share with her best friend, Yoonhee, who is getting married.

You get the picture?

Ro isn't taking things all that well. She seems to push away from everyone who tries to care for her, and has started drinking alone.

We learn a lot about Ro's life, including the "normal" stresses of a Korean immigrant daughter, as well as her own loves, losses, mistakes, and insecurities.

The icing on the cake comes with the cash strapped aquarium's decision to sell off Dolores to go live in some tech billionaire's private aquarium. It's a bitter blow. Ro really loves that octopus!

On every page, I was very worried about Ro, and somewhat worried about how much of Ro is autobiographical from Chung's own life. I'm worried not least because so much of Ro's trouble is at least partly self-inflicted.

I wanted to yell at her over and over. 'Don't do that!' 'You know better!' 'Take care of your mother!' 'He loves you, you fool!' 'Don't push away people who care about you! ' And above all: 'Don't give up! It's not too late!'

Ro really needs a Sea Change in her life. Can she pull things together before it is too late?