Lewis, Richard. The killing sea; a story of the tsunami that stunned the world.

LEWIS, Richard. The killing sea; a story of the tsunami that stunned the world. Simon & Schuster. 183p. maps. c2006. 104169-11650. $15.95. JSA *

Sarah is an American teenager vacationing with her family in Indonesia. Ruslan is the teenaged son of an Indonesian mechanic, whose father has conveniently required that he learn English. When the 2004 tsunami hits, both are separated from their families: Ruslan's father has gone to another town for work, and Sarah and her brother Peter are separated from their parents when their father is injured and their mother killed attempting to escape the wave. For the first half of the book, the teens' stories are told separately in alternating chapters, as Ruslan travels through Aceh Province to find his father and Sarah searches for a doctor for feverish Peter. When Ruslan and Sarah meet, they agree to help each other, and grow to care deeply for one another despite their cultural differences.

Lewis, who was raised in Bali as the the son of American missionaries, is quite successful at presenting Indonesian culture--especially the political tensions between Aceh separatist rebels and the Indonesian government, which existed long before the tsunami, but with which few of his readers will be familiar. This novel is a gripping, sometimes terrifying adventure story; a touching story of a friendship; and a beautifully drawn picture of another part of the world. And by the end, it has made a strong point about the blindness of the West to those who we see as "different." Samantha Musher, Assist. Libn., Dana Hall Sch., Wellesley, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.