Aria of the Sea

by Dia Calhoun

Book Overview

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2001 Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature for 2001. On the island of Normost in the kingdom of Windward, thirteen-year-old Cerinthe Gale is a folk healer who dreams of being a dancer. When her mother falls ill, Cerinthe fights to save her -- but fails. Blaming herself, she gives up healing. Following her dream to dance, Cerinthe sails across Windward to audition at the School of Royal Dancers,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374404542
• ISBN13: 9780374404543
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 11 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 6 to 10

Customer Reviews

aria of the sea

A thirteen year old girl named Cerinthe Gale lives on the island of Normost in the kingdom of windward .She has always dreamed of becoming a dancer ,and now her dream has come true. She has been accepted to the royal school of dance ,but will she regret the decision she has made? I'm talking about the book Aria Of The Sea .This book is good for just about any age ,but I suggest it mostly for the 10-15 age group .This is just because if your older it might be a little childish for you and if your younger you might have trouble understanding some things .Also because at times I found myself cringing at some rather unpleasant images,"the ragged edge of her shinbone thrust through the skin".I myself am 14 years old and I followed the book very clearly .In my opinion I found that this book was marvelous. I think now its my new favorite book .I found it to be so great first of all because it has to do with dance and I'm obsessed with anything to do with dance .Also because it had a good plot ,filled with lots of surprises and there was a lot of things going on .It really kept my interest ,I found myself having to pull away from it many times ,because I had to go to bed or do my homework .So if anything I just said describes what you like in a book then this book is for you !and as Cerinthe would say "may fair winds be yours".

Entirely Captivating!

Don't be put off by the poetic cover and alternate world setting-- this book is very straightforward and immediately engrossing. I began reading it at a highway reststop on a long drive and ended up staying until I finished it!With elements of a great school story (like Harry Potter!), "Fame"-- competition and talent among young people, and coming-of-age-- young Cerinthe feels responsible for her mother's death so avoids using her intuition as a healer-- this book is rich in detail and strong in character. The atmosphere of Faranor, the capital of the country, and the sea religion-- the Sea Maid is the goddess, and those who are gifted like Cerinthe hear her singing in a very literal way-- add to the power of the story and its themes. The dance is clearly ballet, and uses the same terms as ballet in our world, but dancers are called "daina" and "daine" rather than ballerina. Any child (or any person) with a calling, and maybe a choice between two callings, will find this story close to their heart. What do we sacrifice when we dedicate ourselves to a skill? Is it worth it? Sometimes the answer is very complicated!A must-read for any girl or woman with an interest in dance, or in the arts. Cerinthe's growing maturity, and her beginning to understand the humanity of even her opponents, is very touching. Surprising and delightful book!

GREAT BOOK.

As I have said, this book is very good. It takes you inside the charactor's head and gives you some very sorrowful moments and joyful ones too. It gives you many descriptions to get the real feel of what the story is talking about. The main charactor, Cerinthe Gale, has given up healing after what happened to her mother. Now, Cerinthe must finish the dream her mother had once told her and this was to dance at a royal dancing school. She had a lot of trouble by some selfish and jelous classmates, but she had forfill the dream. Yet something is missing. She must choose what to do because the sea maid, that had once sang to her, had vanished. She is so unhappy. She must choose who she will be before she too gives her life away, just like an unhappy girl she had once looked up to. Join Cerinthe in her journey of choices and her determined acts that even you wouldn't do. She will have many brave and true acts that will help shape who she will be. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

A fantasy with wide appeal

Cerinthe Gale, a talented ballet dancer and trained healer, is fulfilling her mother's last wish by attending a prestigious school for dancers. In spite of misgivings about her chosen career, she moves to a city far from her seaside home, where she can longer hear the sweet song of the Sea Maid. Once she has secured a position as a student, Cerinthe finds herself being dangled like a carrot before the nose of the school's prima donna, to motivate her adversary Elliana to realize her own talents to her best ability. Their rivalry comes to a head after a performance for the royal family, in which Cerinthe is given a lead and Elliana is her understudy. Elliana challenges Cerinthe to a private competition that leaves Elliana hurt with the same injury that was fatal to Cerinthe's mother, and Cerinthe must face her demons, and decide if she is on the right path to her destiny after all. Dia Calhoun's writing is beautiful, her fantasy world realistic and structured, and the characters she peoples it with complex. The plot has depth, neatly layering Cerinthe's obstacles until they meld into one issue that is gracefully resolved. Calhoun's timing is perfect. In one stunning scene, Elliana shines like a star, ruins her chances for a marriage she didn't want, and sabotages the possibility of becoming a acolyte in the temple, and only Cerinthe recognizes how deliberate her acts are. In another, a nervous Cerinthe is first late for her cue, then early, then finally, right on time, creating humor in the midst of her angst. This fantasy has wide appeal not only for girls who love ballet, but also for general readers. The ethereal cover art will be a huge draw for those not familiar with Calhoun's novels. Fans of Gail Carson Levine will especially enjoy the hardworking, passionate and strong-willed Cerinthe and her fantastic world. Highly recommended for purchase.

Aria of the joys of youth

Aria of the sea is a beautifully written story about a passionate and talented girl named Cerinthe. Set in the magical kingdom of Windward, Cerinthe has one only one goal; to fulfil her dreams of becoming a dancer. Yet so many things stand in her way. The loss of her mother, her constant fear of harming those around her with her medical expertise, and her position in society are all obstacles that she needs to overcome in order to achieve her dreams. But after the first several months at school, Cerinthe isn't quite so sure what she wants anymore.Aria of the Sea is a fantastic story, but it can also be used as a valuable lesson for young people trying to find out who they really are. The author, Dia Calhoun was trained from the ages of 5-17 to become a classical ballet dancer. I have a feeeling that with the depth of emotion Cerinthe displays in the novel, Calhoun herself struggled with deciding on her life's goals. This book should help readers recognize that life offers many posibilities and it is our responsibility to do our best to fulfill our dreams.