Many space operas use the shorthand of single-climate planets (desert, ocean, frozen), but Songs of Thalassa may be the first to use an ocean planet to stage an ultimate surfing competition. The novel begins as Sage Thompson, former surfing star, ends seven months of space travel to arrive at the ocean planet where her father died. Here, surfing champion and viral celebrity Milo is determined to defeat her and retain all his records in the ultimate surfing challenge. But as Sage begins to hear a mysterious song, she realizes there’s more to Thalassa than just surfing. Although Tissot is not an #OwnVoices author, he draws on Hawaiian culture and language to depict Hawaiian main character Sage, and to give her a framework for her growing understanding of the universe.

A good story with some good environmental messages and science. The author obviously did some research, and he also writes pretty well. This is not necessarily filled with lots of action, if that's what you're seeking. But it does have an interesting main character and setting(s). Pretty solid scifi; probably best for YA.

I really appreciate the review copy for an honest review!!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Songs of Thalassa

Author: Brian N. Tissot

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Hawaiian main character, but not ownvoice

Publication Date: April 1, 2020

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: 15+ (parental death, self-discovery, slight violence and gore)

Publisher: BookBaby

Pages: 320

Amazon Link

Synopsis: In a future where sporting competitions take place on distant planets, a Hawaiian surfer seeks to reclaim her fame and followers while defeating her nemesis once and for all.After a surfing accident claims her career and nearly takes her life, surfer Sage Thompson is at a crossroads. Still mourning her astronaut father's death on a mission to ocean planet Thalassa, a tragedy she might be able to put behind her with the help of her fans—if they still believed in her—she's not sure what to do, where to go, or how to move on. But when Milo challenges her to a contest on the ocean planet Thalassa, the asteroid- and tsunami-ravaged world that stole her father, she'll discover that she not only still has what it takes to win, but once she hears the songs of Thalassa, winning might not be the most important thing.Songs of Thalassa will appeal to fans of Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Martian, and Contact, and features a young woman on a journey of self-discovery struggling to develop a sense of place and connections between herself, her culture, and the universe on a virgin ocean planet.

Review: For the most part I enjoyed the book. I felt it was a well researched and intelligent book. The book is full of information about environmentalism and oceanography. The book is well written and the characters are well developed. I loved the world building as well and I loved how the author envisioned the future!

However, I did feel like the book was a bit too slow for me. The book was good, but very slow and I felt like it just dragged for about 40% of the novel.

Verdict: A great novel, highly recommend if you are looking for a book that touches on environmentalism.

Songs of Thalassa tells the story of Sage Thompson, who travels to a planet 12 light years away for a surf competition/research expedition. After the death of her father, Sage pours her efforts into becoming a star surfer, leaving her family values behind in the quest for the adoration of her fans. This competition is a potential comeback for her since she lost her fans and confidence in a previous wipe-out. On the planet Thalassa, Sage discovers more than she expected, finding meaning in her life both new and old.

I don’t think I’m the right person to enjoy this book. For one thing, I majored in environmental biology. As such, I found the environmentalism in the book very simplistic and superficial. At the same time, the book tried very hard to expound on the beauty of this majestic planet, but it fell flat for me. In part, this is because the scientific points made were just that dry. It felt like a lecture that’s been cut up and sprinkled throughout the book. I cannot deny that you will learn things reading the book, but you might be better off watching a documentary.

The author of this book is knowledgeable in oceanography and surfing, two huge aspects on which the book is anchored. What it lacks, though, is an understanding of human interactions and emotions, along with their motives, too. Sage is struggling between her Hawaiian background and her drive to perform at competitive surfing, culminating in her discovery of self when things go wrong on the planet, which becomes the book’s climax. However, this struggle could very well have been written better.

Another thing that made me dislike the book was the author’s use of Hawaiian culture. In a book set mostly in another planet entirely, there was no real reason to borrow cultural elements not one’s own. I believe the author when he says that he has done his best in his research and tried to do justice to the Hawaiian culture. Besides, he was very upfront about this and did not try to hide behind omission at all. This is more than I can say for many other authors.

I love that this book is out there in the world. It is, at its core, about environmentalism and conservation, which is becoming an increasingly critical issue in this time. I think that it might inspire a good few people to think more about the effect of their actions on our own Mother Nature.