2.5⭐️
My opinion: I’ve always loved watching movies and shows about surfing, mermaids, deep sea exploration, and sea creature documentaries. I’ve never lived anywhere near the ocean or surfed myself, but I’ve always had a fascination with anything ocean-related, hence why I wanted to read this book. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in the author, to say the least. She puts down multiple famous surfers and makes some surprisingly unkind remarks about them. This habit of hers came across as quite rude and, at times, jealous. While reading, I found myself put off by her overall tone and sense of entitlement. There’s more I could say about this novel, but I don’t want to cross the line of being overly critical of Maya herself, so I’ll leave it at that.

Genre: memoir
POV: first person, past tense

Age rating: 13+
Violence: some surfing injuries that required hospitalization, a memory of being slapped in the face by her ex-boyfriend
Romance/nudity: remembering past romances, a few mentions of hooking-up and kissing (nothing descriptive), bikini photoshoots, nude surfing that was photographed
Drinking/drugs/smoking: a lot of talk of drinking, some partying, mentions of smoking, not very descriptive
Language: 2 f***, 4 sh!t, 1 big-a$$, 6 h3ll

Trigger warnings:
- divorce
- alcohol consumption
- eating disorders
- anxiety

Publish date: 10-June-2025
Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maya Gabeira’s memoir tells her story of strength and resilience in and outside of the surfing world. It was a treat to get to learn more about the talented surfer as a person. Even after an almost fatal incident, she continued to do what she loved. She is a true model of courage for young girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and ABRAMS Kids | Amulet Books for providing an e-ARC.