Some Stories Are Not Seen

By: Mindy Hardwick

Narrated by: Lauren Pedersen

Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Twelve-year-old budding scientist Lucy Lavender loves exploring. After Dad dies, Mom pieces jobs together and struggles to provide a home for Lucy. When Mom is offered a job managing a set of vacation cottages in Sea Rock Cove, the small coastal town where Dad grew up, Lucy hopes this is her chance to have a home and pursue her dream of becoming a marine biologist.

On Lucy's first day at her new school, she is excited to take a field trip to Sea Rock and see Dad’s beloved sea stars. When Lucy learns the sea stars have a wasting disease and are dying, she is devastated and becomes determined to save them. But as Lucy gets involved with the people of Sea Rock Cove, she learns there is a lot more beneath the surface of the town than just the sea stars at low tide.

©2021 Mindy Hardwick (P)2022 Mindy Hardwick

Sweet story

I really enjoyed listening to this sweet story. The narrator does a wonderful job.

life's lessons

While this story is meant more for young adults, I as an old adult enjoyed the story, especially the reminder that all is not as it seems.
Narration was very good

A thoughtful story of friendship and community

This is an endearing story of hope and open hearted friendship. Young Lucy’s love of sea stars and science sparks her and her friends to action to help save their dwindling numbers on the Oregon coast. At the heart of the story, the author reveals the complexity of every day life and how taking the time to try to understand each persons story makes a difference. It is full of strong young female characters and highlights the power of kindness and shared community. This book is a great listen and thoughtfully opens up opportunity for discussion on challenging topics such as homelessness, poverty and loss of a parent. It inspires the reader to help Lucy and her friends by providing concrete action the reader can take to affect change in the real world. The narrator’s clear, matter of fact storytelling makes the tough subjects both accessible and relatable and the humor that much sweeter.

4 of 5 stars worthwhile kid book

4 of 5 stars Some Stories are Not Seen by Mindy Hardwick
Narrated by Lauren Pedersen
Run time: 4 hrs and 41 minutes
Genre and keywords: Children’s; slice of life; sea stars

Summary:
Lucy wants what most kids want: a home, friends, regular food. She also loves science and wants to study the sea stars to figure out why they have a wasting disease.

Additional Comments:
• The kid might be surprised by the fieldtrip, but one would think her mom would say something about that. Unless some serious paperwork was filed ahead of time, there would have likely been a permission slip for the mom to sign so Lucy can go on the field trip.
• Story 3 of 5 stars: It’s fine. Kid wants to fit in but being poor doesn’t help.
• Main character 4 of 5 stars: Lucy is a likable kid. She’s compassionate.
• Side characters 3 of 5 stars: Not sure Mom’s reaction to some events is realistic unless she has no emotions. Other side characters blended into one big mush. Devin had an interesting background, but it went nowhere.
• Plot 3.5 of 5 stars: Sort of meanders. Things happen, but it seems to be more a random series of events—which might have been the exact point since this is kind of a slice of life piece.
• Impression of plot: Slowness. (I tend to listen to things with a LOT more action, so this could just be a preference thing. Nobody got kidnapped or threatened. Biggest struggle was the mentioned-in-passing, we used to sleep in the car point or missing her dad—also, a past thing.)
• Performance 4 of 5 stars: The narrator fit the book well and did a good job with most of the voices. I listen at a fast speed, so sometimes distinguishing one voice from another doesn’t happen.
• Tie-in to title: Very clear.
• Bunnies issue was literally a bunny trail to middle of nowhere. I guess it gave them something to do one night, but that’s about it. Even the town hall meeting arguments were very one-sided.
• MC learns, but does she really? Relationship with one character changed over time. This is good, but I don’t feel like the MC ever reconciled how unfair she and Mom were to this person in terms of judgment.
• Message: Heavy-handed but clear.
• You can tell the author is passionate about the sea stars. The entire end note was a recap of the sea star wasting disease and how you can help. This can be good, but it gets tedious. It seems like everything comes with an agenda today. Here’s my cute kids’ story where I shall wallop you with the message.
• In and around the major environmental message, there was also a message about people’s stories impacting who they are.
• I did not listen to the 8 minutes of definitions at the end of the book because … just no.

Conclusion: 4 of 5 stars
If you like books for young readers with likable main characters and very, very clear messaging, this is a good choice.

*I received a free copy of the audiobook. I have chosen to review this. All thoughts are my own.