A review by dlberglund
Up from the Sea by Leza Lowitz

4.0

This is the first book I've read that attempts to tell some of the stories of the 2011 Japanese earthquake through a fictional narrative. The author include an afterward which explains some of the pieces that she put together from real people's stories, and how she fictionalized them. It's written in poetic verse, which makes it a little easier to read through without feeling overwhelmed by the tragedy. The tragedy is quite overwhelming in itself, and the narrator's personal struggles make it even moreso. However, Kai reads a little younger than his intended age, and I was repeatedly surprised that he was supposed to be finishing high school.