I’m grateful to have completed my reading goal of the year (100 books) with this heartrending novel-in-verse. Up From the Sea follows the life of how one teen boy survives the March 2011 tsunami that devastates his coastal Japanese village.“What could possibly hurt memore than this quakealready has?”On that fateful day, Kai loses nearly everyone and everything he cares about in the storm. When he’s offered a trip to New York to meet kids whose lives were changed by 9/11, Kai realizes he [...]

Such a quick read, but also an emotionally gripping and powerfully inspiring one as well. Books like this lingers on the edges of my heart and makes me immensely grateful for this little life of mine. Gifting it to my nieces.

(I still don't know what to rate the book but here is my review for it)Flipping throughthe pages. My heartracing, hoping Kai will survive.Hoping I will survive.Coping seems hard and Ihurt for Kai. Poor baby.Can I shelter him?Probably not.Pretty words thatpop off the page. Pages that flipby fast.Emotions that hurt.Characters that grow.Overall, my mind might notbe blown but my heart sure doeshurt.

On March 3, 2011, teen-aged Kai leaves for school after a fight with his single Japanese mother. He doesn't remember what he said to her. He doesn't even remember what language he was speaking -- Japanese, or English, the language spoken by his American father who now lives in New York. Whatever those words were, however, they were the last he'd ever speak to her. Later that day, an earthquake occurs. Within a matter of minutes, buildings are destroyed, and over 15,000 people are washed away in [...]

Up From the Sea is about two very difficult topics from the worlds history. The first and the main one being the tsunami that hit Japan after a 9.0 earthquake struck. The second being 9/11 as it pertained to the Americans.Neither of these two topics is something easy to discuss, but Leza Lowitz does it beautifully.Up From the Sea is not written in the traditional sense. It is actually written in the form of poetry. If you are new to this idea, you may be a bit hesitant and find yourself wonderin [...]

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of an ARC giveaway at a local indie bookstore, although I didn't get around to reading it until after the book was officially released. This in no way affected my opinion of the book or the contents of this review.I really thought I would like this book. And I know that I start a lot of reviews by saying that, but I think I have adequate reason in this case. The book is written in verse, it features a biracial protagonist, it's mostly set in Japan, and it [...]

#1 BUZZFEED pick YA NOVELS YOU NEED TO READ: buzzfeed/farrahpenn/yaDear Reader: I was in Tokyo when the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami struck at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011. Long-term residents like myself were used to quakes, but this one was different. The massive sharp thrust followed by a violent back-and-forth shaking grew in intensity with each second. I ran out of the building and watched a skyscraper sway, hoping it would not come down. Strangers huddled together as the pavement [...]

"At 2:46 on Friday, March 11, 2016, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the Tohoku region of Honshu, Japan. It was the strongest temblor ever to hit that quake-prone country, and the fourth largest in the world. It lasted six minutes. After the quake struck, a massive tsunami followed. Waves reaching up to 133 feet."11,106 aftershocksApproximately 15,889 deaths6,152 injured2,601 still missing127,290 buildings destroyedThis is Up From the Sea. We follow a young boy by the name of Kai living in a co [...]

I really liked this book because it shows how even if something bad happens everything will be ok. The main character Kai lost almost everything but in the end, he was fine.

Kai survived the March 11 Earthquake that had cause a Tsunami at his home in Japan. This is very emotional and is very good for young high school students, i would recommend ages 16 to 18, this a very good read even tho literature of the book is basic there is more to interpret and understand because it is written in poetry.

Kai is a typical boy living in the Tohoku region on the coast of Japan. Everything changes on the morning of March 11, 2011, when the earth begins to shake while he is at school. The loudspeakers announce that a tsunami is coming, and everyone runs to higher ground. Kai and his friends reach the bridge that is five blocks away, but the water is too high, too fast, and too strong. Kai wakes up all alone in the mud. His principal finds him and leads him to the junior high school where survivors ar [...]

Inspired by a boy Leza Lowitz met in the Tohoku disaster zone following the March 11th Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, "Up from the Sea" is about a teenage boy, Kai, who loses all of his immediate family except for his father, an American whom he hasn't seen in many years owing to his parent's divorce. Written in verse, "Up from the Sea" is a spacious novel, with literally lots of white on every page that help young adult readers and adults too to better absorb and process the intensity of [...]

Currently writing up a review!

4 starsMoving story of a boy who survived the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. The account of his fear during the quake and flight from the deadly ocean surge is suspenseful and very scary. I can't imagine experiencing it myself. His worries about the fate of his family is also very emotional. Kai has lost everything, and his helplessness and hopelessness resonate through the author's use of free verse. How can he go on, knowing that his mother, grandmother, and grandfather have all died [...]

I love this book. I cried from beginning to end, touched by the heart-warming story and the beautiful writing. Having experienced the big Tohoku earthquake myself, in Tokyo, this book is close to home. My story is very different from the book's main character, but what we have in common is this: that day changed the course of our lives. Although Up From the Sea is perfect for the intended audience, I recommend it to all age groups. Through Kai's story, this book conveys what happened in Japan so [...]

This is a fictional novel in verse about the tsunami that hit coastal Japan in March of 2011 as told by a young teen named Kai. Kai is in school when the earthquake and the tsunami hit and the story that follows is about the loss of many loved ones and the road to recovery for both Kai and the town, both physically and mentally. It's a touching story. There's a connection made between the tragedy in Japan and the tragedy of September 11 in the U.S and the two certainly have some things in common [...]

"And the earth starts to shake"Heartbreaking and hopeful. Lowitz does an incredible job bringing the story of Kai, a teenage boy who survives the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devasted the Tohoku region of Honshu, Japan, to readers. Told in verse with vivid sensory details, Kai's fight for survival and for a path to overcome unimaginable loss is moving. The author's notes provide readers with important context. Highly recommended for MS readers.

Less than an hour read, this novel in verse is a gripping and emotional portrayal of what it's like to survive a natural disaster. Kai is a 17 year old boy who survives the tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 and the story, told from his POV, shows us how devastating it is to rebuild your life after you've lost everything you loved. Beautifully written.

This book was absolutely beautiful in so many ways. I actually read this book in less than a hour because Kai captured me from the beginning and told such a wonderful story about hope,family,and perseverance in a poem-like way. I was so sad and shocked to see it end.

Great book. It is a short easy read that is good for anyone.

“The bigger the issue, the smaller you write.”--Richard PriceInstead of focusing on the overwhelming statistics generated by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan—nearly 16,000 deaths and 3,000 people missing—the event becomes even more intense and compelling as author Leza Lowitz relates the story of one town and one boy and the resilience of many.The story begins on March 11 when Kai, a half Japanese, half American 17-year-old and his teachers and classmates expe [...]

This book is a very quick read but it is a very powerful book. Up From the Sea comes across two topics. One if japan the 9.0 earthquake that this book is mostly about. Then about 9/11 for Americans. Both topics are very sensitive subjects to talk about of discuss to this day even though it was over 5 years ago for both of these tragedy incidents. But the author in this book does it so peacefully. This books main character is a 17 year old boy Kai and how he deals with joy, heartbreak and many mo [...]

This book was pretty good especially with being detailed and painting a good picture for the reader. This story takes place in Japan and is actually true, and it's about what I would call the biggest natural disaster other than hati. This story is about a child who has a love for soccer but grew up without a father and so he has to guide himself through life mostly on his own. I personally consider this book for anyone who doesn't like a full book its a lot more simple to read because its writte [...]

Up From the Sea by Leza Lowitz is a tear jerking story about a young boy by the name of Kai who lives in a small town in Japan with his small, seemingly happy family. Although when the disaster of a earthquake followed by a tsunami strikes, he is left with lots of questions and heartbreak. At least there is still hope out there for him though all of these traumatic times. I recommend this book ages from 14+ and for people who know what it is like to go through similar hardships.

What Happens when Everything Is Lost?I became a fan of Leza Lowitz when I first read her brilliant and gripping memoir, Here Comes the Sun a book that described her journey towards meaning and purpose. This time, she offers her readers an enjoyable literary treat in Up from the Sea, a lyrical tale about loss and resurrection, the story of a people ripped apart by the cruel blow of a powerful earthquake and an unforgiving tsunami, a story laced with timeless lessons on survival, resilience, and t [...]

Leza Lowitz's Up From The Sea is the first artistic response I've seen to the Fukushima Tsunami/Nuclear disaster of 2013, and it's a powerful, unique work. Unique, first of all, in that novels in verse are virtually unheard of, let alone carried off successfully. But unique, mostly, in that Lowitz makes this tale of a teen-ager, Kai, whose world is torn to bits by the horrendous event, serve as a metaphor for the trials of an entire society subjected to such cataclysmic devastation.Just an ordin [...]

I won this arc of UP FROM THE SEA in the author's contest in late December. So glad I did! The lovely, heartfelt prose of this novel in verse had the rhythm of the ocean tide with the ups and downs of the main character--Kai’s emotions. The loss and the hope of finding someone and something that helps Kai to move forward kept me wanting to read more. (I am in the midst of my own edits and I didn’t originally want to read anything at the end of the day, but I could not put UP FROM THE SEA dow [...]

Up From The Sea is about a boy named Kai who lives in Japan with his mom. There was a tsunami there in 2011. It killed a lot of people including Kai’s mom. Kai has to stay in a shelter. He also tries to find his dad who isn’t in his life.I liked this book, and how it’s written in poetry. That makes it really interesting and different to read, it’s good. I think lots of other people would like it too, because of the interesting writing style. And it’s a good book overall. I also think p [...]

Just like 9/11 changed the U.S. forever, so does 3/11 for Japan. March 11, 2011 is when a 9.0 earthquake caused a massive tsunami that devastates Japan when it sweeps inland 5 miles and wipes out whole villages. Teen Kai is at school when it hits his small town and tries to beat the tsunami by racing to higher ground with his classmates.This is a novel-in-verse which serves as an excellent form for the fictional Kai to tell his story. The tsunami is described as a black monster which keeps tryin [...]

5th grade booktalk Kai has participated in earthquake drills since nursery school. You feel a quake – go under your desk, bring your knees to your chest, and cover your head. So when in math class,, at 2:46 pm just before the end of the school day, the earth starts to shake, Kai and his fellow students laugh, thinking they might get out of school early – even if it’s already close to the end of the day. But the shaking continues, getting stronger. The clock everyone had been staring at fli [...]