There’s nothing better than the escapism of a good book, allowing yourself to be taken on a journey to another place and another time where the characters emotions feel as physical and raw as your own and where the trivial details of your own life fade away  with every flick of a page.

‘The Sea Sisters’ by Lucy Clarke is one of those books; from the beginning, I was completely captured by the story, the characters and the beautifully honest way in which it was written. Having a younger sister myself, I could especially relate to both of the main characters and found myself being really affected by the storyline.

The story centres around two sisters; Katie and Mia who are typically very different from one another. Katie is the sensible, ‘safe’, older sister who feels that it is her duty to look out for and protect her younger sister. Mia, in contrast is the free-spirited and impulsive sister who has no real ties or responsibilities and who seems to float through life with no worries. Although these differences have caused their relationship to become fractured over the years, they both secretly long to be just like the other.

The story begins when Katie is given the tragic news that her sister has committed suicide whilst on her travels in Bali with best friend, Finn – thus signifying the end of Katie’s life as she knows it. Refusing to believe that her sister could ever deliberately take her own life, Katie goes in search of the answers she so desperately needs. With only Mia’s travel journal to guide her, Katie decides the only thing she can do is retrace her sisters steps by following her route, staying in the same hostels, taking in the same scenery and experiencing the same events, hoping to find out what caused her death.

Although the essence of the story may seem sad and depressing, I can assure you it is not all doom and gloom; the various characters and events which weave in and out of the plot are profound and intriguing and will keep you turning the pages well into the night. This is an absolute must-read which will not only keep you guessing but it will make you want to up sticks and go travelling immediately and keep a travel journal too!!

.