Title: Journey of Sea, Heart, and Land
Author: Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Perez
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 979-8369491911
Pages: 636
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Aaron Washington

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In Journey of Sea, Heart, and Land, author Jaime Enrique Gutierrez Perez captures the readers’ attention right from the start of the book with an engrossing and captivating story. The author’s style of writing, the flow of the plot and the characters are top-level and what I consider engaging when it comes to fiction novels. From the start, the reader will value the narrator’s simplicity. The author writes in a manner which is easy to comprehend and makes the story gripping by being super descriptive and creative. One of the most notable things about this book is the conversations among characters amid the prose text. I enjoyed reading when two or more characters conversed, making the story appear more lifelike and delightful.

We are first introduced to Elias Gomez, a young boy with dreams and ambitions. Elias lives the average life with his boss and now guardian, Mrs. Lina Vespucio. This is after a huge white shark killed his father, and his mother left home; a life-changing loss for any growing lad. The first chapter was excellently written and hooked the reader; here, Elias talks about his childhood, growing up with his parents, his interests and everything else. I particularly enjoyed this chapter because it felt like a memoir of sorts. Jamie Perez is exceptional in his writing in that the reader gets the impression they are listening to a story being told by Elias himself.

Elias Gomez continues his life and one day meets a captain and traveler called Ludwig Bineo. His encounter with the captain was enchanting and perhaps one of the best things to happen in the book. This is because from this encounter, an adventure is born, a little drama is introduced, and the reader gets to experience a thrilling and entertaining story. Ludwig takes Elias as a member of his ship crew, an opportunity that Elias loves, given he had been dreaming of being a traveler since he was young. The friendship between Ludwig and Elias keeps growing, and more people are introduced to Elias’s life. Soon, the young boy who lost his father to a shark attack discovers a new life and falls in love with Ludwig’s niece, Helena. Their relationship is enjoyable until Leena becomes part of Elias’s life.

Journey of Sea, Heart, and Land has bits of everything when it comes to themes. There is romance, betrayal, sea life, friendship, travel as one of the main themes, family, betrayal, lust, and personal growth. Every character was on a journey throughout the book; not just the physical adventure, but a journey of self-discovery and exploring life. Elias Gomez may come off as an eccentric character to some, but his and Ludwig’s life were by far the most mesmerizing of all the characters. Other characters Which fascinated me include Sofia Quevedo, Kia Hirvonen, Mackenzie, Mariela Vittorini, and Harrison McGinley – all adding to many levels of fascinating interactions.

If you need a comfort book – or a feel-good story – to keep you entertained, then you absolutely need to read Journey of Sea, Heart, and Land.