MOON TIDE MONTEREY by Barry Johnson is a refreshingly different story about a young girl developing the courage to make her own choices.  Cami Trevaller was raised in a family of privilege and philanthropy.  She has learned the importance of giving back to society.   However when she chooses to donate her time rescuing marine mammals, the tension between her and father increases. Mr. Trevaller sees his daughter straying off the path he has intended for her.  He expects Cami to follow in her older sister’s footsteps, Stanford and then Harvard Business School .  Deep down Cami knows the corporate world is not the direction she wants to go in life.   

While running on the beach, Cami spots an abandoned baby seal.  She helps with the rescue and finds the experience extremely rewarding.  Cami chooses to become a marine mammal rescue volunteer despite her father’s wishes.  Working at the Marine Mammal Center opens up a new and interesting world for Cami.  She enjoys her training and finds learning about the animals fascinating. It becomes the one thing in life she actually loves doing.  For Cami, who has experience with both boats and diving, the rescues are exciting.  Even more exciting is Sky, a young marine biology student who becomes her mentor and friend.

A little action-adventure emerges when the Marine Mammal Center volunteers want to find out who is injuring seals with automatic weapons.  They assume it is fishermen trying to scare the seals.  Their plan is to identify the perpetrators and report them to the authorities.  Identifying the actual shooter becomes a lot more dangerous than the naïve volunteers realize, especially Cami.

Barry Johnson writes passionately about the California coast.    At times, his descriptions are a bit wordy.  If I was not familiar with the seacoast, fishing and boats, I may have found his descriptions a little difficult to follow.  Barry Johnson’s character development is excellent.  While reading the book, I felt like I knew the characters well.  The relationships between the characters are real and believable.  The situations the characters are in make sense and flow well. 

In the end, Cami will make a choice: be the dutiful daughter and follow the expected path chosen for her or do what she wants to do with her future.  Many young people, especially young women, find themselves in her situation. Women of all ages will relate to Cami and decisions she has to make.  MOON TIDE MONTEREY was a pleasurable and relaxing book to read.