The Neptune Project Series by Polly Holyoke

Book Type: Novel
Author: Polly Holyoke
Pages: 340


Summary(goodreads.com):
With her weak eyes and useless lungs that often leave her gasping for air, Nere feels more at home swimming with the dolphins her mother studies than she does hanging out with her classmates. Nere has never understood why she is so much more comfortable and confident in the water than on land until the day she learns the shocking truth—she is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world.

But there are some big challenges ahead of her: no one ever asked Nere if she wanted to be part of a science experiment; the other Neptune kids aren't exactly the friendliest bunch, and in order to reach the safe haven of the new Neptune colony, Nere and her fellow mutates must swim across hundreds of miles of dangerous ocean, relying on their wits, their loyal dolphins and one another to evade terrifying undersea creatures and a government that will stop at nothing to capture the Neptune kids ... dead or alive.

Fierce battle and daring escapes abound as Nere and her friend race to safety in this action-packed marine adventure. 


My Review:

What will the future be like? Are genetically engineered humans a real possibility? Polly Holyoke explores all possibilities for the future of mankind in her latest novel. I cant express how much I loved this book!!! Although this book technically doesn't have mermaids, I really believe mer-readers will love The Neptune Project just like other mermaid books. 

The Neptune Project immediately dives into action when Nere has to help her friend and some smugglers escape some government officials. And you know what the coolest part about Nere is? 

SHE CAN TELEPATHICALLY COMMUNICATE WITH DOLPHINS! So cool!!!

As the book progressed under the waves and away from society, I fell in love with Holyoke's rich descriptive words. I felt like I was underwater, exploring parts of the ocean I never thought possible. I also loved that although the ocean is portrayed as beautiful, the reader also sees how dangerous it is. Nere has to battle sharks, giant squid, and the Marine Guard, a sector of the government that patrols the water. 

Like all teenagers, Nere is also dealing with love. Dai is a bad boy that all girls will fall for. Although he hides a lot about himself from people, the way he flirts with Nere is so cute. 

The ending had such an amazing mystery twist that I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I give this first book (*****) 5 stars.

-Sirenita The Selkie

Above World Series by Jenn Reese

Book Type: Novel
Author: Jenn Reese
Pages: Book 1 (365) Book 2 (368) Book 3 (400)

Summary(first book, goodreads.com):Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony’s survival is in doubt. The Kampii’s breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. 
But can Aluna’s warrior spirit and Hoku’s tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt—growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains—here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true



My Review:

Introduction:
At first glance, dystopian/futuristic society books will either intrigue people, or turn people away because of the harsh reality of the way things are now in the world, especially when it comes to the booming human population. 

Will we run out of space? Food? Air? 

This is what Jenn Reese explores in Above World, but she makes it amazingly awesome! Humans have run out of living options. Some humans fled to space, while others genetically altered themselves to adapt to different environments. Mermaids, Winged Women, Snake and Horse people; there are so many possibilities! 

Such Cool Concepts! What I Loved: 
What I loved most about this book was the originality of the concept. Reese has fused science fiction with classic mythology to give us... A Mermaid Dystopian series! :) From the start, I was immediately sucked into Aluna and Hoku's adventure and it was really hard to put down. In addition, the book is really emotional! The reader will hate and feel disgusted by some characters, but feel love and compassion for others. 

I also love how descriptive this series is. Every time I was reading, I felt as if I was right there with Hoku, Aluna, Dash and Calli.  Aluna is my favorite character in this series and she is such a positive role model for girls! She's strong, defiant and a total bad ass!



So Many Questions! What I Didn't Like: 
I have to admit, as much as I loved this series, this last book didnt impress me as much as the other first two books. It was much slower than the first two, and I was craving more action for about three quarters of the book. 
I wont spoil the ending, but all I'm going to say is that it annoyed me. There was a very anticlimactic battle that made me say, THAT'S IT? 

Also, there was a lot of unanswered questions at the end. 
I was really dissapointed with this last book in the series.

However, the first two books were really good, and it was very interesting! I couldnt put any of these books down as soon as I began to read them. I give this series (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Mermaids by Lori Hile (13)

Book Type: Children's Science Book
Author: Lori Hile
Pages: 48

Summary(amazon.com):
Tales of mysterious and alluring mermaids have been told for thousands of years. Are they all just myths and legends, or could some of these stories be true? Using the scientific method and available information, this book attempts to find out!

My Review:
 Out of all the "scientific" mermaid books I have read that are mostly comprised  theories and what not, this one is definitely interesting! What I enjoyed most was the fact that their was a whole chapter on legendary sightings that have occurred throughout hundreds of years. I didn't even hear about some of these sightings, so it is always cool to learn something new about mermaid legends.This book also included possible theories of mermaid existence, such as the aquatic ape theory. Even though this theory remains plausible, the way the author debunked it was a bit weak. The book also includes a small section on Shiloh Pepin and Milagros Cerron, both born with a disease called sirenomelia, a condition in which the skin is joined between the fingers and toes. Unfortunately, this disease can affect major arteries and organs, and Shiloh Pepin succumbed to her disease at the age of 10. However, Milagros Cerron is still alive. The book also goes on to explain how there are mermaid performers and what sailors could have possibly seen at sea. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that the author seemed to be debunking the mystery as much as possible, without leaving much open thought to mermaids possible existence. Overall, I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

My Sister Sif by Ruth Park

Book Type: Novel
Author: Ruth Parks
Pages: 180

Summary(amazon.com):
Fourteen-year-old Riko manages to get her sister Sif and herself to their Pacific island home, where a scientist who falls in love with Sif discovers her connection with an underwater race.

My Review:
A beautiful island paradise, a city of coral and mermaids just a swim away... and a jealous little Riko is what this book is all about! The way that Ruth Park wrote this book really transports you to the mystical island of Rongo. Every time I read a page, I really felt like I was on the island experiencing everything with the sea people and partaking in adventures with the Menehune alongside Riko. I also loved Riko's transformation, which is very clear throughout the book. She starts off as a protective and jealous child, and blossoms into a caring and intelligent young woman. I must say though, one thing that did slightly bother me was that the plot didn't really thicken until the end of the book.  Also readers, prepare yourselves, because the end of the book made me look like this:

However, the book was overall very well thought out, and the way that the underwater race of seapeople were described added a hint of fantasy and adventure to the book. I give this book (****) 4 stars. 

Sirenita The Selkie

PS: Here are a few more book covers:

Animal Planet: Mermaids The Body Found Review

Length: About One Hour
Channel: Animal Planet

Summary: This documentary details the events three scientists witnessed and they believe they found evidence, both physical and vocal, of mermaids. Throughout this documentary, the scientists explain the theory of how mermaids came to be, using CGI graphics (shown on the side) and reanactments.

My Review:
When I first heard this documentary was being released, I really thought, "Yes, I love mermaids more than anyone else, but how is this going to play out?" Well, I was quite shocked.  This wasn't a bunch of fantasy and magic like most mermaids are conceived of today. The film features possible theories and some facts that are used to back up certain explanations such as the aquatic ape theory. Another piece of evidence that was used was the "bloop" noise. There is a link posted below if you would like to listen, but the one featured in the film is fictional. Not only did this make me think about the possibilities because of the evidence, but it was also awe inspiring. The computer graphics in this were quite beautiful and really made me think that this is what mermaids must look like! Throughout this whole documentary, the viewer really questions, are we the only humanoid creatures out there? Would we be able to co-exist with creatures like merfolk? What really made me tear was towards the end of the film. Although we are not sure that a society exists like this beneath our waves, it was extraordinary to see how these merfolk exist and how they transformed. I hope they put this on DVD, because I absolutely loved it  and hope to add it to my mermaid collection. I  I really recommend that if you are interested in marine biology, strange underwater phenomena, mermaids or animals, you really want to check this out. I give this documentary (*****) 5 stars.
PS: If you would like to hear an example of a "bloop" here is a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBN56wL35IQ

For more on this breath taking special, visit this website:
http://press.discovery.com/ekits/monster-week-mermaids/press-release.html

Also, If you would like to keep any of the pictures featured in this documentary, I have posted some links below this post.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Animal Planet : Mermaids, The Body Found

Hey guys!
So I know I normally post mermaid BOOK stuff, but today, I wanted to share with you that the popular channel Animal Planet, will be having a mockumentary on mermaids. What is a mockumentary? This simply means it is filmed to look like a real documentary, but it is fake. However, the special broadcast looks very exciting and interesting! It is kind of being kept secret about what this special will actually focus on, but here are some pictures that I found interesting!

Here is also the TV Commercial that has recently been aired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB0wpPCEMPQ

As tempting as it is, please do not give into any of the sneak peeks! The wait should be worth it!
It airs Sunday, April 27th, as the youtube video says at the end.

Check back soon for new book reviews!
-Sirenita The Selkie

Goosebumps: Deep Trouble by R.L. Stine

Book Type: Novel/short story
Author: R.L. Stine
Pages: 117

Summary(goodreads.com):
Billy and his sister, Sheena, are visiting their uncle Dr. Deep on a tiny Caribbean island. It's the perfect place to go exploring underwater...and Billy's ready for an adventure. There's only one rule to remember: Stay away from the coral reefs. Still, the reefs are so beautiful. So peaceful. Billy can't resist. But he's not alone in the water. Something's lurking deep below the surface. Something that's dark and scaly. Something that's half-human, half f-fish..

My Review: 
I know what your thinking. Goosebumps? A mermaid book? Really? And yes! I was just as surprised as you were. When I first picked this up, I didn't really read the back too much, but I was really surprised to find out the "sci-fi" creature in this book was a mermaid. I didn't expect Stine to write about a mermaid. This book was overall meant for children really. The plot was not twisted or unexpected, so there really wasn't much excitement, but I recommend that everyone tries a book at least once, no matter what someone rates it as. I give this book (**) 2 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie