(3) Waters Of Change by Amy Astorga

Book Type: YA (Young Adult novel)
Author: Amy Astorga
Pages: 172

Summary(goodreads.com):
“Life at the surface isn’t a decision that can be made. It’s something you have to be chosen to receive. What mermaids lack that humans possess, isn't legs. It’s a soul.” 
Gwendolyn Hart stands on the cusp of change. With high school’s graduation nearly approaching, and an unexpected proposal from her devoted boyfriend Ryan, she’s certain her life is about to take an exciting turn. But when her best friend Emma is suddenly reported missing, all plans for the future come to a screeching halt. Tensions quickly rise as her walls are taken down, and in the midst of grief and introspection, there appears a young man who offers an escape from it all. 
His name is Marcus, and his eyes are as comforting as they are unnerving. Gwendolyn is captivated by the mysterious stranger, who slips into her life and sweeps her off her feet. But there are things about Marcus that she can’t explain. And there are reasons he’s appeared that go beyond fate. The more she discovers the truth behind the man, the more she discovers he isn't a man at all. 
Gwendolyn’s relationship is shrouded by dark secrets that will test the very core of her morale. A decision between love and conviction can be difficult. And what decision she makes will determine the ultimate fate of her soul.

My Review:
***I would like to first announce that I was given this book by Amy Astorga herself in exchange for a fair and honest review. I plan on reviewing this honestly, fairly and most of all, respectfully.***

When I first read the summary for this book, I admit I was a bit nervous. What exactly is Marcus? Is he some sort of male siren? A Merman? As soon as I read the prologue, I was instantly intrigued. I wanted to know what the deal was with this jerk Marcus and why Gwen is so head over heels for him! The book instantly sucked me in like a strong current and I could not put this book down!

What I liked the most about this book was the characters. They are believable because they are flawed, even the supernatural ones! I really related to Gwen, especially when she had to deal with a jealous best friend, and also insecurities with herself and her relationship. I also felt that many of the characters were described and acted like high school teenagers, which shows good characterization skills.

I also loved that this book had very intense thriller/ mystery moments and themes.  There were moments where I would be talking out loud to Gwen and saying, 
"WHAT? Do you not see what is happening here, Gwen?" 
or "I'm going to kill that kid!"
 and "Oh God. Oh God no. This isn't happening!"
 I got soooo into this book that I gasped out loud, and even laughed nervously as if I was watching a horror movie!

What struck me most of all was the ending. It was totally unexpected and a bit sad. I didnt like how it ended so abruptly, but overall, this book was excellent!
I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

(26) Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Book Type: Novel
Author: Hannah Moskowitz
Pages: 288

Summary(goodreads.com):
Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated. He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life.

My Review:
Although this book has been on a lot of Young Adult mermaid book lists, there is a lot wrong with this book, and I mean.. A LOT. Although the cover of this book enticed me to read, especially with the hooks in the shape of a heart, I was disappointed with the way this book turned out. Let's go over some of the positive and negative aspects of the book.

Fishy, Awesome, Exciting! What I Loved:
What I loved mostly about this book was the main character, Rudy. Moskowitz was able to create dialect that a typical sixteen year old boy would say, and also created perfect responses for the situations Rudy became entangled in. Rudy is kind of a bad boy; he likes to do his own thing, and hates that he moved away from his home. He mentions that he smokes cigarettes and has had a lot of experience with girls in the past... I think we all know a guy like Rudy.
I also love that this book has a lot of YA themes, like dating, romance, dealing with a sick family member and... SEXUAL ABUSE?? WHAT IS GOING ON??

Weird, Weird Weird: What I Hated! :
Before I get back to the sexual abuse mentioned above, there were a few other plot elements that annoyed me. Teeth, the merman, is way too similar to Rudy. They both curse like crazy and have the same bad boy attitude. I wish Moskowitz made their characteristics a bit more contrasting. 
The plot flat lined for about three quarters of the book, and nothing really exciting happened until the end! As the plot continued, more and more twisted and sickening things about Teeth are revealed, which includes a lot of horrible sexual abuse and rape, events that are way too graphic to talk about on this blog. 
Let's just say that the way Teeth was brought into this world is sick at best.
The end of this book was just sad, depressing and twisted, and I just wouldn't bother reading this if you are sensitive towards topics like brutal rape, molestation, child abandonment, developmental issues and feral children.
I give this book (**) 2 stars. 
-Sirenita The Selkie

(24) Wrecked by Anna Davies

Book Type: Novel
Author: Anna Davies
Pages: 336

Summary(amazon.com):

A mysterious stranger holds the key to Miranda’s fate in this contemporary retelling of “The Little Mermaid.”
Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.
But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.
Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

My Review:

First off, I would like to point out, that I don't know who constructed this Amazon.com summary, but seriously, this book had nothing to do with The Little Mermaid. And seductive? I think not. Let's review why this book should be taken off your Summer Reading List of 2014.

Before It Went Downhill: The Good Points I Liked:

Although there wasn't much that I liked about this book, I found that Davies did include some interesting elements to her plot. As soon as the teens have a bonfire, you get this reader's intuition that something bad is going to happen, especially when Genevieve, Miranda's friend, starts playing around with tarot cards, and they get skeletons. As sick as it is to say, the book didn't pick up the pace until the boating accident. 

It was also an interesting element that the souls of those who die on the sea, float down to the bottom of the ocean where the evil queen Sephie captures them for her own use. It reminded me of Davie Jones locker. I think the most gut wrenching part of this element is when Christian calls out the name, "Fletcher?" and one of the soul orbs glows for a minute before falling to the bottom of the sea. When I read this, my face looked like:

I also think Davies did a good job of understanding how some people cope with death, especially when it involves family or friends. Miranda doesn't, or cant, process what has happened and how everyone is treating her. She blocks out any feelings she has, and stops herself from crying. Although this did make it difficult for me to connect with her, it made the situation realistic. Death is a common YA theme, and this can help young teens who have lost someone special in their life, and how to adjust to this new lifestyle. At times, I really did feel as if I was grieving for the characters.

Now... let's not be so nice. This book had some major issues.

This Is No Love Story! And What Is With Christian?!

Although Miranda and Christian do have this cute, runaway teen romance, they both annoyed the hell out of me. Miranda seems like the girl who always needs a man in her life. As soon as she says goodbye to her boyfriend, and gets some closure, she immediately rushes into a new "relationship" if you can call it that.

Christian weirds me out. As soon as he sees Miranda, he thinks he is instantly in love with her, and becomes obsessed with her. Hello? You don't even know her! (Is this what the author meant by "a twist on The Little Mermaid?" No. Just No.) Christian does not even mention any deep qualities he loves about Miranda. All he mentions is that she is beautiful, the way she falls asleep on his arm and how mischievous she is. 

This is not love, this is infatuation.

Oh, and Christian seems to have this habit of shushing her! Seriously! Everytime she needed to vent he just said "Sshhh." Can't a girl vent? Christian is also, not a merman. He is a betwixtman. In the book, this is a creature that is basically half human and half Mer. 

Did I mention he sparkles in the sun?.... Oh the Twilight Horror!!!

Too Sad, Too Depressing!

Lastly, a lot of the story has to do with how Miranda is treated like a murderer, and how she is coping with all of the grieving. This got to be a little too much after a while, and the book is also very, very VERY depressing. It got to be uncomfortable after a while.

 Although this book was extremely depressing, it makes you appreciate how fragile life is, and also makes you appreciate the people around you. Overall, I don't think this book worked very well. I give this book (***) 3 stars, and that is being generous compared to other goodreads.com users!

-Sirenita The Selkie

(23) Nicholas Pipe by Robert D. San Souci

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Robert D. San Souci
Pages: 32

Summary(goodreads.com):
This enthralling folktale by one of today's most popular and highly honored authors comes to life in paintings of remarkable power and beauty. Nicholas Pipe, a merman who, through a magic spell, can live on land, falls in love with Margaret, the daughter of a fisherman. As their love blossoms, Nicholas and Margaret must defy her father, the jealous sea-folk, and even the king himself.

My Review:
Finally! I found a book about a love-struck merman! What I loved most about this book was the illustrations. They really catch the reader's attention, and transport you into a classic fairytale. I also loved how San Souci took a twist on the classic fairytale of merfolk being good and falling innocently in love with humans. Instead, Nicholas Pipe has abandoned the merfolk because they drown humans. They re actually pretty scary to look at! I was also touched by the love that Nicholas and Margaret share. Finally, I love the lesson this book teaches; stand up for others when they are innocent, do not judge or be prejudice, and love unconditionally. This is a great story with a sweet ending that adults will truly enjoy. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Tritone Trilogy by Judi Fennell

Book Type: Adult/ Romance
Author: Judi Fennell
Pages: Book 1) 352   Book 2) 384  Book 3) 384

Book One: In Over Her Head: Cover, Summary and Review

Summary(amazon.com):

He lives under the sea…
Reel Tritone is the rebellious royal second son of the ruler of a vast undersea kingdom, and he's always been fascinated by humans…

She's terrified of the ocean…Marina owner Erica Peck would never go swimming willingly—but she's forced into the water and is nearly eaten by a shark. Luckily Reel is nearby to save her, and he discovers she's the woman he's been searching for…Before she knows it, Erica is off with Reel on a wild underwater adventure to recover a stolen treasure, battle a jealous sea monster, and, of course, defy a death edict from the kingdom's high court. 

But even if they make it through their madcap mission alive, can they find a way to stay together when she hates the water and he can't survive on land?

My Review:
Book 1)

Typically, I am not a romance reader, mostly because I find them cheesy, and this book unfortunately proves my point. Within the first couple of pages, the lead male character, is talking to fish with human names like Ernie, Amelia and let's not forget Vincent the great white shark. Going along with the cheesy name theme, Reel's brother is named Rod (really?) and their father's name is Fisher. To add more cheese to the romance cracker, Reel calls Erica "sweetheart," and the romance scenes are a bit too dramatic for my taste. In addition to the ridiculous names and the dramatic romance, the logic didn't really flow either.

Boring and Cheesy: What I Didn't Like:

How does Reel know about human world stuff, like diamonds and yachts and guns if he never stepped foot into human society? Speaking of diamonds, the whole plot of the book was Erica and Reel chasing them and stealing them from an evil sea monstress. Chasing diamonds...? Come on!  It's been done a million times before in dozens of different movies and books. I also found Reel to be annoying, and he acts like a total bad ass, but he comes off more like a bratty teenager who didn't get their way. Even though there was some plot elements I did not enjoy, there were some things I thought were cute or did like.

Brilliant! Exciting! Fishy!: What I Loved:

The way Fennell describes everything is perfect; I felt like I was underwater, and she also named a lot of different fish species that I had never even heard of! With the merfolk in this society, there was a perfect balance of funny human-like behaviors, such as wearing human clothes that were scavenged from wrecks, and keeping a mer-identity. I also look for switching point-of-views in romance books; I want to know what the man and the woman are thinking, and Fennell also includes this in her book. To sum it up, I just found the plot, characters and logic mediocre, and I hope that when I continue to read the next book that it will get better. I give the first book (***) 3 stars.

Book 2: 
Summary(goodreads.com):
The underwater kingdom is his as soon as he claims his queen Rod Tritone has the looks and charm to snag any queen he wants for his Mer kingdom, but unfortunately, it's not up to him. As fate would have it, the one woman destined to rule with him is terrified of water.She lives in land-locked Kansas and has no idea she's a princess.Valerie Dumere thinks Rod is gorgeous and irresistible but why does he keep insisting she has another side to herself that only he can show her? Somehow, Rod has to prove to her who she really is. But when she finds out the truth, will she ever forgive him?

My Review:
When I first began reading this, I didn't expect much, especially since I wasn't crazy about the first book. However, the main plot seemed interesting; Rod is going to capture a hybrid mermaid! Cool! Sadly, this book was cheesy, boring and just plain odd.

The Characters are Annoying!:
What really bothered me most about Valerie and Rod is how fleeting their passion is for one another. One minute Rod says he's on land just to get Valerie back to Atlantis with no intentions of dating her, but then all of a sudden he is burning for her, with no real transition of his thoughts. The dialect is also annoying. Every other line between Rod and Valerie's conversation is some mental sexual comment to themselves. It gets very old to hear how good looking one another is. We get the point! 
Valerie is a very annoying character as well. Not only does she seem promiscuous, but what an airhead flake! Who runs off with strange man you don't even know, and a talking bird?
I also found it weird and frustrating that Reel and Erica are mentioned so many times, but they never enter the plot at all! Where are they? Valerie and Rod go to their house to stay hidden but they're never there!

Unrealistic Romance:
This romance bothered me even more than the first book! At least it was cute that Reel has a crush on Erica ever since he was a child. This romance starts from sexual to apparent love in a matter of a couple of days! For about three quarters of the book, Rod and Valerie talk about each other sexually, but all of a sudden they claim that they want to be together forever. It's cheesy and unrealistic. 

Birds, Birds and... More Birds?:
The plot of the book is very strange.  I will try not to spoil too much, but another part of the plot is animals, including millions of birds take orders from a merman hellbent on taking over Atlantis and tries to defeat Rod. While on a "road trip" dozens of birds drop rubbish and attack them for miles. 
I felt that half of the book is about birds chasing Rod and Valerie. I think a better idea would've been traitorous merfolk living on land and trying to defeat Rod and overthrow him. Talking animals... it's such an old idea. I give this book (**) 2 stars.


Book 3:


Summary(amazon.com):

Mermaid Angel Tritone escapes a shark by jumping into single dad Logan Hardington's fishing boat. All his young son Michael wants for his birthday is a mermaid, and if his dad will only play his cards right, now he'll have one…

Angel wants to give Michael his most beloved birthday gift (a real live mermaid) while also getting to know his father and getting him to help her in her mission to stop humans from destroying the oceans. Logan has never met a woman who cared as much about the same things he does, and she's never met a man who understood her deepest commitment to humanity and nature. When an enemy of conservation shows up and tries to kill Angel, Logan has to choose between continuing the life he's known, or following the woman he loves to the bottom of the ocean…

My Review:
After reading the last two books in this series, I was skeptical, and I didn't expect much. However, this was my favorite book in the series. 

What I Liked:
Angel is my favorite character in this entire series. She is very cute when she is around Logan, and I like how smart and curious she is. She is also an amateur mer-scientist/sociologist! She reminds me of Madison from Splash, especially when she goes shopping for clothes the first time!  She is also smart and caring, but has such realistic qualities for a fictional character. She wants to be somebody important and not live in her family's shadow. 
I also liked Logan and Angel's relationship. I felt it was more genuine. The reader understands why Logan and Angel have feelings for each other, instead of just having sexual attraction like the last two books. 

What Annoyed Me:
The talking animals, along with the ridiculous human names annoyed me constantly. One of the names, Hammerhead Harry, just seems so silly. 
The whole plot seemed a bit ridiculous when I first began this book. From Logan's perspective, a naked woman is found lying on his boat, with no identification and seems confused about everything! Although he doesn't even know her, he trusts her to babysit his kid and live with him, even though he knew her for about 15 minutes? 
WHAT?
 How could someone be so trusting, especially with a woman who is clearly tangled up in her own story?! I wasn't sure about the romance at first, but it gradually grew on me. I give this book (****) 4 stars.

Overall, I would give the series 3 stars. It was okay, but it needed some tweaking with plot and character development. 

-Sirenita The Selkie

The Sea Man by Jane Yolen

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Jane Yolen
Pages: 41

Summary(amazon.com):
After the crew of a small Dutch ship pulls a half-man, half-fish creature from the sea, the lieutenant feels honor bound to return him to his domain. What the lieutenant doesn't know is that his compassion has earned him a guardian and a friend whose knowledge of the ocean will forever touch his life.

My Review:
Jane Yolen is an author that has been reviewed on this blog, and she is definitely a creative and imaginative writer. One of my favorite books that she wrote is titled, Neptune Rising  which you can view here. Naturally I was excited to read this, especially since there aren't many books on mermen. The story/plot immediately takes off with no hesitation, and the captivating black and white illustrations help keep the story interesting and also helps the depict the many emotions both the sailors and the merman face. What I also loved is that the story was not written in a juvenile fashion, even though it was in the children's section of the library. Yolen also mentions that this book is based off a real account of a merman sighting! Cool! I do have to mention though, for a kid's book, it was startlingly depressing! The poor merman is thrown around the cabin, left to almost suffocate by the ruthless sailors, and almost dies, leaving his family fatherless! I don't really recommend this as something a child should read right before they go to sleep, but it was definitely an original tale that merfolk will like. I give this book (****) 4 stars. 
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Merman by Dick King-Smith (5)

Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Dick King-Smith
Pages: 112

Summary(amazon.com):
While vacationing in Scotland, Zeta meets a rather unusual fellow. He's a terrific swimmer. He chats with seals. And he has a fish tail. Marinus is a merman -- definitely not your average summer friend. Who else could teach Zeta everything from swimming to astronomy to French? Everything's an adventure when Marinus is around, and as the summer ends, Zeta knows she'll miss her new friend terribly.
Luckily, Marinus has one last surprise in store for her -- one that will last a lifetime. . . .

My Review:
I had read one of Dick King-Smith's books before tittled "The Waterhorse"(I will be making a blog on sea monsters soon too!) and I absolutely adored it. Since I first picked up this book last night and began reading it, I just couldn't put it down. It was very charming and I loved the teacher-student relationship that Zeta and Marinus had, and how he taught and showed her so many things that enhanced her knowledge. I also loved that the author chose a merman instead of a mermaid, since most stories featuring a female human almost always has a mermaid. It was a different element that I had never seen before. What I liked most about this book was that it was simple and had a very nice plot, but the ending was bittersweet. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

My South Carolina Trip: part 2!

Part 2: Shoppin for Mermaids!
Here are some pics of when I went shoppin! Of course I was able to find mermaid stuff!
Here is a collage of mermaid stuff I found when I went shoppin:

A hand made bronze statue

Checking out some new mermaid stuff for my
Collection!

Another lovely lady!

Check back for more reviews and pictures; coming soon!

-Sirenita The Selkie

Keeper by Kathi Appelt

Book Type: Novel
Author: Kathi Appelt
Pages: 399

Summary(goodreads.com):
To ten-year-old Keeper the moon is her chance to fix all that has gone wrong ... and so much has gone wrong. But she knows who can make things right again: Maggie Marie, her mermaid mother, who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where Keeper is headed - in a small boat. In the middle of the night, with only her dog, BD (Best Dog), and seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling into the waves. Maybe the blue moon won't sparkle with mermaids and maybe - Oh, no ... "Maybe" is just too difficult to bear.

My Review:
When I first starting reading this book, I noticed it was quite wordy, and I thought I was going to have to stop reading it because the story would not begin. However, once the story picked up, I couldn't put it down! When you first begin the story, you don't know where the characters are from or what their stories are and there is definetly an element of mystery, but at one point, everything picks up and then you want to know the rest of the characters lives and what's going to happen to Keeper. I must say though, this book was listed as a mermaid book, so I was expecting more elements of fantasy and mermaids, but there were only a few glimpses of merfolk. Even though this book was not full of fantasy, I still recommend reading it, because this book really ties beautifully together at the end and I really enjoyed it. I give this book (***--****)  between 3 and 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

A Treasury Of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales From Around The World by Shirley Climo

Book type: mermaid stories from around the world/ Children's literature
Author: Shirley Climo
Pages: 80

Summary(goodreads.com):
Lavishly designed and illustrated, this beautiful book is the definitive collection of mermaid lore. A catch of international mermaids, from a Japanese ningyo and a Swiss nix to an Irish merrow and an Alaskan nuquot swim through the pages of this elegant volume. Full color.

My Review:
This book was definitely a treasure as the title suggests. Even though this book is intended for children to read, I found myself enjoying this book very much.  I have heard of the different types of stories and mermaids from around the world, from the merrows of Ireland to the ningyo of Japan. However, I have never read any of the stories mentioned in this book, and I found them all interesting and beautifully adapted and rewritten. This children's book is great for someone who is interested in folklore from around the world, or for someone who just loves mermaids, like me! The only thing I must say I was surprised about was the lack of images in this book. At the beginning of each story, there is one colored image and a few black and white pictures throughout each story, but I feel that for a children's book to really come alive, there should be some beautiful artwork, such as the cover. I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Indigo by Alice Hoffman

Book type: novel/ short story
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pages: 84

Summary(goodreads.com):
Oak Grove is a dry, dusty town haunted by the memories of a past flood. Everyone dreads water--everyone except two brothers, Trevor and Eli McGill. Nicknamed Trout and Eel for their darting quickness and the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, the boys dream of the farthest seas and of a mysterious past they only half remember. In helping them reach their hearts' desire, Martha Glimmer, the boys' fierce and loyal friend, is intent on running away from memories of her old life--before her mother died, before her father lost himself in grief, before her heart was broken. Little do Martha, Trout, and Eel know that running away will leave them on a journey back to their own true natures.

My Review: 
This is part of the Water Tales series which includes Indigo and Aquamarine, both written by Alice Hoffman. I really enjoyed both stories, even though they were short. When I was younger, I read Indigo, but I never really appreciated it as much as I do now. I love Indigo's plot, because the story is based on finding who you are deep down, and where your home is. The fact is, we cannot hide our true natures, whether we have fins or legs! Trout and Eel, two of the main characters, found that they belonged to the sea, despite what there adopted parents told them. In many cases, the sea, as well as water itself, is an element of truth and serenity.  Finding who you are can be something that is locked up for many years, but I truly believe if you read Indigo, you will find your fins. I recommend this book to teenagers and adults alike. This is also a good read if you are going to the beach! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie