The Mermaid Summer by Mollie Hunter

Book Type: Novel
Author: Mollie Hunter
Pages: 128

Summary(amazon.com):
About a hundred years ago, they say, a mermaid ruled the cold sea that washed around northern lands. She was beautiful and dangerous, and the fishermen of those parts were careful to speak well of her. All but Eric Anderson, who scorned her very existence - until the day the mermaid smashed his fishing boat against the rocks, nearly killing him and his crew.
Eric bid his family good-bye, for after that, no one would sail with him. His grandchildren, Jon and Anna, never stopped missing him; so from the moment they saw the mermaid for themselves, they knew it was up to them to tame her and bring their grandfather home again...

My Review:
I honestly have to say, I was quite disappointed with this book, especially since the cover was very enticing and the overall description of the book seemed like it was going to be a beautiful story. However, although the mermaids magic haunts the family, she isn't really involved until towards the end of the book. The beginning through the middle dragged on and bored me a bit. I feel like half the book was about Anna and John obsessing over their grandfather's presents , and the mermaid really was not the center focal point of this book, but rather themes such as family, friendship and love. I feel the best part of the book was the ending only because that is when it started to pick up. Overall I give this book (**-***) between 2-3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter

Book Type: Novel
Author: Mollie Hunter
Pages: 176

Summary(amazon.com):

A wild, stormy night . . .
A shipwreck . . .
The sudden appearance of a stranger . . .
That is how it all begins. The stranger is Finn Learson, a young and handsome man who seems to be the only survivor of the wreck. Finn Learson is charming and generous, and the Henderson family gladly give him shelter. Only young Robbie Henderson does not trust Finn Learson and his oddly unsettling secret smile. Robbie is sure that he is hiding something--but what?

My Review:
A strange, handsome stranger enchants a lovely young woman... what is he? That is what I wondered throughout the book... until Old Da starts to tell Robbie about selkies. As readers of my blog may know, I am a huge fan of selkie books, especially alluring mysteries like what Hunter has created. Every time I opened this book, I really felt like I was huddling around the fire with this family telling selkie tales. Everything was very richly detailed, and I could picture everything clearly. The only thing that slightly bothered me about this book was that even though there was quite alot of detail for a small book, I really didn't get alot of selkie-ness. The only time the reader would really pick up on it is towards the end. I would have also liked to see more of Finn Learson's side of life; I wanted him to narrate a few times when he was being sneaky, or maybe to see more selkies as small roles in the book. The ending had a really cool twist though, so I would reccomend reading this! Overall, it was a nice selkie tale with clean detail. I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

PS: here is another cover of the book.
There are alot of different cover versions,
but the tale is all the same!

The Mermaid Of Cafur by Evelyn Foster

 Book Type: Children's Literature
Author: Evelyn Foster
Pages: 32

Summary(amazon.com):
Far away to the west there is a magical underwater kingdom called Cafur, deep beneath the dark, emerald sea. The queen of Cafur is Arianne, a cruel mermaid, who likes to steal children. When she captures Ewan, his sister sets out to rescue him.

My Review:
I really enjoyed reading this book as well as  diving into the sea and exploring Cafur in these pages. The colors are what first captivated me, since they mimic the aqua green of the sea so well. This storyline actually reminds me a bit of Hansel and Gretel, in which the evil witch (queen mermaid in this case) steals children, which is what Queen Arianne does in this book, and then uses them to do her bidding. I think even if this book did not have full illustrations,  the reader would have a clear picture in their mind. Foster really creates a captivating and imaginative plot! In my personal opinion, the illustrations are a bit too whimsical for me, but as you can see, they are quite beautiful and would definitely capture the mind of either a child or adult. I really recommend reading this if you like classic fairy tales, or if your child wants a cute bedtime story! I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Prince and The Mermaid by Ian Deuchar

** Finally! I am finally able to read mermaid books again! :) Between school and work its hard to read, but Im squeezing in time :) **

Book Type: Children's Literature

Author: Ian Duechar

Pages: 32

Summary(amazon.com):

In the first book he has both written and illustrated, artist Deuchar ( The Proverbial Mouse ; The Search for Spring ) presents a tale of enchantment and sadness. A retelling of a French folktale, the story involves a mermaid who becomes enamored by the sight of a prince; through "an ancient spell known only to mermaids" she turns into a beautiful woman--but only as long as her lover never knows her true form. The two marry and have a son, and all goes well, until a jealous woman enlists the aid of a witch to cast a spell of doubt over the prince. In time he follows the mermaid to the river where he sees her for the last time, as the spell and their hearts are broken. Deuchar's paintings masterfully convey the flavor of the period as well as the romance of the story. The accompanying text, which ends on a poignant note, provides a fresh and engaging rendering of the pain of a love unfortunately lost. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

My Review:

I would like to say please excuse my absence from writing. I have been extremely busy and it totally sucked! Anyways, after a long time of not being able to read any mermaid books, this was definitely a beautiful story. It was actually very similar to the story of Melusine, which is a classic mermaid story that is one of my favorites! The language that Deuchar uses is both perfect for children to understand, and for adults to love. However, what I loved most about this book was the beautiful illustrations! They were very life like, and when the mermaid is in her mer-form, she is absolutely gorgeous. Overall, I really enjoyed this cute fairytale and mermaid lovers will as well. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.

-Sirenita The Selkie 

PS: stay tuned for reviews, and check out the new links, and merstuff I have gotten recently :)

Hey everyone!
So school has started, and unfortunately Ive been busy with work and projects :/
right now Im working on a new book review that is very important for me to share with you,
but for now, Im working on an awesome mermaid tumblr !
Take a look!
http://mertarzan.tumblr.com/
-Sirenita The Selkie

Fins Series by Tera Lynn Childs

Book Type: Novels, Series
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Pages: A little over 200 for each

Summary of first book(amazon.com):

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.
When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

My Review:
Readers! I cannot stress how brilliant this series is! Personally I do not prefer to read series, but I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book after I finished the first. Tera Lynn Child's really mastered the difficult art of writing, especially about mermaids in this three part series. It was beautifully written with descriptions that you could really dive into and live in. Also, it was very quirky and funny as well! In some way, I could relate to Lily, who has to learn to juggle the many various aspects of life that continue to build as we get older, which includes how to juggle family time, boyfriend time and work time (in Lily's case, Princess time). I must also mention that this series has taken off at a phenomenal rate. People are making collages and descriptions of what Lily and Quince look like, and I really hope this could be an awesome movie some day. I also found a very cute trailer that someone made as well: *CONTAINS A BIT OF SPOILER *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rXF0dw8VEo

 I cant really discuss the series in depth because I dont want to ruin anything! However, I really recommend this series, readers. It is a very modern and fresh series that has taken off and is becoming wildly popular. I cant wait to buy the whole series to add it to my collection :) I give this series (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Little Mermaid by Charles Santore

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Charles Santore
Pages:

Summary(amazon.com):
The Little Mermaid's universal longing for freedom, independence, and love is made real by Santore's sensitive presentation. School Library Journal said, "The opulent full-page watercolors are a perfect complement to this stylish and authentic interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale."

My Review:
As the readers of my blog know, I will review any, and I mean any, Little Mermaid book I can get my hands on! I must say, next to Rachel Isadora's interpretation (also on the blog), this is my second favorite. What I love about this book is not only did the author keep the original text from the Hans Christian Anderson original, but the illustrations were absolutely breathtaking, and that definitely adds a bit of magic to any mermaid book. They were vibrantly colored, rich in detail and just simply breathtaking. Here are some pictures from the book:













Didn't I tell you? Amazing right? :)




























As you can see, the images in this book really bring the mystery of mermaids to life. I really recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of mermaids or The Little Mermaid story. I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie