The Little Mermaid Junior Novelization by Melissa Lagonegro and Disney

Book Type: Novel
Author: Melissa Lagonegro
Pages: 128

Summary:
The little mermaid Ariel wants to be human and nothing--not even a nasty sea witch—is going to stop her. Disney The Little Mermaid: The Junior Novelization is a complete retelling of this beloved Disney film and it features eight pages of full-color scenes from the movie for girls ages 8–12 who love the Disney princesses!

My Review:
I first stumbled upon this book while shopping on amazon.com for, what else? Mermaid books! I bought this on a whim and decided to give it a shot. I was so thrilled with my purchase! This book completely mimics the movie, from every single scene, character and even the script was kept in. None of the lines were changed which I really loved. This truly felt like I was reading and watching the movie at the same time. Where there should be songs in the movie, Langonegro simply summarized what the song was about, which was fine with me. I have to say merfolk, I have read a lot of "The Little Mermaid" books, but so far this one portrays the movie the best. Check this book out if you are as crazy about The Little Mermaid as I am! I give this book (*****) 5 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

Watersong Series by Amanda Hocking

Book Type: Novel/ Series
Author: Amanda Hocking
Pages: Book 1) 320   book 2) 368    book 3) 352  book 4) 560

Summary of first book(amazon.com):
Gemma Fisher seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door.  He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now she’s falling harder for him every day.  But Gemma doesn’t know that her ordinary life is about to change forever.

My Review:
Wow! I honestly cant even begin to describe how deep I dived into the pages of this book. It was a total physcological thriller that kept me reading and reading! I think I finished the first book in two days! Amanda Hocking managed to create likable characters that many readers can identify with. Readers can identify with Harper, who hides her emotions and is a logical thinker, or Gemma, who is a free spirit and defiant of the curse that keeps her locked. I also believe that young women who read this book will definitely have a crush on Alex, Gemma's boyfriend, Or Daniel, Harper's crush. Alex is a sweetheart, the boy-next-door, and Daniel is the badboy with a soft heart. 
This book also promotes positive female traits, such as standing up for what you believe in, courage, faith, and never giving up. I also thought the idea of having evil sirens(or mermaids) was such an interesting story concept! The girls who enter into the small town of Capri are named Penn, Lexi and Thea. Everyone knows they're strange, but nobody can pinpoint what is going on. Until one night, they turn Gemma into one of them. These girls were just plain mean! The second and third book added even more suspense to the last and final book. If you decide to read this series the last and final book, titled Elegy, it will make you go OMG... what?? It was so shocking, beautiful and just plain awesome! Read this series guys! You wont be disappointed! I give this series (*****) 5 stars!
-Sirenita The Selkie

PS: This trailer of the book "Wake" really sums it up! check it out here!

The Mermaid And The Whale by Georgess McHargue

Sorry for the fuzzy image. This book is
a bit old, and it was hard to find
a good image!

Book Type: Children's book
Author: Georgess McHargue
Pages: 40

Summary(goodreads.com):
Recounts a mermaid's determined efforts to win the love of a whale.

My Review:
This old sea story was a very charming book. Although readers can find the tale of "The Mermaid And The Whale" in other collections of mermaid stories, I believe this one really has some salt in it, meaning one can sense the age of this classic sea shanty. McHargue has captured the magic of this old sea tale, and I felt like I was listening to an old sailor talk about a tale he heard on his travels. However, I was not crazy about the illustrations at all, especially for a story involving the sea, and a beautiful mermaid! The images look more like concept art than beautiful illustrations, and they just seemed to lack life and most of all, color. Overall, this book was okay, but it is a bit antiquated and I am unsure if children or adults would find it interesting. I give this book (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Syrena Legacy Series by Anna Banks

Book Type: Novel
Author: Anna Banks
Pages:  Book 1) 324  Book 2) 246   Book 3) 330

Summary of "Of Poseidon"(first book, goodreads.com):
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance

My Review:

Book One:
When I had first began reading this series, I felt like the storyline was disjointed, there was a confusing plot, and too much going on. However, as the story progressed, the book began to grow on me! The storyline took a bit longer to develop then I expected, mainly because I was unaware that this is actually a series, with "Of Poseidon" being the first book. 
What I Liked:
I really think Anna Banks created an interesting culture that surrounds the Syrena's (the merfolk of the book) ways of life, especially the mating ceremonies and rituals. What I also found to be interesting was that there are little bits of science fiction and the Atlantis theory mixed in with the story. Emma and Rayna (Galen's sister) do play positive roles for teenage girls and women alike. They speak their mind, they're determined and strong, and aren't easily swayed by the men they adore. There is also a lot of romance in this book, and quite a bit of sexual tension between Galen and Emma, so readers who love romance will definitely love this first book.

Dislike! What Annoyed Me:
I found a couple of things to annoy me, such as the main character. I cant figure out her personality! She is clumsy and awkward one moment, then fiery and feisty the next. She also blushes way too much around Galen, and her phrase "ohmysweetgoodness" gets a bit old when its mentioned in the story so many times.  

I have to say, the ending of Poseidon was a great entry point into the second book! 
The first book gets (****) 4 stars.

Book Two: Of Triton
 I was very surprised when I finished the second book in the series. It was an excellent continuation of the series! 
In this book, the characters have matured so much, and this even includes Rayna. Instead of simple romantic scenes, the book has blossomed into more dramatic scenes that deal with the Syrena race and the Royals. Emma has also changed from being a clumsy "ohmysweetgoodness" teenager to a young woman, and her personality is more defined into a strong, independent girl who is no longer shy and passive around Galen. 
There was a deeper plot compared to the first book, and each chapter was left on an edge, leaving the reader wanting to continue.  
 I give this book (*****) 5 stars.



Book Three: Of Neptune
I was really dissapointed with the way this third book turned out, and frankly, I feel that it ruined the series for me. 

So This Is Love...? Not Really:
Although Emma and Galen supposedely love eachother, they still get embarrased to ask certain questions and are tentative to fully open up to one another. On one occasion, Emma wants to know if merpeople need laxatives  (why is she thinking of this?) and wants to ask Galen, but feels so embarrased that she might pass out. Love is about comfort and acceptance, and if she's embarrased about something so petty, how is this love?
Emma and Galen remind me of the fresh-out-of-high school couples that believe they are going to be together forever and think they're in love. However, there were a couple of times when Emma "tests the waters" with another man. In addition, I couldnt find any personality traits that they love about eachother. Everything is physical. Sure, I understand being enamored with someone physically when they first meet, but shouldnt the love have deepened by now?

Characters are Annoying:
Emma continued to annoy me in this third book. After Galen and Emma get into a fight, she starts to take interest in another character, named Reed. Although she turns him down when he wants to take it to the next level, she is a total lead on and flirt! That's not love! Get it together woman!
So let's talk about Reed. This kid is a half breed like Emma so naturally he has an interest in her. However, he is completely head over fins for her within a few days and even pledges life devotion to her! The relationships in this book are just shallow and unrealistic! 

Concluding Thoughts:
I would say the only thing that I liked about this book was that it reminded me of a dystopian book. Emma and Galen enter this village that is seemingly flawless on the outside, but has a lot of dark secrets and motives which readers will later discover.
I would rate this book (***) 3 stars. However, I would give this series (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie

The Little Mermaid adapted by Anthea Bell and Illustrations by Chihiro iwasaki

Book Type: Children's Book
Author: Hans Christian Anderson adapted by Anthea Bell
Pages: 33

Summary(amazon.com):

A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid's tail for legs, hoping to win a prince's love and earn an immortal soul for herself.

My Review:

It is a beautiful idea that so many people are reviving the classic story of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Anderson. However, I don't see much spark in this particular version. The story says it was "adapted" but it was very similar to the original text, which for me, can get a bit boring after reading the same story after a while. I also thought the illustrations were a bit bland. For a children's story, especially one so filled with magic and love should be a bit brighter and enticing, but they did fall a bit flat for me. Perhaps I just dont find water color art interesting. Overall, I give this book (***) 3 stars.

                                                               -Sirenita The Selkie

The Tail Of Emily Windsnap Series By Liz Kessler

The most recent

Emily Windsnap book

Book Type: Novel

Author: Liz Kessler

Pages In First Book: 209

Summary Of First Book (goodreads.com):

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery - about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident - an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love

My Review:

I absolutely adore this series. I believe the first book came out when I was about twelve years old, so naturally I found myself connecting with the main character, Emily Windsnap. What first gravitated me to read these books was the spectacular and whimsical book covers. However, deep within the sea of pages, the way Kessler crafted her words and thoughts were just as whimsical. I guarantee, that the moment you get through the first pages of the first Emily Windsnap book, you will truly fall under this mermaids spell. As the series continues, the story grows and becomes even more exciting. Emily Windsnap is definitely a series you want to read if you love mermaids as much as I do. By the way, don't listen to what other pages say about the age level. I find this book to be totally suitable to any age group. The books are also around 200 pages, but anyone who loves mermaids or loves to read can fly through this easily. I give this series (*****) 5 stars.

PS: The Other books in the series are:

Book 2) Emily Windsnap and the Monster From The Deep

Book 3) Emily Windsnap And The Castle In The Mist

Book 4) Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret

Book 5) Emily WIndsnap and the Land Of The Midnight Sun

-Sirenita The Selkie

End Of Mermaid Summer Reading Challenge

Hi Merfolk!

By John Waterhouse

Sorry this post is a little late. School and work have me swimming all over! The official ending of the summer reading challenge was August 26th, the day school started for me. This year I was able to read 27 books! Not too bad! In addition, I also started a few series, but I didn't want to post a blog post without finishing them. Its actually been really hard to get the books in these series! The series include:

1) The Watersong Series,  3 out of 4 books

2) Tempest Trilogy,  2 out of 3 books

3) Of Poseidon Trilogy, 1 out of 2 books

I hope to finish these series soon!
Keep on reading merfolk!
Remember to post how many mer-books you read this summer in the comment section below! :)
-Sirenita The Selkie