I think my basic opinion of this book is that it was good overall but that it lacked a little in execution--like, the plot and idea were intriguing, but there were enough things that grated on my nerves to keep me from loving the book wholeheartedly.Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. Just a few weeks after moving to the beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her... and maybe even find true love along the way.
One of the major things was that Marina was like a 40-year-old in a 16-year-old’s body or something: she constantly used words like “musn’t” and “nonsense” and just generally didn’t sound anything like an actual teenager. She was also a little too aware of her own virtues and didn’t have any of the insecurities teenagers have, which kinda ended up making her seem full of herself.
The other main hang up I had was that everyone in the book was a genius at something: Marina is brilliant at art, Cruz is a gifted designer, Megan is a talented singer, Evie is a former model, and Marina’s dad wins the Nobel Prize. I just thought it got a little ridiculous. I mean, where are the normal people?
But guess what? This book doesn’t have a love triangle!!! I can’t even begin to express how happy that makes me. The romance is straight forward, and Ethan is completely likable.
Like I said before, I did like the plot--Marina’s involvement with the mermaids is pretty cool. The only other mermaid book I’ve read is “Forgive My Fins”--which is a completely different kind of mermaid story--so I was totally sucked into the world of mermaids that this author created. I also liked Marina’s friends and family. They seemed like fairly awesome people, and I wouldn’t mind hanging out with any of them.
Overall, it’s an interesting book with a good plot, but some of the minor details in the book’s writing got on my nerves after a while--not enough to turn me off the book but enough to stop me from really liking it.
Received for review
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Another book that's been getting great reviews that I wasn't sure whether I should read. I don't know how I feel about a book full of super genius' for no particular reason. I mean a Nobel Prize winner? That's gotta be a first. I haven't read any mermaid books either so I'm a bit reluctant to read one I might not enjoy.
ReplyDeleteLOL! I love the word "nonsense"! It's not in my own vocabulary either (because I'm a contraction-loving, modern language kind of girl), but you have to admit that it's so hilarious to hear people say it, especially when they're just kidding around! x)
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, Karen! It's too bad that this wasn't a WOW-AMAZING book for you, but I hope you'll find one soon! :)