Review - Fathomless

by Jackson Pearce
publisher: Little, Brown & Co. BFYR
date of publication: September 4, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 304
source: from the publisher for review

From Goodreads:

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Ever since I read the very first of Jackson Pearce's fairy tale re-tellings, Sisters Red, I have been a big fan of her characters, settings, and her approach to the werewolf concept.  At the end of Sweetly, I was dying to find out what would happen next.  The ending of Sweetly hinted at so many great story elements that I was eager to continue on into the next part of the story.  When Fathomless arrived at my door, I was happy about the prospect of finally continuing that journey.  What I expected and what I found, however, did not exactly mesh this time around, and I found myself left with feelings equaling much less than enthusiasm.

At first the Reynolds twins prove to be an intriguing set of characters due to their abilities and their dynamic as triplets.  When the full extend of Celia's differences come to light, there is more interest and the potential for an engrossing narrative.  However, I found myself struggling to fully connect with Celia.  I wouldn't necessarily say that she strikes me as a push-over, but neither does she exhibit much by way of personal strengths.  Even her struggles with her untruths didn't provide as much development as I would have hoped.  I found Lo, the other MC, to be far more intriguing as she struggled to maintain her grasp on humanity and to uncover the truth behind her past.  With Lo, you know you are faced with a wonderfully dynamic character, thus leaving her chapters amongst my favorites throughout the entirety of the book.

As was hinted in Sweetly, the concept behind Fathomless was everything I hoped it would be.  The mermaids Lo lives amongst are such an alien group even given their human shape.  They may not have fish tails, but they are still very obviously not human.  Everything from their behavior to bluish skin hints at their lack of any shreds of humanity.  With the exception of Lo and a few others, none know who they once were, nor do they care.  It all made for an exceptional approach to the concept of mermaids and one I was very glad to see.

Though Fathomless didn't ring my bell as much as Sisters Red and Sweetly, there was still much to enjoy about the book.  When it comes to Lo and the nature of mermaids, there is so much to discover and ponder.  If you enjoy fairy tale adaptations and re-tellings, Fathomless is very much worth your time.  Even though I didn't enjoy this particular set of Reynolds siblings as much as those that appeared in the previous books, they did lend a continuity that made for a nice touch to the series overall.  If you are looking for a mermaid story with a darker slant, Fathomless just may be the book you are looking for.

Buy Fathomless at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Forgive My Fins

by Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: May 2010
Format: Hardcover
Pages:293
Source: blogger giveaway

From Goodreads:

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 – when 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.

I won this book in a giveaway hosted by Caitlin at Written Word Review. This was my first mermaid book as well as my first Tera Lynn Childs book, so I was excited to get it.

This novel was an easy read. I finished it quickly and enjoyed every minute of it. It was written well and simply. The fishy lingo was fun, though the usage was too heavy in the first half of the book, but eventually it tapered off to a decent level so as not to be overbearing and distracting. A lot of it was funny as well and I liked the creativity that went into crafting the phrases.

I did have a couple qualms, such as Lily, the MC, was very naive to be almost eighteen. It got annoying to see her fawning over Brody all the time while ignoring/hating Quince. Also, I feel there should have been more time spent showing Lily interacting with her best (human) friend Shannen, her best (mermaid) friend Peri, and Rachel, Lily's aunt, whom Lily lives with while on land. There just wasn't enough there to really get a feel for those relationships.

Going back to Quince (because he was definitely my favorite part of the book), I loved how he called Lily on her carp even though it hurt her to hear the truth. It made him more believable as a character because he didn't just do the love/serious/impress-the-parents thing or the jerk/not really/just-want-to-be-near-you/sexy-bad-boy thing, even though both of those things worked just fine for him.

See, he also did the I'm-in-love-with-you-but-you're-being-an-idiot thing, which I respect more than unrequited love because it shows just how much he was willing to do for Lily, even if it made her dislike him. Quince also had some great lines which let his personality shine and smolder. Definitely one of the more swoon-worthy love interests that I've read about in a while.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this novel. I was simultaneously sad/glad about the ending, but I'm curious as to what lies ahead for Lily and company. Some might say that the story was predictable, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of it. I recently finished the second installment, Fins are Forever, and look forward to reading the next book in the series, Just for Fins.

Where you can buy Forgive My Fins:

Amazon / IndieBound / The Book Depository

*Note: This review originally appeared in its unrevised format on Writer Quirk.

Review - Lies Beneath

by Anne Greenwood Brown
publisher: Delacorte BFYR
date of publication: June 12, 2012
format: digital review copy
pages: 303
source: Netgalley

From Goodreads

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Just when I thought that I wouldn't find a mermaid novel that I enjoyed 100% of the time, along came Lies Beneath to change my mind. Though there have been many mermaid books in recent months, Lies Beneath managed to introduce a story that I became fully immersed in. With a look at the dark side of mermaids, Lies Beneath gave me chills and made me sit up and take notice all at once. With a main character in the midst of a transformation and villains who are quite literally cold-blooded, this book drew me in hook, line, and sinker.

Calder White came as a complete surprise. At first, he is not someone you would want to encounter. The homicidal tendencies of mermaids is first introduced through him and, I have to say, he is very successful at establishing the lore present in this world. As the story continues, however, it is revealed that there is more to Calder White than meets the eye. He is all at once both less and more than his sisters, which was a really great aspect to his character. Following along as he attains some humanity is fascinating and, at times, moving. Lily Hancock, the catalyst which brings about the changes Calder goes through is both naive and stubborn. At times, I couldn't decide whether to cheer her on or yell at her for some of her decisions. All in all, the entire array of characters present in Lies Beneath made for a truly interesting reading experience.

The pacing is what you might expect from a story of this time. As it takes place in a sleepy town and centers around a plot that requires calculation and a steady build-up, the pace moves along at just the right clip. I didn't feel as though I was being rushed along, nor did I feel bogged down by too many details. The writing was very easy to keep up with. The descriptions of everything from the settings to the people were capable of making these elements easily imagined. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Calder's journeys underneath the water. They made the story come to life bit by bit until I had a full understanding of everything that was going on in this intriguing world.

Lies Beneath would make for an excellent beach read. Its intriguing premise and entertaining characters make it a great pick for a day of reading whether on vacation or at home. It ended in such a way that left me content and satisfied, which is a definite mark in its favor. These aren't the mermaids you may remember from childhood fairy tales. What you get here is a glimpse at what came before there were things such as Disney's The Little Mermaid. If you enjoy books that incorporate different folklore, then Lies Beneath is definitely one you need to check out.

Buy Lies Beneath at the Following Locations

Amazon /  IndieBound  /  B&N  /  The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - The Vicious Deep

by Zoraida Cordova
publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
date of publication: May 1, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 384
source: Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours
read it in: 2 days

From Goodreads :

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

Tristan Hart has managed to make a name for himself amongst the girls at his school as a womanizer and, to some, a jerk.  Things are about to change, however, when he is washed out to sea by a freak tidal wave.  When he is found laying upon the beach by his best friend, it is with the realization that he can't quite remember what happened to him and that his feelings for his friend are growing stronger.  There's another problem, however: he was missing for 3 days and no other survivors have been found.  As if that weren't enough, he's beginning to change.  Can Tristan hold the remaining shreds of his life as he knows it together, all the while trying to stop a force that could bring the world to its knees?

I know that Tristan is supposed to be something of a jerk in the process of reforming.  I get that.  However, while I did have problems becoming interested in him as a main character, he isn't the only character that I found myself supremely annoyed by.  I'm just going to say it plainly: Layla drove me absolutely batty!  Sure, her attitude toward Tristan is often warranted, but there are other moments that left me wondering just what was supposed to be so appealing about this girl.  It was all so over-the-top that it became more of a distraction than anything.  I found myself more drawn to Tristan's parents and "cousins" than either Tristan, himself, or Layla.  Neither were exactly my cup of tea.

The settings were much more appealing, as they were written with great attention to detail and no small amount of imagination.  Even if I didn't enjoy the primary character and his best friend, I did enjoy the adventure he set out on.  The villains were threatening and ensured that the story had the level of urgency needed to warrant the troubles Tristan encounters and the tasks he is set are intriguing.  The plot did hit a few snags that left me confused, but it did manage to bounce back and catch me up to speed.  Over all, the story's progression was a good one and I enjoyed the quest aspect more than I would have expected initially.

The Vicious Deep may not have resonated with me as much as I had hoped it would, but I did see the potential in the story by the end of the book.  Having been the first mermaid (merman?) story I had read in quite a while, it did rekindle my interest in the subject, which is always a nice touch.  I will keep an open mind about the next book in the series, but I know that I have some hopes for things I would like to see in it.  It is my hope that I can become more attuned to the characters in the future and that the plot keeps intensifying.  I'll be waiting to see where the story goes from here.

Buy The Vicious Deep at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository 

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Southern Book Blogger ARC Tours. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.

Review - Of Poseidon

by Anna Banks
publisher: Feiwel & Friends
date of publication: May 22, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 324
source: from the publisher as part of the Fierce Reads campaign
read it in: 2 days

From Goodreads:

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

Emma doesn't know what hit her (or rather, what she just hit) when she stumbles into a gorgeous boy on the beach.  Little does she know, Galen's not just any boy: he's a Syrena prince, and he's searching for a girl with a very rare power.  When tragedy strikes and a startling talent is revealed, Emma's world begins to change in ways she could never have expected.  As the two begin to develop feelings for each other, both will have to come to terms with what all that they thought they knew.  Will things work out in end... or will it all be for nothing?

Emma is such a fun character to read about.  Much of her dialog is just plain funny and I found myself laughing at her quips from the very first page.  She's also stubborn and far more temperamental than she initially gives herself credit for, which gives you the sense of knowing her more than she knows herself, sometimes.  She is very much a firecracker and she can definitely keep you on your toes just as much as she keeps Galen on his!  As for Galen, he does have some irritating, macho qualities, but he does seem to be learning ever so slowly by the end of the book.  Keep it up, Galen!

I really enjoyed the way in which Of Poseidon was written.  The dialog was witty and fast-paced, which made for a smooth ride through the story.  I know some have been thrown off by the transition from first person narration to third person omniscient, but I didn't have any issues with it and think I may even see where Ms. Banks is coming from with it.  The first person narration, in this case depicting Emma's point of view, works as a means of telling the story from the main character's perspective, whereas the third person omniscient narration shows us what Galen is thinking and feeling without adding a second distinctive voice.  It made for an interesting change from what you usually see with dual perspective novels, one which I rather liked.  The only problem I encountered was a minor one in that I kept waiting for a huge threat to be revealed, since there were some allusions made to such an event.  What was revealed was shocking, but not quite what I expected.  If this is the only problem, however, I think it's safe to say that this is an amazing book and I very happy when all was said and done.

Of Poseidon is a delightfully fun read with great banter and an awesome premise.  The characters were easy to get into and the mystery element is imaginative and well laid out.  There's nothing quite like a good story and I can definitely say that Anna Banks has delivered with her oceanic offering.  The cliff-hanger ending left me wanting to keep right on reading and I can't wait to read the second installment.  Of Poseidon is one of my favorite "merpeople-centric" books, so far.  This will be a series to keep an eye on.

Buy Of Poseidon at the Following Locations

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This ARC was provided to me free of charge by the publisher as part of the Fierce Reads campaign. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.