4/5 stars
Synopsis
Warning! This section contains spoilers, if you would like to avoid these spoilers, jump to the review below.
The book started off with the main character listening to a news broadcast about a shipwreck. Her mother, who was a salvage diver, had to hurry and get to the wreck. The main character then met up with some of her friends.
The main character’s mother got a salvage job in Poland, so they went there.
The main character and her mother arrived in Poland and learned about the shipwreck they were going to search. Then the main character went swimming and sailing with a guy. The small boat they were on tipped in a storm.
The main character inhaled water after struggling to swim in the rough water, and changed into a mermaid.
She found the guy she was sailing with and resuscitated him, then went and hid.
The main character discovered after she became a mermaid that the guy she was boating with was her mate. She really wanted to do the dirty with him but knew he would get into a lot of trouble if she did that. So she resisted her instincts.
The main character and her mother had an argument, and they both ran to the ocean. The main character found a boat that was catching sharks for their fins and decided to stop them.
The main character discovered that she had the ability to control the ocean, and commanded the person who was catching the sharks to turn himself in.
The person who hired them to search a shipwreck passed away suddenly, and he named the main character his heir.
Review
The main character’s mother was chained to the land because of her daughter, and her mother felt awful that she wasn’t able to change into a mermaid. I liked the tension this brought to the story.
I don’t like how the author switched between present and past tense. The story was told in past tense, but the inner thoughts and the descriptions of things were in present tense. It was jarring. It would have been better if the author picked one and stuck with it.
I did like how the main character was aware that her mom wasn’t human. That was different from other books I have read where the main characters find out that they aren’t human and they’re shocked.
I thought the development of the mermaids was interesting. It was different. Mermaids were only ever female. They would leave the ocean to find a mate, so they could have a child. And if they had a boy, they would mourn, then disappear. If they had a girl, they would take the girl with them when they left. Mermaids in the book didn’t seem human emotionally, which was interesting. I found it to be sad as well. Kids and husband were abandoned by their mothers/wives, and would never know why because the mermaids never revealed what they were. I believe family is one of the most important things in life, so the mermaids’ lack of family was really sad for me.
Throughout the story, the main character was terrified of her mom leaving her. But at the same time she knew she would be alright if her mom did leave her. The fear that the main character felt throughout the book brought tension and helped make the characters seem real. I liked how it made me more invested in the story.
Overall, I liked the book. There were a few things I didn’t like, but it was a good story.
Fireheart Books 