Book Review: Forgive My Fins

Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Series: Fins #1
Release Date: May 19, 2010
Pages: 293
Read it in: 3 days

Summary: 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.

LC's Take:

Forgive My Fins was a super cute and lighthearted book. Even though I thought that the main story was somewhat cliche and predictable (yup, love triangle), it was told in such a sweet  and charming way that I didn't mind. In fact, one of the great things about this book was that it didn't take itself too seriously-- it was just fun and entertaining to read-- and in my own words-- "light-n-fluffy" :)

Ever since Lily Sanderson ventured into the human world-- and high school-- to see what life was like out of the ocean she calls home, she has had the biggest crush on Brodie Bennett. She's totally convinced that a kiss will seal the deal and make him bonded to her for life so that they can live happily ever after in Thalassinia, Lily's underwater home. However, in a cruel twist of fate, Lily is tricked into kissing her arch-nemesis, Quince Fletcher, and now Quince is turning into a merman-- and her bonded mate-- for good! Lily has to bring him back to her father's underwater kingdom in order to undo the bond before they are paired together for life.

So first, I thought that the underwater world that Tera Lynn created in this book was very creative and imaginative, along with all the things that make up a mermaid's life. For example, mermaids can transform into humans and live on land, and when they are underwater in the beautiful kingdom of Thalassinia, there are aquatic breakfast buffets (did you know that mermaids LOVE sushi?), sea villages, mer clothes, beautiful royal underwater rooms, and even underwater motor transport! I also loved all of Lily's fishy expressions and "swear words," which made me smile, I thought that giving her a fishy lingo was a really cute addition to her character!

I did like Lily as the main character, but I have to admit that she sort of annoyed me at times because she was just so darned slow to figure out who she wanted to be with-- she spent pretty much the entire book drooling over Brody, the hot popular guy at school who didn't give a crap about her, while completely ignoring Quince who clearly loved her and did everything he could to show her that he cared. It was really frustrating, having her be so obviously in denial for most of the story!

The epilogue was SUCH a cliff hanger and REALLY made me want to read the sequel, called Fins are Forever-- if the book had just ended with the last chapter, I don't think I would have been terribly interested in reading the second book, but that last page and a half at the end definitely has me wanting more!

If I had to sum up my impressions of this book, I would say that it was like a chick flick-- totally adorable, but pretty predictable. Altogether, I thought that Forgive My Fins was still completely entertaining, and was a great, quick read that will be very refreshing to you if you've been reading tons of dark paranormals or serious dystopians lately. So if you need a break and want to switch things up a little with a cotton candy book that is sweet, light and fluffy, I would give this one a try because it was definitely a lot of fun!

**I would also like to point out that, in my copy of Forgive My Fins, there are tons of cute and awesome extras! These include: a Sea Slang Glossary with all of Lily's favorite fishy sayings, a Royal Timeline of the Mer-royalty who have ruled Thalassinia, an extra chapter on when Quince first met Lily, and a recipe for Mermaid Cupcakes! Seriously?! And I thought this book couldn't get any more adorable ;)

~Cover Talk~

OK, so it's not that I don't like this cover, I do-- it's just that I like the UK edition so much better! I think that the colors on the US version are awesome, and it fits really well with the whole mermaid theme, but honestly I am just so much more in love with the Templar published edition, shown here on the right. I just love the cover model's face and smile, and  the overall design with the blue tones and the bright pink title...  It just looks much more fun and lively to me. Also, the makeup on the US model is so strange-- I don't know how much of a fan I am of blue lips! Which one do you like more?

LC's Rating:

A fun, quick read to add to your mermaid genre TBR list! The story line was super adorable, although somewhat predictable. I actually call this one a "cotton candy book" because it is sweet, light and fluffy haha... Check it out if you are in the mood for something not too serious!