ARC Book Review: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Pages: 352
Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary: Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

LC's Take:

"Ohmysweetgoodness!" I loved loved loved this book!

I think what I liked the most about Of Poseidon was how the author took a genre that has already been done many times before and created a new version all her own. Instead of calling the characters "mermaids," they are called "Syrena." Their fins aren't scaly and slippery, but velvety. They're able to change into human form when they need to. I loved discovering all the little details about the Syrena and what made them different from any other paranormal creatures I've read about before-- it made the story very unique!

The main character Emma was awesome-- independent, feisty, and snarky to the point of making me giggle throughout the entire book, I loved her! As the story begins, Emma has just faced a horrible tragedy involving a shark attack. Around the same time, a mysterious (and gorgeous) guy named Galen starts following her around. Before long, Emma is starting to realize that something is very different about her since the attack... and Galen knows something about her that she doesn't!

The story itself was super cute and full of mystery and intrigue. Who exactly is Emma-- or maybe more to the point, what is she? And will Galen be able to figure out the secret in time to save the underwater world of the Syrena? Also, the love story that unfolds between Emma and Galen was too adorable. I was pretty much dying laughing from the very first chapter when our heroine smacks her head into the model-esque chest of her soon to be merman love interest-- talk about embarrassing! And it was beyond entertaining to listen to their love-squabbles and friendly jabs at each other throughout the book. I especially liked their relationship because it didn't happen all at once, but took time to develop. This built up my interest much more than by throwing an unbelievable romance in my face.

The other characters were so much fun-- Galen was incredibly dreamy, and I was definitely rooting for him the entire time. I also liked that the book was split in half between Emma and Galen's POVs so we could see both their sides of the story. Galen's sister Rayna was a real spit-fire, who you hate at first but then come around to liking. She had me cracking up every time she rejected Toraf's romantic advances on her, and I couldn't believe how Toraf gets back at her for playing hard to get! 

Oh, and the ending!! Seriously, it knocked me for a total loop. It was such an unexpected cliff hanger and I am just dying to get my hands on the next book now to see what is going to happen! Altogether, this was a great, original story that had the perfect mix of romance, mystery and humor. I was really impressed and would definitely recommend it, because this is one 2012 release that you are not going to want to miss!

~Cover Talk~

I just love the cover for this book, it is so graceful and beautiful! I also like the fact that it's not super literal-- like, hey here's a book about mermaids, let's slap a picture of a mermaid on the cover! Instead, it's much more suggestive of what the story is actually about (which I won't give away, you'll just have to read it!) The flowing white dress also really stands out against the dark water background. So pretty!

LC's Rating:

This book was, in the words of Emma, fan-flipping-tastic. Awesome characters, can't-put-it-down story, intriguing romance, and one crazy cliff-hanger made this a book one that I could not put down!

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!

Book Review: Lost Voices

Author: Sarah Porter
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: July 4, 2011
Pages: 304
Read it in: 3 days

Summary: What happens to the girls nobody hears when they cry for help? Luce is one of those girls. After her father vanishes in a storm at sea, she is stuck in a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village with her alcoholic uncle. When her uncle crosses an unspeakable line, Luce reaches the depths of despair. Abandoned on the cliffs near her home, she expects to die when she tumbles to the icy, churning waves below. Instead, she undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid.

A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in-- all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. The mermaids are beautiful, free, and ageless, and Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: they feel an uncontrollable desire to lure ships into the rocks.

Luce's own remarkable singing talent captures the attention of the tribe's queen, the fierce and elegant Catarina, and Luce soon finds herself pressured to join in committing mass murder. Luce's struggle to retain her inner humanity puts her at odds with her friends; even worse, Catarina seems to regard Luce as a potential rival. But the appearance of a devious new mermaid brings a real threat to Catarina's leadership and endangers the very existence of the tribe. Can Luce fins the challenge to challenge the newcomer, even at the risk of becoming rejected and alone once again?

Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original take about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

LC's Take: 

OK, so.... This was one of those books that I had a difficult time reviewing, because there were things I both liked and disliked about it. Lost Voices was definitely a creative and captivating story with beautiful underwater worlds, but at the same time I became so incredibly annoyed and frustrated with the characters that it was slightly painful at times to get through.

I did like Luce, the main character. She was really sweet and someone who you could immediately sympathize with from the very beginning. I was so happy when she became a mermaid and was finally able to escape from her hellish life that consisted of being friendless and humiliated at school, and then abused and terrified at home with her alcoholic uncle. I really felt for this shy, scared, vulnerable girl, and felt almost triumphant when she transformed into a strong, new, beautiful being...

But then there were the other mermaids. I didn't like them at all. First there was Catarina, the queen of the mermaid tribe. At first I liked her because there was an air of mystery surrounding her-- she was complex, contradicting and definitely creepy all at the same time. But as the story progressed, I just started to get annoyed with her. First, she was the biggest hypocrite, and second, she was a complete failure as a leader-- all because of her blinding pride and vanity. I can understand that that was all part of her character and how her past life as a human had damaged her so badly, but how was she queen for so long when she was so easy to manipulate? Why did she just let the other mermaids go and do whatever they wanted, endangering their very existence? Just because of her petty jealousy of Luce?

And then there were the 14 mermaids that Luce saved. When they were still human, I liked them and felt sorry for them. But after they turned into mermaids, they became so incredibly dumb, vindictive and selfish that it was a wonder the tribe lasted for as long as it did. Everyone was just so gullible, blinded, stubborn and back-stabbing that at times it was hard to keep reading without wanting to knock some sense into them!  I seriously couldn't even believe how dense everyone was-- yes, it forwarded the plot and created conflict, but it also made me want to bang my head against the wall in total frustration. At times I even got annoyed with Luce for not having more backbone to stand up for herself and tell everyone off before things got completely out of control. During the scene where Luce saves all of them, I just wanted her to shout at Jenna and Dana, "Stop being so slow! You're mermaids!! Now get your arses back to safety before you become tasty whale snacks!" Jenna managed to become even more exasperatingly dumb, and then turned extremely mean and condescending to Luce after Luce had saved her life. Could not stand Jenna.

And speaking of characters I couldn't stand, let's talk about Anais for a moment. Seriously, I just wanted to fin-slap this girl into next week, she was that horrible and annoying. She wouldn't stop bragging about her designer jeans or her birthday parties or her Manolo freaking Blahniks-- which she humorously wore on her head because she didn't have feet anymore once she turned into a mermaid! Then she pretty much single-handedly turned every TSTL (To Stupid To Live) mermaid against Luce with lies and empty arguments and got away with murder-- literally. Seriously, if it was this easy for one bratty mermaid to poison the whole tribe, why hadn't it happened long before? And why did Luce think she was the one who had ruined everything when it was obviously not her fault?? Argh!! Somebody help me out here!

I get that these mermaids were the products of human cruelty-- that they became mermaids at the very darkest moment of their lives, after being abandoned, abused or otherwise forgotten. Therefore, the way they think and behave is a reflection of all the painful memories and emotions stored inside them. I guess I just wish that their characters were portrayed with a little more optimism, instead of coming across as so dismal and hopeless. Honestly, I wanted to like Catarina, and I wanted to find something redeeming in Anias-- but in the end, they were both disappointingly one-sided.

The ending was also extremely abrupt-- it was one of those endings where you're on the second to last page and wondering how on earth the whole thing is going to wrap up in a couple paragraphs. I had thought that this was a stand-alone book-- but lo-and-behold-- Lost Voices is the first in a trilogy! The next book is Waking Storms, and it is set to be released in July 2012. The third book will be called The Twice Lost, and is still in the process of being written. I will be looking out for both of these, in the hopes that the characters will mature somewhat-- which I know is asking a lot considering that Luce is only 14, but I do hope she learns to become more confident, assertive, and strong-minded.

*** One last thing: I do think that the cover for this book is beautiful, but I wish, wish, wish that the mermaid shown wasn't so stereotypical with her long, wavy, blond hair and pale skin-- this is not Luce! In the book, Luce has a dark, short pixie-cut and olive-toned skin-- even as a mermaid. I thought that this was so refreshingly original, to have her be different! Why didn't the cover portray this individuality?? I really wish it did!

All in all, I would recommend this book because the story was original and the characters were memorable, even if they did get on my nerves. There was, in the end, a reason behind their actions and the plot made sense. Also, Sarah Porter is truly an amazing storyteller, able to put you right in the middle of the action and paint watery worlds with lyrical descriptions. Even though there was no cheerful, optimistic ending with strings neatly tied, this book does set you up for the rest of Luce's story, and leaves you wondering what will happen next!

LC's Rating:

I liked this book for the most part, and Luce the main character was easy to love and sympathize with. However, the other characters were so aggravating that it was difficult to really care about what happened to them after awhile. The ending definitely left me wondering what's going to happen in the next book, and I will be on the look-out for the continuation of Luce's story...