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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
The Mermaid's Mirror (which I don't think is a good title, because the story actually had little to do with the mirror) is the first mermaid book I’ve read in a long time, the last one I read was a children's book called The Tail of Emily Windsnap. While I admit that "The Little Mermaid" is one of my favorite fairy tales/Disney movies, I’m not really into mermaids when it comes to literature.
You see, mermaid stories are always predictable. The main character always lives by the sea and needs to have always been “mysteriously drawn” toward it. And for some reason their parents are overprotective when it comes to the water. And then they discover that one of their real parents is a mer-person and spends time with them underwater before they choose whether to live on land or sea.
Anyways, I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It could have passed for realistic fiction. While the detail surrounding Lena’s town and school was chalky, the lush descriptions of the beach made up for it. You could tell that the author actually spent time at the beach rather than just looking at pictures online.
Kai and Lena’s relationship, with Lena unsure of how she really feels about Kai, was pleasantly realistic. However, I didn’t like Lena at all. She was very self-centered. Especially when she goes to the movies with her friends and then tricks them so she can sneak off to go surfing. Lena had so little regard for others!
The second half of the book, in which Lena (this is sort of a spoiler, but this happens in all mermaid stories, so you knew it was coming) goes underwater with her mermaid mother, feels completely different from the first half. In the Afterward, Madigan mentions that The Mermaid’s Mirror was originally going to be a middle grade/children’s book. I think that most of the second half stayed true to the original children’s manuscript. Madigan’s underwater world was underdeveloped and too simple; the mer-people and their way of life were full of clichés. I have some issues with the relationship Lena has with a mer-man, but I don't want to give away too many spoilers. Also, I think that because Lena was half-mermaid, she should have had more magic. For example, she could have had legs when on land and a tail when in the water or something like that.
The ending was good in my opinion. It was conclusive, but the plot wasn't wholly resolved so there's still room for a sequel.
You see, mermaid stories are always predictable. The main character always lives by the sea and needs to have always been “mysteriously drawn” toward it. And for some reason their parents are overprotective when it comes to the water. And then they discover that one of their real parents is a mer-person and spends time with them underwater before they choose whether to live on land or sea.
Anyways, I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It could have passed for realistic fiction. While the detail surrounding Lena’s town and school was chalky, the lush descriptions of the beach made up for it. You could tell that the author actually spent time at the beach rather than just looking at pictures online.
Kai and Lena’s relationship, with Lena unsure of how she really feels about Kai, was pleasantly realistic. However, I didn’t like Lena at all. She was very self-centered. Especially when she goes to the movies with her friends and then tricks them so she can sneak off to go surfing. Lena had so little regard for others!
The second half of the book, in which Lena (this is sort of a spoiler, but this happens in all mermaid stories, so you knew it was coming) goes underwater with her mermaid mother, feels completely different from the first half. In the Afterward, Madigan mentions that The Mermaid’s Mirror was originally going to be a middle grade/children’s book. I think that most of the second half stayed true to the original children’s manuscript. Madigan’s underwater world was underdeveloped and too simple; the mer-people and their way of life were full of clichés. I have some issues with the relationship Lena has with a mer-man, but I don't want to give away too many spoilers. Also, I think that because Lena was half-mermaid, she should have had more magic. For example, she could have had legs when on land and a tail when in the water or something like that.
The ending was good in my opinion. It was conclusive, but the plot wasn't wholly resolved so there's still room for a sequel.
I am a big fan of mermaids, and mermaid lore, and mermaid books. This book was definitely one of my favorites, though I'm really not pleased with the ending. It wasn't a HEA so don't expect that if you read...it wasn't a sad ending either, just maybe bittersweet and probably in following with a "Little Mermaid" theme of things. Though I also would not call this a retelling as the story is SO different than others in the genre.
Lena is a very likable character, though I didn't care for how she treated her boyfriend. Not that she was mean, more like indifferent. I loved her interactions with her family though. And even though there was tension and secrets, you could tell the family truly loved each other and was there for each other.
I also liked the addition of the surfing aspect to the story. I haven't read a mermaid book before with such an emphasis on surfing and I think it added a lot to the tale.
I recommend this book for lovers of mermaids, or of YA fantasy.
Lena is a very likable character, though I didn't care for how she treated her boyfriend. Not that she was mean, more like indifferent. I loved her interactions with her family though. And even though there was tension and secrets, you could tell the family truly loved each other and was there for each other.
I also liked the addition of the surfing aspect to the story. I haven't read a mermaid book before with such an emphasis on surfing and I think it added a lot to the tale.
I recommend this book for lovers of mermaids, or of YA fantasy.
Received as an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
I've probably watched the Little Mermaid a thousand times as a kid, I think it drove my parents nearly crazy. I can probably still sing along with all the songs, I was always particularly fond of Part of Your World and Under the Sea.
So I was really excited to be reading a YA fantasy about mermaids for a change! They're so much more graceful and colorful than all those vampires and werewolves roaming around.
Lena has always loved the sea and goes there with her best friend Pem and boyfriend Kai (who used to be her other best friend) all the time, watching them surf. Her father nearly drowned while surfing once and because of that doesn't want Lena learning how to.
Other than that Lena's home life is pretty nice, her mom died when she was 4 years old, but her stepmom Allie fills the void she left behind. And she has a baby brother who she loves very much.
Things start to go wrong when Lena finds herself sleepwalking to the beach, to
Magic Crescent Cove in particular, where only the most experienced surfers go and also seeing a woman with a silvery tail in the water.
She struggles with the concern of her family, the awkwardness that exists between her, Pem and Kai ever since she and Kai got together and with being with Kai in general.
Lena decides it's time she learned how to surf herself and takes lessons from Kai's sister. She's a natural and in no time is surfing by herself, of course at Magic's. Sure enough, this goes wrong and she's rescued by someone who no one on the beach remembers seeing afterwards, who also gives her a golden key.
Now Lena must find the lock the key fits to and discover what's really in her family history.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was so refreshing that Lena has a stepmom, but loves her very much and she generally has a healthy family situation. You come across so many books these days where this isn't the case. Of course, there are fights and secrets, but those aren't there just for the sake of drama, they really have to do with the main storyline. I also loved Cole, Lena's little brother, who in the end plays an important part, though he probably doesn't know it.
The scenes with Kai and Lena were uncomfortable, not that they did anything other than kissing, but I didn't feel like Lena really wanted to be with him. This is explained further along in the book, but upon first reading these it was a bit awkward. Major props to the author for not being overly obvious, but still managing to instill a feeling of unease.
The part I loved best was from the moment Lena finds the mermaid's mirror, then the story is really propelled forward and is just heartbreakingly beautiful. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I'm sad this isn't part of a series, I could have explored this world for much longer. I'm hoping Madigan will write a sequel because I want to know what happens to Lena and her family! The images Madigan paints from the underwater world are beautiful and I was transformed back into a kid admiring Ariel's world.
All in all, Lena was a likeable character and my love for mermaids is renewed after reading this book.
My rating: 5 stars
I've probably watched the Little Mermaid a thousand times as a kid, I think it drove my parents nearly crazy. I can probably still sing along with all the songs, I was always particularly fond of Part of Your World and Under the Sea.
So I was really excited to be reading a YA fantasy about mermaids for a change! They're so much more graceful and colorful than all those vampires and werewolves roaming around.
Lena has always loved the sea and goes there with her best friend Pem and boyfriend Kai (who used to be her other best friend) all the time, watching them surf. Her father nearly drowned while surfing once and because of that doesn't want Lena learning how to.
Other than that Lena's home life is pretty nice, her mom died when she was 4 years old, but her stepmom Allie fills the void she left behind. And she has a baby brother who she loves very much.
Things start to go wrong when Lena finds herself sleepwalking to the beach, to
Magic Crescent Cove in particular, where only the most experienced surfers go and also seeing a woman with a silvery tail in the water.
She struggles with the concern of her family, the awkwardness that exists between her, Pem and Kai ever since she and Kai got together and with being with Kai in general.
Lena decides it's time she learned how to surf herself and takes lessons from Kai's sister. She's a natural and in no time is surfing by herself, of course at Magic's. Sure enough, this goes wrong and she's rescued by someone who no one on the beach remembers seeing afterwards, who also gives her a golden key.
Now Lena must find the lock the key fits to and discover what's really in her family history.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was so refreshing that Lena has a stepmom, but loves her very much and she generally has a healthy family situation. You come across so many books these days where this isn't the case. Of course, there are fights and secrets, but those aren't there just for the sake of drama, they really have to do with the main storyline. I also loved Cole, Lena's little brother, who in the end plays an important part, though he probably doesn't know it.
The scenes with Kai and Lena were uncomfortable, not that they did anything other than kissing, but I didn't feel like Lena really wanted to be with him. This is explained further along in the book, but upon first reading these it was a bit awkward. Major props to the author for not being overly obvious, but still managing to instill a feeling of unease.
The part I loved best was from the moment Lena finds the mermaid's mirror, then the story is really propelled forward and is just heartbreakingly beautiful. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I'm sad this isn't part of a series, I could have explored this world for much longer. I'm hoping Madigan will write a sequel because I want to know what happens to Lena and her family! The images Madigan paints from the underwater world are beautiful and I was transformed back into a kid admiring Ariel's world.
All in all, Lena was a likeable character and my love for mermaids is renewed after reading this book.
My rating: 5 stars
Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin for letting me download this on Netgalley. :)
I LOVED this story! It was incredibly unique and the story seemed to weave together seamlessly. I loved Lena, and her family. Cole was freaking adorable, I always wanted a tiny little brother like him. Her father was probably one of the coolest dudes ever and her step-mom was pretty awesome too. You know your step-mom's pretty great when you call her mom instead of her first name. Her friends had totally different personalities and I also loved that there was diversity in this story.
The settings were described so fluidly and descriptively. This book made me want to go to the ocean, learn to surf, swim in giant waves, and walk on the beach. And the mermaids...well I love mermaids! I think you're crazy if you're don't, well maybe not crazy, but you're definitely missing out.
This story had me on my toes and I didn't want to stop reading. It was beautifully written and is definitely a book that you don't want to miss!
I LOVED this story! It was incredibly unique and the story seemed to weave together seamlessly. I loved Lena, and her family. Cole was freaking adorable, I always wanted a tiny little brother like him. Her father was probably one of the coolest dudes ever and her step-mom was pretty awesome too. You know your step-mom's pretty great when you call her mom instead of her first name. Her friends had totally different personalities and I also loved that there was diversity in this story.
The settings were described so fluidly and descriptively. This book made me want to go to the ocean, learn to surf, swim in giant waves, and walk on the beach. And the mermaids...well I love mermaids! I think you're crazy if you're don't, well maybe not crazy, but you're definitely missing out.
This story had me on my toes and I didn't want to stop reading. It was beautifully written and is definitely a book that you don't want to miss!
I found this book...unconvincing. I think the dialogue was mostly stilted, the relationships between the characters were pretty shallow, and I didn't see much in the way of character nuance or development in Lena, our protagonist. I was expecting a YA book when I picked it up, and Lena is definitely 16, but the book read middle grade. It would be an acceptable middle grade novel, if we aged down Lena and her friends--and by acceptable, what I mean is, I don't think a 5th grader looking for books about mermaids would be turned off. I don't think a teenager would find much to love, here.
The mermaid village wasn't as detailed as I'd want to see, and I didn't buy Lena's connection to either world enough for the Extreme Turmoil she was apparently supposed to have been feeling...
Ugh, not my jam, but I don't think this was one of those books I read at the wrong time or was just wrong for me, as a reader. The cover/marketing was wrong for the book, and the book wasn't that great.
The mermaid village wasn't as detailed as I'd want to see, and I didn't buy Lena's connection to either world enough for the Extreme Turmoil she was apparently supposed to have been feeling...
Ugh, not my jam, but I don't think this was one of those books I read at the wrong time or was just wrong for me, as a reader. The cover/marketing was wrong for the book, and the book wasn't that great.
~May contain possible spoilers.~
I love mermaids. They're one of my favorite creatures ever. So you can imagine my excitement to read this, yes? Well that flew out the window quickly.
First of all, relationships do not develop in a matter of days! Lena's other suitor does not appear till the last half of the book (more like the last one-quarter) and within days they're in love and ready to proclaim to the world. No, nonononono. I literally rolled my eyes when I read that.
The book wasn't difficult to get through. I never really felt like I had to pause because I was getting bored, but what bored me about the book was the fact that it felt like nothing unique and that nothing was every really happening.
Lena's got a personality but I just couldn't connect with her. There just wasn't anything in her or her struggle that I found in some way I could relate to or just overall care about. A reason for this could be for the fact that the girl possess no sense of compassion. When Lena finds out the truth of her past, she's a real bitch to her parents. I understand where her frustration comes, I'd be pissed off too, but come on. Can't you at least sit and down and maybe think why your parents kept things from you? Maybe to protect you? She was just so bitter with them it turned me off.
I wanted to like this. So much.
I love mermaids. They're one of my favorite creatures ever. So you can imagine my excitement to read this, yes? Well that flew out the window quickly.
First of all, relationships do not develop in a matter of days! Lena's other suitor does not appear till the last half of the book (more like the last one-quarter) and within days they're in love and ready to proclaim to the world. No, nonononono. I literally rolled my eyes when I read that.
The book wasn't difficult to get through. I never really felt like I had to pause because I was getting bored, but what bored me about the book was the fact that it felt like nothing unique and that nothing was every really happening.
Lena's got a personality but I just couldn't connect with her. There just wasn't anything in her or her struggle that I found in some way I could relate to or just overall care about. A reason for this could be for the fact that the girl possess no sense of compassion. When Lena finds out the truth of her past, she's a real bitch to her parents. I understand where her frustration comes, I'd be pissed off too, but come on. Can't you at least sit and down and maybe think why your parents kept things from you? Maybe to protect you? She was just so bitter with them it turned me off.
I wanted to like this. So much.
Interesting story, but not really one that tugs at you. A one time read.
This is the first young adult novel I've read that is about mermaid's. I don't think it's a spoiler at all to say that this is a spoiler. Anyway, as far as mermaid's go this book had them and they were interesting creatures thats for sure.
I have to say I liked the first half of the book a bit better than the second half. This is mostly because there was a whole element of mystery and suspense for the first half so you didn't know what was going on and it just made you want to keep turning the pages.
Unfortunately, while I did like The Mermaid's Mirror I didn't think it was anything too special. It was a nice, pleasant read that didn't take me too long to read. It was entertaining but there was just nothing overly wonderful about it. It was average.
None of the characters except maybe Ani appealed to me, I just didn't find any of the characters overly appealing. Lena wasn't too bad, she just wasn't anything special.
I did feel the ending was a little rushed but it wasn't too bad an ending. I had hoped it would end a different way than it did but no, we can't always have happy endings.
If you like mermaid's and are looking for a simple and easy read then The Mermaid's Mirror is a good book to choose.
I have to say I liked the first half of the book a bit better than the second half. This is mostly because there was a whole element of mystery and suspense for the first half so you didn't know what was going on and it just made you want to keep turning the pages.
Unfortunately, while I did like The Mermaid's Mirror I didn't think it was anything too special. It was a nice, pleasant read that didn't take me too long to read. It was entertaining but there was just nothing overly wonderful about it. It was average.
None of the characters except maybe Ani appealed to me, I just didn't find any of the characters overly appealing. Lena wasn't too bad, she just wasn't anything special.
I did feel the ending was a little rushed but it wasn't too bad an ending. I had hoped it would end a different way than it did but no, we can't always have happy endings.
If you like mermaid's and are looking for a simple and easy read then The Mermaid's Mirror is a good book to choose.
There was little that I enjoyed about this book, but I got it really just to have something light to read over the course of the day, so I don't feel right only giving it one star.
Find this review and more on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads.
"By the light
of the blueberry moon
we sang this song
in Lena's room..."
I read this book as part of one of my bookclubs last year, but I only just finished it today. I'm not sure what took me a while to finally get back to finishing the book, but I finally did. I'm glad I know what happened at the end, and now I can rest easy knowing that I actually don't have to worry about this one anymore.
This book was about a girl named Lena (her full name is Selena but nobody calls her that), a girl in California who just can't get enough of the ocean. The only catch is, her father refuses to let her swim or surf because of the time where he almost died surfing many years ago. He doesn't want the same thing or worse to happen to her, but for some reason, Lena feels the ocean calling to her. On her sixteenth birthday, she goes to her favorite beach, Magic's, and as she's looking out into the ocean, she sees a mermaid.
Yep, a real-life mermaid.
At first, she thinks she's going crazy. I mean, mermaids aren't real, right? That's what Lena thought when she first saw the beautiful creature. She soon became obsessed with seeing the mermaid again, and eventually, something else happened that she would have never imagined in her entire life.
Lena was the kind of character that you wanted to support through all of her decisions, but just couldn't. There were times where I understood why she was so angry but just couldn't imagine the actions she took because of it. I wanted to tell her "NO! You don't want to do that!" or "How could you be so cruel right now?" but of course, she couldn't hear me. Lena is an interesting character though, and when you follow her journey, you know that she is the kind of girl that will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
This was a beautiful story about my favorite mythological creature in the world, and I'm sorry that there will be no more stories about Lena and her friends. I hope to visit her world again one day, and dream about life under the sea.
"By the light
of the blueberry moon
we sang this song
in Lena's room..."
I read this book as part of one of my bookclubs last year, but I only just finished it today. I'm not sure what took me a while to finally get back to finishing the book, but I finally did. I'm glad I know what happened at the end, and now I can rest easy knowing that I actually don't have to worry about this one anymore.
This book was about a girl named Lena (her full name is Selena but nobody calls her that), a girl in California who just can't get enough of the ocean. The only catch is, her father refuses to let her swim or surf because of the time where he almost died surfing many years ago. He doesn't want the same thing or worse to happen to her, but for some reason, Lena feels the ocean calling to her. On her sixteenth birthday, she goes to her favorite beach, Magic's, and as she's looking out into the ocean, she sees a mermaid.
Yep, a real-life mermaid.
At first, she thinks she's going crazy. I mean, mermaids aren't real, right? That's what Lena thought when she first saw the beautiful creature. She soon became obsessed with seeing the mermaid again, and eventually, something else happened that she would have never imagined in her entire life.
Lena was the kind of character that you wanted to support through all of her decisions, but just couldn't. There were times where I understood why she was so angry but just couldn't imagine the actions she took because of it. I wanted to tell her "NO! You don't want to do that!" or "How could you be so cruel right now?" but of course, she couldn't hear me. Lena is an interesting character though, and when you follow her journey, you know that she is the kind of girl that will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
This was a beautiful story about my favorite mythological creature in the world, and I'm sorry that there will be no more stories about Lena and her friends. I hope to visit her world again one day, and dream about life under the sea.