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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Lena just turned sixteen and wants more than anything to learn how to surf. Problem is, her father refuses to let her. When she finally does get a chance to learn, she realizes that not only does surfing come naturally to her, but she is good at it, too! That is, until she spots what certainly looks like a mermaid off in the ocean's distance. Suddenly everything Lena has known about her life so far is turned on it's head. Figuring out who her mother really was is not going to be an easy task, but it will be necessary if Lena wants to learn who she is as well.
My first thought about this book was that it read a lot younger than I expected it to. I am a huge fan of mermaid stories, and so I was super stoked to read this one. However, when I began reading, I was immediately turned off by how young and spoiled Lena sounded. The rest of her family is so understanding and nice! I also liked her boyfriend Kai a whole lot better, and would have liked to see more of him in the story. After a few chapters I got into the story, but then the second half of the book (when Lena begins to really get some answers) slows way down. This slower pace pulled me out of the story and made it a lot less urgent to keep reading the chapters. The parts I did enjoy about the book were the surfing scenes, and the scenes where Lena was super tender with her brother Cole. There was also some interesting mermaid lore, for those mermaid fiction fans out there. A good story and a worthy read, but in the end was nothing special.
My first thought about this book was that it read a lot younger than I expected it to. I am a huge fan of mermaid stories, and so I was super stoked to read this one. However, when I began reading, I was immediately turned off by how young and spoiled Lena sounded. The rest of her family is so understanding and nice! I also liked her boyfriend Kai a whole lot better, and would have liked to see more of him in the story. After a few chapters I got into the story, but then the second half of the book (when Lena begins to really get some answers) slows way down. This slower pace pulled me out of the story and made it a lot less urgent to keep reading the chapters. The parts I did enjoy about the book were the surfing scenes, and the scenes where Lena was super tender with her brother Cole. There was also some interesting mermaid lore, for those mermaid fiction fans out there. A good story and a worthy read, but in the end was nothing special.
Did not finish sorry. I don’t even remember why. I just know I gotta decent way through and I need to help my reading challenge for this year haha.
16 year old Lena has a good life with her parents, Brian and Allie, and her younger brother, Cole, in their house close by the beach. Sounds like a perfectly normal family life, right? Well things aren't always as great as it seems; Lena's birth mother died when she was four years old, something her dad doesn't like talking about and then there's the fact that Lena sometimes wakes up on the beach in the middle of the night.
I wanted to like The Mermaid's Mirror, I really did, but sadly the book was never more than okish for me. I always find it so hard to write a review of a book that I didn't really enjoy, it is hard because I know that as an author a book is your baby and it's not nice reading that people doesn't like. That being said I've always believed in honesty so I have to write down my true feelings.
........
Now it sounds like the book was all bad, it wasn't, occasionally I felt that the writing was excellent. I especially liked how the relationship between Lena and her little brother Cole was beautifully written. There is no doubt in my mind that L.K. Madigan can write and I would like to read her future work to see how she evolves as an author.
Read my full review here.
I wanted to like The Mermaid's Mirror, I really did, but sadly the book was never more than okish for me. I always find it so hard to write a review of a book that I didn't really enjoy, it is hard because I know that as an author a book is your baby and it's not nice reading that people doesn't like. That being said I've always believed in honesty so I have to write down my true feelings.
........
Now it sounds like the book was all bad, it wasn't, occasionally I felt that the writing was excellent. I especially liked how the relationship between Lena and her little brother Cole was beautifully written. There is no doubt in my mind that L.K. Madigan can write and I would like to read her future work to see how she evolves as an author.
Read my full review here.
First of all, DO NOT READ THIS. Sorry, big opinion there. A couple things that just chapped my khakis were that the author totally mixed up mermaids and selkies. If you're going to do a mermaid story, do it CORRECTLY. Mermaids are not selkies. Selkies are not mermaids. Then, the ending sucked. I'd have understood if it were a series. But the ending was terrible!
I loved Madigan's first novel Flash Burnout. So, I had expectations going into this novel. I won't go as far as saying that I was disappointed.... because I wasn't really, but this novel is definitely different than her first novel, but not necessarily in a bad way.
I don't want to be be spoilery.... but the novel does have a little mermaid action going on. The first half of the book could be considered contemporary fiction... it's Lena's basic day to day interaction with her family and friends, and trying to figure out the person that she really is. The second half, is full of fantasy and wonderment.... I've never read something quite like it before.
As far as characterization... it was awesome. I actually did not care for Lena. I thought she was such a selfish character! I gave her the benefit of the doubt most of the time, but wow... the girl doesn't really think about anyone but herself. (Well occasionally she'll think about her little brother.) Maybe that's why this novel didn't really hook me. No pun intended.
The plot moved rather slowly, but it sorta worked well with Lena discovering herself and her family history. Had it been rushed, I don't think I would have liked it at all. The second half was probably my favorite part of the novel, and I wished it would have been much longer. I felt like we just got a very small glimpse of what this world could be.... I felt like I had been teased!
This part is a little spoilery if you haven't read the book. I was not happy with the ending at all. I felt like Lena was cheated. She finally discovered who she was, and now she has deny part of herself... after she went through all that. I'm really hoping that there is more to this story!
Overall, The Mermaid's Mirror is a tale of friendship, family and discovering that who you are, isn't necessarily where you come from, but who you choose to be.
I don't want to be be spoilery.... but the novel does have a little mermaid action going on. The first half of the book could be considered contemporary fiction... it's Lena's basic day to day interaction with her family and friends, and trying to figure out the person that she really is. The second half, is full of fantasy and wonderment.... I've never read something quite like it before.
As far as characterization... it was awesome. I actually did not care for Lena. I thought she was such a selfish character! I gave her the benefit of the doubt most of the time, but wow... the girl doesn't really think about anyone but herself. (Well occasionally she'll think about her little brother.) Maybe that's why this novel didn't really hook me. No pun intended.
The plot moved rather slowly, but it sorta worked well with Lena discovering herself and her family history. Had it been rushed, I don't think I would have liked it at all. The second half was probably my favorite part of the novel, and I wished it would have been much longer. I felt like we just got a very small glimpse of what this world could be.... I felt like I had been teased!
This part is a little spoilery if you haven't read the book. I was not happy with the ending at all. I felt like Lena was cheated. She finally discovered who she was, and now she has deny part of herself... after she went through all that. I'm really hoping that there is more to this story!
Overall, The Mermaid's Mirror is a tale of friendship, family and discovering that who you are, isn't necessarily where you come from, but who you choose to be.
i really like this book, even though it seem like what a character said or the voice of the book didn't seem right once in a while, but all in all it was enjoyable.
Mm, it was okay. Basic "girl-is-half-mermaid" story, so pretty boring actually. The ending was very abrupt and I didn't like the resolution of events.
Spoiler
Sure you can go back home to your family and friends on land. You can never see your mother again or that cute mermaid boy you literally just met and are almost engaged to, but you can go surfing with your dad now, so it's all okay!
The Mermaid's Mirror is a beautiful story about a girl who has been living with the belief that her mother died when she was four and finds out that the circumstances were somewhat different than what she knew. It's apparent early on where the story is headed, but not about the choices that have to be made or the costs of those choices.
Lena is almost sixteen and has lately been finding herself waking up in the early mornings on the beach, barefoot in her pajamas. What's more she believes she's seeing a mermaid in the water. And she is taking surfing lessons on the sly, because her father will not let her despite her deep love of the ocean. She's a natural at it and in a risky move, she surfs Magick, a place where even the best surfers are wary of because of the reefs and holes. It is there that she sees the mermaid again and receives something from her that opens up the mystery surrounding her mother's death.
I stayed up until five am reading this book, it was that good. It had some romance, not much, but it was more about family and trust and Lena having to make tough choices. She hovers between two worlds and is only allowed to choose one for the rest of her life and Fate has been cruel in putting her true love in one and her family in another. Madigan gives a fascinating glimpse into what a merperson's world would look like and what their days would be filled with and I think she does an equally good job and portraying Lena as a typical teen.
The story flowed smoothly and nothing felt contrived or out of place. Madigan's writing is easy to read and moves along at a fast pace considering I read the book in a few hours in the middle of the night. I also just couldn't put it down. I had to know what Lena's choice was because there wasn't a win/win situation for her. The epilogue is a good way to end the book, though somewhat a given considering all that has happened. I only wish that maybe a merman's head would have popped up at Magicks while Lena was there, hoping there was someway to redeem that situation. Ms. Madigan also includes a little information in the back of the book stating that Magicks was based on a real place where a surfer died.
I received this book as and E-book ARC from Houghton Mifflen Harcourt to review. I received not monetary or other compensation for reviewing this book.
Lena is almost sixteen and has lately been finding herself waking up in the early mornings on the beach, barefoot in her pajamas. What's more she believes she's seeing a mermaid in the water. And she is taking surfing lessons on the sly, because her father will not let her despite her deep love of the ocean. She's a natural at it and in a risky move, she surfs Magick, a place where even the best surfers are wary of because of the reefs and holes. It is there that she sees the mermaid again and receives something from her that opens up the mystery surrounding her mother's death.
I stayed up until five am reading this book, it was that good. It had some romance, not much, but it was more about family and trust and Lena having to make tough choices. She hovers between two worlds and is only allowed to choose one for the rest of her life and Fate has been cruel in putting her true love in one and her family in another. Madigan gives a fascinating glimpse into what a merperson's world would look like and what their days would be filled with and I think she does an equally good job and portraying Lena as a typical teen.
The story flowed smoothly and nothing felt contrived or out of place. Madigan's writing is easy to read and moves along at a fast pace considering I read the book in a few hours in the middle of the night. I also just couldn't put it down. I had to know what Lena's choice was because there wasn't a win/win situation for her. The epilogue is a good way to end the book, though somewhat a given considering all that has happened. I only wish that maybe a merman's head would have popped up at Magicks while Lena was there, hoping there was someway to redeem that situation. Ms. Madigan also includes a little information in the back of the book stating that Magicks was based on a real place where a surfer died.
I received this book as and E-book ARC from Houghton Mifflen Harcourt to review. I received not monetary or other compensation for reviewing this book.