Book Type: Novel Author: Ruth Parks Pages: 180 Summary(amazon.com): Fourteen-year-old Riko manages to get her sister Sif and herself to their Pacific island home, where a scientist who falls in love with Sif discovers her connection with an underwater race. My Review: A beautiful island paradise, a city of coral and mermaids just a swim away... and a jealous little Riko is what this book is all about! The way that Ruth Park wrote this book really transports you to the mystical island of Rongo. Every time I read a page, I really felt like I was on the island experiencing everything with the sea people and partaking in adventures with the Menehune alongside Riko. I also loved Riko's transformation, which is very clear throughout the book. She starts off as a protective and jealous child, and blossoms into a caring and intelligent young woman. I must say though, one thing that did slightly bother me was that the plot didn't really thicken until the end of the book. Also readers, prepare yourselves, because the end of the book made me look like this:
However, the book was overall very well thought out, and the way that the underwater race of seapeople were described added a hint of fantasy and adventure to the book. I give this book (****) 4 stars.
Sirenita The Selkie