Book Type: Novel Author: Pete Tarsi Pages: 250 Summary(goodreads.com): When the translucent skirt that straight-A-student Meredith finds hidden on the beach gets wet, it transforms her legs into a mermaid tail. Despite the evidence in front of her, she insists that becoming a mythical creature isn’t scientifically possible. Marina is allowed to experience one day per moon cycle among the humans. After hiding her tail on the beach that morning, she takes her first timid steps on land. When she returns at sunset to find it missing, she is left stranded and alone. For the first time in her life, Meredith doesn’t have all the answers. As she searches for a way to return to normal before the next full moon, she makes waves among the school of mermaids. Meanwhile, Marina uncovers information about her past, and for the first time in her life, she must stand on her own two feet and take the lead on her own adventure. As Meredith senses her human side slipping away, a forbidden way to change back entices her. But it comes with a consequence: Marina wouldn’t be able to return to the ocean. My Review: ** I was given these books by Pete Tarsi in exchange for honest and fair reviews. ** It's a funny story of how I heard of this book. I was contacted on goodreads.com by the author, Pete Tarsi himself! He asked me to review and read his book and give an honest review. Well merfolk, I can honestly say that this was an awesome mermaid book! I also thought the cover was cute and eye catching. Not only was the tail beautiful, but the girls on the front helped me to picture what the characters look like. The Characters: The first thing I loved about the book were the characters. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about a male author writing about teenage girls, especially about how the dialogue would play out. However, Tarsi created female dialogue that was realistic, but also extremely charming and funny! There were two characters that I really identified with. One of the girls is named Meredith, and she is a total bookworm (like me!) and also gets annoyed with girl drama and air-headedness (also like me!) I also really loved Hailey. She is a bit of a goof, and she's totally funny, and to some, hard to take seriously. However, she has a big heart, especially when it comes to mermaids. Her collection in her room reminds me of my own, and it even made me a bit emotional to read about the special items in her collection. The Setting: The island where the story takes place reminded me so much of my home; Long Island, especially the eastern end, which is known as a beautiful vacation destination. The details were clear and focused, which helped me to immerse myself into the plot. The Plot: I really loved that Tarsi took a different spin with this book. With so many mermaid YA books out there, the plot only involves elements about romance, or a mermaid's curiosity with humans. The plot in this book is unique and I really enjoyed reading it! I think the only negative thing I have to say about this book is that I wish there was a bit more shock and surprise when Jill, Meredith's best friend, finds her with a mermaid tail. In conclusion, I really recommend checking this book out. It was fun and girly, and also teaches the value of friendship, but most of all, it was filled with mermaidness! I give this book (*****) 5 stars. -Sirenita The Selkie
Book 2) Skipping The Scales
Pages: 237
My Review:
The second book in this series had a lot of drama and tense situations that made me want to continue reading!
I also love that love is in the sea and air, but I wont give away which girls got bit by the love fish :)
Each scene and setting detail was perfectly described and I felt like I was with the girls as they deal with mer and human drama. One of my favorite settings in the book was the aquarium. I felt like I was there, exploring the touch tanks and watching the animals perform! Tarsi also adds elements of anti-captivity, which aims to stop caging wild animals and forcing them to live in aquariums. When Marina visits an aquarium, I was happy to see that she wasn't amazed by the glassed-in sea life around her. Instead, she questions why humans have captured the animals.
I also thought it was sooooo cool that Hailey finally gets to live her dream of becoming a mermaid! She's so lucky! I can only imagine the memories she made under the sea. She also meets a cute mer-boy ;)
Although I loved this book, I would've liked to see the story progress a little bit faster in the beginning. I also don't like Jill. She is pretty nasty to Marina even though the poor mer girl is doing her best at adapting on land!
The ending to the book was beautifully crafted and left off with a great cliff hanger! I can't wait to see what's next :)
I give this book (****) 4 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie