Book Type: Novel Author: Danette Haworth Pages: 256 Summary(goodreads.com): At The Meriwether, Florida's famous antebellum hotel off of Hope Springs, nothing is quite as it seems. Secret staircases give way to servants' quarters and Prohibition-era speakeasies make for the perfect hide-and-seek spot. Allie Jo Jackson knows every nook and cranny of The Meriwether—she's lived there her whole life—and nothing surprises her, until the first time she spots the enigmatic and beautiful Tara emerging from the springs. Tara's shimmery skin, long flowing hair, and strange penchant for late moonlight swims disguise a mysterious secret—and once Allie Jo and her friend Chase discover Tara's secret, nothing will ever be the same. From the celebrated author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning comes another magical summer tale full of memorable characters and a one-of-a-kind setting My Review: A swirly moonlit night. A secret dip in the springs; the cover of this book screams must read! When I first picked this up from the library, I thought this book was going to be about mermaids, but can you imagine my shock to learn it was about my favorite mermaid, the selkie! Haworth really captures the imagination and dialect of eleven-year old Allie Jo, and thirteen-year old Chase, who become fast friends after discovering the mysterious new guest named Tara. This book was full of magic throughout every page, and I mean that. The way the author wrote each of Allie Jo, Chase and Tara's dialect was perfect and distinct from one another.
However, I had a small problem with this book.
I think there should have been more selkie folklore incorporated into this story. Although Tara is recognized by the reader as a mystical character, there was not a ton of "selkie-ness" to her. This story had a really sweet ending and an incredible middle that made the reader want to continue reading until the end! I give this book (****) 4 stars. -Sirenita The Selkie