“Courtesy of Net Galley and CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
A CK2S K2 Recommended Read!
Lena grew up by the water, preferring to spend more of her time by the beach than anywhere else, dreaming about joining the surfers on the ocean. The only problem is she has spent all her time only sitting on the sidelines, due to her father, a former star surfer’s, refusal to allow her to join her friends in lessons. Now, about to turn 16, Lena vows she will no longer be an observer, she will do what she has always wanted, with or without her father’s blessing.
Little does Lena know her father has kept a secret from her for her entire life… the real reason he no longer enters the water. However, that secret lures her like nothing else can, and when she sees a woman, with what appears to be a tail, out in Crescent Cove, Lena is about to find out the truth about who she is when she looks in The Mermaid’s Mirror.
My synopsis doesn’t do this story justice. And my review won’t come close to really sharing how incredible I found The Mermaid’s Mirror. There is so much more to the adventure in The Mermaid’s Mirror, than I can begin to summarize without giving away spoilers. So you’ll have to trust me that this novel is so full of magic and adventure that you have to read it right away.
The Mermaid’s Mirror is one of the best books I’ve read all year and I am sure it will easily rank in my top 10 when the New Year rolls around. Keep in mind, this story builds slowly, increasing the mystery and magic throughout most of the novel, with the real adventure not coming until more than halfway in to the book. But even in spite of the slow pace early on, it is so totally engrossing you will keep reading on and on, waiting for the big revelation to come. And when it does, LK Madigan takes us to a whole new level.
Lena has never quite felt like she belonged in the world and only is truly happy when by the water. This leads her to be a bit reckless at times, and impulsive, just like any teenager. She makes hasty decisions out of emotion, like most any young adult does. However, one thing that drives me crazy in young adult fiction is the absentee parents who are never around and when they are don’t seem especially concerned about their children. I love that The Mermaid’s Mirror doesn’t follow that plot device. Lena’s parents and her younger brother Cole (who is absolutely adorable and steals the show a time or two) are fully engaged in her life, with stories of their own that blend with Lena’s.
The fantasy world under the sea that LK Madigan creates is a magical place that while fitting with the expected ideas of an ocean realm, it is as unique as it is beautiful. It is a place that upon seeing it, one wants to stay with the merpeople. This watery world is as fully developed as the world above the water with its people and their beliefs, traditions, lifestyles, and community.
I absolutely loved The Mermaid’s Mirror and I look forward to more books by the talented LK Madigan.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, August 2010. All rights reserved.”
shewolf0316 wrote this review Tuesday, November 30, 2010.
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