Location: United States
Member Since:
Oct. 31, 2011
Jen Bagofcheerios
Smashwords book reviews by Jen Bagofcheerios
-
Between The Land And The Sea
on Nov. 21, 2011
I have yet to read a mermaid book that I don’t like, and that remains true after reading Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson. Marina has never really gone to school, growing up with tutors and home-schooling, traveling with her scientist father. She’s liked it that way. It gives her time for her art and to grow closer with her “aunt” Evie, fashionista extraordinaire. But her father has decided that while he must go on yet another trip, it will be safer for Marina– and better for her, if she goes to live with her Aunt Abby and cousin Cruz in Aptos, California and attends high school. The beginning of this book moved pretty slowly, so it took me some time to get into it, but once things got moving, I was sucked in. Marina was developing relationships with those that she’s growing to love on land, like her family and the adorable Ethan. But once discovering that there’s a mermaid– maybe even mermaids– that only she can communicate with in the nearby waters, she didn’t seem to be able to stay away. I always enjoy seeing how authors interpret mermaids to suit their novels, and I loved how Anderson describes the child-like brand of mermaids that Marina encounters. I particularly loved how Marina’s brain– sometimes scientifically wired, thanks to her father– tries to figure out exactly how mermaids would be biologically classified. It seemed at times that this was a bit more plot-driven than character-driven, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, this was a fun read and (if you’ll pardon the pun) I look forward to splashing into the sequel. Overall rating: 3/5. Delightful and fun. If you want to dive into a mermaid book for a bargain (only $0.99!), this one’s for you.
-
The Moon And The Tide
on April 09, 2012
When we meet Marina again in The Moon and The Tide, she’s all but dismissed the ultimatum issued to her in the previous book by the mermaid council: she has 50 moons to decide whether to join her sisters in the sea or she will have no choice but to remain human. Marina thinks it’s a no-brainer: she’s spent her whole life as a human and she has a lot of people that she loves. Still, the sea calls to her, much to the dismay of her boyfriend Ethan. The more it calls to her, the more she seems to reveal things she’d rather not. And it’s only a matter of time until the wrong people notice. Derrolyn Anderson’s mermaid interpretation engrossed me in the previous book, and that continued in this installment. In particular, I was fascinated by the things we learning about those who are half-mermaid– or, as Anderson calls them “hybrids.” There’s undoubtedly a lot of mystery and danger in The Moon and The Tide, and when Derrolyn ups the stakes for Marina, it truly yanked me into the story. But I wasn’t constantly in the story. The book is so long with so many fairly repetitive scenes: Marina paints, she surfs, she fights with Ethan, she encourages someone. A little less would have improved the pacing significantly. And then there’s Ethan. Good god, someone get Marina away from that boy. I was with aunt Evie 110% when she tried. Marina and her story are so much more interesting when he’s not around to pick a fight and get all jealous and alpha-male on her. The plot MOVES when he’s not there, plus I respect Marina more. Rating: 3/5. Liked it a bit less than the first novel, but I still liked The Moon and The Tide enough to read the next book in Derrolyn Anderson’s mermaid series.