Title: Between The Land And The Sea (Marina’s Tales)
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Paranormal YA
Published March 19th 2011
Goodreads summary:
Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. Just a few weeks after moving to the beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her… and maybe even find true love along the way.
Review:
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.
*Note: I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you choose to purchase the book through my link, I will receive a small portion of the sale. This in no way affected my review, but if you are considering purchasing, please think about using my link.
**I received my copy of Between the Land and the Sea from the author for free in exchange for an honest review.
