Review: Monstrous beauty -Elizabeth Fama

Age Range: 12 and up
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (September 4, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0374373663

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

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This wasn't your typical mermaid story, but yet it was an amazing story. The story of Syrenka and Ezra will wrap itself around you and hold you close until the end. This wasn't a happy tale, it was a tale of love, betrayal, heartbreak and loss. Yet with all this sadness it was beautiful. 

Syrenka and Ezra had a rough time of it, he was a human and she was a mermaid. Through unhappy circumstance Syrenka became a human and for a while they were happy. When her past catches up with her tragedy strikes and sets in motion a curse that will last for generations.

Hester lives a kind of lonely life she has friends but will never get closer. She doesn't want to fall in love or have children, for if she does she fears she will die a few days later like her mother and grandmother and so on. There is so much that goes into this that to say much more might spoil something. Just know that this is a beautifully written tale that will suck you in. 

I would recommend this to everyone even if you don't like mermaids, for this isn't your typical mermaid tale. I give this one 5 stars!

Review: Tempest Rising - Tracy Deebs

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens (May 10, 2011)

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Tempest is a totally radical California surfer girl. She is content to live her life surfing, hanging out with her boyfriend Mark, and helping her dad take care of her brothers. The only problem with all this is that Tempest is half mermaid, and her birthday is coming up soon. This birthday is the one where she is supposed to decide if she wants to stay on land and live as a human or if she wants to embrace her mermaid heritage and live in the water. She thought she already had her mind made up, she didn't want to abandon her friends and family the way her mother did. All this starts to change though, when she meets dark and mysterious Kai. Tempest finds herself torn between her love for Mark and her growing attraction to Kai. Eventually Tempest gives in to the call of the water in an attempt to try to save Kai. During the time she spends in the water she sees that she has a destiny and that the people living under the water are counting on her to save them all.

Tempest was a wonderful character, she was scared, tempted, brave, and caring. With two worlds pulling her in complete opposite directions she is confused. She is a very genuine character and her feelings come through to the reader loud and clear. you can feel her grief at the thought of leaving her human friends and family behind, and hurting Mark. But you also get the same feeling when she thinks of leaving Kai and the others below the waves. 

The part of the story spent in the water in my opinion was great! I love mermaids, and love to see every authors take on life under the waves. There was also quite a bit of action going on in this book. As scared as Tempest may have been she never backed down. 

This was a great story with amazing characters, and terrific settings. I am dying to read the second book and see what comes next for Tempest. I give this one 5 stars and a very high recommendation.