Title: Forgive My Fins
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Series: Fins #1
Pages: 333
Publisher: Templar
Date of Publication: 1st July 2011
Source: Publisher*
Synopsis from Goodreads: Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
Series: Fins #1
Pages: 333
Publisher: Templar
Date of Publication: 1st July 2011
Source: Publisher*
Synopsis from Goodreads: Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.
When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
My Thoughts:
I was completely wrong about this book. I thought I would enjoy it, but I wouldn't love it, or anything like that. I thought it would be a fun quick read, one of those books that you read once and enjoy, but never read again. I was SO WRONG.
I don't think there was anything about this book that I didn't like. The characters were awesome, the plot was exciting, and the setting and world building were AMAZING. Seriously, the world of Thalassinia under the sea was a pleasure to read about. I could really imagine that Thalassinia was a real place under the sea (if such places existed) and it was EXACTLY what I imagine a magical under sea kingdom to be like. I loved how Tera included everything to make it believable, from the sea life plants and the food, to the buildings and the statues inside the palace. Even the high school and Lily's home with her aunt on land was awesome.
I really liked Lily, though at times she could be quite self centred and sometimes she didn't see the obvious things that were right in front of her. Despite this, I enjoyed reading about her, and I think that Tera really captured how a teenager thinks and speaks, and she really made Lily seem like an normal teenager who is also a mermaid. I liked her narrative, and all her awful sea life puns, like 'blowfish' and 'angelfish' were awesome and really helped to set the scene.
As is becoming almost expected of all paranormal young adult titles nowadays, there is a love triangle in Forgive My Fins, though I didn't mind. It wasn't a usual love triangle, it was more of a 'girl lusting after a boy, a different boy is in love with the girl'. I loved Quince, he was so cute, and some of the things he does for Lily are adorable! I know I've already said this, but for Lily not being able to see what is going on with Quince, she is so blind...
I don't think there is anything I can fault with Forgive My Fins. The only thing I will say is, that the ending is evil! The book finishes nicely and I would be quite happy without another book, and the story is finished and I have no questions. And then, suddenly, I turn the page, and there's an epilogue that leaves me on a HUGE cliffhanger. So, don't say I didn't warn you when you read Forgive My Fins and then find yourself needing the next book in the series...
I would recommend Forgive My Fins to all fans of YA, though I do think that it should probably be targeted at the younger end of YA, because at times it did seem like a little bit of a middle grade novel. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just sayin', you know, in case you were expecting something suited to older teens...
My Rating:
I give it 5 Feet!
Challenges:
2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge #31
2011 100+ Reading Challenge #54
Want to read an extract of Forgive My Fins? Go here! And check out my blog tour stop that includes a guest post from Tera and a giveaway of one super SHINY UK paperback of this amazing book! :)
This sounds fab - it sounds really different from anything I've read before. Great review :D
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