Fantastic Finds

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting... -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Ok, getting a smidge tired of the "I'm a teen girl whose parent died/drowned/disappeared, and oh no, now I'm part fish!" plotline now. Especially when it may turn out that the parent did not in fact drown, as they were also part fish. Ho hum. This is what I get for picking a mermaid theme, I suppose. ^_^

Tired premise aside, this book was ok. You can't help loving Jade and Bridget Jones-esque ability to place her foot firmly in her mouth, while struggling with her weight and trying to manage her relationships with friends, family and crushes. This one was pretty fluffy, but still a decent read. On the bright side, there are a few things that make this mermaid novel stand out a bit. For one, Jade is pretty freaked by the thought of being a mermaid, and her search for her mother yields some interesting questions about mer-biology (is fresh water as good as salt water? How do mermaids communicate above/below water? How does the transition from legs to tail and vice versa work?). Another fairly satisfying beach read, but not the best of the pack (school? what is the collective noun for mermaids, anyway? Super bonus points for an answer!).