Title: Forgive My Fins
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: 6.1.10
Genre: Paranormal YA
Pages: 320
Description (from back of arc):
Lily is a mermaid - a Thalassinian princess who recently discovered she's half human - and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its drawbacks, like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince, but it has one major perk: Brody, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. The problem is, mermaids aren't really casual daters - when they "bond," it's for life. So when an attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-size case of mistaken identity, Lily is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails as smoothly as you planned.
FORGIVE MY FINS was my first encounter with Tera Lynn Childs' writing, but it won't be my last. FMF is a cute read and great for a lazy summer afternoon... or cold winter day when you need a fun, vibrant world to escape into.
Mermaids will always be one of my favorite mythical creatures. I know I wasn't the only little girl to dream of one day discovering my mermaid heritage. Alright, so maybe I just wanted to have a cool tail and wear a shell-bikini... and fall in love with a cute human boy ala The Little Mermaid. Understandably, I was drawn to Childs' modern twist on this classic love story. The novel doesn't delve too deeply into the detail of being a merperson, but it definitely covers the romantic aspects of the story.
I liked Quince immediately, but I never really connected with Lily's character. She was too shallow and simple for my tastes: I like my female leads to have sass and wit. Since I liked Quince, but found Lily lacking, their romance lost some of it's punch. Still, Quince was absolutely adorable and I found myself rooting for him and urging Lily to open her eyes and see the amazing boy that's standing right in front of her!
Despite the fact that this novel was completely predictable, I enjoyed the ride. Childs appears to have a knack for writing those silly, sappy scenes that you sometimes daydream about. Like being marooned on an island with a cute boy and having to sleep together to conserve heat. I think I can safely say that we all have had some version of that daydream! Because of this, Childs' writing is strangely comforting.
Grade: B
Cover Notes:
FORGIVE MY FINS definitely has an eye-catching cover. I've seen it on bookstore shelves and it pops!
