Age range: 13 and up
The Mermaid’s Sister does not tell the tale of the raucous, charming, flirtatious, beautiful, and sweet girl Maren who was deposited in Llanfair Mountains as an infant to be raised by the loving half-fey Aunt Verity and Maren’s subsequent transformation into a mermaid as she nears eighteen. No, it is the tale of her well-mannered, plain, and faithful adopted sister Clara, also deposited at Aunt Verity’s as an infant, and her harrowing journey to take Maren to the sea before it is too late, all with the help of her almost-brother O’Neill, equally an orphan. And it is all the more delicious for focusing on Clara over Maren. O’Neill as an infant was left under an apple tree on the grave of a man forty years dead and whose birthmark he himself shared; now on the verge of manhood, he can talk to animals. Clara deposited on Aunt Verity’s step by a stork. If her almost-brother can talk to animals and her sister is turning into a mermaid, when will she turn into a stork? Clara’s adventure is filled not only with this question, but also those who would take the mermaid for themselves and Clara’s only internal war to let go of what she can see rightly belongs to the mermaid: O’Neill. O’Neill who she loves but she can see loves Maren and who Maren adores in return.
Clara’s faithful, sacrificial, and humble heart are truly admirable—her virtue is what we all want. But more than that, she is an ordinary girl with ordinary capabilities surrounding by characters of unique gifts: a mermaid, a boy who can talk to animals, a half-fairy, even a young wyvern (a dragon). Her story is unique, exciting, and fantastical, but her struggles are those of every teen: the struggle for self-worth, the struggle to find one’s strength and talent, the struggle to pick between warring desires and make the right and selfless choice, the struggle to stay true to one’s principles amid new and powerful influences, the struggle to figure out what one is becoming, and the struggle to accept that person.
I admit while I enjoyed this book from page one, it felt a bit slow at the beginning. But it soon picked up steam. Noble very successfully employs first person present tense narration, just like in Hunger Games, to pull the reader very quickly into Clara’s perspective. My stomach knotted when hers did, my heart plummeted in sync, and my soul rejoiced when the sun came out and a new day banished Clara’s despair. Extremely well-written and filled with fantastical adventures, sisterly and romantic love, and deep soul-searching, this was one of the few books that upon finishing, I immediately turned back to earlier parts: I had to reread them immediately.
Sum up: Five out of five stars, this book is expertly crafted and tells the universal struggles of an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances, complete with an adventurous journey filled with magic, love, and soul-searching and perfectly balanced on the theme of embracing who you were born to be.
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I Loved this Book
I Loved this Book! It's very easy to jump into and not want to leave!! The characters are lovable and written in a Time of Innocence. Heartwarming!!
Top reviews from other countries
Jen.France
Mesmerising, magical and so beautifully written - a fairy-tale for adults.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2015