Review: Neverland by Shari Arnold

Neverland by Shari Arnold

Published: April 7th 2015
Publisher: CreateSpace
Page Count: Paperback, 358 pages
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Young Adult
Find The Author: Blog, Twitter
Buy This Book: Amazon
Add It To Your GoodReads Shelf

It’s been four months since seventeen-year-old Livy Cloud lost her younger sister, but she isn’t quite ready to move on with her life — not even close. She’d rather spend her time at the Seattle Children’s hospital, reading to the patients and holding onto memories of the sister who was everything to her and more.
But when she meets the mysterious and illusive Meyer she is drawn into a world of adventure, a world where questions abound. 
Is she ready to live life without her sister? Or more importantly, is she brave enough to love again?
In this modern reimagining of Peter Pan, will Livy lose herself to Neverland or will she find what she’s been searching for?

This book is a total love letter to the fantastical and beloved world created by JM Barrie. With that being said…It is also a thoughtful, caring look into the world of grief, innocence, and the challenges of the whole coming of age process.

It was solidly written, possessed a creative premise, and delivered strongly. The main character isn’t one of those characters that you end up kind of hating - she’s a caring young woman going through a huge experience. A girl who just wants to do the right thing. The world and imagery that Arnold creates to express the world of JM Barrie is beautiful and enticing. At one point (mild spoiler alert!) I seriously wanted to dress up in a costume and go take over an abandoned carnival. The ending was satisfying and bittersweet and happy. A great recipe for a YA novel.

Yet, I struggled a little bit to write this review. I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was going on. Like, it has all the ingredients and I definitely, absolutely recommend it for a future read. However... I didn’t feel an emotional connection the way I normally do with characters like Livy Cloud. I feel the same way about my little sister as she did hers. And I would be crushed beyond belief if I ever even came close to losing my sister the way she did hers. It just...I think that there was so much discussion and actions and not enough time spent on emotions.

She was grieving and lost but the plotline was so focused on Meyer and the outside forces working around her that she never became a real, grieving person for me. She was going through some massive things and her parents..her friends...the little girl she was trying to save...it all should have hit a more deeper emotional punch with the reader than it actually did. It was a good read, a good story, and a good tribute to JM Barrie. It just...wasn’t all that it could have been. Of course, I’m like one of those people that NEEDS to be able to connect with the main character. I wonder if it had been written from Meyer’s view point if there would be a connection problem.

Either way, I give it….four out of five stars. Why? Because as I said before - written solidly, creative premise, solid plotline, and a completely magical twist on a beloved and known fairy tale.

Go read it - Did you like it??? Did you relate to Livy Cloud??? Am I crazy or did you have the same difficulties? Please come back and discuss - I’ll keep an eye out for your comments! :)

Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 5th 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
Page Count: Hardcover, 358
Source: Bought
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.
When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.
Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future. - Good Reads

This book started out and I was rolling my eyes. That's to be expected: there are A LOT of mistakes made regarding Russian culture and it honestly did bother me (Again! Her "inspiration" research reminded me a lot of...ahem, Richelle Mead!). Besides the lack of the a at the end of Starikov that would imply she was female and not a male... one of the male characters had a feminine surname. But I think what bothered me the most is how the author represented kvas. Which, by the way, is not a hard alcoholic drink that burns going down. Though my husband and I have been having fun pretending it is every time we drink some since reading this book. That was good for some laughs. 

Putting all of that aside though, which I was able to, I really started to enjoy the book. The world was fascinating and it really caught me. I found Grisha to be interesting, even though that is the name of my 3 year old brother in-law. 

The romance! It was GOOD! I was in loooove! And then Leigh Bardugo pulled a fast one. And I mean... a fast one! I was left with my mouth open and wondering where the hell THAT came from. I know I'm being cryptic here as I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I was sadly left disappointed in how the romantic development twisted towards the end of the book. Though I can't bring myself to believe that'll be the end of it and I want to see what happens, so I will definitely be awaiting the next book! With no patience. 

                                                           3 out of 5 Stars!

Review: Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Published: October 25th 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Page Count: Hardcover, 240
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air. - Good Reads

The cover of Between the Sea and Sky is absolutely beautiful. I actually have the Kindle version of the cover pictured - the hardback cover is much more bluer than this one, but both are equally beautiful. I'm such a sucker for a beautiful cover!


I've read three mermaid novels now and I think I enjoyed this one the best out of the ones I've read so far, but I'm starting to feel worried that perhaps mermaid novels aren't exactly my cup of tea. This book was beautifully written though. With the third person perspective it did make me feel a little distant from an already distant feeling Esmerine. I did admire what I could see of her: she had a sweet disposition, a little on the innocent side, but she was strong willed and determined and had a fierce love for her family that I loved to see. 


The love story fell a little flat for me though. I think it warmed up more towards the end, but it still didn't grab a hold of me like I was hoping it would. 


Between the Sea and Sky basically was a story of a girl getting to know herself and the family and friends she thinks she knows and learning to live with her own expectations, not the expectations of others. I was definitely satisfied with the ending though. No cliffhanger and it looks like this is a stand alone. WOW, right? A stand alone!  


I definitely think Between the Sea and Sky would appeal to certain people. Especially those who love mermaids. There is a nice, clean romance, an interesting fantasy world and a sweet lesson as a reminder to stay true to what you want to do. 


                                    3 out of 5 Hello Kitties

A e-ARC was provided by NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA! Thank you!

Review: Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1) by Derrolyn Anderson

Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1) by Derrolyn Anderson 

Published: March 19th 2011
Publisher: Self Published
Page Count: Kindle Editon, 261
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads
Buy This Book: Amazon Kindle

Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. Just a few weeks after moving to the beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her... and maybe even find true love along the way. - Good Reads

This was sent to me by the author for an honest review. 

I'd seen the covers of the Marina's Tales series floating around blogs for a while now and have read nothing but good reviews, so when Derrolyn Anderson e-mailed me I was excited that she invited me to read and review the series for myself. I'm interested in mermaids, but I haven't found a mermaid novel I've been able to really enjoy yet, so I was hoping this would be the one. And I'm happy to say I enjoyed it much more than I have enjoyed other mermaid novels I've read. 


The premise was interesting, the characters enjoyable, there was a sweet love story and there was an intriguing storyline. And I only saw two typos throughout reading, so those who have complaints about independently published books having a lack of good editing: this isn't one of them. Two typos is comparable with the typos I find in novels put out by the big boys. But there were a few issues I had:


1. The language sometimes felt very out of place and unnatural. Here are a few examples of quotes from the book:


"He was the handsomest boy I had ever laid eyes on."


"I had to find Lorelei, for now I was truly desperate to know more about my mother."


"The more I got to know Ethan the more impressed I was, for he was totally unlike any of the other boys at school."


"I felt terrible, for now he knew that I had lied to him. Lies of omission."


"I beamed at him, for his joy was infectious, and delighted me as if it were my own."


which leads me to what else bothered me:


2. Marina. She was a lovable character, but felt a little pretentious at times. I've lived in numerous countries and I've travelled to quite a few as well. When I was 16 I spent a summer in Thailand doing volunteer work, when I was 14 it was the Darien Jungle in Panama and the list goes on. I was also taught at home. It in no way caused me to talk like I jumped out of the 19th century like it was shown to affect Marina. The only way my life experiences have affected my speech are silly things, like I mix Arabic in quite a bit and my normal speech is a  mix between Russian and English or when I go to the supermarket and see the girl from Thailand we greet each other in Thai or I see the Turkish man who sells mobile accessories in the mall, I say "Marhaba!" My daughter started out with an English accent, but now has an American accent. I have an American accent, but I've been known to pronounce certain words the English way, usually because I learned to pronounce them that way. I also say things like lift instead of elevator, fringe instead of bangs, boot instead of trunk, etc. So, no, in my experience and from what I've seen of my other friends who grew up as expats: we do not talk as if we've time travelled out of another century. I actually even feel a little pretentious right now. 

But other than that, the book was actually good. The love story was very slow developing. It's funny because I always bitch about instalove and this time I was like GEEZ YOU GUYS, YOU LOVE EACH OTHER, YOU WANT EACH OTHER GOGOGOGOGOGO! -- It developed at a snail pace and I didn't exactly feel the sparks I hoped for, but the development did feel realistic and I still was able to enjoy it.


The mermaid side of the story moved a little slow throughout the book, but reared its head majorly towards the end. I really liked the descriptions and the background that we did learn in this installment of the series and I look forward to getting to know more about the world of the mermaids in future books and I definitely plan on reading more! 


I definitely recommend this for mermaid lovers or anyone who wants a clean, slow growing young adult romance mixed with some fantasy. It only costs 99 cents for the Kindle edition and I can honestly say that's a steal! 


                                           3 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Review & GIVEAWAY: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) by Laini Taylor 

Published: September 27th 2011
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Page Count: Hardback, 420
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book:  Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. 
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? - Good Reads

This book started out and I thought to myself, "Mmm, this is kind of trippy." and then I thought it was a little weird and then... I fell in love! Laini Taylor, where have you been all my life? I hadn't heard of her before I read this and I definitely want to check more of her novels out, because her writing is stylish and I love it. 

“She moved like a poem and smiled like a sphinx.”

“It is a condition of monsters that they do not perceive themselves as such. The dragon, you know, hunkered in the village devouring maidens, heard the townsfolk cry 'Monster!' and looked behind him.” 

“Yearning for love made her feel like a cat that was always twining around ankles, meowing Pet me, pet me, look at me, love me.” 

The descriptions were rich and I was able to imagine some fantastical creatures that I've never seen before as clear as day. That's a big deal to me: being able to get a clear picture in my mind of what I'm reading. I've been know to put down books that lacked good descriptions because it's hard for me to get lost in a story, because I'll sit and obsess about what I should be seeing while I read. And there were very few parts of the story that dragged and when they did it didn't last very long and I was back in the groove. 


I'm not going to go into too much detail about what the book contains and what the paranormal aspect is, because the summary is vague and I went into it in the dark and that made it all the better! But Laini Taylor has a bright and vivid imagination: she takes something that tends to be cut and dry and fairly similar in each novel I've read and turned it into something elaborate, exciting and different. 


There was a wonderful romance and studly love interest. They were totally starcrossed SOULM8S and I eat that up. And back to the studly love interest: he's just UNSGSDKHGKDFHGHFDKGDKFDHFKGHDKJFGDKJFG - very cool. I'd hit it. I agree with Karou's best friend when she first saw Akiva and said, “Oh, Hell. Must. Mate. Immediately.” 


Please go forth and read this book! It's amazing! 


                                                             5 out 5 Hello Kitties!

GIVEAWAY TIME

I have a hardback copy to giveaway. I am a dummy and completely won two copies on this book. I'll be completely honest... I actually mixed the title up with The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Yeah, point and laugh! Fiiiiiiiiine! I'm stupid! So, I have an extra copy. And I want to share it with you! This is unfortunately for US entrants only though, because I'm too poor to afford international shipping. BUT IF YOU'RE INTERNATIONAL... If you really want this book, go ahead and go over to my 200 Followers Giveaway and enter and if you win you're free to choose a copy of this instead!

Review: Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 31st 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Page Count: Hardback, 487
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mythology, Fantasy, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book: Amazon, Book Depository

How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart. - Good Reads

I've been on a contemporary reading spree for the past few days and this was definitely just the book to get me back into my typical element, which I'd say is paranormal or fantasy romance. I've also realized after looking at my Good Reads read list that I've been loving nearly everything I've read lately. This was no exception though. I LOVED IT! 

I can't say I've ever been a big mythology lover. I have a light interest, but the most my interest really goes is that I own Don't Know Much About Mythology: Everything You Need to Know About the Greatest Stories in Human History but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis and I really loved watching Hercules and Xena growing up. In fact, I loved Xena so much that my best friend and I used to "sword fight" with pieces of plywood while doing the Xena battle cry. And once I really hurt her. And I think she brings up that story way more than she should. I'M SORRY, AMY, THAT WAS LIKE 14 YEARS AGO, GET OVER IT! I also know quite a bit about the Furies, who I found terrifying in this book. Mostly because my really strange and embarrassing Mother threatens to send them on anyone who pisses her off. Oh, Mama... 


Anyway, this book makes me want to run out to the library and immerse myself in mythological studies. And fly, get a demi-god for a boy toy, move to Nantucket and eat really good food.


Helen is a character I love. She's a good combination of extremely strong, vulnerable, funny and loving. She isn't afraid to put her heart out on the line and doesn't beat around the bush about her feelings. And I love how much she loves and cares for her Father. Sometimes I found her being petty, but she doesn't ignore it and keep on going, she tries to change for the better good.


I love when books I read throw drama at me that I didn't see coming at all. It packs way more of a punch! And there were quite a few punches in this! One in particular was completely heart wrenching and unexpected. And the romance! Oh boy... this book had one of the sexiest scenes I've ever read and I actually flipped back and re-read over it at least three times before moving on and they didn't even kiss on the lips, you guys. 


Overall: I completely recommend this book! It has starcrossed lovers who don't even need to kiss to be sexy, an intriguing and intricate plot with lots of surprises, a kick ass heroine, a beautiful setting and you should really just run out and buy this or check it out from the library ASAP!


                                    5 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

Review: Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

Firelight (Firelight #1) by Sophie Jordan

Published: September 7th 2010
Publisher: Harperteen
Page Count: Hardcover, 323
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter
Buy This Book: Amazon, The Book Depository

A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki   to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy. Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide. - Good Reads                                 

When I found out they were selling the kindle version of this book on Amazon for $2.99 I snagged it up right away. I wasn't even sure what exactly what it was about, but the cover was gorgeous, it was cheap and I knew a lot of people who had read it enjoyed it. When I found out that it was actually about dragons, I was even more excited, because it's a new twist on the fantasy/paranormal scene. 

The lore of the story is very fascinating. The draki aren't exactly dragons, but descendants of dragons. Jacinda is a fire-breathing draki and is very rare and the pride expects her to hook up with the alpha's son Cassian and basically be a draki baby machine. Cassian has a certain allure to him though... I'm attracted to cocky studs, okay? I think I have issues. Of course, Jacinda might be smarter than me and she thinks he's a total jerk. She doesn't have to put up with him much longer though, because after an incident where Jacinda almost gets killed by hunters, her Mother decides enough is enough, packs their bags and moves Jacinda and her twin sister to the Nevada desert. The hunting incident earlier that I mentioned introduced Will. He's a dangerous and dashing hunter. Him and his crew hunt draki and Jacinda was nearly captured when they caught her, but Will decides to let her go free. Thank God, because coincidentally she ends up attending the same high school as him when she moves to Nevada! And the thrills are on! Jacinda and Will are stuck together like flies and honey. Jacinda tries to deny her feelings, but it's no use: it's truuuuue looooove! 


I'll admit, this book had it's flaws, but I couldn't pry my eyes off of it. Jacinda did start to get annoying with her back and forth nonsense. 

• No, I'll stay away. 
• No, I can't stay away. 
• No, I totally need to stay away from him, he's bad news. 
• NO, I LOVE HIM! 

Jacinda and Will are starcrossed lovers who are instantly attracted, you see. I was a little surprised by their fierce love declarations at the end of the book though. It kind of reminded me of that scene (<--) in Last of the Mohicans where Hawkeye grabs Cora and says, "I WILL FIND YOU!" It's awkward and uncomfortable... And I kind of believed Hawkeye more than Will. 


Overall, I'm glad I read it though and look forward to reading the next book! Hopefully Cassian gets some play.... Or Sophie Jordan can write me in as a badass draki beauty in her third book. I'll help Cassian populate the pride!

3 out of 5 Hello Kitties!

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

Buy This Book | Website

Release Date: October 25th 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

Page Count: Paperback, 386 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing. Unless he can earn a soul.
To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive. With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. - Good Reads

I love Julie Kagawa. This book was just beautiful and thrilling and touching and I could go on and on. It was the perfect final journey for Ash as well as Puck and Grimalkin.

I really went through this book feeling what Ash was feeling. I rarely feel that close to a character. When Ash felt severe doubt, I felt it too and I worried right along with him, reconsidering his stance right along with him. This book really caused me to have so much more respect and love for Ash. I already liked him before, but this really showed the depth of his personality. And I felt a mixture of emotions for him throughout the book: disgust, pity, pride and happiness.

There were also subjects in this book that cause me to reflect on my own life. What is happiness? What is the price? Is it worth it? What would I do for the ones I love? Can I forgive myself for mistakes I've made and try to work past them? Or better yet, can I forgive others? Of course other books in the past have given me similar ideas, but those aren't usually young adult books about fairies, those are usually Paulo Coelho books, which are meant to be thought provoking.

I really wasn't expecting it to be this good. Julie Kagawa is a genius. And I loved it. It's even safe to say that I think this one was the best out of all of them. And I can't wait to treasure a real copy in October. And I think I need to go get a tissue to blow my nose because I'm being a little too emotional about this. I'm going to go practice my icy demeanour...!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for giving me a copy.

Review: Forgive My Fins (Fins #1) by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins (Fins #1) by Tera Lynn Childs

Buy This Book | Website 

Release Date: May 19th 2010

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Page Count: Hardcover, 293 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

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. - Good Reads

I was excited to read this - I love mermaids and seeing as how this book is all about a mermaid, I was into it. And it didn't disappoint me horribly, but I didn't love it as much as I expected.

There is a lot of "sea slang" used and I didn't really care for that. I felt it was bordering on being too cute and juvenile, maybe more suited for a preteen. I also couldn't really relate to the heroine Lily much. She was a little too stubborn for my tastes and more often than not I was rolling my eyes at her attitude. Stubborn is good, but there is a fine line and then you're just being stupid. She was also a little more naive than I would expect a nearly 18 year old to be. If I wanted to sum up this book, it was basically about a girl who is stupidly stubborn and wrong and everyone but her can see it and that it drags out that way until the end. There was really nothing else to this story: no action, no other storylines. At the end though, there is an epilogue, which points that there will be a second book out, and it in fact out now: Fins Are Forever.

It seems like the story could get more interesting in the next book, but I'm honestly not really jumping out of my seat to go get it. I will end up reading it most likely, but I didn't get caught up in the story enough to really get involved. I think Forgive My Fins could have easily been one book, despite the ending being slightly unsatisfactory for the feelings invested.