n00bfairy's review against another edition
4.0
I would say this is a 3.5/4 so I just rounded to 4. There were things I really loved, and things that felt so out of place. It also has a very slow build, if you like slow-burn romances and stories, this is for you. I also wasn't expecting the plot twists at all, so that was fun. I did like the romance, the fairytales, the deep friendships, and everything to do with the mermaid! It also was a rather quick read, so I liked that too!
laurahonest's review against another edition
4.0
The Mermaid's Sister is a charming tale of two sisters raised together by their adoptive mother "Auntie." Clara is sixteen years old and contented with her life, she wishes to remain in her happy family forever but "wishing gets you nothing." Clara's sister Maren is a mermaid and every passing day changes her more and makes her increasingly unsuited to life on land. Clara wants to change her back into a human but there is no cure for being who you truly are. Auntie found Maren in a conch shell on her doorstep one night. Clara was delivered by a stork a few days later. Clara realizes that her sister can't stay in their mountain home forever and she must be taken to the ocean if she is going to live. Auntie can't leave the mountain so Clara must do it. Clara has help from O'Neill who is the adopted son of a traveling merchant. They load Maren up in the gypsy wagon and head for the ocean. The road holds many perils for them and they will have to use all of their wits, bravery and strength to get Maren to the ocean before it is too late.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The story is interesting, there are no major plot holes, the grammar is good. The pacing could use work, some places it is very fast and others it is quite slow. The characters are likeable or detestable as the case may be. The hint of magic running throughout the story and the deeply interwoven relationships are wonderful additions. Many things appear to be coincidences but are not at all merely chance. I am not especially fond of first person narration but this story pulls it off nicely.
Overall I would recommend this book to fans of magical stories. It teaches a useful lesson about accepting yourself for who and what you are. If you have a teenager struggling with self-identity this wold be a good book for them. I found no objectionable content, no sex, no cursing, no drugs.
I received this book free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The story is interesting, there are no major plot holes, the grammar is good. The pacing could use work, some places it is very fast and others it is quite slow. The characters are likeable or detestable as the case may be. The hint of magic running throughout the story and the deeply interwoven relationships are wonderful additions. Many things appear to be coincidences but are not at all merely chance. I am not especially fond of first person narration but this story pulls it off nicely.
Overall I would recommend this book to fans of magical stories. It teaches a useful lesson about accepting yourself for who and what you are. If you have a teenager struggling with self-identity this wold be a good book for them. I found no objectionable content, no sex, no cursing, no drugs.
I received this book free from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
cindeereads's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book so much it was short but very detailed at the same time. I really liked the character but I especially loved Clara for her love for her sister most of all willing to do anything to save her even lose her forever. I liked how the romance between her and O'Neill developed slowly with both of them being oblivious of each other's feelings. I really liked the plot with it starting with Clara and Maren being together and then going home some other characters come back and then they go on a journey to save Maren by getting her to the ocean. So of course along the way they run into trouble some crazy circus people so they get away from there Maren is saved they head back many more things happen and the story ends. So overall I really liked this book and would read more by this author for sure.
thelauramay's review
1.0
This was the slowest book in the entire world. It took me 3.5 years to finish the damn thing! Very difficult to imagine its audience. 1.5*
lorimichelekelley's review against another edition
1.0
Audible version: Audible lists this book for ages 11-13, but there's a lot here that I don't think would be appropriate for that age. Another reviewer said it's too juvenile for teens, but too adult for younger children and I agree. While there were a few interesting bits, there were far more eye rolling moments. The two girls, Maren and Clara are annoying, and as the story goes on, Maren just becomes a cartoon and Clara gets more prudish (not even wanting her knees to be seen by the birds!) and ridiculously repetitive in her wishing and (creepy? inappropriate?) love for her "almost brother". Also, the narrator didn't help the issue at all. Her voices for the characters just didn't work, especially the men. This story had promise, but it did not live up to it.
shaekin's review against another edition
2.0
This book had so much potential and there were parts of the plot that I loved. Then there were parts that I hated. The romance is kind of awkward and the conclusion is abrupt. One of the characters is so one dimensional it's hard to like her or think of her as anything other than an object. The piling on of horrible thing happening after horrible thing gets so old, and just depressing. Started skimming at about 60%.
zoemaja's review against another edition
3.0
Good, but not amazing. I think it is more me than the book itself, though. It is definitely a YA book and I find that unrequited love and angst gets to be too much for me. As a teenager I am sure I would have loved it. But it is a good story and the writing is lovely. Just too much teenaged angst for me.