Review: I want to live under the sea!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 12, 2013
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest reviewThis was the first time I've ever read a book about mermaids, but it certainly won't be my last! While deciding whether or not I was going to read this book, I checked  out the authors Goodreads page, and I noticed that she cited Splash as one of her inspirations for writing it. That's what clinched the deal for me! Splash is one of my all time favorite movies. Do yourself a favor and look it! But wait until you finish my review first. Please!I went into this story not knowing what to  expect. Splash and The Little Mermaid is about as far as my knowledge of Mermaid folklore goes. After reading this, I feel like I'm ready for my fins! The author creates a very interest and creature with her mermaids. They have unique powers and a deep emotional connection to all water not just the ocean.Because a lot of time was spent on explaining things I could tell that this story was mostly a set up for second in the series. It was a little slow in parts, and I wanted to spend more time experiencing things as they happened and less time being told what had already taken place. I think that the storytelling will really pick up in the next book, and hopefully I'll get to spend more time in the ocean!The thing that I liked about all of the story building though was how well I got to know the main character Meri. When the story begins, she has her whole life planned out and has everything together. She's in her third year of college and on her way to becoming a veterinarian; but when she turns twenty-two, things in her life start to change drastically, and she has no clue what to do or who to turn to for help. Just when her confusion reaches its peak Mat, who has all of the answers, magically enters her life. He tells her that she is the mermaid princess of an underwater kingdom, and that she is needed to overthrow the evil king, her biological father, and reclaim her place as the rightful heir of the throne.Not only has Mat been charged with protecting Meri since she was a baby, but it is also his job to  guide her during her transformation from the average young woman that she always assumed she was into the strong leader that she is destined to become. Their relationship starts off as pure friendship and that's also where it ends up. But if you ask me, that's where it should have remained for the entire book. They have this great chemistry that develops for a while. Even though their relationship will never be anything more than a very strong friendship, that chemistry haunted me the entire time I was reading. I wasted too much time rooting for them. Do not make the same mistake that I did! Meri does have a proper love interest, and I'm sure I would have fallen for Jeff as the leading man if I had been able to spend more time with him. His relationship with Meri begins after he saves her life, and there is an instant attraction but they hardly spend any time together after that. I needed them to share the page more. I know some things about him, but I have no clue why they're in love other than the fact that it's meant to be.The author did a much better job of developing the relationship between Meri and Mat than she did the Meri and Jeff pairing. I kept finding myself wishing that Mat was "the guy" because he was the one I knew better and therefore liked more. I hope that I'll get to Jeff  better in the next book because he's all I have! I must learn to let go of my desire to see Mat and Meri together! I MUST!!!I do like the fact that right now Meri and Jeff are a sure thing. I Prefer that over playing the "who will she choose" game.The secondary characters are just too much fun! The most notable is Kelsey, Meri's roommate and best friend. She is so bubbly and full of life! I loved her! She was 100% there for her friend!The book really shined when it was focusing on the development of the mermaids. I was fascinated with how everything worked. The author didn't skimp on the details. She addressed all of the questions that you would have about what it's like to be a mermaid. I can tell that there was a lot of time spent antagonizing over the details. Everything from how they communicate underwater to what made up their diet was explained, and it was done as the story progressed not all at one time. I'm really looking forward to experiencing what it's like to live in the ocean through Meri's eyes in the next book!This book was very clean,  and there is no profanity or sexually explicit material. I would recommend it for ages 13 and up.