Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. NielsonGenre: Young Adult Fiction
Release Date: July 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 304
Received From: Around The World Tours
Summary: When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, of whom she has heard terrible stories all her life, she is convinced the mermaid means to take her younger sister. Adrianne, fierce-willed and courageous, is determined to protect her sister from the mermaid, and her family from starvation. However, the mermaid continues to haunt Adrianne in her dreams and with her song. Yet, when the islanders find out about Adrianne's encounters with the mermaid she is scorned, for this small and superstitious community believes the mermaid will bring devastation to the island if Adrianne does not give herself to the sea. A powerful and lyrical story of one girl who must choose between having everything and having those she loves.
My Review: Forbidden Sea was a unique novel that had great potential to be powerful. Unfortunately, it just fell short for me. The beginning dragged a little but picked up in the middle. Also, the tone was mellow which didn't help me connect with the story right away. However, on the bright side, the characters were well-developed and relatable. I mostly connected with Adrianne, a spunky and brave young girl. Her maturity level and kind heart pulled me into her world. After her father's tragic accident, she became the glue that held her family together until her mother healed from the loss. My heart went out to her family because they went from having servants to struggling on a daily basis. I also liked her little sister Cecily, she was so adorable! I enjoyed the relationship between them and admired how determined Adrianne was in saving her from the mermaid.
Adrianne carried a hard burden after meeting the mermaid. She not only had to worry about her sister's safety but also keeping the secret from the islanders. There wasn't a time where I questioned her actions because I was confident she was doing the right thing. The part of the book that I especially loved was when Sheila described the magical world of the mermaids. Her descriptions helped me picture everything perfectly in my mind. I just wish those scenes were introduced earlier in the book instead of the last ten chapters or so. Overall, this is a good example of a story where the main character is faced with the choice to have a better life or find the beauty in her current situation. I recommend it if you're looking for a book with a decent plot with great characters.
My Rating:
Author's Info:
My Review: Forbidden Sea was a unique novel that had great potential to be powerful. Unfortunately, it just fell short for me. The beginning dragged a little but picked up in the middle. Also, the tone was mellow which didn't help me connect with the story right away. However, on the bright side, the characters were well-developed and relatable. I mostly connected with Adrianne, a spunky and brave young girl. Her maturity level and kind heart pulled me into her world. After her father's tragic accident, she became the glue that held her family together until her mother healed from the loss. My heart went out to her family because they went from having servants to struggling on a daily basis. I also liked her little sister Cecily, she was so adorable! I enjoyed the relationship between them and admired how determined Adrianne was in saving her from the mermaid.
Adrianne carried a hard burden after meeting the mermaid. She not only had to worry about her sister's safety but also keeping the secret from the islanders. There wasn't a time where I questioned her actions because I was confident she was doing the right thing. The part of the book that I especially loved was when Sheila described the magical world of the mermaids. Her descriptions helped me picture everything perfectly in my mind. I just wish those scenes were introduced earlier in the book instead of the last ten chapters or so. Overall, this is a good example of a story where the main character is faced with the choice to have a better life or find the beauty in her current situation. I recommend it if you're looking for a book with a decent plot with great characters.
My Rating:
Author's Info:
Sheila A Nelson is a children's librarian in Provo, Utah. Forbidden Sea is her first novel for children.
For more info on Sheila visit her site(s):
Blog: http://sheilanielson.blogspot.com
Forbidden Sea Blog: http://windwaithemermaid.blogspot.com
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3090324.Sheila_A_Nielson
6 comments:
Oh I am SO jealous. I want this book. Great review :D
This sounds cute - I love mermaids, and I'm okay with mellow. :-)
The descriptions sound great. I may try this out just for that and the fact that it involves mermaids :) Great review!
Looks good and I like the cover!
Great review!
You have an award on my blog: http://swordsforfighting.blogspot.com/
I am halfway through and really liking this so far!
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