Author: Tracy Deebs Website | Facebook
Stand Alone or Series: (Tempest, #1)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (May, 2011)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN: 9780802722317
Source: Purchased
Available On: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | TheBookDepository | Kindle | Nook
Description from GoodReads:
Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.
My Review
First Impressions: Based on the description from GoodReads this sounds like the story of the daughter of the little mermaid. If the little mermaid had a daughter with a surfer guy and left her daughter. (It does to me!)
Plot & Characters: Tempest for most of the story struggles between what she wants and what she needs. She wants to stay on land with her family, yet her body longs for the sea. This seems to me like a problem she creates. Why can't she spend time in both places? I know she says she doesn't want to abandon her family but it just doesn't seem like that big of a problem.
Tempest has a boyfriend on land but introduce a dose of instant love and a few pages later she is attracted to another. I usually don't have a big problem with instant love but in this story it just seemed wrong. She threw away a relationship and years of memories and suddenly all she could think of was this new guy. Not cool.
The mythology was interesting. I enjoyed learning about mermaids and the other sea creatures. The evil witch was great and terrifying. The missing mother added a very interesting element to the story. I was anticipating the moment when I would finally meet her and learn why she abandoned her children. When she finally appears I felt ripped off. I was not given the reunion I wanted.
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed Tempest but was not able to connect with the main character. I recommend it if you enjoy mermaid stories and are not bothered by instant love.
Buy, Borrow or Skip: Borrow. I enjoyed Tempest and will read the next in the series but for now it doesn't stand out enough for me to say buy.
My Rating:
Too bad you didn't like it much. Thanks for the review! I'm thinking I'll take a pass on this one.
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