by Carrie Anne Noble
publisher’s synopsis
There is no cure for being who you truly are…
In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian, Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie’s healing potions; by night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara’s favorite story tells of three orphan infants—Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O’Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.
One day, Clara discovers shimmering scales just beneath her sister’s skin: Maren is becoming a mermaid and must be taken to the sea or she will die. So Clara, O’Neill, and the mermaid-girl set out for the shore. But the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O’Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening Maren.
And always in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?
The Mermaid’s Sister was a delightful story.
While the story isn’t based off of a fairy tale, Noble’s writing style makes it feel like one. There is a certain whimsy and charmingness to the story that reminds me of fairy tales. The prose is wonderful to read.
The characters were great. I thought it was fun how Noble set the story in the 1800s, having magic be an “unknown” part of the world. It makes me wonder if I might find a wyvern or a mermaid today. 😉 And the plot was nice.
Honestly, it’s a little bit hard to talk about what I liked about the book. It was a charming and enjoyable read. My only complaint would be that the ending feels a little too tied up perfectly with a bow–but that fits the fairy tale-esq feel.
If you like fairy tales or charming stories, I recommend The Mermaid’s Sister.
Cautions: five kisses; light romance; a brief scene where a mermaid is topless (non-descriptive); several instances of a character making unwanted advances; brief, non-graphic violence
Hailey Huntington 