208 pages
English language
Published Aug. 26, 2006 by Candlewick Press.
For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery - about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident - an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.
A fun, fanciful story with a lovable lead character. All the great, glittery trappings of mermaid story with a beating heart of the simple desire to be united with one's family. The ending is a little too easy and a little too saccharine, but a great pick for young fantasy fans.
Mmmmmmmm where to start? My daughter is obsessed with mermaids, big time, hence why I was forced to read this. For kids the book is ok, it's all about BFFs and underwater prisons patrolled by hammerhead sharks, ya know the normal kid stuff. For adults it was quite an annoying read, nothing gets explained, like how mermaids can speak underwater and how a human was able to remember a what a particular shipwreck looked like on the bottom of the office. Hey ho this is a kids book after all and she enjoyed it so can't complain. I suspect we'll be continuing with the series at some point.
