Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. In just a few weeks after moving to the small beach town, sixteen year old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past to learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her...and maybe even find true love along the way.
Title: Between the Land and the Sea {Marina's Tales, book 1}
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Publication: 2011
Publisher: Self-Published
This book is the first novel of a trilogy, written by an indie ebook author, Derrolyn Anderson.
My review
First of all, I'd like to thank Derrolyn Anderson a lot, because I probably wouldn't have discovered this book without her kind email, and I would have missed an amazing read.
Mermaids are the new vampires, these days I've seen a lot of books featuring them, but before The Land and the Sea I hadn't read one. So, when Derrolyn Anderson asked me to review her books, I didn't hesitate and I was really curious because mermaids sounded totally original. As it was my first book about mermaids, that may explain why I like it so much, but now that I have finished this first installment, I can say that I am not disappointed at all and I utterly loved it. I will, without a doubt, read more books with mermaids and, if you love them, you should definitively check this one out.
In fact, I loved everything about this book: the characters, the writing, the atmosphere, the plot, the mythology. In my opinion, it was a really awesome and exciting read. In Between the Land and the sea we meet Marina, a young teenage girl. I immediately loved her, she is strong and determined. Under the circumstances she could have easily been selfish, spoiled and arrogant but, on the contrary, she is really nice and kindhearted. It was so easy for me to relate to her and I loved her voice, she is a great character.
I also fell in love with Ethan the minute I met him. He is totally adorable, sweet and cute. As he is a surfer and a popular boy, he could have been cliché, but he feels real and genuine. The secondary characters are also really endearing. They are all well-described, important and necessary to the story. I wish I had an Aunt Evie too :)
It is a really cute and romantic book, but it's also full of mysteries and suspense. Everything is believable and you got the impression that you know Marina and Ethan, they could be anyone and it feels real. The romance is a huge focus for this novel, but Derrolyn Anderson doesn't forget the other aspects of her story. The plot is fast-paced, full of surprises, twists and suspense.
The intrigue is captivating and I immediately dived in the universe of this book. I found it really original, it's totally different from everything I've ever read. The book is quite long, but I read it really fast, I was totally unable to put it down. Some aspects of the story are a bit predictable, but I still had a few surprises, especially near the ending.
The descriptions are accurate, but they were never boring, and everything feels vivid and alive. I could easily imagine myself in Aptos. I could visualize everything: the beach, the sun, the sand, the waves, the salt. The feelings and emotions are also very well written.
The writing is fantastic, smooth and pleasant with a touch of humor. The dialogues are often exquisite and savory. Everything feels genuine and natural: the relationships between the characters, the dialogues, the plot. I don't quite know how to describe it, but everything is in its place and occurs when it must. The plot is fast-paced but Derrolyn Anderson takes her time to build the characters, the landscapes, the relationships, the romance, so the story flows naturally and smoothly.
Mermaids are the new vampires, these days I've seen a lot of books featuring them, but before The Land and the Sea I hadn't read one. So, when Derrolyn Anderson asked me to review her books, I didn't hesitate and I was really curious because mermaids sounded totally original. As it was my first book about mermaids, that may explain why I like it so much, but now that I have finished this first installment, I can say that I am not disappointed at all and I utterly loved it. I will, without a doubt, read more books with mermaids and, if you love them, you should definitively check this one out.
In fact, I loved everything about this book: the characters, the writing, the atmosphere, the plot, the mythology. In my opinion, it was a really awesome and exciting read. In Between the Land and the sea we meet Marina, a young teenage girl. I immediately loved her, she is strong and determined. Under the circumstances she could have easily been selfish, spoiled and arrogant but, on the contrary, she is really nice and kindhearted. It was so easy for me to relate to her and I loved her voice, she is a great character.
I also fell in love with Ethan the minute I met him. He is totally adorable, sweet and cute. As he is a surfer and a popular boy, he could have been cliché, but he feels real and genuine. The secondary characters are also really endearing. They are all well-described, important and necessary to the story. I wish I had an Aunt Evie too :)
It is a really cute and romantic book, but it's also full of mysteries and suspense. Everything is believable and you got the impression that you know Marina and Ethan, they could be anyone and it feels real. The romance is a huge focus for this novel, but Derrolyn Anderson doesn't forget the other aspects of her story. The plot is fast-paced, full of surprises, twists and suspense.
The intrigue is captivating and I immediately dived in the universe of this book. I found it really original, it's totally different from everything I've ever read. The book is quite long, but I read it really fast, I was totally unable to put it down. Some aspects of the story are a bit predictable, but I still had a few surprises, especially near the ending.
The descriptions are accurate, but they were never boring, and everything feels vivid and alive. I could easily imagine myself in Aptos. I could visualize everything: the beach, the sun, the sand, the waves, the salt. The feelings and emotions are also very well written.
The writing is fantastic, smooth and pleasant with a touch of humor. The dialogues are often exquisite and savory. Everything feels genuine and natural: the relationships between the characters, the dialogues, the plot. I don't quite know how to describe it, but everything is in its place and occurs when it must. The plot is fast-paced but Derrolyn Anderson takes her time to build the characters, the landscapes, the relationships, the romance, so the story flows naturally and smoothly.
To sum up, my review doesn't do justice to this book as it is a really fantastic novel. I totally loved it and it's a perfect summer read with mermaids, surfers, beach, sun and romance. The storyline is compelling, the plot is fast-paced, the dialogues are funny and the characters are really pleasant. The ending is satisfactory, but the epilogue questions everything and I was really looking forward to reading the sequel.
You can find this ebook on Amazon.com, Barnes&Nobles or Smashwords for instance for only 0.99$.
You can find this ebook on Amazon.com, Barnes&Nobles or Smashwords for instance for only 0.99$.
Yours is the second review I've read of this book and both agreed that it was a great story. The other review was rather brief so I enjoy the details in your review. I've put this on my TBR list! Great Review Lilie!
ReplyDeleteHeather