Book Recap: Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

The book was given to me by the author for review. I did not receive any gift or compensation for this review.

Cover Inspection:
That's how Marina looks like?
Now I get why Ethan can't take his eyes off her.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
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.
Between The Land And The Sea is the first book in the series "Marina's Tales". Her story continues on in book two, The Moon And The Tide.


BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	2.5
Plot	2.5
Writing	2.0
Characters	2.5
Ending	4.0
Overall Rating	2.5 Good (85% to 88%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The story is initially set in San Francisco, but then the main character had to move to Aptos, a small beach town. This is a mermaid story so the story is set near a beach front. Seagulls, sea spray, that kind of thing. It was described that here were big waves in the beach, the kind that can actually kill.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
The main character is Marina. Everything is new to her. Swimming. Surfing. Roller coasters. School. She's a fast learner, and she's self-sacrificing and brave. She is fiercely protective of those she loves. However, she has a bit of a temper. Oh! And she can talk mermaid, and is actually a daughter of a mermaid. Then there is the love object, Ethan. Ah! Ethan. If I had met a guy like him in high school, I would have proposed marriage! Ethan is handsome and has a gorgeous, tanned, ripped body. A surfer. Kind. Hardworking and friendly. Affectionate. He cooks too! I can see why Marina fell for him. The book actually started with Ethan being saved from a shark attack by a mermaid.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
** may contain slight spoilers ** This book is about Marina's quest in finding the truth about herself. It's also about the meaning of home in the familial sense, about where one belongs. You see, Marina's mother died the day she was born. She lives with her father. But her father's job takes him (and Marina too) all over the world. So Marina never actually had formal schooling. Now, her father took up a job in Afghanistan, and does not want to bring Marina there, and took this opportunity for Marina to live with his sister in Aptos and enroll in a normal high school. Marina instantly loved her new home, especially her cousin, Cruz, a sweet goth guy who designs clothes. Marina spends a lot of time at the beach and while there, Marina had accidents, and so her aunt decided to have Ethan teach Marina how to swim. Lucky for Marina to have such a hot swimming teacher! As they spend time with each other, Marina finds herself falling for Ethan. (Who wouldn't?) Then she meets a mermaid. She was then brought in some sort of mermaid lair, and she found out that her mother gave up being a mermaid to be human. The story progressed with Marina having strange and scary dreams; she also has flashes of visions that she believes predicts the future. She thinks that these strange occurrences are related to her being a half mermaid. She tries to find out more about herself and her mother from the mermaid that she met, risking her life and the lives of those she cares about.

LOVE:
This book is a fairytale. It's a light and fun read. It was some sort of "a little mermaid" experience for me. And Ethan is a real sweetie. I found myself saying awww at his lines at one point or another. Can I order one Ethan for myself? And it had a Project Runway feel to it because of Cruz and Evie's obsession with all things fashion. Marina was basically their Barbie, and was showered by her aunt/sister/mom/grandmother Evie with all the branded clothes and accessories.

NO LOVE:
Again, the book is a fairytale. I feel like it did not tackle more serious issues. For me, it was too light.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
I love Ethan. He is a cup of hot cocoa on a cold, rainy afternoon. He's unbelievably sweet for a teenage boy. I do think this book would actually set unrealistic expectations in men, or should I say high school boys.

FAVORITE LINE:

"Gucci is supernatural!"

MUSINGS:
The book was good. But like I said, it was too light for me. It's a feel-good book; one that should be read when one is down to have your spirits lifted. This book is for those looking for a Disney-like story.

DOODLES:
Can't seem to find a book trailer for this one!

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Derrolyn Anderson

SIMILAR READS:
Fins Series by Tera Lynn Childs

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: mild-moderate (there was a B word )
violence: mild
sexual content: mild - moderate (boy slept in girl's bedroom several times. nothing happened.
mature themes: mild
age recommendation: 12+