Meet Layla McKelland:
Novelist (unpublished, but cut her some slack…seventeen is a bit early to despair),
Slightly neurotic introvert (Alright, let’s be honest…there’s no “slightly” about it),
International Woman of Mystery, and…
Okay, just scratch the bio.
The only real “mystery” in Layla’s life is why her father has never been on the scene. Or why her mother drags Layla to a new coastal home every year.
Nothing about the latest hometown seems too newsworthy…until a routine day at the beach leaves Layla questioning whether she’s read one too many paranormal fantasy novels. The plot thickens when a random guy claims to know things about her father—a bizarre claim he backs up with an equally impossible stunt. And Layla soon finds herself on the wrong side of a mysterious attempted drowning…on her own kitchen floor.
When all is done, Layla will attest that fact is far stranger than fiction. And nothing in real life is ever as transparent as it seems…Not even water.
Especially not water.
When I first started reading this book, I was really afraid it was going to be about mermaids and I am not a fan. I was wrong-happily. Don’t get me wrong though, this is about human like creatures that do live in the ocean, complete with cities, wars and evil leaders. Not only is it a story of a teenager that doesn’t know what she really is, it’s also a romance and an adventure story.
What I liked about this book:
There really is a lot to like about this book.
I really enjoyed the main characters, Layla and Tristan. Layla is seventeen and has just moved again. Every year on her birthday, her mother and her aunt pack up everything and move to another coastal city. Layla has no idea why, just that it happens. This move is different because this time, she catches the attention of two young men while she visits the ocean. This meeting is the catalyst for Layla’s whole world to change. A big part of the change is Tristan. Which brings me to the romance, and it’s a very sweet romance. Tristan is a bit older then Layla, but mega miles older in experience in the world they both are from. Layla has never been told that she isn’t human, nor that the reason they move is due to her mother’s search for Layla’s father. It falls to Tristan to be Layla’s mentor and bodyguard.
The adventure part of the story was just a lot of fun. Sure, they are at war, but the underwater scenes were both exciting, but also beautifully described. Picture underwater scrimmages and beautifully detailed, underwater cities. A big part of the story does take place on land though-but even that is pretty different. Try to imagine a huge indoor complex of different types of water pools for training purposes, including a river and not a water park either!
The exciting/suspense factor goes into the like column for me also. Not only is the war being waged in the ocean, but also on land at times. Made for some fast page turning let me tell you, especially when some of it happens before Layla knows what’s going on.
What didn’t I like about this book:
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The following paragraph is a spoiler, but since it was the only problem I had with the book, I included it.
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There was one big plot hole for me. When the creatures transition from human form to their other form, they are usually wearing bathing suits. So many times, they transition back and forth and being nude and looking for her bathing suit is mentioned at times, at other times, she is in Tristan’s arms when it happens, and not one word about her being nude in his arms or looking for her bathing suit. Every time it happened it just made no sense to me and bothered me a bit. And that’s all that I didn’t like. So really not bad on the whole.
Who would I recommend this book to:
Anyone from age fourteen or fifteen up and of course I include adults. It is science fiction of course, but also a YA romance.
This book was very well written, with great characters, exciting adventure and just an all around different concept and good story. I am not sure if it’s going to be a series or not, as it had a real ending-no cliffhanger in sight for a change. Loved that! It does have all sorts of potential for a series and I will be reading it, if there is one!
I received this book from the author in return for a honest and fair review.
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