Helpful Score: 1
Ellen Schreiber's book Teenage Mermaid has me dreaming of mermaids. I know by now in my life I shouldn't believe in these mythical sea creatures, but her description of Lilly and the details surrounding her romance with a high school boy who lives on the Pacific coast is too tempting to forget. Teenage Mermaid begs me to recall the days of my virile youth and the excitement of romance.
Lilly is a young mergirl with a habit of dreaming away her life. School underwater is almost parochial with uniforms, boring classes and everybody acting just the same. Lilly is so unsatisfied with it. She wants the unexpected. Just like every teen girl I know, she dreams of a handsome boy with the chivalry and kindness of a prince, the strength of a hero and the unpredictable charm of a secret agent. Lilly wants Spencer.
Spencer is not extraordinary to himself. He is bored with school, has only a couple close friends, and can't seem to catch a break. He is constantly ostracized by the ânormal classâ for being so weird. All he wants to do is escape. Spencer finds solstice in the ebbing waves and currents of the beach. The only place he really feels happy is on the back of a surfboard. But when he wipes out during a morning crush session, he finds he wants much more than that.
Spencer and Lilly's romantic pursuit of one another is told from two different perspectives. Schreiber alternates between each as narrator. Marking each character titled chapter, are colorful descriptions and paragraphs full of captivating details that are soaked with poetry and imagination. Clichés run rampant through the story though, reminding the reader that although this not so original story has a modern twist to it, it is based on the stereotypical first love of a young teenage mind.
The plot is entertaining enough even though it is almost the same as similar stories. Hints of Shakespeare, Andersen, and Carroll are woven throughout giving the reader a familiar flavor. The chapters are short and fast. Overall, the book is a quick easy read and a refreshing escape from more challenging plots, and original stories. Schreiber will entertain hundreds and help struggling readers find another fun romantic story to swim through. It will leave any reader dreaming of mermaids, even if they never wanted to meet one.
Lilly is a young mergirl with a habit of dreaming away her life. School underwater is almost parochial with uniforms, boring classes and everybody acting just the same. Lilly is so unsatisfied with it. She wants the unexpected. Just like every teen girl I know, she dreams of a handsome boy with the chivalry and kindness of a prince, the strength of a hero and the unpredictable charm of a secret agent. Lilly wants Spencer.
Spencer is not extraordinary to himself. He is bored with school, has only a couple close friends, and can't seem to catch a break. He is constantly ostracized by the ânormal classâ for being so weird. All he wants to do is escape. Spencer finds solstice in the ebbing waves and currents of the beach. The only place he really feels happy is on the back of a surfboard. But when he wipes out during a morning crush session, he finds he wants much more than that.
Spencer and Lilly's romantic pursuit of one another is told from two different perspectives. Schreiber alternates between each as narrator. Marking each character titled chapter, are colorful descriptions and paragraphs full of captivating details that are soaked with poetry and imagination. Clichés run rampant through the story though, reminding the reader that although this not so original story has a modern twist to it, it is based on the stereotypical first love of a young teenage mind.
The plot is entertaining enough even though it is almost the same as similar stories. Hints of Shakespeare, Andersen, and Carroll are woven throughout giving the reader a familiar flavor. The chapters are short and fast. Overall, the book is a quick easy read and a refreshing escape from more challenging plots, and original stories. Schreiber will entertain hundreds and help struggling readers find another fun romantic story to swim through. It will leave any reader dreaming of mermaids, even if they never wanted to meet one.
