Kimberly's Novel Notes: Review: Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Grade: 3 butterflies
Name: Forgive my Fins (Fins #1)
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Released: May 19th 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Amount: Hardcover, 293 pages

Goodreads summary

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

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My thoughts

     I haven't heard much about this book when I started to read, so I didn't really have any expectations going into this book. However, after I read this book I started to see all of these glowing reviews form other book blogger's. I am glad that I didn't see those reviews before I read this book because I think if I had my hopes up, this book would have just crashed and burned for me.

     This book is about a girl named Lily who we learn is a mermaid princess. She is also half human and half mermaid. When she learns this, she decides to spend her high school years on land with her Aunt (who is human). Fast forward three years to her senior year. She has this HUGE crush on this boy who is in her school. She thinks she's in love and wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but to do that she needs to tell him that she is a mermaid. So, she is trying to get him to go out with her, but the catch is she only has a few weeks before school ends and she needs to go back to her kingdom. Then something huge happens and puts a dent in her plan.

     First off, I want to say that this was a really fast and fun read. It was a really light book that had that summery feel to it and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't a book that I could get into. The plot was really predictable and felt really flat. Like nothing major happened in it. I really hate to say this, but it is also a book that I can forget easily. I don't know why that is, maybe because I didn't feel any emotion from this book. Even when Lily was sad, or frustrated, or angry I just couldn't feel that emotion. I really hate to say that, but its true.

     I couldn't connect with any of the characters and you guys know how much I hate it when I can't connect with the characters. Most of the time when I was reading this I really wanted to slap Lily (and I'm not a violent person so that says a lot) because she came off to me as a selfish, spoiled, shallow, annoying, stereotypical, teenage brat who refuses to see something right in front of her, because she thinks she thinks it will make her life "harder". (Air quotes around harder because it really won't and anybody can see that)

    I also didn't feel the love between Quince and Lily. Their relationship felt a little fake. It didn't necessarily feel forced or anything; I just didn't feel any chemistry or sparks between them.

     All in all, if you want a really fun, fast, and enjoyable read, I would recommend this. However, if you want a book that you can really get into and connect with, then I wouldn't recommend this.

This book gets...

3 butterflies

Basic, nothing special.