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Forgive My Fins (Fins #1)

by Tera Lynn Childs (Goodreads Author)

3.89 of 5 stars 3.89 · rating details · 8,956 ratings · 1,221 reviews

Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but for Lily Sanderson, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily has a secret, and it's not her huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid--she's a Thalassinian princess...more

Paperback, 333 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Templar (first published May 19th 2010)

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Oct 07, 2010 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Tweens and anyone in the mood for a light and sweet mermaid love tale

Shelves: prospect-library, young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, reviewed

3.5 - 4 Stars - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den

(Plot points mentioned deal with aspects contained in the book blurb)

Is it just guppy love or a love as deep as the ocean?

Yes, I have been indoctrinated from all the puns in this book. ^_^ The sea puns and mermaid fish slang were a little jarring, at first, but son of swordfish (as Lily would say), once I got into the flow, I was all bubbly smiley reading them and at times even chuckling. Though I can see how the steady stream of puns co...more

24 likes · like · see review

Sep 23, 2012 Lauren (Sugar & Snark) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is corny! In fact- a wave of sadness overcomes me when I realize the depths that this author has sunk to. Drowning her audience in a sea of underwater puns. See I can do it too!!

But seriously this book feels like it was written as an 11 year olds creative writing essay that just got out of hand. If the character is mean they are a sea slug if they are nice they are an angel fish. (Constantly!) It just gets ridiculous. But worst of all the characters are LAME!!

Lily clearly has a perse...more

29 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: annoying-protagonist, mermaids, you-want-crackers-with-that-cheese, young-adult

Full disclosure: I got sick and I didn't write this review when I should have because I could just not bring myself to type, so I have lost a lot of the details I would have needed to make this a really good and well-written review, so it will probably be crap. But the good thing is, I've had time to think about it, and I don't think I'm going to continue on with this series. I've talked to a few other readers and they have told me that THIS is the best book, and if this is the best, well I don'...more Full disclosure: I got sick and I didn't write this review when I should have because I could just not bring myself to type, so I have lost a lot of the details I would have needed to make this a really good and well-written review, so it will probably be crap. But the good thing is, I've had time to think about it, and I don't think I'm going to continue on with this series. I've talked to a few other readers and they have told me that THIS is the best book, and if this is the best, well I don't want the rest.

Basically what I am going to do is just take the pre-review I had and expand upon that and hope nobody notices my lack of effort.

My first issue with Forgive My Fins was that I found the whole mermaid mythology incredibly misogynistic. Why? Well...Lily had to be bonded to a male before she could inherit the throne of her underwater kingdom, but a male(her father--he ascended the throne before he met Lily's mom) doesn't have to be bonded. I was incredibly offended by this. Authors can write how they want, but I don't have to like it. And I didn't like this. I kind of thought it was an ugly message to be sending to teen girls reading your novel. "You aren't good enough unless you have a man with you." What is this, the 1950s? Ummm, no. I kept hoping there would be a twist to this as I was reading, but yeah...NOPE. It really WAS that sexist. I guess maybe that might be a thing in mermaid mythology, but why not take the opportunity to do something different? It just didn't sit right with me.

And then there was Lily. She was possibly the most infuriating protagonist I have encountered this year. She pined over a boy who played with her, loved him for absolutely no reason--she didn't even KNOW him, and all the while she had an amazing guy standing right next to her who adored her for who she was, and for the love of god, I don't know what Quince saw in her because she was an ASSHOLE. Horrible, really. Stupid. Impossible to root for because she could not see what was right in front of her face. She was ignorant, foolish, blind, didn't think things through, and irritated me to NO end with her sea-speak.

However, I really adored the writing in this book. And Quince. Oh, Quince. I know am a 32-year-old female and I will possibly get arrested for saying this, but won't you come rescue me from my life of boredom? That's the perfect guy right there, folks. Talk about devoted. And attractive. And a bad boy without actually being abusive. That's refreshing in YA. He was perfect. Lily, honestly, did not deserve him. When I read these books as an adult, I often feel like a child molester for swooning over the male characters. That's why most of the time I try to avoid the ones with too much romance. Because I end up hating myself. Hahaha! Hey, at least I am honest. But Quince was wonderful.

But besides that, this book is chock full of crappy stereotypes and predictability. Mean girls and jocks abound. But it's cute. It's fluffy. And I guess I kinda liked it. Though I sort of hate myself for saying that.

Edit: I did like it, but after much deliberation, I have decided to pass on reading the rest of the series. It just wasn't good enough. The sexism really pissed me off, and Lily is not a protagonist I can root for. And I hear she gets worse as the series goes on. I read enough books that irritate me, I don't need to pick up a non-review book that I know will drive me batty. So nope, I am done. But if you like fluffy romances with mermaids, this is your book.(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Looking for a fun, quick, cute, summer read? Look no further! Forgive My Fins has it all and more!

Let's just say I'm head over tail for the whimsical mermaid tale!

Such a cute story. This is definitely a novel that will appeal to the upper ya crowd but at the same time, is something that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to the younger ya and even mg readers.

I adored Quincy from the first spitball mention. Not really specifically because of the spitball, but because he seemed like the genuinely fu...more

10 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2010 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Forgive My Fins is really fast. Has a very modern setting and it's about mermaids of course. I haven't read a lot of books with mermaids (maybe one or two) so it was different, not bad, just different.

The premise of this book was interesting. It's easy to see where the book is headed a few chapters in but that has never fazed me. It just felt over simplified. The plot was all about breaking the bond, getting Brody, breaking the bond, getting Brody, est. Childs could at least put in one sub plot...more

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2010 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, annoyed-me, given-away, paranormal, beware-love-triangle, romance, series-lost-interest

This one wasn't for me. It was somehow too … pink, girly, fluffy and cute. The story itself was very predictable, which only made me want to shake the heroine and make her see what was going on already. Her absolute cluelessness really annoyed me.
And seriously, how can you be in love (and I'm referring to the I-love-you-so-much-I-want-to-marry-you-and-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you kind of love here) with someone you rarely talk to and don't really know that well? I mean, having a crush, ok...more

18 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sweet-romance, favorites, fantasy, laugh-aloud, mermaid, series

This is one of those stories that I got to read before starting to write reviews, but if I remember well I love it, so I should say at least one word or two about it.

I am not sure why I like reading books about mermaids (I blame it on The Little Mermaid, and the way I loved it so much as a kid that it's still somehow stuck in my head).
So I picked up this book wanting to have a good time with it, I read it in one sitting and I had tons of fun with it.
It was cute, it was funny, sometimes just a b...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2011 Gabby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, paranormal-romance, e-books, young-adult, chick-lit, series

Originally posted @ The YA Bookworm

I LOVE MERMAIDS! when i was a kid i adore mermaids! even though there are some myths that says that mermaids are bad, i didn't grasp the idea... so i was so glad that there is a YA book about mermaids.
this novel is actually my first YA book that is about mermaids, and for my first, this one didn't quite disappoint me.

a new concept of mermaids were introduced here, cause mermaids can be bonded just by Kissing someone, and that kiss will eventually turn the B...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Realteenreviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Terraped Humans

The Gist

Lily Sanderson never thought that going to the surface would cause such trouble. But when she realized that her dead mother had been a surface-dweller Lily feels as though she has to try out life on land, for both her and her mother’s sake. After being on land for three years (living with her Aunt Lauren) three things have happened. One: she fell in love with the swimmer/news anchor/most-popular-guy-at-school, Brody. Two: gets a new best friend, who she trusts with everything…except her...more The Gist

Lily Sanderson never thought that going to the surface would cause such trouble. But when she realized that her dead mother had been a surface-dweller Lily feels as though she has to try out life on land, for both her and her mother’s sake. After being on land for three years (living with her Aunt Lauren) three things have happened. One: she fell in love with the swimmer/news anchor/most-popular-guy-at-school, Brody. Two: gets a new best friend, who she trusts with everything…except her mermaid secret. And three: makes an enemy of her next door neighbor, Quince. With her eighteenth birthday looming over her head, Lily knows that she needs to choose someone to bond with soon, or risk losing the throne to her underwater kingdom Thalassinia. Bond: the first time a mermaid kisses someone they form a magical bond. Thalassinia: a magical underwater mermaid kingdom ruled by King Whelk, a.k.a. Lily’s father. In order to keep her position as princess of Thalassinia she must bond before her eighteenth birthday. And she already has some one picked out. Brody Bennett. And the only thing keeping her from her perfect mermate? Quince Fletcher. Instead of Brody kissing her and forming the bond – like he was supposed to – Quince does. Little does he know that because of the kiss he has to go with her to Thalassinia to perform a separation ritual. Separation ritual: cutting the bond between two mermates. The separation is irreversible. Lily doesn’t know why Quince kissed her or why he doesn’t want to go through with the separation, but the one thing she’s certain of is that they have to separate as soon as possible. So she can forget all about Quince and bond with the person she actually wants to bond with – Brody.

What We Think
Reviewed by Dream Catcher
This was quite the interesting book. Let me tell you this first: I only read this book in the first place because I thought it would be so bad it would be hilarious. In a way, it was. Some things were so corny I was laughing hysterically (earning many stares from various family members and friends). But, actually, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought it’d be a pathetic excuse of writing, but I kind of liked it. First things first: I have to complain about something for the North Star’s sake. The name BRODY. She hates this name beyond belief – one of the reasons why she refuses to read this book – and I’m not crazy about it either. But after reading about it for 292 pages you get used to it. Now that that’s out there I can move on. To plot. There was some plot but not much. But for this book that was okay. It’s a romance. And for a romance (I find that the majority of romances are mostly fluff) it had enough of a plot for me. To make up for the small-ish plot, the whole idea of bonding mermaids was certainly original. I mean, who’s ever heard of something like that before? It’s unique. And I respect that. Points for that. The characters were both good and bad. Lily was a little dim and very obsessive (of Brody) but other than that she wasn’t that bad. Brody was awkward and…I dunno…annoying? He was the character I liked the least out of all of them. He’s not the sharpest tack if you know what I mean. He’s all brawn no brain. So it was annoying that Lily was so infatuated with him. But I suppose that was exactly what Tera Lynn Childs was going for. Good job there. Quince was awkward at times but also a really great character the other times. He certainly made the story interesting. Lily’s best friend Shannen was an interesting character. She seemed sensible and smart, but I was never really sure with her. Overall, the characters were pretty good. I liked the style of writing in this book. There was detail but there wasn’t too much. So that was good for me. DIALOGUE: one of the most important parts of a book. Most of the time the dialogue wasn’t half bad. But other times it was stiff. Something no living breathing person would say. Most of the awkward, stiff dialogue bits came out of Quince’s mouth. It was Tera Lynn Child’s attempt to make Quince the sweet, adorable boy everyone wants to date. But it just ended up making things the opposite of realistic. But the occasional flawed dialogue didn’t ruin the entire book for me. I really didn’t mind it all that much. I mean dialogue is hard to get exactly right. And mostly her’s was pretty good. So I’ll cut her some slack. All in all I didn’t think the book was all that bad. To tell you the truth I actually enjoyed reading it. It wasn’t some great literary genius but it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t recommend it to people but if someone told me they were thinking about reading it I wouldn’t try to talk them out of it (I’d probably tell them to go ahead and read it, actually). So does that make it an ehh book? Maybe…but I’m thinking of more of a just-above-ehh book.

Real Teen Rating~ B- : Check it out from the library.

Reviewed by Living Destiny
So Dream Catcher and I made this deal where we traded silly, cheesy books. I gave her The Ghost and The Goth to read, and she gave me Forgive My Fins. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t wonderful either. In fact, it was surprisingly like The Ghost and The Goth. Not in plot or anything, but just in how good it was.
So the characters themselves were not very good. In fact, I really only liked Quince. Lily was not horrible, but she was pretty shallow sometimes, and that’s really irritating. Brody is a gross name, and he was super shallow all the time. Quince was tough and bad boy-ish, but he was sweet too. He was my favorite character, of them all.
The idea for the story wasn’t too bad. I liked the idea of ‘mermates’, although it would really worry me to have to find one. Imagine if you picked wrong! Or if you fell into a situation like Lily’s. I also liked the thought that there’s another world underneath the water. The idea of mermaids is really interesting to think about. It was written in a weird way though. It really bothered me that Lily made all these water references instead of regular references. It’s just bizarre and it doesn’t flow well in sentences. Some of the descriptions are a little too long and over done. Like at one point she’s describing eating food, and it takes up half a page. To eat one bite. Serious overkill. I found the dialogue to be, for the most part, ok, but some of the conversations were a little awkward. But overall, it was much better than I thought it was going to be. Just like The Ghost and The Goth.
Real Teen Rating~ B- : Check it out from the library.

Reviewed by ShoreWhisperer
So I finished this book an hour ago and loved the ending. I had been talking about the book all day, on a positive note I loved the concept of this book. The alternate mer-world is really fascinating. On the other hand I didn't like the other stuff. I strongly disliked Lily. Half the time I was yelling at the book. There were too many flaws in her character. First off, she is WAY to oblivious to everything. I am oblivious to things like her but there is a point where even I can notice things as obvious as Quince Fletcher. She was also really shallow and I know that was her character but it was unbearable to me. Her constant crying and whiny tone throughout the book and not to mention her violent outbursts peeved me to no end. Let's just say if Lily was real, we WOULD NOT be friends. Then there was Brody. Brody is maybe the most awkward love interest ever. He is never in the book, and the times that he is it's just weird. He came off as awkward rather than the Mr. Perfect Prince Charming kind of guy. I didn't like him (which was probably the intention) but I would have been content with that if he was more present in the book. My favorite character was Quince, that is probably because i am a teenage girl but who wouldn't love the sensitive biker guy? Sadly, Quince is not realistic at all but he had the most logic out of all the characters. He thought things through, and didn't come off as a love sick teenager, he sounded like a guy who genuinly loved this girl. His sweetness got to a point sometimes that was unbelievable. The descriptions of the mer-world were fantastic. The way that I pictured Thalassinia was just amazing, all the colors, I wanted to live there! The author painted beautiful pictures that made you love the sea, even if you are a land-lover. The only complaint I would have is that some of the descriptions were weird and almost quirky. At one point she says "The smell of Quince" that was extremly cheesy and almost swoon-like. At another time she described Brody's arm hair and that kind of just really creeped me out. That was another thing, this author REALLY liked hair. I don't know what it was but whether it was Lily or Quince or Peri, we always got a description of hair and multiple times too. I just thought that was odd. The whole concept of a mer-mate was original and I enjoyed the concept, I love fantasy stuff like that and this is the epitome of fantasy romance novels. So, I enjoyed the book overall, it made me very emotional because I "strongly disliked" Lily but I found myself laughing and feeling upset like any good book makes you feel.
Real Teen Rating~ C+: Well I guess it was good.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 14, 2011 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paid-full-price, read-in-2010

I don't think rating out of 5 stars gives enough room for judgment.

I prefer the standard school grading scale...Maybe a B-.

It was a light, cute, fun book! The cover is obviously stunning. I love the greens and the blues. I'm not sure what she's supposed to be blowing out of her mouth, though. Is there something I missed in the book?

Anyway, we are presented with Lily Sanderson: half-mermaid, half-human. She's nothing spectacular with her blonde hair (yay!), pale-skin, and freckles. And she's go...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Lily has a secret; she's a mermaid living on land due to the fact that her mother was human. Her father is king of the seas, which makes her a Thalassinian Princess. Since finding out about her mother's lineage, Lily began to understand why she doesn't feel at home in the sea. She moved in with her aunt and started attending Seaview High School in order to find the perfect mate.

She's convinced she's found him. All she has to do is persuade him that...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 05, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who enjoyed "Teenage Mermaid" (Schreiber) or Ascension (Dalkey)

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, mermaids-selkies, love-story-romance, urban-fantasy-paranormal, read-2010, swapped-or-given-away, high-expectations, sequel-no-thank-you, love-triangle, debut

I rate this mermaid romance, which I have impatiently waited almost a year for, 3,5 stars altogether. It was really cute, but very predictable. In core it reminded me a lot of Something, Maybe and other regular YA which tell the story of a girl nursing a long time crush on a boy she doesn't really know that well. After 40 pages or so I was a tiny bit bored, but I held on tight - I was reading a mermaid-love-story! - and it got better again.

As far as I-am-a-mermaid-here-is-my-story books go, I l...more

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May 23, 2011 Krys rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: medium-length-book, young-adult, fantasy, first-person-narrative, read-in-2010, series-i-love, mermaids-sirens-selkies, series

Tera Lynn Childs' books are always fun, fanciful, and full of magic. I like the ease of reading them... In and out quick, no muss no fuss. Her characters are always likeable and wonderfully flawed individuals who are enjoyable to read.

Forgive My Fins follows in the footsteps of Childs' previous Goddess series (which at this time, I lament, is not being picked up for a third book by the publisher, boo!). Whereas the Goddess series concentrates on Phoebe and co. and their exploits in Greece Fins f...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Antonini Ramon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dengan Cover yang bagus, lumayan menarik perhatian, terkhusus mata saya lelaki, FMF patut dipegang2 dan kemungkinan besar dibeli jika Anda menyukai kisah fiksi fantasi berdasarkan legenda tentang makhluk laut, peri laut, putri duyung dan kehidupan yang serba sihir di salah satu dunia bawah laut.

Tidak banyak berbeda dengan tema2 dalam film Hollywood seputar percintaan remaja, FMF juga mengangkat tema yang sama yakni percintaan antara seorang putri duyung yang bersekolah di darat. Sang putri duyun...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review-read

This is really great fun to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's such a cute and feel-good read that I couldn't help but smile as I read.

I Loved Lily! She is absolutely adorable and I definitely loved her interactions with Quince (I will come back to him later!) I like how she's clumsy and has unruly hair - she's someone that we can all relate to. I could also relate to her crush on Brody. But honestly, with that 'blowfish' next door I think I would have found it rather hard to keep focusing m...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Bella (Cheezyfeet Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-releases

I was completely wrong about this book. I thought I would enjoy it, but I wouldn't love it, or anything like that. I thought it would be a fun quick read, one of those books that you read once and enjoy, but never read again. I was SO WRONG.
I don't think there was anything about this book that I didn't like. The characters were awesome, the plot was exciting, and the setting and world building were AMAZING. Seriously, the world of Thalassinia under the sea was a pleasure to read about. I could r...more I was completely wrong about this book. I thought I would enjoy it, but I wouldn't love it, or anything like that. I thought it would be a fun quick read, one of those books that you read once and enjoy, but never read again. I was SO WRONG.
I don't think there was anything about this book that I didn't like. The characters were awesome, the plot was exciting, and the setting and world building were AMAZING. Seriously, the world of Thalassinia under the sea was a pleasure to read about. I could really imagine that Thalassinia was a real place under the sea (if such places existed) and it was EXACTLY what I imagine a magical under sea kingdom to be like. I loved how Tera included everything to make it believable, from the sea life plants and the food, to the buildings and the statues inside the palace. Even the high school and Lily's home with her aunt on land was awesome.
I really liked Lily, though at times she could be quite self centred and sometimes she didn't see the obvious things that were right in front of her. Despite this, I enjoyed reading about her, and I think that Tera really captured how a teenager thinks and speaks, and she really made Lily seem like an normal teenager who is also a mermaid. I liked her narrative, and all her awful sea life puns, like 'blowfish' and 'angelfish' were awesome and really helped to set the scene.
As is becoming almost expected of all paranormal young adult titles nowadays, there is a love triangle in Forgive My Fins, though I didn't mind. It wasn't a usual love triangle, it was more of a 'girl lusting after a boy, a different boy is in love with the girl'. I loved Quince, he was so cute, and some of the things he does for Lily are adorable! I know I've already said this, but for Lily not being able to see what is going on with Quince, she is so blind...
I don't think there is anything I can fault with Forgive My Fins. The only thing I will say is, that the ending is evil! The book finishes nicely and I would be quite happy without another book, and the story is finished and I have no questions. And then, suddenly, I turn the page, and there's an epilogue that leaves me on a HUGE cliffhanger. So, don't say I didn't warn you when you read Forgive My Fins and then find yourself needing the next book in the series...
I would recommend Forgive My Fins to all fans of YA, though I do think that it should probably be targeted at the younger end of YA, because at times it did seem like a little bit of a middle grade novel. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm just sayin', you know, in case you were expecting something suited to older teens...

*Thanks to Templar for sending me this in exchange for an honest review! :) Also, head over to http://cheezyfeetbooks.blogspot.com for a guest post and giveaway of a shiny UK copy! Open to UK residents only and ends on July 16th :) (less)

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Nov 10, 2012 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, cover-love, fluff-n-stuff, gggrrrr, vampires-werewolves-and-magic-oh-my, widget-shelf

Lily is a mermaid princess, living on land with her human aunt. She is only a few weeks away from her 18 birthday. She needs to find her mermate before then or forfeit the crown. But Lily has found her mate. She found him 3 years ago when she first went to live with her aunt. The only problem is she needs Brody to see her as more than a friend. But every time she gets the chance to make a move her bad boy biker neighbor Quince seems to mess everything up.

I've really been in a mermaid mood latel...more Lily is a mermaid princess, living on land with her human aunt. She is only a few weeks away from her 18 birthday. She needs to find her mermate before then or forfeit the crown. But Lily has found her mate. She found him 3 years ago when she first went to live with her aunt. The only problem is she needs Brody to see her as more than a friend. But every time she gets the chance to make a move her bad boy biker neighbor Quince seems to mess everything up.

I've really been in a mermaid mood lately. I bought this book about a year ago and I finally sat down and read it. I liked the story, but there were things that really annoyed me. Like Lily. She was clueless, and grumpy through a lot of this book.

I loved the idea of a mermaid princess looking for her mate. I thought the story moved along at a nice pace. I was never bored with the story and I liked that it didn't take her half the book to reveal her secret. I loved it when they were underwater and my favorite part of the whole book was when they were on the island during the challenge.

I loved how much Quince obviously loved Lily. I loved it when he came running outside to check on her just because he could feel her fear. Then I loved that he punched Brody in the face... repeatedly. Not that Brody was a bad guy, but I got to where I couldn't stand him just because of Lily's obsession with him. Also, Quince was supposed to be a bad boy, but he seemed pretty tame to me. Just because he wore leather and rode a motorcycle didn't make him a bad boy. But I didn't really care, I liked him.

(view spoiler)(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Amber rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, first-in-series, ya, mermaids, series

I give this more like a 3.5*. It was really cute and made me chuckle a few times.
this was my first sea creature/mermaid book and it kind of reminded me a bit like The Little Mermaid only with a love triangle. Will still like to read the next book and see if the characters grow/progress

Lily Sanders has been on land for 3 years now pinning other a boy named Brody and she thinks now is the time to tell Brody how she feels for him along with the BIG secret she hasn't even told her one and only hum...more

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Jul 02, 2010 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-kids-teen, harper-collins, own, paranormal, annoying-protagonist, mc-girl

There were several things I liked about this book. I don't think I've ever read a YA story about mermaids (they may be the next vampires, who knows?) so I had nothing to compare this to. Therefore I went in with a pretty open mind and as far as a story about mermaids goes, I liked it. Childs did a good job of creating the mermaid kingdom of Have-No-Idea-How-to-Pronounce, and her mythology backstory was very creative and original.

Childs is also the kind of author who pays attention to "the littl...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 13, 2012 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Sep 21, 2011 Pam Browning rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-books-read

A very fun fantasy novel. The main character is a mermaid who is in humanform and attending high school. After all the deep and a little scary books I've been reading... like the Maze Runner, this was a fast and entertaining read. typical girl drama, a girl with a crush and a crazy mistake that leads her tormentor to discover her mermaid secret. I enjoyed the cute fish/sea puns and vocabulary as well as the great description of the undersea world. I would recommend this to my romance reader frie...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, romance, teen

Lily is a mermaid and the heir to the throne. She must forge a magical bond with her mate before she turns 18 or she will be ineligible to rule. Luckily she has someone picked out, Brody, a human who swims like a fish. If only her irritating neighbor, Quince, would stop messing up her plans to talk to Brody. [return][return]I liked the concept for this book, but Lily was so irritating I could hardly finish it. When things go wrong, she is almost hysterically focused on being able to solve her bo...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation's Mom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

REVIEW
I have always liked mermaids because they are magical and so graceful in the water. They even live in beautifully enchanted under-water lands that humans can only imagine. There’s no doubt about it, mermaids are cool.
Before I start talking about the story, I have to point out the stunning cover. The ocean blues and the fancy font drew me in immediately. So pretty.
Lily makes a wonderful main character. She is not perfect by any means and she is naïve to her feelings about the boy she shoul...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Clary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Il Bacio della Sirena fa parte di quel gruppo di libri che ho acquistato l'anno scorso nel mese di maggio, e che da quel momento attendono pazientemente sulla mia scrivania. Non c'è un motivo particolare per cui continuo a rimandare la lettura di quei libri, semplicemente mi lascio sempre trascinare da nuove uscite finendo per trascurare quelle un po' più vecchie. Tuttavia ieri stavo cercando il tablet per continuare la lettura di Luna, il libro che sto attualmente leggendo, ma, dato che non riu...more Il Bacio della Sirena fa parte di quel gruppo di libri che ho acquistato l'anno scorso nel mese di maggio, e che da quel momento attendono pazientemente sulla mia scrivania. Non c'è un motivo particolare per cui continuo a rimandare la lettura di quei libri, semplicemente mi lascio sempre trascinare da nuove uscite finendo per trascurare quelle un po' più vecchie. Tuttavia ieri stavo cercando il tablet per continuare la lettura di Luna, il libro che sto attualmente leggendo, ma, dato che non riuscivo a trovarlo (tutta colpa del mio incredibile ordine) e che nonostante fosse sera tardi avevo una grandissima voglia di leggere, ho preso il primo libro che mi sono trovata davanti. Senza nemmeno domandarmi che libro stessi cominciando o quale fosse la sua trama, l'ho iniziato. Risultato? Ho divorato Il Bacio della Sirena come non succedeva da tempo. Mi sono buttata nella lettura, isolandomi dal resto del mondo e trascorrendo gran parte delle ore della scorsa notte e di questa mattinata in compagnia di Lily e Quince. Questo libro mi ha letteralmente travolta, è stata una vera e propria ondata di emozioni capace di lasciarmi interdetta e senza parole.

Di solito scrivo una recensione qualche giorno dopo aver terminato il libro in questione. Raccolgo le idee, faccio un'attenta analisi dei pro e dei contro, delle emozioni che ho provato durante la lettura e di tutto l'insieme di sensazioni che mi hanno pervaso mentre voltavo le pagine. Tuttavia questa volta mi ritrovo a scrivere la recensione pochi minuti dopo aver girato l'ultima bacio de Il Bacio della Sirena, perché voglio riportare a parole l'impeto delle emozioni che mi hanno sommerso.

La protagonista della nostra storia è Lily, una ragazza di diciassette anni che nasconde un enorme segreto. Lily è infatti una sirena, anzi, più precisamente la principessa di Thassilania, un mondo subacqueo che è governato da suo padre, il re. Lily vive sulla terra da tre anni, per trascorrere del tempo con la zia Rachel (sorella di sua madre, un'umana morta poco dopo il parto) e per assaporare un po' di libertà prima dei diciotto anni, data entro la quale dovrà scegliere un compagno con il quale regnare. Lily però non è spaventata da questa prospettiva, infatti ha già stabilito tutto: si dichiarerà a Brody, il compagno di scuola del quale è innamorata da tre anni, lui accetterà la sua natura, si legheranno per sempre e torneranno a Thassilania per regnare. Ma non tutto va come Lily avrebbe desiderato. Proprio nel momento in cui decide di dire la verità a Brody, succede qualcosa di inaspettato: a presentarsi all'appuntamento non è il suo innamorato, ma Quince Fletcher, vicino di casa e da sempre acerrimo nemico di Lily, colui che non perde occasione per tormentarla e che anche questa volta le rovina la giornata. Baciandola. Quince sbuca all'improvviso e prima che Lily possa capire cosa stia accadendo, lui la bacia, inconsapevole delle conseguenze. Baciando una sirena, infatti, si crea un legame con lei (un legame magico corrispondente al matrimonio umano, solo più forte) e comincia la sua trasformazione in creatura marina. Lily è disperata e cerca di risolvere la situazione nell'unico modo possibile: trascinare Quince a Thassilania e convincere suo padre a concedergli la separazione.

La mia prima impressione di fronte alla trama è stata (lo ammetto) di scetticismo. Ero convinta di trovarmi di fronte ad un romanzo incredibilmente infantile e immaturo, che non sarebbe mai riuscito a conquistarmi. E, da una parte, avevo ragione. Il Bacio della Sirena non è un libro particolarmente articolato, complesso o pretenzioso; non aspira a diventare un capolavoro letterario o un gioiello nel genere fantasy; non è uno di quei libri che si ricordano negli anni con le lacrime agli occhi. E forse è proprio per questo motivo che riesce, a suo modo, a risplendere. Attraverso l'ironia nella quale ha immerso la sua storia, l'autrice ha saputo trasformare un libro a tratti infantile in un romanzo che non cerca notorietà o riconoscimento, ma che, proprio per questa sua semplicità, riesce ad ottenere piena approvazione.

Lily, la nostra protagonista, è una ragazza fantastica. E' testarda, a tratti timida e insicura, a volte un po' capricciosa, ma sempre e comunque incredibilmente autentica. Spicca tra le altre protagoniste per ironia e originalità, riuscendo non solo a farti entrare in perfetta sintonia con le sue emozioni, ma a renderti impossibile non venire coinvolti nella trama.
Quince è l'altro grande capolavoro dell'autrice, un magnifico mix tra allegria, sarcasmo e dolcezza. A tratti insopportabile e a tratti affascinante, si è insinuato nel mio cuore come ha fatto con quello della protagonista, riuscendo allo stesso tempo ad impedire alla storia di cadere nella banalità o di annoiare.
Su Brody non ho molto da dire. Sin dalle prime pagine l'ho visto come un ragazzo inutile, superficiale ed arrogante, per il quale non ho tifato nemmeno un istante.
Giudizio positivo invece per Shennan e Pari, le due grandi amiche di lily sempre pronte ad aiutarla e a sostenerla. Entrambe sincere e leali, sono le amiche che tutti noi vorremmo avere.

Lo stile dell'autrice è semplice, ma non per questo banale. Utilizzando un linguaggio particolare (continui riferimenti all'oceano e termini marini) Tera Lynn Childs ha reso il suo romanzo brillante e coinvolgente, donandogli quel pizzico di originalità che lo rende unico nel suo genere.

Il Bacio della Sirena, lo ripeto, è un libro senza alcun tipo di pretesa. Ci sono situazioni comiche al limite dell'assurdo, circostanze illogiche, ambientazioni assolutamente fuori dall'ordinario. Se letto con troppa serietà e alla ricerca di sensatezza, questo romanzo potrebbe deludere. Però vi assicuro che se, per un solo istante, mettete da parte la razionalità e la logica, vi spogliate dei panni ordinari di tutti i giorni e aprite la mente alla ricerca di un'incredibile e folle avventura, Il Bacio della Sirena saprà conquistarvi.
Non avrete davanti un libro profondo o un capolavoro, ma una lettura incredibilmente leggera e fresca. Mettete da parte le preoccupazioni quotidiane per un solo istante e, ve lo prometto, trascorrerete delle ore deliziose in compagnia di una storia appassionante e di personaggi unici.

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Mar 08, 2013 Annie Wang rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay...how do I even begin to describe this book?

Well, for starters, I thought that the "heroine" was well....really childish even though she was supposed to be a SENIOR in HIGH SCHOOl. She is extremely delusional and thinks that the guy she likes will literally be all flexible and won't care if she kisses him and he starts to turn into a merperson. And the reactions of the people are completely unrealistic. EXAMPLE:

Lily (Main): Hey, um, Shannen, I'm a.....mermaid.

Long pause and a lot of words I...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Roberta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lily agli occhi dei suoi amici e compagni di scuola è una normalissima ragazza di 17 ani, forse ha degli strani modi di dire e passa molto tempo nella vasca da bagno, ma nulla fa pensare che in realtà lei sia una sirena!
Come tutte le ragazze della sua età anche Lily ha un amore segreto e la sera del Ballo di primavera decide non solo di rivelargli il suo amore e il suo segreto, ma anche di baciarlo... Purtroppo però al posto dell'amato Brody si presenta Quince, che ruba un bacio a Lily e ciò cam...more Lily agli occhi dei suoi amici e compagni di scuola è una normalissima ragazza di 17 ani, forse ha degli strani modi di dire e passa molto tempo nella vasca da bagno, ma nulla fa pensare che in realtà lei sia una sirena!
Come tutte le ragazze della sua età anche Lily ha un amore segreto e la sera del Ballo di primavera decide non solo di rivelargli il suo amore e il suo segreto, ma anche di baciarlo... Purtroppo però al posto dell'amato Brody si presenta Quince, che ruba un bacio a Lily e ciò cambierà radicalmente le loro vite!

Probabilmente leggendo che si parla di sirene a molti verranno in mente i tanti libri che nell'ultimo anno sono usciti su questo argomento, in realtà la trama e soprattutto l'immagine che viene data della sirena in sé si discostano molto dalle ultime pubblicazioni e soprattutto dall'idea che ognuno di noi ha di sirena!
Le sirene descritte in questo libro sono pacifiche, non si nutrono di esseri umani e soprattutto non cercano di ammaliarli, ma il loro bacio ha il potere di legare a sé uomo o donna che sia per sempre fino a trasformarlo in sirena.
Protagonista di questa storia è Lily una diciasettenne figlia di una donna umana e del Re delle sirene: una ragazzina capricciosa, egoista e superficiale, incapace di guardare oltre il suo naso e che da anni è infatuata di un compagno di scuola ed è decisa a trasformarlo nel suo compagno.. Lily non fa che lamentarsi di chi le vuole rovinare la vita, soprattutto quando Quince la bacia e ciò li lega automaticamente e lei continua a ripetere che non lo ama e non vuole esser costretta a passare la vita con lui.. E ciò da da pensare su questo personaggio, che ha deciso che il giovane Brody sarà il suo compagno e non si è mai domandata se lui sia o meno d'accordo. Il lettore non entra subito in sintonia con Lily, anzi fin dall'inizio risulta insopportabile, ma piano piano la si vede cambiare e alla fine maturerà.
Protagonista insieme a Lily è Quince, il cui personaggio è ben caratterizzato e delineato e inutile dire che fin dall'inizio lo si prende subito in simpatia: è ironico, sa osservare ed è semplice ma anche molto profondo e romantico.
Accanto a Quince e Lily ruotano vari personaggi, ognuno ha un piccolo ruolo nello svolgersi degli eventi, sono poco caratterizzati anche se la loro presenza rende ancor più piacevole la lettura.
Se vi aspettate scene movimentate e momenti carichi di adrenalina allora questo non è il libro che fa per voi, infatti non è questa una storia avventurosa, non vi sono misteri da scoprire o assassini da cui scappare, ma è semplicemente l'evoluzione di una storia d'amore, che viene descritta fin dal suo nascere in maniera del tutto casuale fino al lieto fine.
Il bacio della sirena è un libro leggero, senza grandi pretese e che per qualche ora permette al lettore di lasciarsi andare e affondare nel blu dell'oceano.
Pagina dopo pagina vengono fornite al lettore molte informazioni sia sulla storia delle sirene, sia sul passato di Lily e della sua famiglia e le descrizioni fatte dei vari luoghi permettono al lettore di immergersi maggiormente in questo mondo mitologico e un pò magico.
Lo stile e la scrittura sono semplici, il linguaggio usato da Lily forse è un pò forzato nei modi di dire quasi a voler continuamente sottolineare da dove viene, ma nel complesso la lettura risulta piacevole e per nulla noiosa e consigliata più per delle teenager che a donne adulte.
Il finale potrebbe definirsi chiuso, ma come subito dopo leggendo l'Epilogo ci si accorge che questo era solo l'inizio, che la Childs con Il bacio della sirena ha semplicemente introdotto i suoi personaggi e che nulla è stato ancora veramente scoperto...
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Jan 06, 2013 Sabrina (Soter) Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Se avete amato il cartone Disney "La sirenetta" (come me) non potrete non amare questo libro. Pur non spiccando per originalità nell'ormai saturo mercato di YA, questo libro dal sapore fiabesco è comunque stata una lettura molto piacevole e fluida. Lei, Lily, è la classica adolescente (preparatevi ad un linguaggio piuttosto "marino" XD) infatuata più dell'apparenza che della sostanza e a tratti questa testardaggine (che porta avanti fino alla fine) può esasperare e un pò irritare il lettore se n...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book. I don't know what made it so interesting, maybe the fishy language or just wanting to know what comes next, but I read it in one sitting because I felt this book was funny and fun to read and romantic too. Lilly Sanders, the main character which is a mermaid that came from the kingdom Thallisinnia deep down in the ocean, living on land to see what it's like, because her dead mother was a mortal. Her father was the king of Thallisinnia, and let her see what it was like...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Lara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Questo libro è rivolto principalmente ad un pubblico particolarmente giovane e soprattutto che abbia adorato il film della Sirenetta della Disney, perché in ogni pagina a si respira l’atmosfera del film. La protagonista è Lily, figlia di un’umana e un tritone, o meglio il re del regno di Thalassinia che si trova nelle profondità dell’oceano. Dopo un’infanzia felice in un castello, che, da come viene descritto, ricorda molto quello di Ariel (la Sirenetta), decide di trascorrere l’adolescenza sull...more Questo libro è rivolto principalmente ad un pubblico particolarmente giovane e soprattutto che abbia adorato il film della Sirenetta della Disney, perché in ogni pagina a si respira l’atmosfera del film. La protagonista è Lily, figlia di un’umana e un tritone, o meglio il re del regno di Thalassinia che si trova nelle profondità dell’oceano. Dopo un’infanzia felice in un castello, che, da come viene descritto, ricorda molto quello di Ariel (la Sirenetta), decide di trascorrere l’adolescenza sulla terraferma a casa della zia, sorella della madre morta quando lei era ancora in fasce. Sulla sua scelta avrei qualcosa da obiettare, ma come cresci in un paradiso oceanico come principessa e decidi a quindici anni, età ingrata, di passare gli anni più difficili per una donna in un liceo??? La vita scolastica, in cui la principessa oceanica diventa una sfigata con un gusto orrendo nel vestire, viene addolcita dalla cotta che si prende per Brody, ragazzo d’oro del liceo, ma per un rimescolamento delle carte finisce per portare sul fondo dell’Oceano al cospetto dell’augusto padre come futuro marito Quince, vicino di casa e odiatissimo nemico-amico. Per chi ha un po’ di dimestichezza con questo genere di storie è facile intuire il finale.
Di certo il libro non è un capolavoro da ricordare ma una lettura piacevole che scorre veloce e per chi ha amato la Sirenetta è senza ombra di dubbio un piacevole ritorno agli abissi. Molto divertenti e carine le descrizioni della città marina, delle abitudini, dei passatempi e dei modi di dire dei suoi abitanti; la descrizione dei fondali, delle sirene e della loro mitologia è molto accurata e si inserisce bene in quello che è l’immaginario legato al mondo marino. Il personaggi di Lily è molto interessanti con i suoi repentini cambi di umori e il caratterino focoso che contrasta con la placida calma che normalmente associamo alle sirene. Quince, invece è straordinario, il classico bad boy per cui prendere una cotta stratosferica, sfido chiunque ragazza che legga questo libro a non sospirare di fronte alle scene in cui è presente il ragazzo.
In conclusione un libro che consiglio vivamente a chiunque voglia trascorrere qualche ora in leggerezza. Interessanti saranno gli sviluppi futuri, perché questo è solo il primo volume di una trilogia, che vedranno coinvolti la cuginetta Dosinia e di cui si può presagire solo un piccolo accenno nell’epilogo. Credo che in futuro ci sarà un vero e proprio ritorno agli abissi.(less)

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About Tera Lynn Childs

Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP, the mermaid tales FORGIVE MY FINS, FINS ARE FOREVER, and JUST FOR FINS (July 3rd, 2012), and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa beginning with SWEET VENOM and SWEET SHADOWS (September 4, 2012). Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can...more

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Quotes from Forgive My Fins

“Oh, Lily," He says shaking his head. "I know about love. About wanting and dreaming and wishing with every part of your soul. I know enough to reconize the parts that are real and teh parts that are only in my fantasy." Ge turns his head slightly to face me,
and I find myself saying,"L-like what?"
"Like when she cries and my heart tears in to little shreds, and all I can think of is making her forget the source of her sadness." His face is blank, emotionless. his words -and the underlying emotion bombarding me through the bond- more than make up for it. "That's real."
my voice is barely a whisper when I ask, "And fantasy?"
"Believing she'll ever feel the same way.” — 140 people liked it

“I don't believe it,' Quince says with absolute certainty. ' I don't believe anything magical can make someone more in love.' [...] He looks me right in the eye as he says, 'Love is already the strongest magic in the world.” — 125 people liked it

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