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18th out of 312 books
—
496 voters
Aquamarine (Water Tales #1)
Hailey and Claire are spending their last summer together when they discover something at the bottom of the murky pool at the Capri Beach Club. There in the depths is a mysterious and beautiful creature with a sharp tongue and a broken heart: a mermaid named Aquamarine who has left her six sisters to search for love on land. Now, as this mythological yet very real being st...more
Paperback, 104 pages
Published
2003
by Egmont
(first published March 1st 1997)
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Jan 10, 2011
Abigail
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Young Readers Who Must Read Every Mermaid Book Available
Shelves:
childrens-fantasy,
childrens-fiction
Review Temporarily Removed.
4 likes · like · see review
view all 7 comments
This book about a 2 girls that want to have the summer of there lives because one of them are moving and they cant have the fun they want because the keep having really bad tornados and to much rain comes in. the finally find something huge that happens during the summer they meet somebody new and she is no normal human.
text-to-self well one of the characters is very affraid of water( pools, lakes, pounds, & the ocean) becaues her parents died because they were in water i can really relate...more
text-to-self well one of the characters is very affraid of water( pools, lakes, pounds, & the ocean) becaues her parents died because they were in water i can really relate...more
I'm not really sure what I expected this book to develop into, but I was still disappointed in the result.
The "main" two girls are flat. There's the brave one and the scared, smart one. How innovative.
Next there's the dreamboat snack shack guy. He's attractive, likes to read, and going to college soon. Okay.
Annnnd then there's the mermaid. She's rude, selfish, and greedy. I was at least expecting her to develop a little throughout the book, perhaps learn a little humility, or that sometimes you...more
The "main" two girls are flat. There's the brave one and the scared, smart one. How innovative.
Next there's the dreamboat snack shack guy. He's attractive, likes to read, and going to college soon. Okay.
Annnnd then there's the mermaid. She's rude, selfish, and greedy. I was at least expecting her to develop a little throughout the book, perhaps learn a little humility, or that sometimes you...more
Jan 07, 2013
Ali Inzunza
added it
Aquamarine Review by Ali Inzunza
Alice Hoffman
Aqua, a mermaid who has the ability to turn into a human, has struggled trying to fit in like the rest of us. The author Alice Hoffman expresses the trials and tribulations that one has to go through to find true love. Along the timeline of this book, Aquamarine finds herself having to choose between love and friendship. She creates enemies, and lifelong friends. This adventurous, tear jerking story was published in 2001. Its genre falls along the li...more
My book club is going to be reading Practical Magic this month, and it came to me as I was waiting for my library hold to be filled that I am not particularly familiar with Alice Hoffman’s work. My experience with her novels consists a) of me maybe reading Green Angel at one time, although I don’t remember the plot at all, but isn’t that the one where her whole family dies and she covers herself in tattoos? and b) of me watching every single woman over the age of 35 request a copy of The Dovekee...more
4 likes · like · see review
I had just finished reading Bridge To Teribithia by Katherine Paterson, and, on a whim/book-induced high, I picked up my copy of Aquamarine that I had bought in 2006 as a young girl. I had never read it before today. Well, that was a mistake. It was, quite honestly, a waste of time.
Things that truly bothered me:
- this book.
- the characters.
- the plot.
Alright, the book as a whole was just plain bad. The plot and the characters made it painful to read. It was just awful. As far as I can tell, ther...more
Things that truly bothered me:
- this book.
- the characters.
- the plot.
Alright, the book as a whole was just plain bad. The plot and the characters made it painful to read. It was just awful. As far as I can tell, ther...more
The book's plot is mind-numbingly simple, with as many plot gaps as Swiss cheese: Two BFFs, Claire and Hailey, are spending their last summer together before they go separate ways. One day, they run into a beautiful mermaid washed up from a storm in the pool. While they try to coax her into returning to the sea, she refuses, having fallen for the "incredibly hot" lifeguard with the suave name Raymond. They finally convince her by promising one date with him before returning to the ocean for her...more
I did not know what book to get so I asked my friend and she recommended me this book and told me that it is a very good book and that I will like it. The plot of this book is that there were two best friends Claire, and Hailey. They lived right next to each other in front of the beach. One of the friends Claire was moving to Florida in a month so they had to make this month the best time that they will have together. A few days later there was a storm and it was very windy outside and cold so t...more
I love these kind of fairytale stories because everyone wants to have a life like them. I wish i was a mermaid because it's going to be cool. I could swim like a fish. I don't know how to swim so I want to learn how to swim like other people.I always imagine if there was a tight situation where you have to jump into the water in order to survive, I would be dead. I couldn't swim so I would get drown... I couldn't even save my mom because I don't know how to swim. I guess my dad's going to have t...more
Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman is an enchanting tale written for children between the ages of nine to twelve. After reading the story I think that it is best suited for the lower end of that range as it maybe boring for the older twelve year old.
Claire and Hailey are best friends who have always lived next to each other. They are especially close this summer because it is their last together, Claire is moving to Florida. Their favorite spot, the Capri Beach Club, is also closing at the end of the...more
Claire and Hailey are best friends who have always lived next to each other. They are especially close this summer because it is their last together, Claire is moving to Florida. Their favorite spot, the Capri Beach Club, is also closing at the end of the...more
Nov 07, 2009
David Brown
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
no one
Recommended to David by:
no one
Rarely do I believe a movie is better than the book it's based on. However, I found this to be the case with the book Aquamarine, and the movie isn't that great either. I'm a fan of Alice Hoffman, but Aquamarine and Indigo (in the edition I read, both were included) are not very good.
The characters in Aquamarine have no depth, much like the story. Two girls who are life long friends discover a mermaid, said mermaid falls in love just at the sight of a bookish guy who works at the empty snack ba...more
The characters in Aquamarine have no depth, much like the story. Two girls who are life long friends discover a mermaid, said mermaid falls in love just at the sight of a bookish guy who works at the empty snack ba...more
I got this with Indigo by Alice Hoffman at the elementary school book fair for $2. Loving other Alice Hoffman books, I grabbed this without a second thought. It is meant for a younger audience, which I didn't realize at first. It is well written for younger girls to whom friendship and love mean everything. As an adult, I didn't find it a wonderful, thought provoking story. It was a very quick read, and not entirely boring either though.
This book about a 2 girls that want to have the summer of there lives because one of them are moving and they cant have the fun they want because the keep having really bad tornados and to much rain comes in. the finally find something huge that happens during the summer they meet somebody new and she is no normal human.
text-to-self well one of the characters is very affraid of water( pools, lakes, pounds, & the ocean) becaues her parents died because they were in water & ii relate to...more
text-to-self well one of the characters is very affraid of water( pools, lakes, pounds, & the ocean) becaues her parents died because they were in water & ii relate to...more
Fast read about 2 friends who spend every day of summer vacation at the Capri Beach Club. Most days they are the only two at the club, along with the handsome young man who works at the food counter. Handsome young man! how does this turn the story? Summer's end will bring changes, one is moving away and the beach club will close.
A storm brings a surprise to the murky pool; a girl, well a mermaid, named Aquamarine. She is in enjoying freedom and independence from her sisters, but being away from...more
A storm brings a surprise to the murky pool; a girl, well a mermaid, named Aquamarine. She is in enjoying freedom and independence from her sisters, but being away from...more
I quite like the film of this but reading the book I was like "Was that it?" It's described as a spare haunting novella and spare is a very good word for it - There's little description, everything happens incredibly fast and the mermaid element seems almost incidental. The story centres far more on the emotional relationship of two best friends Hailey and Claire who are set to part at the end of the summer since Claire is moving to Florida. They encounter a mermaid who falls in love with Raymon...more
Feb 19, 2013
Therese
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Girls 8-12
Shelves:
childrens-literature,
fantasy-and-sci-fi
A middle grade book about two 12-year-old girls who befriend a stranded mermaid and help her meet the human man of her dreams.
My daughter loved the movie that was based on this (though it was a bit mature for her at age 5!) so I was curious as always to read the book. It's a nice little story, although it didn't really stand out for me particularly in any way. I'd tend to wonder if kids young enough for this book would really be interested in a story about helping older characters get together r...more
My daughter loved the movie that was based on this (though it was a bit mature for her at age 5!) so I was curious as always to read the book. It's a nice little story, although it didn't really stand out for me particularly in any way. I'd tend to wonder if kids young enough for this book would really be interested in a story about helping older characters get together r...more
2 girls named Claire and Hailey are best friends, and Haily is moving to Australia. Days before Hailey leaves, the 2 girls find a mermaid named Aquamarine,and they turn into good friends. Aquamarine has a secret love on land, but she gets in a bit of trouble because since she is still a mermaid on land, her scales start to fall off and her hair starts to fade from its original attractive blue. But luckily, Aquamarine has enough time to have her first date with her not so secret anymore love. Aft...more
Aquamarine
by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman’s purpose with this book was to entertain the audience. The story was about a mermaid, how she interacts with the two human girls and wants to be come human herself. The intended audience is young girls 8-14.
The theme of Aquamarine is to believe in everything and don’t doubt that something exists just because it is so-called mythical. The subtheme is that you should complete the goals that you have set and don’t quit even if things become difficult. The o...more
by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman’s purpose with this book was to entertain the audience. The story was about a mermaid, how she interacts with the two human girls and wants to be come human herself. The intended audience is young girls 8-14.
The theme of Aquamarine is to believe in everything and don’t doubt that something exists just because it is so-called mythical. The subtheme is that you should complete the goals that you have set and don’t quit even if things become difficult. The o...more
This was a movie, eh? Huh! I didn't know that, not that it wouldn't obviously make a decent YA flick. I picked this up blindly from the library since randomly finding mermaids can lead to an interesting day for a character.
Nice, short tale (tail) about two young ladies about to be separated by the most devastating event - one girl is moving away. Then they find a mermaid, and must find a way for her to meet the land-bound boy of her dreams and yet get her back to her home before she crumbles to...more
Nice, short tale (tail) about two young ladies about to be separated by the most devastating event - one girl is moving away. Then they find a mermaid, and must find a way for her to meet the land-bound boy of her dreams and yet get her back to her home before she crumbles to...more
*****If you liked the book, don't read this review*****
Ok I did not like this book at all, as you can tell. I saw the movie and thought "Hey why don't I read the book?" BIG MISTAKE! I'm into mermaid books, but this was just painful.
First off is the Characters, Haley and Clare had nothing you could go on they were just flat, lifeless characters. You need to be able to feel like you actually KNOW the main characters! You honestly had absulutly NOTHING to go on for these characters they were just b...more
Ok I did not like this book at all, as you can tell. I saw the movie and thought "Hey why don't I read the book?" BIG MISTAKE! I'm into mermaid books, but this was just painful.
First off is the Characters, Haley and Clare had nothing you could go on they were just flat, lifeless characters. You need to be able to feel like you actually KNOW the main characters! You honestly had absulutly NOTHING to go on for these characters they were just b...more
One summer afternoon, a storm comes in blowing everything around that wasn't nailed to the ground. 12-year-olds Hailey and Claire are spending their last summer together. The storm blows in a spoiled, 16-year-old mermaid with glistening scales and piercing blue eyes. Her name is Aquamarine. When Hailey and Claire discover her, they realize that mermaids aren't as nice as they seem in fairy tales. They try to find out what Aquamarine wants, so that she could go back to the ocean, so that she woul...more
This classic tale about friendship, sacrifice and love has been my favorite since I was kid, may be in 3rd Grade. Hailey and Claire has been best friends since birth. But, Claire's family is going to move to Florida. Also, the once so-called beautiful Capri Beach Club, where they usually stay, is going to an end too. Old, shabby and lonely. And, it will be demolished and bulldozed at the end of summer.
After a summer storm, Hailey and Claire went to see what happened at the beach club. The storm...more
After a summer storm, Hailey and Claire went to see what happened at the beach club. The storm...more
I remember having this book for a long time but I never remembered what it was about. I decided to read it thoroughly and discovered a genuinely cute story. Although it is far from amazing, Aquamarine holds true to its moral lessons of friendship and hope. Instead of being a messy teen infested drama, like its movie counterpart, it holds itself up by being a simple story with a lot of depth. Some say that the book is boring because of its lack of details. I personally believe that its lack of sa...more
Aquamarine is a coming of age, magical tale about two 12 year old best friends about to be parted at the summer’s end. Claire and Hailey have lived next door one another all their lives. Claire’s family is about to move away to Florida at the end of the summer. The two girls hang out at Capri Beach Club, a neglected and shabby place about to bulldozed at the end of the summer.
Despite the girls’ fear of change, the clock is ticking and summer is rapidly coming to an end. Then one morning, after...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I debated a long time before buying this book, but I couldn't resist -- the hardcover is outwardly beautiful, a great gift for a little girl, especially one who loves the ocean. Beautiful dust jacket and hardcover beneath. The visual theme throughout is of an old tile swimming pool, like the one I swam in at the Y when I was a kid. There are also pretty illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.
One of the things I love most about the book is its timelessness. The girls are twelve-year-olds...more
One of the things I love most about the book is its timelessness. The girls are twelve-year-olds...more
I don't get why so many people didn't like this book! The first time I read this, I was in first grade, and I fell in love with it immediately. Now (as in today) I am 16, I read it whenever I get really really bored, and guess what? I still enjoy reading this book! Maybe because it's nostalgic and stuff, but I just love everything about this book. The setting, the imagery, the beachy-ness, I just love it. I guess if you like going to the beach as much as I do, you'll enjoy the book.
I remember reading this book and loving the characters, only to have them dashed aside in order to fit in a teen romance that was really just a blip on the radar in the book. This was about female camaraderie and, since I was really over-the-top into Spice Girls at the time, I was screaming horrible things like "Girl Power" around the neighborhood playground for the next weeks. I'd recommend this, if only for a light read and to reminisce about our magical childhood summers.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This, is another book I read in elementary school, and it only took me 3.5 hours to read. Very quick, easy read, however, this book was made inspired by the movie, Aquamarine.. and you can tell. I have never quite liked books that were made from movies, and I believe my loathing for them stems from my experience with this book. Absolutely awful, I'm not even sure I would recommend this book to even pre-teens.
Happy reading, lovely readers!
>Me
(Full review to come)
Happy reading, lovely readers!
>Me
(Full review to come)
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYU-Adolescent Li...: Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman | 1 | 1 | Jun 13, 2013 05:33pm | |
| Greatest Book Ever! | 1 | 6 | Sep 11, 2011 09:47am | |
| worst book ever.. | 4 | 18 | Sep 01, 2011 02:33pm |
Alice Hoffman was born in New York City on March 16, 1952 and grew up on Long Island. After graduating from high school in 1969, she attended Adelphi University, from which she received a BA, and then received a Mirrellees Fellowship to the Stanford University Creative Writing Center, which she attended in 1973 and 74, receiving an MA in creative writing. She currently lives in Boston and New York...more
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