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The Forbidden Sea

by Sheila A. Nielson (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 948 ratings · 258 reviews

When Adrianne comes face-to-face with the mermaid of Windwaithe Island, she is convinced that the mermaid means her harm. After all, the island is steeped in stories of mermaids' curses and the ill-luck that they bring. But Adrianne is fierce-willed and courageous and is determined to protect her family and the islanders from danger. Yet when the islanders find out about A...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published August 2nd 2010 by Scholastic (first published July 1st 2010)

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Aug 07, 2010 oliviasbooks rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who like Cinderella stories, fairy tale retellings or rather unfluffy mermaids

Shelves: mermaids-selkies, young-adult-fiction, historical-fiction, read-2010, swapped-or-given-away, historical-fantasy, high-expectations, love-story-romance, debut

It's kind of a cross between Cinderella and The Little Mermaid - or, to be more precise, one of those fairytales dealing with a fisherman lured into the sea by a terrifyingly beautiful sea creature. Rather sad, but featuring a strong heroine and concluding on a satisfying note.

3.5 stars.

Later clarification on the sadness part:

The writing is good. I just do not feel well, when I am constantly pitying an almost angelic heroine - and screaming in frustration for her the rest of the time.

Adrianne's...more

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May 29, 2012 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mermaids

What an amazing book! Sheila A. Nielson has woven a beautifully imagined tale of magic and mermaids that is imaginative and wonderfully written. I read this in one evening and found it absolutely impossible to put down. I loved the central character Adrianne who is compassionate and empathetic and wholly unselfish. After the death of her father, she is left to look after her younger sister and mother. She is responsible for ensuring that they have food on the table, although there is little of t...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Kira M for TeensReadToo.com

When Adrienne's little sister, Cecily, goes missing, she goes down by the beach and finds her sister unconscious on a rock. While there, she sees a legendary mermaid, who has been known to pull humans into the sea. When the mermaid attempts to grab them, Adrienne and Cecily barely escape.

Adrienne, however, is scratched and is unconscious for three days. When she awakes, the townsfolk avoid her and distrust her and she begins having dreams where the mermaid...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Stacy by: Friends

This is a warm human story with enough suspense to grab you and hold you from the first page. The characters were so real to me, I couldn't put it down. There is no needless explanations in the beginning or long episodes of backtracking in time. The story stays in the moment and so does the reader. Children and adults will both love this book. I can't wait for the sequel.

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Aug 20, 2010 Kelsey Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, mermaids, ya

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

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Oct 01, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-be-read-challenge-2012, books_that_made_me_cry, fairy-tales, favorites, historical-fiction, middle-grade, paranorm-2012, young-adult-fantasy, young-adult-romance, mermaids

This book is for sure one of my favorites. I love the way it was written, love the charcters, Cecily, Trey, Hannah and Denn even though he annoyed me to no end at first...but in the end I'm glad he recognized and admitted he was a fool...but especially Adrianne. I loved her character most of all, she had the biggest heart, so sweet and not a pushover or weak because she forgave her aunt for being a bitter, nasty old woman, or her mother for checking out when she should have been there for Adrian...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Angelina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite

Adrianne is left to take care of her family when her father dies,and her mother becomes sick.Being the only girl to have learned how to read she was left with the task..She didn't need to worry about such things before and ends up still paying the servents with out knowing where the money came from.When she uses all of her fathers wealth,her family has to leave there cottage and find another place to live.

Adrianne must fight to protect her sister Cecily when a mermaid comes for her.But soon it b...more

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Feb 22, 2011 E.A. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I really enjoyed reading this book. One of the biggest reasons I liked this book is even though the girl is more of a tomboy, there is a very good reason behind it instead of just the author wanting to write a period piece but not wanting to write true characters from that period.

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Mar 31, 2012 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

If you want to know the storyline of this book, read the synopsis, because I don't get the reason why everyone writes summaries for the story in their reviews when it's already provided. If you want to know what my thoughts were after finishing this, continue reading.

I was very interested in the love connection between the two characters in this book. I really liked this book a lot, and I would recommend this to anyone who likes the Cinderella Stories [movie] or any suckers who like a good fair...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Shadowfairy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: self-worth

Looking at the cover, I thought this was going to be one of those stupid cheesy mermaid books. Boy was I wrong. Honestly, I was really glad that most of the action was on land because I thought that was the story that needed to be told. I was really frustrated when I thought she might make "the choice" which bugs me to no end because I always think its the wrong one.
At the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the book was, but I thought the most I would give it was a four. Two word...more

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May 01, 2013 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Men are fools. They see only with their eyes, and are blinded to the truest treasures that stand before them dressed in the ordinary dust and sweat of hard life... The men and women of this island should beware, for they are pitiful creatures indeed when true greatness can be hidden from them by mere dirt and rags."

"The whale let out a haunting cry that reverberated through my whole being. The song was so beautiful, I ached inside with its infinite sadness. Mourning for dreams which had never c...more "Men are fools. They see only with their eyes, and are blinded to the truest treasures that stand before them dressed in the ordinary dust and sweat of hard life... The men and women of this island should beware, for they are pitiful creatures indeed when true greatness can be hidden from them by mere dirt and rags."

"The whale let out a haunting cry that reverberated through my whole being. The song was so beautiful, I ached inside with its infinite sadness. Mourning for dreams which had never come true, for courage that went unsung, and for the spark of hope that refused to die --- even in the darkness of a world that tried to smother it. The song was mine. The whale keened my pain and sorrow for the entire ocean to hear."

Sheila Nielson is a beautiful writer!! I was immediately struck by the flowing, descriptive language, so well-crafted that one soars through the story effortlessly. Like an island native who accompanies you on a tour, Nielson paints a vivid, believable picture of the island life of Adrianne Keynnman, a fourteen-year-old girl who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. In an unspecified century past, Adrianne has supported her small family almost single-handedly, ever since her father died two years previously. Painfully poor, this scrappy and noble girl lives a bleak life, a skin-and-bones shadow of her former happy self. But she labors on, hoping that things will get better.

One night, sweet younger sister Cecily is caught in a terrible storm. After hours of searching Adri finds her in the company of a captivating mermaid. In the struggle to free her sister from this frightening and beautiful creature, the mermaid grasps Adri's right wrist in a powerful grip, and embeds it with a magical and painful mark that serves as a conduit of communication between the two. When the local townsfolk become aware of the mermaid's mark, Adrianne is shunned by all but her best friend Denn, whom she loves, but without hope of his returning it. As the mermaid begins to call to her from the sea, it becomes increasingly difficult for Adrianne to ignore, until finally she determines that she must face the creature, even if it means death.

In a surprising turn of events, the mermaid doesn't wish to harm her, but rather to offer her a different life, apart from her loved ones and all of the trials that attend her present situation. The beauty and magic of the world underseas is overwhelming and almost impossible to resist. She is certain that very few islanders would even miss her, if she disappeared. So the anxiety mounts as she contemplates the choices in front of her. A perfectly spell-binding tale, with complex, believable characters in a lush, fantastical setting. Five stars! And this is just her first book! Can't wait to see more from this author.(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 Ravenous Biblioworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5/5

I had this book since I finished reading The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova. I was curious about other mermaid books. I had other books that I wanted to read and ARCs that need reading so I kept pushing this one back each time. I regret that I did and maybe then I wouldn't be so frustrated by the slew of "not for me" books. Unlike the other mentioned mermaid book, The Forbidden Sea lingers more upon folk-lore. Not fairy tale as fairy tales are generic with happy endings. Folk lore...more Rating: 3.5/5

I had this book since I finished reading The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova. I was curious about other mermaid books. I had other books that I wanted to read and ARCs that need reading so I kept pushing this one back each time. I regret that I did and maybe then I wouldn't be so frustrated by the slew of "not for me" books. Unlike the other mentioned mermaid book, The Forbidden Sea lingers more upon folk-lore. Not fairy tale as fairy tales are generic with happy endings. Folk lore as there are some basis of truth or people at one point believed them to be true. That is the feel and atmosphere of this novel and I like it.

The characters in this book are depicted well enough to stand out from one another. Though their motivations and archetypes fall into being cliché at times. They come off as clichés because we don't get to see the reasons why they act the way they do. For instance, the Aunt, who is basically an angry old wanna-be hag, is very dislikable and readers are supposed to hate her. But even as I did, I wanted to see why she was mean, maybe I could understand her more. We are given a reason about 2/3 the way through and it isn't show but rather told to us by Adrianne. I wanted to see a screaming match, Auntie loses her composure and slips, saying why she despises Adrianne so. Neilson comes close, very close, but she doesn't take it all the way there... she teeters off and Adrianne gets lost in her thoughts of "Oh my gosh, I'm mean like my aunt." You know, to create sympathy for her, which came off a bit forced (though barely). Mom and Cecily were adequate for the story. Mom however did feel like a background character. Remove her and the story will still be there. Adrianne and Aunt could still butt heads. Mom didn't have enough of a strong presence to carry weight in the story. Cecily was the sister Adrianne wished she was. Pretty, cheery, gets everything she wants, etc. Cecily's whining at the beginning about the dog just plain annoyed me. At her age, she should be able to understand the bleak situation they are in. The moments of sneaking food, however, was believable. The dog thing, not so much. Then there's Denn... I don't know how I feel about him. He's a jerk in the second scene you see him, and this is when you really see him and not through the haze of terror after being attacked (via the frist scene we see him from Adrianne's perspective). He's likable I just wished there was more to him so I feel more invested in their relationship, something to cling onto, to hope for. He's just so ordinary... as in too much like a friend. Adrianne doesn't give any explanation other than she's had a crush on him since forever. Then other characters in the book are represented pretty much as back scene cast or antagonists. Marcus and Cora Lynn were your typical bully and pretty faced girl who has everything. Adrianne was done really well. We get to see her strengths and weaknesses. She envies other girls like girls her age. She wished she was prettier, wished she had a nicer dress, is embarrassed by the situation of her family (being poor) and yet she still goes through her life hoping for the best. She does her chores, even at the nagging and harsh words of her Aunt. She basically a pretty stong hero with insecurities, which makes her sympathetic and believable. Yes, there were at times she was annoying because she wouldn't stand up for herself and runs away crying. But given her circumstances, her family's circumstances, I gave her leeway in acting like such a wuss. See... she was sympathetic.

The plot was interesting. Again, this story takes on the form of folklore rather than fairy tale. If you are expecting an underwater adventure, don't. This is all mostly on land, on her island. This story is largely moved by character rather than plot. There were times when the mermaid plot shifts back almost completely forgotten and I would be like, "Uh, we're forgetting something really important here." During these times, where Adrianne completely forgets about the mermaid I had to sigh in disappointment, because I don't think she should, especially given how the area seems to be superstitious and the fact that the mermaid tried to kill her and the fact that the mermaid is now out to get her. If I was Adrianne I wouldn't even be able to sleep, afraid I might sleep walk to my death by the mermaid's singing. But from the perspective that Nielson takes, the family life and Adrianne's accustomation (
The romance was so so. Not nearly enough for me to care about Denn but also not too much as to annoy me for my inner demon to consume me. Thank you Ms. Nielson, you've kept my demon at bay. I did however, wanted just a bit more so I can invest and understand Adrianne's final decision. For the most part, I already touched upon my misgivings in the character paragraph.

The details in the book were general. Rather the prose isn't flowery. Very general and plain. In fact, there were not much similes or metaphors. Everything was quite straight forward. At times, it felt too plain. I wanted some imagery that also invoked something from Adrianne, but no... It was not horrid, mind you. Just not exactly how I like my cup of tea.

Overall, the plot and characters were good. By the end, I was left with a feeling of desiring a bit more. (I would enjoy another story told from a certain character or his would be match's perspective... I think that would be an interesting one.) But this book was not bad.

Verdict: Check it out from the library. It's worth a read.

Check out my book review blog at http://ravenousbiblioworm.wordpress.com (less)

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Feb 19, 2012 Bitten By Books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Review:
This book introduces a fourteen year old girl named Adrianne. The book begins one stormy night, with Adrianne searching along the coast for her younger sister Cecily, who has gone missing. She finds Cecily unconscious on a rock and is terrified when she encounters a mermaid who tries to drag them both down into the sea. It might be the legendary mermaid that she’s heard stories about all her life. Adrianne is able to rescue her sister, but continues to be haunted by the events of that...more My Review:
This book introduces a fourteen year old girl named Adrianne. The book begins one stormy night, with Adrianne searching along the coast for her younger sister Cecily, who has gone missing. She finds Cecily unconscious on a rock and is terrified when she encounters a mermaid who tries to drag them both down into the sea. It might be the legendary mermaid that she’s heard stories about all her life. Adrianne is able to rescue her sister, but continues to be haunted by the events of that night. Adrienne knows she must fight with every ounce of her strength to protect her little sister.

Adrienne lives on a small island called Windwaithe Island but she is struggling to help provide for her mother, cruel aunt, and beloved younger sister, Cecily, after a tragic accident that took her father’s life. But when a visiting fortune-teller explains that she has been cursed by the mermaid and will be led to her death. Many of the villagers begin to view her with fear and mistrust, but her longtime friend Denn sticks by her, but her growing feelings for him have made their relationship tense. Now life takes a strange and frightening turn, as Adrienne’s dreams are fulled with the mermaid’s singing. When it comes clear that it isn’t Cecily the mermaid wants. Adrienne wonders how she can protect her family from their superstitious community, as the mermaid attempts to lure her into the sea, night and day..

In this powerful tale of heartache and redemption, a girl born on land must choose between the promise of an underwater paradise and her loyalty to those she loves......

My Thoughts:

- I really enjoyed reading The Forbidden Sea, the story was very different from anything I read before. The undersea world that the author created was so unbelievable, it felt so real.

-And also how you felt what Adrianne was going though. I also enjoyed Adrianne’s strong character throughout the book, she was determined and brave and sacrifices so much to help her family. Which made me really enjoy her character... And the plot and the story-line was very well lay out and very enjoyable.
-I definitely recommend this book to readers, and if you are looking for a fun fantasy and fairy tales kind of book. Then this is the book for you.. This is also Sheila Nielson's first book, and I’m looking forward to reading more by her in the future!

-And I give this book 5/5 stars, very good book..

(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beehive-book-award-children-s-fict, childrens-geography, middle-grade-fantasy, ya-fantasy

I came across this book while doing reading for the Beehive Book Awards. The premise didn't appeal to me much, I am not a big fan of mermaids. But Adrianne has such a strong voice and I found myself rooting for her from page one. It quickly becomes apparent that Adri is the strong one in her family of four. Her younger sister is adorable but unequipped to take care of herself. Adri's mother is likewise too weak of spirit to even defend her daughter from the malicious attacks of her aunt. Her aun...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Liyana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first mermaid book I've ever read. That's not to say that it focuses mainly on mermaids and life underwater. Nielson has written a finely crafted story about a girl who doesn't want to be a mermaid. And that has to be the best introduction to the mermaid genre for me.

The main character, Adrianne is a good role model* in all aspects. She comes from a humble background, and she works back breakingly to support her family, unappreciated, while nursing a crush on her long time friend Den...more

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May 02, 2011 Meredith 4th rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing! It catches your attention right away. I would recommend this book. The Forbidden Sea is about a girl named Adrianne. Her little sister runs away one day and goes to the rumbles which are really just rocks right next to the sea. her sister doesn't know how to swim and the tide starts coming in. The whole island is looking for her. Adrianne decides to go to see if she is at the rumbles. When she gets there she sees a faint shape of her little sister on one of the big rocks. S...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-and-charisma, fantastic-fantasy, good-classics, a-child-s-friend

This book has many things that make it quite special. The character development throughout it, is exquisite! I knew exactly what Adrianne, the main character felt like and I knew what was going on the whole time. It did take me a bit to figure out that it is set in either the early 1800's, the late 1800's or in the early 1900's. It takes place at Windwaithe, a small fishing town, where the people are more than superstitious. With tales of mermaids and mermen awaiting for prey in the vast ocean,...more

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Oct 17, 2010 Taffy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-ya

A good, clean book any YA reader would enjoy.

Adrianne is thrust into the role of provider for her family after her father is killed in an accident. She lives on a small island with small-minded people, including her own aunt. The seemingly only tolerant people are the rich.

Everything bad happens to Adri and only gets worse. I felt myself getting it more and more frustrated for her. She takes everything in quiet determination.

Except for the mermaid who wants to drown her and her sister. She's fi...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Kiirsi Hellewell rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I did like this book. The writing was good. I cared about the characters and wanted them to be happy.

That said, 4/5 of the book takes place on the island--and island life is pretty boring, it seems. From the cover, I expected the book to be about mermaids, and it was--the last 1/5. I wish the other part had gotten going faster and not been so much "land" life.

Another gripe was that sometimes protagonists in books seem to have truly rotten lives--so rotten, in fact, that there seem...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Scribs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After the first nail-biting chapter, I knew this was not going to be one of those books I would have to feign praise for. The writing is beautiful, original and I instantly related to the main character--Adrianne.

When Adrianne's father is killed in a riding accident, her mother spends months listless on her bed, leaving Adrianne to care for the household. At 12 years old, she was forced into early adulthood when the money ran out and she and her mother and sister became destitute. Once pretty, a...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Ellz Readz rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts...One of the biggest things I look for when reading a book is a strong heroine. Adrianne, the young girl from The Forbidden Sea is just that. She is very strong willed, smart, determined, and very devoted to her family. I instantly felt sympathetic for this girl who lost her father in a tragic accident. She finds herself living in poverty with her mother, sister, and an aunt that treats her very disdainfully. She has an inner strength that helps her deal with some very difficult peop...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Danette Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book, it is a must read. Grabs your attention on the first page and you can't put it down.Sheila knows what a great book is all about and knows how to write them. She knows what the young readers like and so she put her soul and heart out there to grab there attention in a way a lot of writers don't know how to do. You will love this book and can't wait for more of hers to come out. I would recommend this book for all ages. Great job Sheila! Love ya tons!

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Jul 18, 2012 Joshua Gross rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was ok. The main protagonist, Adrianne, was very similar to Katniss in the Hunger Games. Like Katniss, her Dad had died in a horrible accident, like Katniss her mother went nutty afterwards and made everything worse, like Katniss her family is very poor. She's also very brave, single-minded, and determined like Katniss. Some added fun to her miserable life is her horrible aunt who treats her like everything is her fault and all the townsfolk eventually turn against her. Also she has a...more This book was ok. The main protagonist, Adrianne, was very similar to Katniss in the Hunger Games. Like Katniss, her Dad had died in a horrible accident, like Katniss her mother went nutty afterwards and made everything worse, like Katniss her family is very poor. She's also very brave, single-minded, and determined like Katniss. Some added fun to her miserable life is her horrible aunt who treats her like everything is her fault and all the townsfolk eventually turn against her. Also she has a crush on this boy who probably doesn't like her back.

However, she does seem unusually harsh in her attitude towards the wealthier people on the island, especially Cora Lynn, the spoiled rich girl trying to steal her man away. Adrianne is chosen by a mermaid to marry the mermaid prince because she is so virtuous and pure of heart, but I feel she was a little more like the rest of us in harboring grudges and being less than charitable to those she disapproves of. Which is fine, I guess. These people were pretty awful to her. There were only a few scenes that really captured me, one being the part where Cora Lynn is accosted by a homeless woman begging for food to feed her children and Adrianne has to intervene. Adrianne didn't care about Cora Lynn's discomfort, she just knew that if she didn't do something Cora Lynn would call for the police and the woman would be sent to prison. Unfortunately, Cora Lynn was such a one-dimensional character it took away from the scene. I thought it would have been great if Cora Lynn had maybe more to her than just being pretty and rich and evil. In the end the woman went to prison anyway.

As for the mermaid, Adrianne spent most of the book thinking the mermaid was trying to kill her or her sister or both of them. Then the mermaid suddenly remembers that she can speak and tells her that's not really the case, she just wants her to come marry the mermaid prince. The mermaids were weird and magical. I don't care for overly magical mermaids. Some of these mermaids can call down storms and destroy villages. They all wear clothes for some reason, and their magical kingdom under the sea is very human-oriented. They have chairs, which is weird since the author even stated that Adrianne floated right back out of it. Most of the time spent talking about the mermaid world I could almost forget it was underwater.

As for the ending there wasn't much of a climax. There was a lot of build-up to the whole mermaid thing, but then once Adrianne saw it she made the honorable choice to go back to the people she cares about, even though one of them was the guy she had a crush on. Don't worry, he conveniently falls for her at the end too, so there a little bit of a happy ending. She was still poor and still the most hated girl on the island, but at least she had her man who spent most of the book flirting with Cora Lynn. (less)

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Apr 11, 2011 Khornberger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Right from the start, first time author Sheila A. Nielson weaves a beautiful story about a girl and her family whose fortunes have changed and they are struggling on a daily basis to survive. The characters are exceptionally well drawn beginning with Adrianne, who stops at nothing to help her family (and others) obtain food and happiness. After her father's death, Adrianne is left with a beloved little sister (reminiscent of Prim in The Hunger Games), a loving yet meek mother, and a horrible aun...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Natasha Bentley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is one of those books you start reading and you cant put down. Its about this girl named Adrianne. She was part of a family that was once rich. Then her father died and everything changed. She became so poor that her aunt had to come move in with the famy and help with money issues. Just one problem, her aunt hates her. So she becomes sad and depressed everyday. Her hair is cut short so none of the boys found her attractive. A group of boys actually throws her in the ocean everyday whe...more This book is one of those books you start reading and you cant put down. Its about this girl named Adrianne. She was part of a family that was once rich. Then her father died and everything changed. She became so poor that her aunt had to come move in with the famy and help with money issues. Just one problem, her aunt hates her. So she becomes sad and depressed everyday. Her hair is cut short so none of the boys found her attractive. A group of boys actually throws her in the ocean everyday when she goes to get her work done. She was used to this. She loved to swim anyway. Usually when you were five you would learn to swim, because you lived on an island. One day her sister got upset and she went down to the beach. It started to storm. Adrianne went out looking for her. When she finds her on a rock in the water she sees what she thought was a mermaid by her. Once she saw her she started having dreams about the ocean. She wanted more than anything to go live in the sea. One night she woke up and couldnt handle the temptation anymore. She walked out when the one guy she did like saw her. They were best friends. He saw her talking to the mermaid. He overheard them talking about living in the sea forever with the prince, her future husband. The mermaid knew he was listening. Some how the mermaid convinced her into going into the s to at least look at her new home. When adrianne jumped into the wate he jumped to his feet and tried to grab her but he was to late. She was already deep under the waves of the constantly moving ochean. The mermaid put a mark on her wrist so she wouldnt need air to breathe. On her way to the where the mermaids lived they saw all the life the sea had to offer. As they got down into the deep cold piercing water the mermaid used some source of power to light the way. She litteratly started glowing. Adrianne got to pet a humpback whale. She was already liking the sea much more than the land she was forced to live on. Once they got to where the mermaids lived they were all busy at work. The mermaid led her through the town. Adrianne noticed that the mermaids talked in a language she had never heard before. The mermaid informed her that they were talking in mer talk. When they got to the palace the servants went and got her ready to meet her future husband, the prince. When they did they made her look more beautiful then ever before. She then thought of her mother. She held the necklace that hung around her neck that her mother had gaven her. She thought of her sister. But then she thought of the prince. She had a descision to make. To either live on land or in the sea.(less)

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May 11, 2012 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first read this book the suspense was slow and boring, but i kept reading it anyway, because I personally dislike stopping at the middle of a book. I really didn't think it was a romance book because the passage or summary i read behind the book sounded like a adventure and mysterious book. I was completely wrong! It's basically about romance. the story is about a girl named Adrianne, in the beginning her little sister Cicily was missing during the storm. Adrianne went out to find her. Th...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Sie-anne Waisime rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love reading this book it's so interesting i can't wait to finish it!!!!!!!

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Sep 05, 2012 Anastasia Bolinder rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

i love this book with all my heart and soul!!! the story sucks you in and makes you just want to keep reading. all in all spectacular ^.^

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Feb 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: tween & young adult readers

Shelves: girls-pre-reads

It is refreshing to read a coming-of-age book that doesn't focus on a boy-crazy main character.

Adrianne is a young girl who has lost everything with the loss of her father in a tragic, fatal accident. Since her father's death, she has done everything she can to keep her family together - despite an aunt that treats her horribly and tells her that she will never amount to anything.

She has an encounter with a mermaid on a night when her little sister ran away that leaves her with long scars going...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Shelece rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

Very sweet and romantic. Definitely has a little bit of a Cinderella twist to it. The main character, Adrianne, lives a very difficult life. Some of the situations she gets into torn my heart in half! The author does a great job of creating emotions in the reader. I hope Sheila A. Nielson writes more books in the future, because I will definitely read them!

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In addition to writing books, Sheila A. Nielson has also worked as a children's librarian for over fifteen years. She also has a BFA in children's illustration.

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