reviews
Jan 21, 2012
Cass -
rated it: 
What brought me to read "The Mermaid's Mirror" by L. K. Madigan was the magical-looking cover. It seemed middle-grade, and even now it sits in my mind between middle-grade and YA, as the novel would be relatable to both parties. Anyway, the beginning was very quiet for me, very slow. I did not want to give up, as I had faith that it would pick up, and it did. After Lena, the protagonist, begins surfing, the action and "magic" began to arise, and it was by then that I knew tha
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Feb 02, 2012
Leann
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Lena is a fifteen year old girl who loves the ocean and loves being outside. Her father, a once famous surfer, does not want to teach her how to surf and forbids her from learning from others. Lena lives with her father, stepmother and little brother who all love her dearly. Lena is however sad because her mother died when she was just three. Lena starts to sleepwalk down to the beach and begins to see reflections in the water of a face. After she turns sixteen, she decides that even t
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Jan 06, 2012
Shweta's Book Journal
rated it: 
" Move aside Faeries , here come the Mermaids!
If I had to describe this book in one word I would say AMAZING!
Combining fantasy and contemporary doesn't always give the right result but here I would say the author was right on the target. Lena who yearns for sea and has been forbidden to surf by her dad ,can't help but long for it.She mysteriously finds herself on the beach in the middle of the night and this seems to happen quite often with her.
Also finding a m More...
If I had to describe this book in one word I would say AMAZING!
Combining fantasy and contemporary doesn't always give the right result but here I would say the author was right on the target. Lena who yearns for sea and has been forbidden to surf by her dad ,can't help but long for it.She mysteriously finds herself on the beach in the middle of the night and this seems to happen quite often with her.
Also finding a m More...
Sep 20, 2011
Emma
rated it:
Eh... there were elements of this book I liked and also elements I disliked.
Like, Kai. I really liked him. A funny, dancing, singing, musical-loving, well-dressed guy who isn't gay? Yes, please.
And the writing... after a while, I enjoyed it. Even though the pacing was slow, it read like a fun beach read, and it was entertaining, fun, made you sort of feel like you were at the ocean, even if it was somewhat juvenile.
I guess the part I mostly didn't like was... More...
Like, Kai. I really liked him. A funny, dancing, singing, musical-loving, well-dressed guy who isn't gay? Yes, please.
And the writing... after a while, I enjoyed it. Even though the pacing was slow, it read like a fun beach read, and it was entertaining, fun, made you sort of feel like you were at the ocean, even if it was somewhat juvenile.
I guess the part I mostly didn't like was... More...
Jul 19, 2011
Sara
rated it:
Plot: 3.5 Stars
The first half of this novel came off very comtemporary, as compared to paranormal. Except for two paragraphs at the end of two chapters, there was no mention of mermaids until past the halfway mark. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn't what I expected. I'm a paranormal lover, so I want the creatures to be hiding in every corner. But this novel was very restrained. Even after the idea of the mermaid was brought up, it was another fifty pages or so until Lena act More...
The first half of this novel came off very comtemporary, as compared to paranormal. Except for two paragraphs at the end of two chapters, there was no mention of mermaids until past the halfway mark. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn't what I expected. I'm a paranormal lover, so I want the creatures to be hiding in every corner. But this novel was very restrained. Even after the idea of the mermaid was brought up, it was another fifty pages or so until Lena act More...
Jun 29, 2011
Chelsea
rated it:
First off, let me say I did like this book. I didn't love or even dislike it, it was really only okay for me. I didn't feel Lena was strong enough of a character. Through the book I was questioning every decision she made, not fully understand her reasons behind them. It was almost as if the only reason she made them was because the author needed her to do "this" to get "there". Now I know this is how most books come to be, start off with an idea and work the characters to fi
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Jun 16, 2011
Kate
rated it:
A fun paranormal adventure for preteens and young teenagers
Lena lives in a coastal town south of San Francisco. She has always loved the ocean, the smell of the salty air, the feel of the cold water, and especially the waves. But her father refuses to let her fulfill her fondest wish, to learn to surf. She secretly has her friends teach her to surf, but in the process, she discovers something far more fascinating than surfing. She catches sight of a beautiful mermaid, and her life will More...
Lena lives in a coastal town south of San Francisco. She has always loved the ocean, the smell of the salty air, the feel of the cold water, and especially the waves. But her father refuses to let her fulfill her fondest wish, to learn to surf. She secretly has her friends teach her to surf, but in the process, she discovers something far more fascinating than surfing. She catches sight of a beautiful mermaid, and her life will More...
Jun 09, 2011
Jocelyn
rated it:
I read “The Mermaid’s Mirror” by L.K. Madigan, which is about a girl named Lena Whittaker. Lena is a teenager who, at first, appears to be living a normal life. She really loves the ocean and wants to surf, but her dad won’t let her because of some surfing accident that he had when he was younger. So she sneaks out and has Annie, her boyfriend’s sister, teach her how to surf. She finds that she’s a natural, and is drawn to the water. But during her time on the beach, she discovers a myster
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Jun 04, 2011
Ashley
rated it:
What can I say? It's a twisted mermaid tale that slips in a bit of selkie lore. Which was part stunning, but a lot more confusing.
While I can understand Madigan's thought process when she wrote this book, I'm not quite sure I understand why she had to combine two perfectly separate myths into a very geographically-absurd novel. Southern California's coast is an awesome setting. Diamond Bay? OK, I might can understand that. But that's all we get from Madigan--names of places. She doe More...
While I can understand Madigan's thought process when she wrote this book, I'm not quite sure I understand why she had to combine two perfectly separate myths into a very geographically-absurd novel. Southern California's coast is an awesome setting. Diamond Bay? OK, I might can understand that. But that's all we get from Madigan--names of places. She doe More...
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May 20, 2011
Emily
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Apr 25, 2011
Katie
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Recap:
Lena has always felt the powerful pull that the ocean has on her heart, and longs to join her best friends as they surf the breaking waves. But Lena has also always honored the wishes of her father, who almost died in a surfing accident before she was born, and has forbidden her from ever trying the sport.
But when Lena sees a mermaid at Magic's, the most dangerous surfing cove on the coast, she knows that she can't stay out of the water any longer. She will do whatever it ta More...
Lena has always felt the powerful pull that the ocean has on her heart, and longs to join her best friends as they surf the breaking waves. But Lena has also always honored the wishes of her father, who almost died in a surfing accident before she was born, and has forbidden her from ever trying the sport.
But when Lena sees a mermaid at Magic's, the most dangerous surfing cove on the coast, she knows that she can't stay out of the water any longer. She will do whatever it ta More...
Apr 01, 2011
When I started reading this book I honestly had no idea what it was about. I’d read the flap and it struck me as a little…odd…a girl finds a mirror that belongs to a mermaid and she likes to surf?
But I like mermaids, so I thought, “why not?”
Lena lives in a small(ish) town just outside of San Fransisco. A coastal town known for its surfing. But Lena’s dad had a bad accident while surfing a number of years ago and hasn’t stepped foot in the water since. And he has always re More...
But I like mermaids, so I thought, “why not?”
Lena lives in a small(ish) town just outside of San Fransisco. A coastal town known for its surfing. But Lena’s dad had a bad accident while surfing a number of years ago and hasn’t stepped foot in the water since. And he has always re More...
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Mar 17, 2011
Dannielle
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The Mermaid’s Mirror was wonderful, heartfelt, enticing and interesting. I was afraid it would be a little stupid and too common. I didn’t want this to be like, “ugh, could you get any more predictable?!” And at moments it felt like it was. But for the majority of the novel it really wasn’t. From very early on, I figured out who the mermaid was, but then again, I feel that it was very obvious. Just like how I knew how Lena really felt about Kai. And the inkling I had about her father and his ac
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Feb 06, 2011
Nancy
rated it:
Well, now. I am finding this one difficult to rate fairly.
16-year-old Lena lives by the sea and longs to learn to surf. But her dad, formerly an excellent surfer, refuses to even discuss it. Meantime, Lena finds herself more and more drawn to dangerous Magic Crescent Cove, and the glimpses she has had there of a strange, dark-haired woman swimming among the seals. Family secrets are beginning to bubble up, and Lena is in more trouble than she knows. Her call to the sea may be the More...
16-year-old Lena lives by the sea and longs to learn to surf. But her dad, formerly an excellent surfer, refuses to even discuss it. Meantime, Lena finds herself more and more drawn to dangerous Magic Crescent Cove, and the glimpses she has had there of a strange, dark-haired woman swimming among the seals. Family secrets are beginning to bubble up, and Lena is in more trouble than she knows. Her call to the sea may be the More...
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Jan 12, 2011
Novel
rated it:
There are lots of reasons to love L.K. Madigan’s new novel, The Mermaid’s Mirror. But for me, there are three things in particular that stand out:
1. The Characters
From page one, I fell in love with Lena, Kai, Pem, Cole and all the rest. They all feel so real, like people I might have gone to high school with myself. People I might be friends with. And okay, I confess, Kai is so adorable I got a little crush on him, myself. The characters are complex and multi-faceted. They ha More...
1. The Characters
From page one, I fell in love with Lena, Kai, Pem, Cole and all the rest. They all feel so real, like people I might have gone to high school with myself. People I might be friends with. And okay, I confess, Kai is so adorable I got a little crush on him, myself. The characters are complex and multi-faceted. They ha More...
Dec 16, 2010
Meaghan
rated it:
I really enjoyed the author's writing in this novel. The book can be divided into two parts: life with her father on the land and life with her mother in the sea. Lena has spent her life with her father, step-mother and younger brother living in a beautiful home near the ocean. While most of her friends love surfing, she has been reluctant to try because her father had some sort of accident. As it turns out the "accident" was not a surfing accident at all but a run-in with Lena's mothe
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Nov 24, 2010
Lisa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 11, 2010
Stacey
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There is something magical about the cover of The Mermaid's Mirror, alone, is there not? It was the first thing that caught my
eye when I was given the opportunity to review this book. It really reeled me in (lol, I won't go there.)
L.K. Madigan brought to me a world that I quite didn't expect even with the cover being a very accurate indication of this book's true worth. Madigan didn't stop at bringing me a world I already knew, she brought me one more, one which is believably d More...
eye when I was given the opportunity to review this book. It really reeled me in (lol, I won't go there.)
L.K. Madigan brought to me a world that I quite didn't expect even with the cover being a very accurate indication of this book's true worth. Madigan didn't stop at bringing me a world I already knew, she brought me one more, one which is believably d More...
Nov 02, 2010
Crizia
rated it:
When I decided to read this book, I thought it would be the typical: boy meets mergirl, boy and mergirl fall in love, boy has to make a choice, voila! The End! But I was-thankfully- wrong, there is so much more to this story than meets the eye.
In truth, this story revolves around a half mermaid-half human girl named Selene who feels a magical pull to the ocean when she begins to near her sixteenth birthday. After constantly trying to learn the truth about her birth mother from he More...
Oct 25, 2010
Esther
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 18, 2010
Zoë
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Jul 16, 2010
Katie (It's Time to Read)
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Review Does Contain Spoilers!
Synopsis:
Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and wa...more Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.
As her sixteenth birthd More...
Synopsis:
Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and wa...more Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.
As her sixteenth birthd More...
Jul 13, 2010
Louize
rated it:
“By the light
of the blueberry moon,
we sang this song
in Lena’s room.”
The pull of the ocean is strong on Selena Whittaker; she never tires from looking at it. She even sleepwalks, waking in Magic Crescent Cove in the wee hours of the morning. Her friends attribute it for her deep desire to learn how to surf. But unlike Selena, they know nothing about the magic – Mermaids are real.
I don’t know any girl who isn’t enchanted with mermaids. Their story is something we always want to di More...
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Jul 08, 2010
Heather
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Jun 17, 2010
Kelli
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I loved this book. It is a perfect beach or summer read. It is spellbinding---I was drawn in from the very beginning and could not stop until I finished the story in one sitting. I love it when that happens!
The Mermaid's Mirror is about a 15 year-old girl, Lena, who defies her parents and learns to surf. She is drawn to the ocean and sneaks around behind her parents' backs to surf in the most dangerous waters. Lena's mother died when she was four years old, although Lena does no More...
The Mermaid's Mirror is about a 15 year-old girl, Lena, who defies her parents and learns to surf. She is drawn to the ocean and sneaks around behind her parents' backs to surf in the most dangerous waters. Lena's mother died when she was four years old, although Lena does no More...
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Jun 08, 2010
Kapri
rated it:
I was so excited to read The Mermaid's Mirror. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.
This started out quite slow. About the first hundred pages almost nothing happened. If picked up a little bit later on, but overall nothing really happens until the last 100 pages or so. When it finally did get to the mermaid part, though, I did enjoy it. But, I felt like that part was crammed into a short little section. No sooner had I started it, it was over. I could have spen More...
This started out quite slow. About the first hundred pages almost nothing happened. If picked up a little bit later on, but overall nothing really happens until the last 100 pages or so. When it finally did get to the mermaid part, though, I did enjoy it. But, I felt like that part was crammed into a short little section. No sooner had I started it, it was over. I could have spen More...
May 28, 2010
Penelope
rated it:
I am SO glad I was able to review this book! If you plan to spend a day at the beach reading, this is the book you want to take. And if, like me, you're in the middle of cold weather, it will bring a fresh sea breeze to your mind. It's chock full of beaches, surfing, underwater scenery, mystery, and of course mermaids.
I think Madigan did a wonderful job writing this book. I liked that she sometimes used texts and IMs as a form of communication, which really brought it into today's wo More...
I think Madigan did a wonderful job writing this book. I liked that she sometimes used texts and IMs as a form of communication, which really brought it into today's wo More...
May 24, 2010
Jasmyn9
rated it:
Lena seems to be your standard California girl: surfer boyfriend, lives within walking distance from the beach, and hardly a care in the world. But her life isn't as perfect as it seems from the outside. Her dad refuses to allow her to learn how to surf after he almost died in a surfing accident. She isn't as close to her boyfriend as everyone seems to think. And recently she's been sleepwalking her way down to the beach late at night. What is going on?
Lena is an engaging character t More...
Lena is an engaging character t More...
May 03, 2010
Peep (Pop! Pop!)
rated it: 
For the most part I hated this book. I have no patience for books where the lead protagonist is an immature, whiny brat (and I'm using the good B word here). Lena is supposed to be 16 but for the entire length of the book she behaves like an eleven year old. I have a headache from rolling my eyes so much.
With the exception of her little brother, Cole, she is very selfish to everyone. She has two best friends, Pem and Kai, and she basically doesn't even want to be around them. Pem tri More...
With the exception of her little brother, Cole, she is very selfish to everyone. She has two best friends, Pem and Kai, and she basically doesn't even want to be around them. Pem tri More...
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Jul 05, 2011
Brianna
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This book was so frustrating. At only 308 pages, it should have taken me a day or two to read. Instead, it took me three or four.
The pacing of this book was completely off. The first two hundred or so pages are so incredibly boring. Absolutely nothing happens except for Lena learning how to surf. The last one hundred pages were interesting enough, but the last twenty pages were so crammed full of things that happened. The book just ended with no details of what happened after Le More...
The pacing of this book was completely off. The first two hundred or so pages are so incredibly boring. Absolutely nothing happens except for Lena learning how to surf. The last one hundred pages were interesting enough, but the last twenty pages were so crammed full of things that happened. The book just ended with no details of what happened after Le More...
