First zit. First crush. First…mermaid’s tail?
If she hadn’t been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to g...
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reviews
Dec 31, 2011
Lisa
rated it: 
I knew I would love Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings. I had read the great reviews. I enjoy the author’s quirky, somewhat “out-there” sense of humour. And I always love a book that draws me into an alternate world and allows me to stay there, happy for the duration, in my suspended disbelief.
And so I bought the book. And so I kept the book. And so I waited for one of those delicious afternoons where I could climb into a tub with my box of chocolates and a cup of tea. And I’m so glad More...
And so I bought the book. And so I kept the book. And so I waited for one of those delicious afternoons where I could climb into a tub with my box of chocolates and a cup of tea. And I’m so glad More...
Dec 02, 2011
Cal {Heather}
rated it: 
This is what happens when the book I'm currently reading is at the wrong house. I end up getting a random book on my kindle and finishing it, even though I didn't like it. It's hard to make me dislike a mermaid character, but this did it.
Jade is a teenage girl who we're supposed to feel sorry for (I think) as she is preparing for a pool party despite her fear of water. She doesn't want to go, but her best friend is making her try on all sorts of bathing suits. Then, suddenly, she find More...
Jade is a teenage girl who we're supposed to feel sorry for (I think) as she is preparing for a pool party despite her fear of water. She doesn't want to go, but her best friend is making her try on all sorts of bathing suits. Then, suddenly, she find More...
Jul 31, 2011
Kayla
rated it:
I loved this book so much. I read it in a day, not only because it was a short book, but because I couldn't get enough of it. It was fun, fierce, and fantastic. Yes, I meant to use all of those 'f' adjectives.
Jade is such a unique and interesting character, I liked her immediately. She's a bit on the chubby side, a bit socially awkward, and crushing hard on a guy, though she has no idea what to do about that. I loved how her insecurities were portrayed so beautifully without getting More...
Jade is such a unique and interesting character, I liked her immediately. She's a bit on the chubby side, a bit socially awkward, and crushing hard on a guy, though she has no idea what to do about that. I loved how her insecurities were portrayed so beautifully without getting More...
May 20, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
The Good Stuff
* Absolutely positively one of the most delightful pieces of tween fiction I have ever read
* Heroine is a very real and refreshingly honest
* Strong opening grabs your attention and you are hooked into the story
* Sort of reminded me of a hipper Judy Blume book (This is a compliment)
* Snappy witty dialogue
* Love the relationship between Jade and her Dad
* Positive relationships between Jade and her friends and boys
More...
* Absolutely positively one of the most delightful pieces of tween fiction I have ever read
* Heroine is a very real and refreshingly honest
* Strong opening grabs your attention and you are hooked into the story
* Sort of reminded me of a hipper Judy Blume book (This is a compliment)
* Snappy witty dialogue
* Love the relationship between Jade and her Dad
* Positive relationships between Jade and her friends and boys
More...
Apr 05, 2011
Alexandria
rated it: 
I think I am going to have to swear off YA fiction for a little while. I can't help but find the workings and reactions of the teenage mind beyond annoying. Well, when they come out as infintile as they do anyway. I don't ever remember acting like the teenager portrayed in so many of these books - EVER! So your friend acts a little 'off' for few days and suddenly you are acting like the whole world is coming to an end and you aren't on the same 'wavelength' anymore. Say what? Was I missing a g
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Mar 01, 2011
Cindy
rated it: 
At 13, Jade has a lot to deal with: she’s still getting over her mother’s drowning death a year ago, she just got her first period, and she might have a crush on a guy who surely thinks she’s weird. But nothing prepares her for what happens when she takes a warm bath in salt water to ease her period cramps. For it is then that Jade turns from a normal teenager with average concerns into a freaked-out girl with a mermaid’s tale.
Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings by Hèléne Boudreau is at More...
Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings by Hèléne Boudreau is at More...
Dec 27, 2010
Kate (I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!)
rated it:
REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOE RINGS, by Hélène Boudreau, is an absolutely charming book. I went out of my comfort zone reading a lower YA book, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I sat down to start the book and finished it about two hours later!
I think one of the reasons I was not phased by it being a lower YA age group was because Jade was so wise for her fourteen years. She had issues with her self-confidence and was still dealing with the drowning death of her mother, but More...
I think one of the reasons I was not phased by it being a lower YA age group was because Jade was so wise for her fourteen years. She had issues with her self-confidence and was still dealing with the drowning death of her mother, but More...
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Dec 27, 2010
Blodeuedd
rated it:
Plot:
Jade finds out she is a mermaid. Her best friend spends a lot of time with another girl, and Luke, her crush, why would he ever look at her. There is a lot to handle.
My thoughts:
This was a short cute book, and I loved the mermaid explanation. That was really original and it almost made me believe it could be true. So here the author really thought about how and why there are mermaids.
Jade is a nice girl, her mum drowned a year earlier and sh More...
Jade finds out she is a mermaid. Her best friend spends a lot of time with another girl, and Luke, her crush, why would he ever look at her. There is a lot to handle.
My thoughts:
This was a short cute book, and I loved the mermaid explanation. That was really original and it almost made me believe it could be true. So here the author really thought about how and why there are mermaids.
Jade is a nice girl, her mum drowned a year earlier and sh More...
Dec 18, 2010
Katieb (MundieMoms)
rated it:
4.5 stars
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is a great coming of age story, mixed with a little mystery, for middle grade readers. It's fun, it's quirky and Jade's voice is one of realism as she's coming to terms with things that are going on around her and humorous. Jade had me laughing out loud more than once. Helene does a brilliant job at merging reality with fantasy, as Jade herself is a 13 year old girl who's not only coming to terms with her mother's mysterious drowning, but s More...
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is a great coming of age story, mixed with a little mystery, for middle grade readers. It's fun, it's quirky and Jade's voice is one of realism as she's coming to terms with things that are going on around her and humorous. Jade had me laughing out loud more than once. Helene does a brilliant job at merging reality with fantasy, as Jade herself is a 13 year old girl who's not only coming to terms with her mother's mysterious drowning, but s More...
Dec 18, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
4.5 stars
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is a great coming of age story, mixed with a little mystery, for middle grade readers. It's fun, it's quirky and Jade's voice is one of realism as she's coming to terms with things that are going on around her and humorous. Jade had me laughing out loud more than once. Helene does a brilliant job at merging reality with fantasy, as Jade herself is a 13 year old girl who's not only coming to terms with her mother's mysterious drowning, but s More...
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is a great coming of age story, mixed with a little mystery, for middle grade readers. It's fun, it's quirky and Jade's voice is one of realism as she's coming to terms with things that are going on around her and humorous. Jade had me laughing out loud more than once. Helene does a brilliant job at merging reality with fantasy, as Jade herself is a 13 year old girl who's not only coming to terms with her mother's mysterious drowning, but s More...
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Dec 24, 2010
Chelleyreads
rated it:
Our heroine in Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings was 13-year-old Jade. She finds out she's a mermaid after a crazy day at the mall where she first got her period while trying on bathing suits. If that wasn't bad enough, she bumped into a cute boy while shopping for feminine products with her dad. Jade just wanted to forget about her stressful day by taking a nice relaxing soak in the tub when she came out with scales and a tail instead. It turned out her mom was a mermaid who was washed ashore
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Jun 16, 2011
emily
rated it:
Omfg I loved this, didn't want to take my earbuds out. It was such a stupid premise - girl falls asleep in bathtub, wakes up with mermaid tail? REALLY? That's just idiotic. But really, this was a book about a girl going through a lot of physical changes (and no, I don't mean just the tail) with no mother to help her, and a best friend who she's lied to about said changes... therefore, a girl who feels like she's totally alone in the world and can't talk to anyone about her problems except her
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Dec 29, 2010
F.H.
rated it:
When I first saw this one on my twitter feed, I wasn't so sure I wanted to read it. I hadn't seen the cover yet, but the title kind of threw me off. I'm not sure why, but somehow, it just did.
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings starts off with Jade (the main character) shopping with her best friend for the perfect swimsuit to fit her muffin-top, plus-sized body. She finally finds one...Then everything pretty much goes haywire from there.
She gets a mermaid's tail More...
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings starts off with Jade (the main character) shopping with her best friend for the perfect swimsuit to fit her muffin-top, plus-sized body. She finally finds one...Then everything pretty much goes haywire from there.
She gets a mermaid's tail More...
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Aug 27, 2011
Veronica
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 29, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
Jade is having the worst day EVER. She has to go bathing suit shopping, during which she starts her first period. Her father has to help her buy feminine supplies during which she bumps into her crush. All of the above is humiliating enough and to make matters worse, during her bath, she grows a mermaid tail. Can a girl's life get anymore complicated? Apparently so, because there are mermaids out there who want to be able to become human as easily as Jade does. [return][return]As an adult
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May 23, 2011
Ellen
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jun 21, 2011
Frishawn
rated it:
This was a really sweet coming of age story with fins! I was really happy when I saw this book on the shelves at the library. I thought, "Yay, a mer-story." This tale didn't let me down.
It seems that Jade gets the perfect tank-kini, her first period, and her first fins on the same day. PRICLESS!
Don't worry...things do get better. Jade finds and rescues her mer-mother from her freshwater prison. Mom and dad reunite sorta after Dad realizes that she did n More...
It seems that Jade gets the perfect tank-kini, her first period, and her first fins on the same day. PRICLESS!
Don't worry...things do get better. Jade finds and rescues her mer-mother from her freshwater prison. Mom and dad reunite sorta after Dad realizes that she did n More...
Jan 29, 2012
icybytes
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 24, 2011
Mevurah
rated it:
When I was asked to review this book, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or not. The title of the book really left me wondering about this story. I really love mermaids and the more that I kept pondering about this Middle Grade book, the more I kept leaning towards reviewing it. Helene wrote a wonderful and humorous book about a 14 year old girl who is learning to deal with many "firsts", such as: first period, first crush, and even a first mermaid tail!
The story opens with Ja More...
The story opens with Ja More...
Dec 04, 2010
Laura
rated it:
What a great book for middle graders - especially girls. This book wasn't really about mermaids but a about a girl, Jade, coming to terms with her life and her family and fighting for them. The opening of the book is worth reading the whole book - funny and touching scene between a girl and her dad that almost any girl can relate to. I was laughing and fighting off tears. I also loved how Helene took a fresh approach to mermaids. They weren't glorified sea creatures and Jade didn't all of a sudd
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Jan 25, 2011
Sharon
rated it:
I’m not in the target age range for “Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings,” but I really enjoyed this fish tale. It left me wanting more, which is always a good sign. The character of protagonist Jade is refreshing and rings true to age. Anyone with a heart will be pulling for her to succeed with her rescue mission and will commiserate with the challenges she faces as she navigates the challenges inherent with becoming a young woman and dealing with friends and boys.
Here’s hoping that th More...
Here’s hoping that th More...
Jan 17, 2011
The Bookologist
rated it:
Charming and quirky, Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings passes on both to the tween and young adult literature, depicting a tween becoming a teen. Boudreau has created a realistic read with lessons of growing up, having ‘firsts’, and having to cope with situations.
Mermaid mythology has always been an interesting concept for me to get into… there is not many young adult novels surrounding mermaids, so this one was definitely a fresh look into mermaids. The myth that Boudreau has creat More...
Mermaid mythology has always been an interesting concept for me to get into… there is not many young adult novels surrounding mermaids, so this one was definitely a fresh look into mermaids. The myth that Boudreau has creat More...
Jun 18, 2011
Tara
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 22, 2011
Andria
rated it:
Tween and young teenage girls will love this. A sweet coming of age story with a mermaid twist, RMDWTR covers a lot of ground: a girl's first period and first crush, death and grieving, father-daughter relationships, body issues and self esteem, mean girls, mermaid mythology and personal power. It's a slim volume and a quick read, so it doesn't delve too deeply into any of these issues, but the pacing and tone is perfect for middle-school attention spans and sensibilities. And the ending is
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Jan 15, 2012
Hailey
rated it:
"Real Mermaids dont Wear Toerings" was such a great story. The story was: funny, enjoyable, happy, and touching. The message i got out of this book was, just because you are making drastic changes doesnt mean that people wont like you for you. The beginning was kind of weird because every girls worst nightmare is to tell your dad something about your body and you need there help. It was so funny and i recommend this book to anybody who needs a good laugh and a heartwarming story. I gi
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Jan 06, 2012
Jenna
rated it:
I LOVED THIS BOOK. This is probably my favorite of the mermaid-related books I've read.
When thirteen-year-old Jade gets her first period, it also triggers her transformation into becoming a mermaid. I really enjoyed the "becoming a mermaid" concept as a metaphor for adolescence.
I also appreciated that the father in this novel was not one of those distant/crappy/negligent parents that exist in almost all YA lit. He and Jade have a great relationship (despite hi More...
When thirteen-year-old Jade gets her first period, it also triggers her transformation into becoming a mermaid. I really enjoyed the "becoming a mermaid" concept as a metaphor for adolescence.
I also appreciated that the father in this novel was not one of those distant/crappy/negligent parents that exist in almost all YA lit. He and Jade have a great relationship (despite hi More...
May 04, 2011
Emma
rated it:
I came across this book by accident by flicking through the little menu on Amazon that tells me what other people bought when they bought the current book I’m looking at. I love mermaid stories (blame Disney), so I clicked on it and it was going for a really good price on the Kindle, and I’m so glad that I bought it.
This is one of those rare books I wish had been around when I was a teenager. Jade is such a warm, funny, relatable character that could be your best friend. Taking aw More...
This is one of those rare books I wish had been around when I was a teenager. Jade is such a warm, funny, relatable character that could be your best friend. Taking aw More...
Jan 27, 2011
Small Review
rated it:
This was a cute book, but definitely should be categorized as MG instead of YA. Jade is 14, but her voice and situation read much more like she is in middle school. While the story is cute, I think YA readers may find themselves a little bored and unable to fully connect with Jade. Some MG books are written in such a way as to appeal to all ages, but I don’t really think that is the case with Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings.
I liked Jade and found her to be a very sympathetic charact More...
I liked Jade and found her to be a very sympathetic charact More...
Jan 26, 2011
Page (One Book At A Time)
rated it:
I really liked the idea of this one. But, once again worried that book might come across as to young. I was both right and wrong, which always manages to surprise me. It's another one of those books I will put away for when my girls get a little older.
I liked Jade. She a young teen who's going through a lot. She's dealing with those awful young teen years without her mom. First crushes, first friend conflicts, first periods, and all of a sudden comes that mermaid's tale. Some More...
I liked Jade. She a young teen who's going through a lot. She's dealing with those awful young teen years without her mom. First crushes, first friend conflicts, first periods, and all of a sudden comes that mermaid's tale. Some More...
Jan 19, 2011
Haley
rated it:
Jade was positive she was just an average girl, until she fell asleep in her bath, inhaled some salt water, and sprouted a mermaid tail. Soon the truth comes out that her mom was a mermaid. But then how did her mom drown last summer? Jade works to come to terms with this new side of herself, maintain her close friendships without spilling her secret, attempt to keep her dignity around her adorable crush, and figure out the mystery behind her mother.
I enjoyed every second More...
I enjoyed every second More...
