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31st out of 131 books
—
188 voters
Merrow
“Life doesn't just grow you up and leave you there; it keeps beating you into different shapes, like the cliffs.”
The people of Carrick have been whispering behind Neen's back for most of her life; ever since her father drowned and her mother disappeared.
The townspeople say her mother was a merrow who has returned to her real home in the ocean. Neen wonders if perhaps the v...more
The people of Carrick have been whispering behind Neen's back for most of her life; ever since her father drowned and her mother disappeared.
The townspeople say her mother was a merrow who has returned to her real home in the ocean. Neen wonders if perhaps the v...more
Paperback, 197 pages
Published
2010
by Black Dog Books
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She is a wild girl, full of stories and covered in scales, growing up without a mother or a father. Although her aunt raised her it is the stories surrounding the island of Carrick that she lives on, stories of Other Ones, changeling's, the honey-tongued and cave people. But the stories she craves most are the stories of her own family, her great-grandfathers merrow wife, her fathers search for a sea wife, her mother's watery end.
With her affinity for water the long hot summer has driven her to...more
With her affinity for water the long hot summer has driven her to...more
This is the dilemma facing Neen: marked by her scales, she is both an outsider in the community and a young girl eager to reclaim the truth about her family and her self. This is what feeds the story and gives it an emotional brevity – we all want to know where we fit in the world.
And it is a wonderful world Braxton-Smith creates. I love the way the characters speak; their vernacular, their quirks, and the stories they tell. I love the relationship between Neen and Ushag and the way it develops....more
And it is a wonderful world Braxton-Smith creates. I love the way the characters speak; their vernacular, their quirks, and the stories they tell. I love the relationship between Neen and Ushag and the way it develops....more
This was a gorgeously and cleanly written novel, highly evocative of a geographic place and time. I especially enjoyed how, despite the lovely language, it never felt overwritten, as such books often do. The characters felt clear, authentic, and real for their time (the dark ages) and place (a rural island) and age (cusp of girl/woman). The mix of faith and realism in the different characters was well-handled, too. Overall, I am very impressed and highly recommend this. This is one of those book...more
A while ago, I a made a list of of my favourite stories from the Short and Scary anthology. One of them was by an author unknown to me – Ananda Braxton-Smith. So when I found out that Merrow was coming out the same time as Fury (effectively Blood Sister Books, yay), I couldn’t be more delighted. I love Ananda’s style of writing. Dark, raw and startling. She reminds me of myself, keen to find beauty in things that are imperfect and sometimes ugly. I couldn’t wait to see what she could do with the...more
I really loved this book. It felt kind of otherworldly but also real enough that I could sink my teeth into it. I love the child's eye view of life and how the perspective changes as the child grows. Truly a lovely book.
Beautiful language that will be appreciated by select readers.
Dense, yet accesible.
Its such an enjoyable read!
Wonderfully imaginative, with brilliant imagery that fully captured my attention. Quite an original book that was a delight to read.
A book for a particular type of reader. Some may find it confusing, others boring, others will enjoy it greatly. I was a combination of the first two but I appreciate the author's writing style - it was a good read :)
Pretty cool, pretty weird, pretty confusing... ARE THERE MERMAIDS OR NOT?
Sep 18, 2011
Jess
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
aussie-and-nz,
fantasy,
historical,
library,
mermaid,
review-to-come,
young-adult,
read-in-2011,
read-it-in-a-night,
5-stars
Beautiful, poignant, and deep. 4.5 stars. Review to come.
May 19, 2013
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plot twist? | 1 | 2 | Oct 06, 2012 06:34am |
Ananda Braxton-Smith is a journalist and children’s writer who is passionate about communicating history to young people in new and innovative ways.
More about Ananda Braxton-Smith...
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Sep 15, 2011 07:46pm