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The Mermaid Upstairs
by
Yesterday 16-year-old Emily’s mother was a high-powered attorney. Today she is a mermaid. While the car accident they were in left Emily relatively unscathed, her mother is just not the same. She doesn’t care about court cases and keeps talking about her missing tail.
But life doesn’t stop when you’re in the midst of a family crisis. Emily continues with school and falling ...more
But life doesn’t stop when you’re in the midst of a family crisis. Emily continues with school and falling ...more
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Paperback, 250 pages
Published
June 28th 2018
by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
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Start your review of The Mermaid Upstairs
I needed a palate cleanser after the book that failed me/I failed at yesterday. I was scrolling through my kindle app looking for something shorter and possibly a light read. I stopped on this one, drawn in by the cover.. this time feeling that hook in my gut that said "read me now"
Confession: Actually forgot what this was about. Didn't take long to refresh my memory once I started though.
This was a beautiful story of the family dealing with Nora thinking she's a real life mermaid. I wanted to h ...more
Confession: Actually forgot what this was about. Didn't take long to refresh my memory once I started though.
This was a beautiful story of the family dealing with Nora thinking she's a real life mermaid. I wanted to h ...more
Mar 24, 2019
The Distracted Bee
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ya-pg-13,
disappointed,
mystery,
mythology,
own-it,
e-book,
first-person-narrative,
contemporary,
intrigued,
mental-health
(3.5)
I was “hooked” on the premise/ synopsis immediately (did you catch that one?).
I’m looking for more fiction about mental health, and this definitely fits the bill!
Some qualms I have (I will keep it vague because, spoilers...):
1) the Jose thing was confusing and not resolved to my satisfaction, and not relevant, maybe?
2) the way-too-many chapter breaks! This may sound trivial, but I found it distracting and unnecessary (61 chapters!? And one was 2 pages? Grumble...)
Some psalms I have (not re ...more
I was “hooked” on the premise/ synopsis immediately (did you catch that one?).
I’m looking for more fiction about mental health, and this definitely fits the bill!
Some qualms I have (I will keep it vague because, spoilers...):
1) the Jose thing was confusing and not resolved to my satisfaction, and not relevant, maybe?
2) the way-too-many chapter breaks! This may sound trivial, but I found it distracting and unnecessary (61 chapters!? And one was 2 pages? Grumble...)
Some psalms I have (not re ...more
I liked the premise of it, but this book is just not for me. It's not in my taste and therefore I don't want to give it a review because 1) I didn't finish it and 2) it just doesn't speak to me. I'm sure this book has found it's audience with other people and I hope those people love it. Therefore I will not be giving a star review because that's not fair to the author or the readers.
A+ for originality though - definitely did not see how this story was going to go! ...more
A+ for originality though - definitely did not see how this story was going to go! ...more
I adored this book. I bought this for my 10 year old niece and my mom, and all three of us devoured this book. I recommend this for all, a joyous read. (view spoiler)
...more
...more
This was a fun and heartwarming read. I admit the protagonist wasn't always the easiest to like, but there was definite character development that made for an endearing tale.
...more
Sep 01, 2018
cathy (polluxreads)
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
contemporary,
independent-publishing
I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. However, all opinions presented here are my own.
I'm going to start out by saying this: The Mermaid Upstairs is, by far, the best book I've read in all of 2018. And if you don't believe me, go check out my ratings for everything else I've read this year. This book was absolutely phenomenal.
Now, onto the review.
What drew me to this book in the first place was the stunning cover, and its title. I'm a sucker for anythi ...more
I'm going to start out by saying this: The Mermaid Upstairs is, by far, the best book I've read in all of 2018. And if you don't believe me, go check out my ratings for everything else I've read this year. This book was absolutely phenomenal.
Now, onto the review.
What drew me to this book in the first place was the stunning cover, and its title. I'm a sucker for anythi ...more
*** First of all I’d like to thank the author, Jami Lilo, for providing me with a paperback copy of her book in exchange for an honest review. ***
And now for the actual review ... oh my goodness, I just LOVED this book. I can’t remember the last time I read something that I enjoyed so much. I’ve had a real hard time connecting with young adult heroines in recent years, so I had my doubts about reading another YA book at this point. However, the reviews for this one were so positive and I’ve alw ...more
And now for the actual review ... oh my goodness, I just LOVED this book. I can’t remember the last time I read something that I enjoyed so much. I’ve had a real hard time connecting with young adult heroines in recent years, so I had my doubts about reading another YA book at this point. However, the reviews for this one were so positive and I’ve alw ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When Emily and her mom are in an accident, her mom hits her head really hard and doesn't come out of it unscathed. Instead, she believes she is Nora the mermaid instead of Nora, Emily's mom. When she's assigned a project with her crush Jose, Emily is ecstatic. But with her mother's mental illness weighing her down, Emily struggles to find a balance between school and home.
Instead of being able to focus on normal things like her crush, Emily is forced to step up and help her dad take care of her ...more
Instead of being able to focus on normal things like her crush, Emily is forced to step up and help her dad take care of her ...more
Jami does an amazing job with a sensitive subject, teenage girls and their moms who are trying to be everything to everyone until it all falls apart. It's a lovely journey from selfishness to compassion with a hefty dose of whimsy thrown in for good measure. The characters are relatable and real with the qualities and flaws we all carry around with us in some measure. I was completely drawn into the story. The improbability of a grown woman believing with her whole heart that she's a mermaid who
...more
This book was truly fascinating a mixture of a disney channel movie and deep contemporary I enjoyed reading it. The main character was relatable to me but I can see why she wouldnt be to others because of how I have had to take care of my family at times, I appreciate the length of time that occurred in this story however realistically could have been longer. In addition, if you enjoy psychology and attorney jargon you are definitely going to enjoy this book. The romance that occurred and some e
...more
I really loved this story and was drawn in right away. I think Jami Lilo really nails the teenage mind and experience. This story fits squarely in the YA category. It was really easy to relate to Emily and share in her experiences. I can't recall a story that filled me with such a wide array of feelings: joy, humor, curiosity, sympathy, and some tears at the end. In an age of growing mental illness whether from life experiences, physical trauma, or both, this author offers something really speci
...more
I won a Kindle copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway, however my opinions are my own.
I have to say, although it was a slow start-up for me, this book reeled me in later throughout the book! It's funny. It's heart-warming. Man! It even made me mad right along with our protagonist at certain points in the story!
I went in thinking it was going to be a quirky coming-of-age tale about a young girl, but it turned out to be a wonderful story about a young girl and the relationship she has wit ...more
I have to say, although it was a slow start-up for me, this book reeled me in later throughout the book! It's funny. It's heart-warming. Man! It even made me mad right along with our protagonist at certain points in the story!
I went in thinking it was going to be a quirky coming-of-age tale about a young girl, but it turned out to be a wonderful story about a young girl and the relationship she has wit ...more
Parts of the story moved a little slowly for me and Emily's relationship with José seemed unnecessary at times, but overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's an interesting look at a teenager's experiences and relationships with her family/friends while dealing with a parent going through mental health issues. Adding the mermaid element to the narrative lightened the mood and brought humor to the story of an otherwise tragic family crisis, making this a perfect YA novel or book for anyone lookin
...more
This is a sort-of coming of age, romance novel for high school girls, and since I’m a 67 year old retired male, it isn’t exactly aimed at my demographic. It did appeal to my interest in offbeat strangeness (the whole mom thinks she is an actual real mermaid and all). I liked the story but I am a bit of a stickler for properly edited sentences so the occasional mistaken word choice errors (such as too for to) put me off a bit (it probably isn’t bad enough to bother the average reader). I would re
...more
Entertaining and Easy Read
I found this book to be more interesting and deep than I had originally expected. While it was an easy read, it did bring into question some "life expectations" and encourage the reader to question societal norms. The high school love story was a bit gratuitous in that it wasn't really needed to drive the story forward, but overall I enjoyed the book and the message! ...more
I found this book to be more interesting and deep than I had originally expected. While it was an easy read, it did bring into question some "life expectations" and encourage the reader to question societal norms. The high school love story was a bit gratuitous in that it wasn't really needed to drive the story forward, but overall I enjoyed the book and the message! ...more
I won a kindle copy of this book from Goodreads. The story has potential, but for me the glaring grammatical and spelling errors were so distracting that I kept being pulled away from the story. It needs some thorough editing to fix not only those errors, but also to make the story more cohesive and coherent.
Read this book.as part of a mini book club for my daughter and I. At 10 yrs old I was afraid it would be too advanced for her but to my surprise it was not and we both LOVED the book! As well as talking about what we thought would happen next, how each character felt or was dealing with their current feelings. I adored every minute of this book!
Fun Summer Read
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun summer read that I just could not put down. I am so glad that I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and hope that we see more books from Jami Lilo.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun summer read that I just could not put down. I am so glad that I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway and hope that we see more books from Jami Lilo.
This was a fun book. I liked all of the main characters and the mother/daughter dynamic was well done. The story was a little slow at first but it picked up closer to the end.
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.
Sep 05, 2018
Holly L'Heureux
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
giveaways-shelf,
kindle-books
I think this book was pretty good. It was fun to read and connect with the characters and i am glad to have won it from a goodreads giveaway. The only thing is I could not get as hooked on this book as I have with others. It's not that it was bad just not all encompassing.
...more
I guess I just wasn't as impressed with this book as most other reviewers were. I found it dragged, especially in the beginning. I did like the emphasis on the mother/daughter relationship. There were several typos that I felt ruined the book, however.
...more
Nov 22, 2018
Katelyn
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2018,
giveaway-shelf
I received a copy of this book through goodreads giveaways!
I'm not entirely sure what I expected out of this book, but it was overall a pretty good read. Yes, a little cheesy, the main character was a bit frustrating at times, but I also felt her frustration with the situations she was in. ...more
I'm not entirely sure what I expected out of this book, but it was overall a pretty good read. Yes, a little cheesy, the main character was a bit frustrating at times, but I also felt her frustration with the situations she was in. ...more
I loved this book! The story of Nora 'checking out' of her life by becoming a mermaid was a clever concept. I enjoyed Emily's perspective of her mum changing, and the way Amy and Bart dealt with it.
An easy read. ...more
An easy read. ...more
Quirky coming-of-age comedy meets nervous breakdown drama when a 16 year old girl's mother transforms into a mermaid. Or at least, she thinks she's a mermaid. Cute story but without the splash of magical realism I was expecting.
...more
Thought provoking and fun
I loved how relatable Emily is in The Mermaid Upstairs. I can see my daughter being the same way in a few years.
I loved how relatable Emily is in The Mermaid Upstairs. I can see my daughter being the same way in a few years.
This was such a neat book! It was an easy read but one that definitely kept you interested all the way through!
Cute
Insightfully silly. I loved the ideas presented, thought all the spelling and grammar errors were too bad, but figure it was an interesting way to tell s story.
Insightfully silly. I loved the ideas presented, thought all the spelling and grammar errors were too bad, but figure it was an interesting way to tell s story.
Definitely young adult.
The typos killed me, but I enjoyed the story.
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I love readers and writers. You're my people. Inside a book is my happy place. I've read so many books over the past decade that I'm an Amazon top reviewer.
Here's hoping you are amid the best pages you've ever read. Keep reading my friends, it's the best thing you can do for your mind and soul.
...more
Here's hoping you are amid the best pages you've ever read. Keep reading my friends, it's the best thing you can do for your mind and soul.
...more
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