Hardcover: 293 Pages
Genre: YA Fantasy (Mermaids)
Series: Fins #1
From Goodreads. Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.
Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.
When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.
Review by Kate
FORGIVE MY FINS, by Tera Lynn Childs, is a remarkable story of a teenage mermaid princess living on land and the unwanted trouble she finds herself in.
I absolutely adored this book. Lily is an extremely likable, and quite romantically naive, half human half mermaid. For as much as she tries to fit in, she sits comfortably in the middle class social spectrum of high school. Her next door neighbor, Quince, keeps her on her human toes with his antics and sarcasm, masking his obvious feelings for her.
The magical mermaid aspect of this book was believable and exceptional. When Quince and Lily accidentally are bonded together, Childs took me on a journey underwater that made me want to jump into the pages and swim with them. In the world that Child created, mermaids were not so different from humans. Food, clothes, and shelter were made from whatever was found in the sea and I felt immersed in this amazing world. Also, Lily's vocabulary was sea-related and at times hilarious. Even above water she stayed true to her mermaid self.
The relationship between Lily and Quince was no easy one. I felt Lily was delusional about her feelings for Brody and I yearned for her to realize what was right in front of her. I found myself biting my nails each time Lily and Quince' bond was in danger of being severed because I felt they were so right for each other.
I won't ruin too much of the plot because I think you should experience this wonderful book for yourself!
