Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winner for Young Adult Fiction, 2014Realm Award Winner for Best Speculative Fiction of the Year, 2016There is no cure for being who you really are… In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie’s healing potions; by night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands … by night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara’s favorite story tells of three orphaned infants—Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O’Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.
One day, Clara discovers iridescent scales just beneath her sister’s skin: Maren is becoming a mermaid and must be taken to the sea or she will die. So Clara, O’Neill, and the mermaid-girl set out for the shore. But the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O’Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening Maren.
And always in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?
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I loved this book – the story was well written and the plot very tight. It starts off like a fairy tale, with two lovely sisters living with their aunt in the forest. Then one sister starts to turn into a mermaid! Fairy tales, romance, adventure – it’s all woven into this book. I highly recommend it!
I absolutely loved this! Such a unique voice, and a whimsical story!
From the very beginning, the narrative voice makes it clear that this story is set in a fantasy world. Clara, the main character, finds that her sister Maren is developing scales on her body, turning into a mermaid. Their auntie who raised them told them stories all their lives of the raven who brought her Clara, the seashell that brought her Maren, and how their best friend O’Neill was found under an apple tree, though he was raised by their auntie’s husband (who did not live with her, for reasons they find out later.)
When Maren begins to turn into a mermaid in earnest, it’s up to Clara and O’Neill to get her to the ocean post-haste, before she withers away into nothing. This is the first conflict. The second conflict is that Clara, who grew up with O’Neill, suddenly finds herself in love with him–but believes that he is in love with her sister. The third conflict is that on their journey to the ocean, they find themselves captured by a traveling circus, quite willing to exploit Maren (a real live mermaid!) for their own mercenary purposes. Can they escape in time to deliver Maren to her true home?
While the very end contained a few Deux Ex Machina moments that were a little too convenient, I could easily overlook these because the rest of the story was so delightful. I raced through to the end, eager to discover how they would escape, and how Clara would discover that O’Neill really loved her after all. Because it’s the kind of story that ends in a “happily ever after”… that much was obvious from the beginning. Sure enough, I wasn’t disappointed!
Great story with memorable characters, this is a fantastic story, well crafted and written with deep twists that will keep your interest. I loved the plot and the characters and look forward to reading more from this author!
When it comes to magical stories, this one is an original. Really enjoyed it, and found myself rooting for Clara and O’Neill on their quest to save Maren. Great descriptions of people and surroundings, and some truly lovable characters. The story is strange enough to keep you interested, and exciting enough to reel you in for the entire ride – you have to know how it will end!
This was a fun little book. An easy read, but well-written. It follows the story of two sisters, one of whom is transforming into a mermaid, as they try to get to the ocean, where the mermaid can live out the rest of her destined life. There are a handful of magical elements for SciFi fans, but not a much magic actually happens. It was good, but not great.
We all wish – for more money, good health, romance. And where does wishing get you? According to Clara, wishing gets you nothing. And so begins the magical tale of The Mermaid’s Sister, set in Llanfair Mountain, PA, where gypsies and witches and dragons abound. Carrie Anne Noble creates a wonderful backdrop for her story of Maren, who’s turning into a mermaid, her sister Clara, who will do anything to protect Maren, and Auntie Verity, a weaver of tales and healing potions who loves her girls with a heart overflowing. The characters have depth and emotion, fears and despairs, hopes and dreams. And wishes. The writing flows as smoothly as your favorite drink with wonderful descriptions and ever-increasing tension. The further I journeyed with Clara and Maren, the more entranced I became and the more I wished the story would never end. But, alas, wishing gets you nothing. So I’ll just have to reread the story when I want more magic. Bravo, Carrie Anne Noble. I loved this!
This book was a one-day-read for me. It flowed like a classic fairytale while still having many unique and original elements of its own. It was nice to read a book where each character was so full of love for the other, and the feel-good nature of their quest to save their sister left me with such a warm feeling.
I have read so many so far this year that I have found to be just okay that I was thrilled to read a book I actually enjoyed. That being said I was hoping for just a bit more. The story was beautiful and the characters were lovely. The problem is that you could figure out what would happen the moment the lead characters decided to go the the show in town. That, was a bit disappointing.
What matters the most here though is the main theme of the book and the Author did a lovely portraying that. The love between sisters and the sacrifices one was willing to make for the other was heart warming. I would say this was a sweet, warm fantasy.
Loved this book do much. The sisters are sweet and the characters are great. A must read
What a fun, original book. Highly recommended. Plenty of twists and turns with the story and the characters.
Beautiful and I would love more