Gr 7 Up—Tempest has lived her first 16 years as a typical human. She loves her dad, her younger brothers, her gorgeous boyfriend, and her life as a surfer girl. The only flaw in her perfect existence is the hurt and resentment she feels toward her mother, a mermaid whose return to the ocean years before left the family shattered. However, the pull of the ocean increases as Tempest's 17th birthday approaches. Warned by her mother that she would have to choose between her life on land and an unknown underwater world, she vowed that she would never embrace her mermaid heritage and abandon her family. This resolution is tested by the sudden appearance of Kai, who is an amazing surfer, irresistible to Tempest (despite the gorgeous boyfriend), and can't be entirely human. He's not. He's a selkie sent to protect her from the evil Sea Witch trying to take over the Pacific and is after Tempest due to an ancient prophecy. Circumstances force her to follow Kai into the ocean (despite the vow) and she begins to understand her mother's decision. The world-building is underdeveloped and the climactic sea battle is rushed, but the descriptions of kisses are equal to the lurid prose in any paperback romance. The first-person narration gives the relationship immediacy and, overall, this paranormal romance will satisfy voracious readers of the genre.—Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA
Tempest must choose between her human and mermaid lineages. The decision is complicated by her mermaid mother's long absence, a prophecy that Tempest will battle the sea witch Tiamat--and Tempest's attraction to hot selkie Kai. Elements of the novel's mythos (e.g., mermaids' phosphorescent glow and instantly appearing tattoos) aren't fully fleshed out, but they don't detract from the romance or high-stakes adventure.
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