Take one dash Twilight (for the romance), add a tablespoon of “under the sea” magic (for the not often tackled mythical creature choice of mermaids), and shake violently still you achieve a color of serene sea blue (for the action and pitfalls that befall our cast of characters). That’s what this book brings to readers. Fantastic start to a promising trilogy.

Marina really came to life on the page and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know her character. She’s not your typical teenage girl getting all swept up in popularity contests, “who’s the fairest of them all” concerns and lavish things (though she does have those things thanks to Aunt Evie …who’s not really her aunt, but that’s a story for another day). She has heart and a desire to follow it. She takes the path less traveled and does what she deems as right not because it’s what everyone is doing but because that’s how things should be. She treats those around her with respect and courtesy unless of course they need a good dose of reality of which she’ll happily oblige. Even before we discover shades of blue in her past, it’s easy to see why she becomes fast friends with Megan (quiet and artistically gifted), understands her Cousin Cruz (a fashion designer in the making), and snags the attention of one surfing Adonis named Ethan (~insert wolf whistle here~ …seriously, there is more than looks to this guy as we soon find out). She’s true to herself (once she gets past the splash from her past) and exudes confidence despite her many examples of klutziness executed in perfect form (yeah, been there, tripped over that…) which spells true beauty both inside and out.

The cast of characters surrounding her are varied in their likes and dislikes and might I say that the stereotypical mold is no where to be found when it comes to their true colors, a fact I found refreshing. The descriptions of both land and sea take you places you may never have been but will vividly see right before your eyes. Travel the coastal road and gaze down at the beach (and surfers...hehe) below. Stand on the beach and watch the wave’s crash on the shore. Cut through the water at astounding speeds and surface in the great blue beyond with only the stars to light the sky above. It’s a verbal picture waiting to be painted on the canvas of your mind….so what are you waiting for? Grab a “paintbrush” and get to work!


In summary, if you couldn’t tell…I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly anticipating the nest two books in the series. Recommended reading for Young Adult fans of all ages. Any “questionable” scenes are demure enough while still packing an emotional punch…and the language is kept clean.
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Loved this book. It was hard to put down. The characters seemed to come to life. This was a sweet love story. She found out a secret about her mom that affected her life. She had to choose between her inheritance and love ( )

Mermaids, and surfers, and divas! Oh my! Think you can handle it?

Anderson artfully depicts an impressionistic tale in the style of realism. As I came to the end of the first of Marina's Tales, I realized that I had come to accept her story as a believable reality; fins and all. Am I crazy? Maybe. But update GIDGET, throw in some "Fierce!" PROJECT RUNWAY, add in the LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS (now THE FABULOUS LIFE OF...), and layer it with scenery of San Francisco along with the coast of Aptos; you can get a glimpse of the life of Marina. Extraordinary creatures didn't phase me since I became spoiled by default. Awesome but child-like mermaids are just the icing with a cherry on top.

These mermaids are definitely unique though as far as their orgins and struggles with ADD...who knew that being immortal could have its disadvantages? Between the Land and Sea is a beautiful, sweet story that wouldn't let me go until I finished its pages. Follow Marina as she discovers her mysterious past to answer the puzzling present. Future...will she have one? ( )

I really enjoyed this. Review to come. ( )

Delightful, engaging YA Mermaid Story.

Marina has traveled the world with her father, but when he is headed to Afghanistan he refuses to allow her to join him like usual. Instead, she must spend her senior year with her aunt and cousin and attend public school for the first time in her life. She leaves behind San Fransisco, and heads to Atpos, and much smaller town by the sea. Is drawn to the water, and quickly sees hauntingly familiar eyes in the water, almost as familiar with her own reflection. Could it have been a scuba diver or a surfer playing tricks? High School is hard enough without having already humiliated herself in front of the hottest surfer at school, let alone worry about mythological creatures....

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I even stayed up late the final night I was reading just to find out what happened. The ending seemingly buttoned up a little more quickly than I would have liked. Foreshadowing to the sequel was good, almost too good- I was expecting a few "revelations" during the first book that did not come to pass. Sweet and innocent, but does not suffer, in my opinion, from the "love at first sight" syndrome; the story allowed time for the romance to begin and grow at a normal pace. As it is a YA story, don't go into this expecting hot and heavy romantic action; but there is still romance aplenty. This is a book you can give to a teen without worry of inappropriate or too adult themes.

I liked the variety of characters. Just because it had surfers and on a beach, they were not all blonde, ripped magazine cover teenagers. The main character was brunette, there was even a 'plumper' redhead friend... there was not an over-use of stereotypical, cookie-cutter characters. I really appreciated the diversity.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys YA, likes a mermaid story, or even just paranormal/urban fantasy in general. It was a charming book definitely worth reading, and I will most definitely look at getting the sequel see how it continues... ( )