Review: Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1) by Derrolyn Anderson

E-book: 261 pages

Release date: March 19th, 2011

Source: Author

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Goodreads Summary: Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. Just a few weeks after moving to the beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her... and maybe even find true love along the way.

Between the Land and the Sea is about a girl named Marina, a talented 16-year old artist who moved in her aunt’s home in Aptos, California to spend a year in high school. She has spent all her life being homeschooled while traveling the world with her father. When the duty called for Afghanistan, her father decided that Marina should not go with him this time and live with her aunt and cousin in Aptos to have a normal teenage life. Little did she know that Aptos will uncover the mysteries of her mother’s life, her whole identity, and unexpectedly find the love she has never felt before. 

I always thought there should be more mermaid books to be written and published. I’ve always been a huge fan of fantasy books although Contemps and Dystopias own my heart. Between the Land and the Sea would be one of the best mermaid books I’ve read. 

I really liked Marina and her way of dealing with the mean girls who are bullying her. I think it’s the coolest way possible to fight back without breaking a sweat. I also loved the minor characters especially Evie, Cruz, and Megan. And of course there’s also Ethan. I know guys like him in YA are cliché, but who cares. He’s amazing and wonderful and still my favorite character. I wish I get to know more about her father, though I guess I will on the second book. 

I have so many good things to gush about this book. I loved the plot and the characters and the way the author masterfully described things. It is very descriptive but not in a way that the readers will tend to be bored, but instead thoroughly absorb every word. The romance was absolutely fun to read. I didn’t expect the suspense and it didn’t help that I was all alone in the middle of the night. 

Aside from the romance, the mystery was what kept me reading until one in the morning. The plot was quite predictable, but there came a point when I had to stop for a full minute to grasp what I just read. I imagine this is what using crack’s like. I could hardly stop going through its pages and even chose it over memorizing my speech. Not that I regret or blame it. 

Overall, I loved this and I can’t wait to start the second book. Thanks so much to the author for providing an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.