The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.

Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman—with a silvery tail.

Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.

And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life … [via GoodReads]

I have a thing for mermaids... I can't help it. It stems back to my younger years of watching Disney's The Little Mermaid repeatedly for like a year straight. Yes, my poor parents, who don't speak much English, can sing Part of Your World. Anyway, so needless to say the moment I read this title I was hoping to get my hands on it, the sooner the better.

There were many things that I liked about this story but in the end it just didn't live up to my expectations. I thought the author did a great job in smoothly blending fantasy with contemporary realism. I also really enjoyed the descriptions of surfing, the beach, Lena's friends and the relationship with her parents and brother. But it just started really slow for me, nothing really happens for 100 pages or so. I also wasn't a big Lena fan. I thought she was selfish and aside from the loving relationship she has with her brother, I thought she was not very nice to her BFF, Pem, nor her boyfriend Kai. She was obnoxious, whiny and acted immature for her 16 years.

It did finally pick-up some - my favorite parts and characters revolved around the Mermaid world and the Mer-people, but I wasn't entirely awed by it either. I still think I enjoyed learning about surfing and it's lingo more than anything else. The relationship Lena has while "under the sea" (haha couldn't help it), didn't flesh out as much as I would have liked it to, and in the end, it felt rushed and just ended too abruptly for my tastes. The ending was bittersweet. I almost wish there would be a sequel just to clarify some things. But as a stand-alone, I'd have to say it just fell flat for me.

The Mermaid's Mirror was a light and quick read - and while it did have potential, it wasn't what I hoped it would be.

This book was provided for review by Houghton Mifflin Books through NetGalley.