Deep Blue, by Jennifer Donnelly

Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1), by Jennifer Donnelly

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mermaids, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: May 6, 2014, by Disney Press

Format: Hardcover Edition






Goodreads Summary: The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

Review:

   It just sucks because I usually can never even pick up a mermaid book. And if I do, I hate them. But I'm always such a good person and I always give books a chance. Having read Jennifer's Revolution and liked it, I decided to give this one a chance. Colour me surprised, this ended up being the best mermaid-based book I've ever read.

    This was absolutely spectacular and I really liked it! Despite the negative comments and reviews about this being more juvenile based (which really didn't matter to me because there was romance and a beautiful plot and setting) I loved it so much. I now understand the beauty of mermaids and the hashtag #mermaidsarereal.

      Serafina is the daughter of Isabella, who is the queen of Miromara. She is very nervous for her betrothal, but what really should be on her mind is winning Prince Mahdi's heart, who will become her husband. When an assassin poisons Sera's mother, Sera goes off to search for five other mermaids who are scattered all around the six seas to find sisterhood and love.

       "Your voice comes from here." She touched the place over Serafina's heart. "It's a beautiful voice. I know. I've heard it. All you have to do it let it out. Show me your heart, Serafina. That's where the truest magic comes from."

        This idea is amazing. Assassins and mermaids all squashed up together? YASSS. I give this a thumbs up right away. This is the type of book that you just want to scream and rave about because it's just that good. It's the sort of book that you're going to have to put a lot of time aside to because it's just so good and you'll feel like you'll want to finish it from the start. 

          The plot was very good from the start, and it started off very fast. At around page 80, the main event occurred and we got to the middle. This wasn't your ordinary novel that took 200 pages to get to the main point. Jennifer Donnelly is very good at captivating readers and not being able to let them go until the beautiful end where you just need more.

           One of my biggest problems was info-dumping. Especially in the beginning, so much of the book was info and history and more info about mers and everyone. It got a little extreme for me and I couldn't really take it. There were times when I had to re-read a paragraph to understand the history. Some of it wasn't needed at all, and that bores the reader too because they just can't be able to stand it.

           The characters were great. I loved Serafina so much. She was the perfect, kick-ass, kind heroine that every book deserves. She's likeable and you want to stay by her side the whole time through. 

            The merls just formed the perfect sisterhood all together. They shared an un-denying beautiful bond that is just unexplainable. From the start when they bet, they all loved each other and showed their stuff. :)

             Some side characters were not needed and I felt like there were too many people to memorize. Too bad I realized that there was a guide at the back of the book in the end. .__.

             

               In conclusion, this book was amazingly enjoying. It was so addicting and the plot and idea was fresh and new. I recommend it to everyone looking for something different and for people lurking for a great mermaid read. Go and get it.