Deep Blue, by Jennifer Donnelly

Saturday 14 June 2014

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. 

26 comments :

  1. Wow, I think your review is actually the first positive one I've seen for this book -- surprisingly! But I totally get what you mean about mermaid books. I haven't read many, but the few I've read have so far been disappointments. I'm glad that this one turned to be good, though, because YES, the premise is fantastic, as is the cover! ALL THOSE BLUESSSS. *o*

    And phew, I'm glad that the book wasn't slow moving. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's slow-moving books. I'm just a very easily-distracted reader, so I can't take it if a book doesn't pick up within the first few chapters. When that happens, I just have to give up on them to save time and lots of frustration, hah. The info-dumping does sound a little iffy, though... Lol, usually when this kind of thing happens, I just skip through paragraphs and paragraphs. Most of the time it works, because I don't end up missing anything important.

    Thank god that was the only major problem! You make the characters all sound so lovely. I think I'd be a huge fan of Serafina as well, I'm all for badass heroines. I don't think the unnecessary side characters would bother me much. I have such terrible book amnesia that if they're not that memorable, I'll forget about them pretty quickly. xD

    Great review, Michelle! I'm happy that you found this to be enjoyable. Still not sure if I'll give it a go, but if I ever have a craving for mermaid books, this will definitely be the book I'm turning to.

    P.S. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm a bit addicted to yours -- the background's all shifty and cool! :D

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    1. I know! Everyone isn't really liking this one and I'm so surprised to see that I'm one of the first who really enjoyed it! I was really afraid to read it, though. My nails were literally broken apart! x)

      I absolutely hate slow-moving books. I just want the action to happen in the first 100 pages (50 is even better) and I'm all good. IKR! And some of the information is not even needed and readers won't even be questioning about the info given. *tisk tisk*

      Badass protagonists are always the best protagonists. :) Same here, I don't know how people remember so many things and can go so in depth in a book after years they've read something! It's so weird!

      Thank you so much, and thanks for stopping by! If you're looking for a mermaid book right now, then pick up this one. It's finally a unique book (not one of those cliche cheesy books we see so much).

      LOLOL! I'm glad you like it! x) I actually changed it not so long ago, so it's time for a change! <3

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  2. Assassins and mermaids? YES YES YES! Nice detailed review. I think it answered to all of the questions I had with this book actually. Good job!

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    1. Thanks so much! <3 I usually don't like books that deal with both, but the combination was even better together. :)

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  3. I'm glad to know this one worked for you overall. Like you, many others found the world-building too much that it was pretty much info-dumping. Unlike you, they didn't like the book in general and gave it less than 3 stars. *eek* But I see that the main character here is awesome and it's always nice to know it's not the usual Mary-Sue who is labeled as "average and plain" but turning out to be so well-loved and good in everything. Plus, sisterhood! yay!

    Faye at The Social Potato Reviews

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    1. Yes, yes, I'm probably one of the first people to actually really like this one, LOL. I'm actually really surprised that I did because there's been so many negative reviews, and I'm usually the one to agree with them. x) Thanks for stopping by! ^_^

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  4. I ended up DNFing this one because of all the info dumping and the feel of the book just wasn't for me. But my coblogger Tina read and really enjoyed it - maybe not so much as you but did indeed stll really like it. Glad you were able to love it so much. The concepts it had did sound amazing it just didn't come across to me in delivery well.

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    1. Yeah, I guess that it really depends on your standards. Not every book is for everyone, right? Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  5. Aaaah you're the 2nd one who says they usually don't like/hate mermaid books but this one was an exception. And it's making me curious bc I've hated all but 1 mermaid book! I love how fast it gets going and the whole assassins thing intrigues me! I'll def have to give it a try and see if I'll also fall into the "this is an exception" category! :D

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    1. LOL! I was actually not thinking to buy this book, but that beautiful cover and synopsis stood out, and since I'm too nice with books (most of the time) I decided to pick it up. It sat there with puppy dog eyes at me, so I'm like-- OKAY! I hope you like it, Giselle! ^-^

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  6. I've actually heard a lot about this one and for someone who is NOT a fan of mermaids reads either you've got me pretty intrigued by this one! I love how you found the pacing to be pretty fast and how the overall plot sounds pretty kickass.
    Great review :)
    Lily

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    1. Thank you so much! ^-^ I hope you enjoy it if you read it!

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  7. Yay I am so glad you enjoyed this one. And that you thought it was beautiful. I won a copy of it and I have been interested in reading it.

    Great Review!

    Michelle @ Book Briefs

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    1. Winning a book and wanting to read it is even better! :p I hope you enjoy it! Thank you so much! :)

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  8. I have the same issues with mermaid books as you, I rarely even like them let alone love them. I think I just might have to give this one a go now. Wonderful review!

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  9. Mermaid books are a hit or miss for me, and I'm generally OKAY with them. BUT THIS!! Assassins + Mermaids = GRABBY HANDS I WANT THIS <3 Thank you for the review!

    Alicia @ Summer Next Top Story

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    1. You're welcome! Definitely! This author has just created a new awesome concept!

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  10. Wow, it sounds like you REALLY liked this one. I haven't read many mermaid books, but I generally liked the ones I have read (b/c I have a fascination with DEEP sea stuff like the Mariana Trench, I think). I got this book for my youngest sister, and wasn't planning on reading it myself, but now I'm reconsidering . . . great review!

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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    1. Definitely! Some people have a problem with the fact that this may seem a bit juvenile for YA, but I really don't care! It's not too immature at all, and it's a good read, so what else can we ask for, right?

      Thank you so much! ^_^

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  11. Ooh I'm glad you liked this one! I didn't enjoy it as much, but there were moments that I found entertaining. I tend to have quite a bit of bad luck with mermaid books. For whatever, they never seem to impress me. Though I'm definitely curious about Donnelly's Revolution and can't wait to give that a try. Lovely review!

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    1. Same here, every time! But thank goodness I enjoyed this one or else I'd vow to never touch a book of the genre ever again. x) Revolution was pretty good, it had a very nice twist to it. I hope you enjoy it!

      Thanks so much! <3

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  12. I think I'll like Serafina. I haven't read mermaid books for a long time but because most reviews talked about the info dumping issue, I hesitated to give this one a go. Your review helped me see the book differently. Thank you!

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    1. Who wouldn't? x) She's the protagonist that we're all looking for, everyday! Thank you so much, I'm so glad that I helped you see the bright side, haha!

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  13. This book was just not for me, but I am so glad you enjoyed it! I agree with the info-dumping and all the characters to memorize... oh my!

    Great review!

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    1. LOL! There were too many of them and I wish I found out about that glossary that was at the back of the book that explained the language and who was who before! Grr..

      Thanks! <3

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