by Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 2nd 2015
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .
I loved Elyse. She is from Tobago, sister island of Trinidad, in the Caribbean and has come to the cove to escape the aftermath of an accident that caused the loss of her voice. She had dreamed of making it big as a singer with her twin sister Natalie. So losing her voice also meant losing a career for her. She is kind of going through the stages of grief and we don’t really even find out how it happened until the end. She has difficulty reliving it. The thing about Elyse is that she is a very strong woman inside and she doesn’t need a voice to be so. It just takes her some time in the book for her to really understand that.
The romance with Elyse and Christian was swoony and well paced. I liked all of their shared moments because we see them become more of friends first then things develop from there.
A very strong supporting cast. I love a book that takes characters that you would think you would hate but end up loving them. That’s kind of the case with Vanessa. I also loved Elyse cousin Kirby and Christian’s little brother Sebastian (he reminds me of my 5 yr old). There are also the others that breeze in and out like Lemon, Noah and some of the other girls. It made it really feel like a close community.
There are so many things brushed upon in the book. Women rights and the right to be who you are. Family dynamics and summers of no strings attached. Small businesses and keeping original character of a small town. It was great to see these things mixed in.
The mermaid lore was really interesting too because it’s a mix of a bunch of different tales. I loved that Elyse would go with Sebastian on his mermaid hunts.That little boy really knows his stuff.
The plot is enjoyable and I really liked how Elyse finds her true voice and that some things are left appropriately open ended. This a good contemporary and definitely a perfect summer read.
These too might be a little old now but when they were younger
ELYSE
Maisie Richardson-Sellers
CHRISTIAN
Chace Crawford
Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of young adult novels, including #scandal, The Book of Broken Hearts, Bittersweet, Fixing Delilah, and the critically acclaimed Twenty Boy Summer, a YALSA Teens' Top Ten nominee and IndieNext List pick. Her latest, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, hits the shelves in June 2015.
Sarah is a champion cupcake eater, coffee drinker, night person, and bookworm. When she's not writing or reading at home in Washington, she enjoys taking pictures, hugging trees, and road-tripping through the country with her husband, Alex.
Visit her website at sarahockler.com or find her on Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook.
