Review: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life. 

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

This book is exactly what I hoped it would be, full of fishy fun (I can't resist a bit of alliteration). This really is a really cute paranormal read. It's quick and fun but not very memorable.

Forgive my Fins could really be described as a mixture between The Little Mermaid and an anime I watched when I was younger, Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch, (it's about singing mermaid princesses who are living on land and the main mermaid tries to get the love of her life without telling him she's a mermaid). It's all cute and mermaids and yay! 

The story itself is so cute and fun and is basically bubblegum, at so many points did I end up squee!ing at romantic points and laughing at funny points. I loved how well structured the story was and how easily the romance element developed, Quince and Lily make it onto my list of the cutest couples, with Quince's feeling being totally obvious and Lily being so dense about it.

The storyline was pretty fantastic, albeit not the most original, it is quite new to see a fun mermaid book out there in the YA ranks these days and I really enjoyed the way the author brought out the fun factor, there is barely any angst and it's totally enjoyable, the only sad scenes lead to the romance.

There is some pretty cute mermaid slang in there as well, with her insult for Quince being that he is a 'blowfish' and her word for annoyance being 'damselfish'.

I did have some problems though. I hated how naive Lily was, sure she's lived in the sea and they have different feelings and morals, but she took her crush on Brody so serious, it was totally cringe-worthy and slightly stalkerish. Also, there is a part of the book where Quince and Lily are going through some weird (pointless) Challenge where they are observed by like a marriage counsellor and it seemed a little... pointless? unfitting? I can't explain it really... it just seemed like it didn't really fit and wasn't very well thought out, though I respect that it was an event that helped to push the story along.

There were some more unbelievable aspects of the book. In the book, Lily goes on about how bonding is the equivalent of human marriage, but when she introduces Quince to her Dad her Dad's all "Yo man, be ma son-in-law bruv *man hug*" and it didn't seem the reaction upon finding out that his daughter has practically married. 

As well as this, her Dad gives her a talk on how he and her mother didn't bond but *gasp* they had a daughter, the bonding thing happens through a kiss so... they obviously had a child SOMEHOW and they did that WITHOUT KISSING? How unromantic? 

All in all, a very fun read with cute characters but a few plot issues.

Overall rating: B

Stand alone/series: First in a series
Paperback Release: July 1sh 2011 (Paperback)

Publisher: Templar

Pages: 333

Book obtained via: Swap