Book Review - The Mermaid's Mirror

The Mermaid's Mirror
by L. K. Madigan

Genre: YA Paranormal
Pages:  320
Content: Clean
Release Date: 10/04/2010
Stars: 2/5

A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley.com for providing me with the free Kindle version of this book for review. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book or the following review.

Blurb:

There's something drawing Lena to the water. It's making Lena sleepwalk to the beach. It's compelling her to surf even if it means putting herself in grave danger and going against her father's wishes. 

A woman emerges from the waves—a woman with a silvery tail. 

She has a message. 

She has a key.

When Lena finds a brown leather sea chest and uses the key to unlock it, she has no choice but to look into the watery depths of her secret past through the mysterious mermaid's mirror . . . Lena's life will never be the same. 

My Review: (SPOILER ALERT)

For the most part, I found The Mermaid Mirror a lovely tale filled with mystery and intrigue. That is until the author took the main character into the merworld. So many things about the underwater world were unbelievable, like the fact that they drink liquid from glasses, an impossible feat under water. I also found it annoying that Lena didn't think to pull out her mirror or comb the entire time she was under water. The bulky items stayed in her jacket pockets and should have been cumbersome and obvious.  I also had a hard time imagining the sealskin coat and Lena's ability to swim and maneuver with it on.

I think my biggest gripe about the book was the ending. I felt like so many issues were unsolved, that the entire plot of the book was left behind. The only issue resolved was getting her dad back on a surf board.  What about Nix, the love interest she abandoned to the sea? What about the whole scene about wanting a tail? Very disappointing.

It's sad that a few little things can make or break a book. Overall I enjoyed the story on land, though a little slow, and I liked the characters. If it weren't for the above mentioned, I would have given this 3 1/2 stars. But I'm afraid I have to give it a 2.