Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

As I came to the end of the first of Marina's Tales, I realized that I had come to accept her story as a believable reality fins and all. Mermaids, and surfers, and divas! Oh my! Think you can handle it?Īnderson artfully depicts an impressionistic tale in the style of realism.

Any “questionable” scenes are demure enough while still packing an emotional punch…and the language is kept clean. Recommended reading for Young Adult fans of all ages. In summary, if you couldn’t tell…I really enjoyed this book and am eagerly anticipating the nest two books in the series.

It’s a verbal picture waiting to be painted on the canvas of your mind….so what are you waiting for? Grab a “paintbrush” and get to work! Cut through the water at astounding speeds and surface in the great blue beyond with only the stars to light the sky above. Stand on the beach and watch the wave’s crash on the shore. Travel the coastal road and gaze down at the beach (and surfers.hehe) below. The descriptions of both land and sea take you places you may never have been but will vividly see right before your eyes. The cast of characters surrounding her are varied in their likes and dislikes and might I say that the stereotypical mold is no where to be found when it comes to their true colors, a fact I found refreshing. She’s true to herself (once she gets past the splash from her past) and exudes confidence despite her many examples of klutziness executed in perfect form (yeah, been there, tripped over that…) which spells true beauty both inside and out. Even before we discover shades of blue in her past, it’s easy to see why she becomes fast friends with Megan (quiet and artistically gifted), understands her Cousin Cruz (a fashion designer in the making), and snags the attention of one surfing Adonis named Ethan (~insert wolf whistle here~ …seriously, there is more than looks to this guy as we soon find out). She treats those around her with respect and courtesy unless of course they need a good dose of reality of which she’ll happily oblige. She takes the path less traveled and does what she deems as right not because it’s what everyone is doing but because that’s how things should be. She’s not your typical teenage girl getting all swept up in popularity contests, “who’s the fairest of them all” concerns and lavish things (though she does have those things thanks to Aunt Evie …who’s not really her aunt, but that’s a story for another day).

Marina really came to life on the page and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know her character. Take one dash Twilight (for the romance), add a tablespoon of “under the sea” magic (for the not often tackled mythical creature choice of mermaids), and shake violently still you achieve a color of serene sea blue (for the action and pitfalls that befall our cast of characters).

Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson