Sixteen-year-old Lena becomes angry when her father won’t let her learn to surf in this new supernatural romance. Lena is powerfully attracted to the sea, so she decides to defy her dad. She’s sure she saw a mermaid in the surf off her California beach home and wants to get closer to the creature. Lena will find out more than she could have known about herself and the mermaid when she finds a magic mirror, hidden by her dad, that shows Lena scenes so compelling that she can’t resist running to the sea. It seems that the mermaid wants Lena. Readers will need to decide if the mermaid’s hold on Lena is beneficial or not when the story turns to complete fantasy as Lena begins a new life under the sea. Madigan captures Lena’s adolescent angst extremely well when the girl makes some risky decisions, and she follows her character’s deepening comprehension of her circumstances as she finds love with a handsome merman. The story accurately portrays California’s surfing culture, which makes the fantasy believable. Poignant entertainment. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
