Editorial deficiencies aside, this myth-novel will pull readers along with its entrancing story and, in the right hands,...
A unique combination of mermaid myth and realistic childhood portrait that has a power of story far outweighing its weak writing.
Twelve-year-old Marian lives on a cliff next to the ocean, but her mother has never allowed her to go into the water due to Marian's unusual health problem: Every few years she comes down with an undiagnosable illness in which her bones ache, her lungs fill with fluid, and her body temperature drops 17 degrees. Each time, baffled doctors proclaim she's dying, only to see her recover within days. One night Marian wanders out of her bedroom and down the cliff to the ocean. Stripping off her nightgown, she plunges into the sea, diving, whirling–and communicating with ocean creatures. Has she turned into a fish? A mermaid? Has she always been a mermaid? (One pretty good hint: syndactylism, i.e., webbed toes, a physical trait she shares with her grandmother.) At 17, Marian approaches a kind of critical crossroads: Is her illness slowly ending her life, or is she just "swimming away"? Perspective jumps around, and the editing is sloppy, but the mythic aspect of the story goes a long way toward saving the narrative. When Marian flies to Alaska to help with a marine animal rescue, she clearly won't be returning to California–or dry land at all. The depiction of Marian's final transformation into sea-life feels too easy, but the end result is mystical and satisfying.
Editorial deficiencies aside, this myth-novel will pull readers along with its entrancing story and, in the right hands, could have strong film potential.Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2004
ISBN: 0-9746481-2-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.
A princess must choose between her kingdom and her true love.
Princess Alera, heiress to the throne of Hytanica, has reached a crossroads in her life. She has agreed to marry to benefit her kingdom. But Alera is displeased with her father’s choice of suitor, the egocentric and arrogant Lord Steldor. Selected for his firm hand and military skill, Steldor can expect to wield much power over the inquisitive and spirited princess–Hytanic tradition favors the rule of males, so Alera must settle down and defer to her leading man. As preparations for marriage are made, the return of a long-lost child of Hytanica, Narian, from the rival Cokyri people sends shockwaves through the kingdom–and Alera’s heart. The Cokyri are renowned for their violent and bloodthirsty ways, and Narian is welcomed warily by the masses. Alera is quick to warm to him–he is mysterious and daring, fearless and capable. And Narian takes her seriously. Their clandestine relationship leads Alera to take dangerous risks, especially when the Cokyrians’ plans to reclaim Narian as their own come to light. The looming conflict jeopardizes their nascent love affair, as well as the whole of Hytanica. The princess finds herself not only pitted between two suitors but forced to decide between her royal obligations and her heart’s deepest desire. Debut novelist Kluver’s solid world-building skills flesh out this dynamic coming-of-age romance with strong detail and cultural development. Alera is fiery and likable and will find favor among young adult readers. Lively secondary characters, with the exception of a somewhat flat depiction of Steldor, and sharp dialogue, combined with richly imagined Hytanic legend and history, keep the pace of this epic moving until the last scene. However, the tale’s abrupt cliffhanger leaves both major story lines frustratingly stalled until the sequel.
A fantasy romance novel that shows much promise as the kickoff to a series.Pub Date: April 15, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9802089-7-9
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2011
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Despite the title, Hite’s latest is no sci-fi, futuristic effort, but a modern novel with a first-person narrative with echoes of such classics as Catcher in the Rye. Cecil lives in “historic” Bricksburg, a Virginia backwater made up of colorful eccentrics, where the biggest excitement is over who altered a local sign to read “Welcome to Hysteric Pricksburg.” Such vandalism is of felony proportions, and the leading suspect happens to be Cecil’s best friend, Isaac, who maintains his innocence as well as his cool. Throw in Cecil’s romantic struggle between the town’s fickle bombshell and the girl-next-door, Isaac’s younger sister, and this has all the makings of a conventional read; it transcends such labels with the addition of Hite’s keen sense of the absurd, Cecil’s mature, witty observations and his morose pronouncements about life on Earth. Cecil’s ongoing discourse on the problems of the universe grow trying, but readers will relate to—and laugh over—his simple struggle to find his way. (Fiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5055-8
Page Count: 150
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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