Book Review of Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

(I wasn't planning on doing another review today as I was technically too busy, but after racing through FMF really wanted to get one written while it was fresh in my mind, so hey...)

You think you've got problems with your love life? Spare a thought for Lily Sanderson, who has a huge crush on swimming god Brody Bennett, an obnoxious biker-boy neighbour Quince Fletcher, and a serious deadline problem. She's totally convinced that Brody is the right man for her, and needs to get him to realise this and take him home to meet her father. Who just happens to be the King of Thalassinia. Of course, that will also means revealing her big secret. You see, Lily is half-mermaid. With all this going through her mind, it's no surprise when she gets confused, leading to a kiss which changes everything...

This is fun with a capital FUN! It's breezy, it's ultra-cute, and while I generally avoid the word 'squee' like the plague, I have to admit, I squeed over this one massively. Lily is a really fun narrator and while I had a slight issue with the love triangle between her, Brody and Qunce because it's completely obvious to everyone, surely, who she should be with, that didn't dent my overall enjoyment of the book. Add in tons of funny underwater puns and sayings, and some great world-building whic made me really feel like I could imagine Thalassinia perfectly, and this is a surefire winner. One thing I did feel was that Lily and her friends seemed to be acting as if they're in their mid teens rather than approaching 18... but again, very minor gripe there. While Lily’s mother died years ago, there was a great portrayal of her father, the King, and I loved the relationship between him and Lily, who were clearly really close to each other despite her having lived mainly on land for 3 years.

Overall this was one of the most adorable books I've read all year and gets a very very high recommendation, particularly to fans of Meg Cabot, Jenny Han, and (of course!) The Little Mermaid. Also, even though the characters are nearly 18, I think it’s one that’ll be enjoyed by everyone, including readers in their early teens.

Up next for Tera is the sequel to this book, Fins Are Forever, and judging by this one’s epilogue that should be very interesting indeed…