Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins * Fins Are Forever 

Just for Fins

Publish Date: May 19th 2010

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Author:  Tera Lynn Childs

Narrated By: Emily Bauer 

Website: Author’s Website

Quick Review

Introduction

Lily is not an ordinary teenager. She’s the Thalassinian princess. The thing about Thalassinia, is that it is a kingdom of mermaids, making Lily a mermaid princess. A few years ago, she discovered she is half human, and has since been living on land and going to high school. As the princess, she has to find her mate to ascend the throne, and Lily has picked Brody, a boy she has had a crush on since she walked on land. But her next door neighbour, bad boy Quince, is getting in her way.

Story

Mermaid stories are difficult to pull off. Especially when the characters are in high school, and you have to believe that a mermaid is in high school, navigating a crush and homework and school dances. Then she goes home, and it's like The Little Mermaid show from the 90s. There's underwater furniture and buildings and court proceedings...put in a human without a tail and it's hard to take seriously, but, it's a mermaid story. Yes, it will come off as a bit silly, and you have to take it for what it is. Some people, especially teens, are ok with that.

However, the story was really predictable. There were no twists or turns. It was very light. I listened to it during a full day trip and it was good while I was walking around and waiting. There are some audio books that need 100% of your attention. This is not one.

Lily

                For a girl that keeps saying that mermaids are peaceful, she gets angry enough that she wants to get physically violent with people. She does, on a few occasions, though she is just pushing. She’s not a perfect protagonist, which I like…and a lot of people hate. Yes, she’s selfish, narrow-minded, and judgemental. And at the end, she overcomes at least a few of her faults. What’s wrong with that? Still, I will say that along with the narrator of the audiobook, she is so spoiled and angry at everything.

Also, she likes a boy who is a human, and doesn’t know that she’s a mermaid princess. She thinks together they are like this:

But she is actually like this:

Sea Puns

                The cursing are sea puns. Childs can get around having to censor her work, but it also means that she actually has a mermaid princess swearing frequently. If you put what she actually means instead of the substitute, she’d be swearing constantly, in her head or aloud. If you need some laughs, substitute a “higher level” four letter word in your head, every time she uses a sea pun. It makes for good times, though people on the street will look at you if you’re walking and listening.   

               

I don't know why, but I like the “damselfish” one. Like you’d turn away from the situation and whisper to yourself as though no one could hear you.

Narrator

The narrator can't do male voices, or secondary female voices. She has one voice, and that belongs to Lily. It gets annoying to listen to the narrator try to drop her voice and be gravelly for the men. Actually, it’s annoying. Also, the girls you hate in high school don't actually have those nasally high voices - we just pretend they do when we talk about them. I would much prefer a natural, though pretentious, voice of the mean girls.

Besmirching of my Name

The bully is named Courtney. She is financially demanding and selfish, slaps her boyfriend, gossips, judges people…all the stupid “girl bully” stuff. Of course, her name is Courtney. That's the go-to name for terrible people. Can we think of a better name? And where did this trend start? I’d like to know.

Final Verdict

Read or listen to this because you like mermaids, not for the story. I don’t recommend this for people who dislike characters that are not completely perfect or extremely likeable. Will I listen to the next installment, Fins Are Forever? Maybe. It would make an ok summer pre-teen movie, though there’s way too much underwater mermaid stuff happening for this to ever happen. 

 Also, I'll just leave this here...and no, I didn't make this. 

Where Have I Been?

Yes, it's true that I haven't been posting in the last four months. I am currently closed to reviews (and seriously, check my status before sending a request). I have a backlog of books to review. I'm not currently reading YA lit because I really can't keep adding to the backlog.

What has kept me from posting?

I got a new job, in a library! I am in another medical library, though I also staff the patient library, and this is my favourite location because I get to help patients find oncology information.

Yay!

But I moved to a new city, by myself.

Boo.

So I've been navigating starting a new job, ending an old job (which was an experience all of its own!), living in a new (not-so-awesome city), and getting an apartment...and getting another apartment because of a long list of reasons. I also got some fantastic input from an agent about my book, so I'm trying to work on that.

I knocked out two posts today, but I still have a few, including:

The Book of Ivy (audio book);
The Lonely;
The Ocean at the End of the Lane; and
The Chaos Walking Trilogy.

One could say, "Maybe if you didn't binge watch the entire series to date of Game of Thrones, or the third season of Vikings, or the entire series of Sons of Anarchy, you'd have more time to review."

Maybe. I might even say that is true.

Insurgent Film Review

The Divergent Trilogy Reviews

Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant

The Divergent Film Reviews

Divergent, Insurgent

Way back in March when Insurgent was in theatres, I went with a teen and another adult to see it. We didn't see it in 3D, and I don't mind, as I hate putting 3D glasses over my regular glasses (and I don't see very far with my contacts). Though there were a few scenes that would have been very cool in 3D, I don't think I missed much. This "review" is more some of my quick notes that I made when I saw the film .

Spoilers Ahead!

The Not So Good or Changes

• Marcus fell off the face of the film. He was important in the book, and the film was just like, nope.
• Johanna fell off the face of the film. She was involved throughout the book, but she just stays home, I guess.
• Amity isn't so strict on wearing their faction colours (according to the internet anyway), but they don't even try. 
• Where is the drug bread?!
• Four mom is not supposed to be white (according to Roth, she's a "POC"). The film lost a huge aspect that could have enriched the film.

Four's mom is really pretty, though.

• The hard drive from Insurgent has been replaced…with a box that has to be unlocked via simulations. This makes the film much more like a video game. I do have to say that with the previous film, that she could manipulate the simulations, there is a natural progression between the films.

The magic box.

• The one who delivers the final message to the society…is not named. Of course, the next book is being split between two films, so they have lots of time to "discover" the identity. 
• Jeanine is killed by someone different. In the film, to me, it makes more sense. In the book, yeah, it's satisfying, but considering all that Jeanine has done, the film did it right. It will have huge implications for the next two films.
• Still no Edward (but see my note at the end of this review).
• In the book, she cuts her hair shoulder length, by herself. In the film, she gives herself a perfect close cut using her reflection in a window. The other adult we went with is a male, and he was like, wow, she did the back really well. 

Got a window? That's all you need!

Who needs hairdressers? I like the front btw, just not...anything
else from it.

The Good

•   The picnic table!

I wish I had a better picture of this!

• The film had a lot of action, which the book didn't have much of. 
• Tris got a few more tattoos. In Divergent, she got more than the bird tattoos. However, when did she get these? It’s doubtful that Amity has tattoo shacks in between the vegetable gardens and the stables.

That's all I got for Insurgent. BUT I want to mention that a complaint I had with the Divergent film was that the butter knife scene was absent. The scene was filmed and didn't make the final cut. I put a link in my original film, but I'll also post it here: 

If You Could be Mine by Sara Farizan

Twitter Username: SaraFarizan

Publish Date: August 20th 2013

Publisher: Alqonquin Young Readers

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Narrated By: Negin Farsad

Introduction

Sahar is sixteen-years-old and in love with her best friend, Nasrin. They share secret kisses and promise each other their love. The problem is that they live in Iran, and homosexuality is forbidden under the threat of hanging. Then it comes to light that Nasrin has a marriage arranged by her family. Nasrin wants to continue the secret affair, but Sahar wants Nasrin exclusively. Sahar discovers a loophole in the law for them to be together, but the journey to that conclusion is complicated.

Narrator

            At first, I was weary of a narrator with a strong accent. My hearing isn’t always the best, and I knew there would be an abundance of unfamiliar words. As the chapters went on I was surprised that I was enjoying her voice and that I had no problems. Farsad delivers all her lines with the correct emotion, and she does dry humour very well. She is of Iranian decent, born in the United States, so I believe her voice to be authentic (as opposed to an English speaker attempting to impersonate and fail miserably).

Love Story

            The two main women are beautifully written for each other. Nasrin is confident and occasionally the target of the morality police because of her flashy clothes. Sahar is more conservative and she is intelligent. I can definitely see why they would fall in love. Of course, each has their pit falls. Nasrin is selfish. Sahar believes she can fix everything herself. A perfect couple? Of course not, but who are? Perhaps they are staying with each other because they have been together since they were children and perhaps because they are the only lesbians they know (highly probable for most of the book). What we do have is a couple that want to be together in a country that has forbidden their love.

That said, I don’t think I have ever disliked a love interest more than I have disliked Nasrin. But before everyone starts hating on Sahar for her target of affection, I bet most people have had a partner that they loved and a lot of people hated. It’s the eye of the beholder.

But Nasrin did aggravated me. As much as I wanted to pull my hair out at her stupidity, she is well-written. I get why she does most of the things she does, even if I hate her decisions. As I wanted Sahar to succeed I felt like Nasrin was the one impeding change and it was so frustrating in a good way.

Cousin Ali

This charismatic man is my favourite character. Sure, he’s a convenient character, another homosexual in Iran who knows the ropes and who has enough power in the underground to keep himself and his friends safe. I still like him – he does want everyone to be happy as they are. A little too easy going, but he’s an interesting layer in this story. And he is funny – my favourite line was when he said Sahar should leave and go to Turkey to find a particular kind of woman.

 

Story

Spoilers Ahead!

It is true that Sahar has no idea what she’s getting into, though I argue that the information must be difficult to come by. While it is not illegal to get sex reassignment surgery, it probably isn’t widely accepted, so you can’t just ask your parents about it. Sahar is desperate, and yes, her plan could work, and that’s what gives this novel the extra layer. It is plausible. What if she goes through with it? Will Nasrin still love her? Will Sahar’s family still love her, or will they shun her?  

Topics for discussion or a paper could be gender identity in an oppressive society or LGBTQ love in an oppressive society. These are fairly obvious topics, but there is so much content here. Plus, this novel takes place in modern-day Iran, so a student can do a lot of research about Iran and its policies. Something interesting that can be written about is a person’s ties to a country that is oppressing them – if they leave, stay to make it better, or stay and live with how the country is.

 Book Club

            An older audience would be the best audience for this. I have seen reviews of people saying that it is inappropriate for middle-graders, and I have not seen anything saying that this book is marketed towards middle-graders. It’s like taking Hamlet and getting huffy about it not being suitable for kindergarteners. Have you read the back of the book?

            Also, you should probably know your book club audience because of the subject matter.

            Something interesting for a book club would be to also have a display of Iranian architecture, clothing, and food, like those mentioned in the book, around the book club meeting space. This could perhaps cross some of the cultural barriers we have. This book lacks description about how Iranian society is visually, and pictures could be an excellent accompaniment. 

Ending

Spoilers Ahead! (And a bit of a rant.)

To anyone who wants to argue that Sahar should have left to Istanbul with Ali…she doesn’t want to leave her father. She also believes that Iran is her home, and she doesn’t want to abandon it. And ultimately, she doesn’t want to leave Nasrin either, even if she can’t have her. I’m not sure why this confuses people. It would be hard for me to leave too. There are many people, especially women, who will explain why people stay in situations that are not ideal or even dangerous.  

A book isn’t going to end the way you want it so it will suit you. Personally, I loved the ending because it was so bittersweet. The last 30 minutes or so of audio gave some small hope to Sahar, even though it is still not an accepted relationship in Iran. I think she can be happy and wow that make me happy for her.

Final Verdict

            I listened to If You Could be Mine as an ebook, but I think I should have first experienced it as a paper book to get the language ingrained in my head properly, though listening to the proper pronunciation was helpful. I was rooting for Sahar even though I didn’t know if she should follow through with her plan or not – I just wanted her and Nasrin to be happy. I highly recommend this book to older teens or teens that are interested in LGBTQ relationships or issues, or oppressive governments. However, be cautious with the subject matter.

 

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

If I Stay Series

If I Stay, Where She Went

Published: April 5th 2011 
Publisher:  Dutton Juvenile /Penguin Audio

Website: Author’s Website

Series: If I Stay

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Narrated By: Dan Bittner

Quick Review

Introduction

Three years after the end of Mia and Adam’s relationship, Adam happens upon one of Mia’s concerts and watches her play her cello. They rekindle their friendship, not talking about what has happened, even though Adam needs to know why Mia abandoned him.

Story

            Where She Went is different than its predecessor in many ways. The focus is so different, it’s hard to say if I would have enjoyed it if I had never read If I Stay. If I Stay has an interesting mix of character drama and the afterlife (without there actually being any definite afterlife). Where She Went lost most of the intrigue about being in limbo. Sure, the book tries, giving glimpses into Mia’s opinions/feelings about her experience and the death of her family, but it falls flat. What it does well mirrors what the first book also did well – character-driven drama.

Protagonist/Narration

            Instead of the protagonist being Mia, this book was from Adam’s first-person POV. Mia didn’t stand out to me, but Adam and the book’s narrator, Dan Bittner, was much better. I find Adam has more personality than Mia, even though he can be creepy, at least he is interesting. Three years is a bit long to be hung up on someone, though. Maybe so much time shouldn’t have passed, though the author probably had to have her graduated or near graduation for this story to work. Adam lives in a self-destructive world that gets old really quick, and there are three whole years to listen/read about. Adam isn’t like other people with usual ex-partner situations, where you acknowledge that they are probably living and probably happy but you couldn’t care less either way. And this is Adam’s problem; a student could write an interesting paper about the unhealthy relationship they hold on each other.  

Mia

            I hated Mia in this book. Her decisions and her actions hurt Adam, and you can criticise Adam for handling it poorly all you want, but the fault falls on Mia for being a terrible person. People break up all the time, and at least one person is usually crushed. But, Mia, seriously? I couldn’t believe what she did. It didn’t fit her character either, but the reader is blindsided as much as Adam was, so that experience is realistic.

What I did like was how Mia became the antagonist. Yes, there are other characters that are halting Adam’s progress (in life), but Mia is the worst figure here, even though she is presenting herself as her familiar, sweet self.

Writing

            Perhaps it is Adam’s cynical thoughts and reckless behaviour, but I liked the writing more in Where She Went. Even when he scared me when he thinks this:

“And I have to fight the urge to take her by the shoulders and slam her against a shuttered building until we feel the vibrations ringing through both of us. Because I suddenly want to hear her bones rattle. I want to feel the softness of her flesh give, to hear her gasp as my hip bone jams into her. I want to yank her head back until her neck is exposed. I want to rip my hands through her hair until her breath is labored. I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can’t understand.”

Crazy? Yes. Interesting? Yes. It was creepy to listen to when I was walking home at night in the city. 

Final Verdict

Read this book if you really want to close the story from If I Stay. This book lacks the wonderful ambiguity that made readers think about the afterlife, if Mia should choose to live or pass on, and if she should stay with Adam. While I like Dan Bittner’s delivery and I like Adman’s cynicism, there was a lot of whining coming from Adam. There is only so much a reader can take. I wonder though, if this is because I am an adult now, and some books that I loved as a teen I can no longer stand now (cough*Palahniuk *). Maybe I would have found him more tolerable as a teen – and maybe this is a voice that teens will love, it’s hard to say. For a book club pick, I’d only use it if previous participants really loved the first one and they really want to read the next one together.