Welcome to the very first Read & Recs post! If you missed my announcement for this feature, check this post. For this month, I'm featuring THE SUMMER OF CHASING MERMAIDS by Sarah Ockler. I read this book more than a year ago and it instantly became my faves. If you guys, somehow, never heard of this book, here's a bit information :
Title : The Summer of Chasing Mermaids
Author : Sarah Ockler
Genre : YA contemporary
Release Date : June 2nd, 2015
Publisher : Simon Pulse
SOMETIMES, THERE ARE NO WORDS...
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d'Abreau was destined for stardom - until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can't sing. She can't even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend's invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse's home in the Caribbean isn't: an ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry - except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy - insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He's also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn't treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother, Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove's high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn't the only thing making waves, though - swept up in Christian's seductive tide and entranced by the Cove's charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn't what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who's best known for breaking them...
The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d'Abreau was destined for stardom - until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can't sing. She can't even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend's invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse's home in the Caribbean isn't: an ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry - except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy - insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He's also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn't treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother, Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove's high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn't the only thing making waves, though - swept up in Christian's seductive tide and entranced by the Cove's charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn't what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who's best known for breaking them...
REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK
- DIVERSITY. Basically there's so many diversity in this book! First, we have a POC main character, who also has a disability. Elyse came from the Caribbean, but after an accident, she moves to Atargatis Cove, where she meets the love interest. Secondly, there's an interracial relationship! And it is so well done that end up me shipping these two so hard ❤
- SIBLING RELATIONSHIP. It's pretty rare in YA books so if you find one you gotta mention it. Who doesn't love a guy who loves his little brother so much? Christian and Sebastian's (whose dream is to be a mermaid, btw. How cute is that?) relationship is really great despite the age differences and the fact that their parents seems to neglect them.
- BEAUTIFUL POETIC-LIKE WRITING. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is my first Sarah Ockler's books, and her writing is just lit! It's so beautiful and inspiring and poetic-like. It might be confusing at first, but once you get used to it, you'll find how beautiful it is. Here's some quotes to prove the point :
“All the people who'd brought me here, past and present, ancient and young, legend and life and lore, I channeled. I welcomed them into my infinite heart, alongside the ghosts, the shadows, the ache I'd always carry. I made their strength mine, a part of me. My inspiration. My voice.”
“Beneath the vast diamond sky, I felt both all important and utterly significant, the goddess and the damned in equal measure.”
“When one dream burns to ash, you don't crumble beneath it. You get on your hands and knees, and you sift through those ashes until you find the very last ember, the very last spark. Then you breathe. You breathe. You fucking breathe. And you make a new fire.”and my personal faves :
“Yes. I was just telling Elyse here... frankly, kids, I'm not sure it's even legal to have a female first mate. We'd have to consult the rule book, but as far as I know, regatta's a man's race."
Christian's jaw ticked, just like it had with his father the night of the party. "Damn. Must have hit my head on the way out of that time machine. 1850, are we? I might need some new clothes. Elyse, you sew right? Don't all girls sew?”And if you need more convincing, you could read my review of this book!
Have you read this book? If so, what do you think of it?
I liked this one but didn't love it. I love that Ockler included a diverse cast BUT I'm Trinidadian and I didn't find the Caribbean representation well-written at all. Still, the story was okay. I do like Ockler's books in general. =)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!