In a cottage high atop Llanfair Mountain, sixteen-year-old Clara lives with her sister, Maren, and guardian Auntie. By day, they gather herbs for Auntie's healing potions. By night, Auntie spins tales of faraway lands and wicked fairies. Clara's favourite story tells of three orphan infants-Clara, who was brought to Auntie by a stork; Maren, who arrived in a seashell; and their best friend, O'Neill, who was found beneath an apple tree.
One day, Clara discovers shimmering scales just beneath her sister's skin. She realizes that Maren is becoming a mermaid-and knows that no mermaid can survive on land. Desperate to save her, Clara and O'Neill place the mermaid-girl in their gypsy wagon and set out for the sea. But no road is straight, and the trio encounters trouble around every bend. Ensnared by an evil troupe of traveling performers, Clara and O'Neill must find a way to save themselves and the ever-weakening mermaid.
And always, in the back of her mind, Clara wonders, if my sister is a mermaid, then what am I?
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Wishing gets you nothing
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(Skyscape, 1 March 2015, 237 pages, e-book, borrowed from @AmazonKindle #PrimeReading)
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I borrowed this from #PrimeReading ages ago and just never had time to get round to reading it. I'm glad I finally got the chance to get lost in this book and am sorry it took me so long. I tend to enjoy books about Mermaids. I'm not sure why. So the blurb attracted me to this book. I loved the cover as well. This is a bit different than other mermaid stories I've read. The book focuses on Clara's love for Maren and her attempts to save her from travelling performers who want to turn her into a freak show exhibit before she wilts away and dies. The book is pretty dark at times especially when Clara, Maren and O'Neill are prisoners of the troupe. This is well written, engaging and rich in detail with great characters.
