January Mermaids #3: Tempest Rising

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Goodreads: Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Review: Okay so, this one took some time to get into. SPOILER: In the beginning and the middle, all it is Tempest going through her change, finding out about her mother and what's going to happen and why this evil chick wants to kill her or make her change sides. Well, that and the author defined her relationship with Mark and then her feelings for Kona.

Now, on the topic of the boys, one thing I didn't like about this book is that though most people would view it as a love triangle with insta-love attached to it, I see it as this:

• Girl has hot boyfriend.
• Girl meets hot guy.
• She goes after him after he gets hurt.
• She spends a week with the guy.
• She falls instantly in love with the other guy.
• She forgets about the other guy.
• Week later, she goes back to other guy.
• Girl finds out about the looks he's been giving another girl.
• They mutally break up.
• She leaves with the other guy.

THAT IS NOT LOVE!

The way I view some of the love in YA novels is just two people with their hormones on high. I don't know what you guys think, but I truly don't believe in 'love at first sight'. I find it kinda annoying. Sure, makes a great addition to the plot, but I think if an author was going to do a good love triangle, then the author would let them fall in love gratually. But that's the author's decision.

SPOILER: One part of this book I really liked though was how Tempest surfed and she could control storms; hence, her name. And that her dad was a surfer too. I was kinda disappointed that instead of a few chapters about Kona trainning her to use her powers like he said he would, they just went straight into finding her mon and then to the battle scene and then the end.

Characters:

• Tempest: Tempest has her good sides and her bad sides. Good sides: Her bravery, strength, surfing skills, and her stubborness. It's a common characteristic to see in most YA characters. Their stubborn and determined nature to defeat whomever it is that's trying to kill them. Plus, her ability to control storms. Bad sides: the rage built up towards her mother about leaving (and I understand this. Mom left to do her duty and never came back to help her through her transformations), her instant feelings for Kona and completely forgeting about Mark, and her stupidness when it came to trying to save her mom. SPOILER: Seriously, why not just fake siding with the evil demon hag and then striking her with lightning in her heart?! Tempest isn't one of my favorite characters, but she isn't totally awful.
• Kona: Well, I like that he's a prince. :D I mean, who wouldn't? His love for his family is wonderful, and the loyalty he display for Tempest showned. What really made me like him was that he wasn't a merman, but selkie: a shapeshifter that shifts into a seal. I never read about a book with a selkie as a nice character, so this book was refreashing.
• Mark: In the beginning, I thought he and Tempest were going to stay together and the mermaid thing was just going to either complicate things or make him stay by her side even more. But nope. Sure, he shows complete devotion and love towards her, but when I found out that he looked at another girl while Tempest was gone, well.........HE'S A COMPLETE PIG. End of story.

Future: I am looking forward to the next book and learning about Tempest and her trainning and what happens to the evil witch. The only thing I wish is that in the blurb that they would give us more than she goes back up to her injured brother and collides with Mark and Tiamat (evil sea witch) somehow gets involved and Mark and Kona meet blah blah blah. I wish it said Tiamat attacked her home or something. But I'm still looking forward to the book.

Rating:

Not my favorite, but not horrible.

Cover:

Seriously, look at it. The tattoo is amazing!

Ending:

Could have been a bit better

I bought this book from Border during the blowout sale. I miss it.

 

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I have to say, I like the mermaid on the cover to the left, but the cover on the right has my favor.