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Waterfire Saga: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly (view source)
Revision as of 12:14, 30 August 2020
, 12:14, 30 August 2020no edit summary
I liked the characters, too. Of our six mermaid heroines, Serafina and Neela stand out the most in this first volume. Serafina is full of duty and responsibility and she takes her royal role very seriously indeed. She is determined to fulfil her destiny and I think she will act as the conscience of the group. Neela is much more impulsive - both affectionate and sassy, she will provide a foil for Serafina's gravitas.
However, I do have some reservations about ''Deep Blue''. Pace is sacrificed to exposition. And sometimes, so is dialogue. There are just too many chapters that comprise of little more than info dumps and, much as I hate to say it, there are times when this is quite a bore and it's an effort to turn the page. I'm also slightly at a loss to suggest a target audience. Some of the plotlines and themes are a little mature for a middle -grade readership but everything else places it as a little immature for the YA crowd. ''Deep Blue'' certainly isn't a story that would hold the attention of adults who enjoy good YA fiction. This saga is a partnership with Disney for Donnelly and it may be that this is muddying the waters a little bit? I don't know. Anyway, if pushed, I would suggest ''Deep Blue'' will suit readers of at least 11 or 12 but only up to 14 or 15.
So, a cautious recommendation from me: ''Deep Blue'' is a story for readers who enjoy intricate worldbuilding, love the idea of merfolk, and aren't expecting anything too gritty.
Our favourite ever series about mer people is [[The Deep by Helen Dunmore|Ingo]] by Helen Dunmore. If you also enjoy dystopian fiction and like reading stories set under the sea, you might like [[Dark Life by Kat Falls]]. We also have a review of [[These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly]].
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