Sunday, September 18, 2011

Between The Land And The Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

Between The Land And The Sea

Author: Derrolyn Anderson

Publisher: Derrolyn Anderson (Smashwords)

4 out of 5 stars

The water is all around you.  It’s too dark to see this far below the surface, but you can feel the water rolling over your body and you know that the waves are calm up above.  Suddenly, you tear away in the water, swimming wildly ahead.  You don’t know where you’re going, but you feel so wild and free.  This is where you belong, in the water.  As you near the surface you can see the sun streaming down through the water in dim rays.  Your hair streams behind you in wisps as you shoot upwards, wondering what awaits you above.  You rocket towards the surface, and break through the water.  When you look back to the shore a sudden pang of guilt races through you, as you suddenly realize that you should have never left.


It’s just not fair.  This is exactly what Marina thinks as her father tells her she can’t accompany him on his trip to Afghanistan.  She’s always traveled with him before, so she doesn’t understand why this time should be any different.  Her father has his reasons though, and he insists that Marina goes to live with her Aunt Abigail and her cousin Cruz in the small, coastal town of Aptos.  Marina doesn’t know how she will survive the year apart from her father, and having to actually attend a real, brick and mortar high school.  She’ll just have to get by somehow.

Marina soon realizes that life in Aptos really isn’t that bad.  She immediately bonds with her cousin Cruz, who’s just as much into fashion as she is, and his best friend Megan.  There’s even a boy, Ethan, who she can’t help but start to fall for.  Life can’t get much better than this.  Soon however, everything Marina knows is about to come crashing down.

Strange dreams plague Marina’s sleep, and she can never quite understand them.  All the pieces start to shift into place when she runs into a mermaid on the pier!  Marina can’t quite believe her eyes at first, but she suddenly realizes that something is different about her.  Marina can understand and communicate with the mermaid, Lorelei, who insists that Marina is one of them.  Marina isn’t sure what to believe, but after witnessing Lorelei, Marina can’t help but be intrigued.  As Marina searches for answers, she starts to get entangled in the myths of the mermaids, and can’t help but feel drawn to them.  Will Marina put her life in danger as she tries to figure out who she really is?  What does all of this mean, and why her?  Derrolyn Anderson reveals all in her debut tale of one girl’s journey to find her true self in, Between The Land And The Sea!

Filled with mystery, mermaids, and a sweet romance, Between The Land And The Sea is sure to entertain any reader looking for a read with in-depth characters and a sprinkling of humor.  Marina and her friends were all full of life, and they seemed to leap off of the page.  Between The Land And The Sea was given was given to me by the author, Derrolyn Anderson, for review.*  Thank you so much Derrolyn Anderson!

The characters in Between The Land And The Sea are very well-developed, and that helped me relate to them so much more.  Whether it was Marina, Ethan, Cruz, or even Aunt Abigail I was reading about, I felt like they each had their own unique backgrounds and dreams and aspirations to work towards.  It was easy to relate to each of them, and connect with them as a reader on a deeper level.

There is a continuous sense of humor throughout Between The Land And The Sea that really kept the tone of the book light and smoothed over some of the more intense scenes.  I couldn’t help but laugh along with some of the crazy antics that Marina and her friends got into.  There was a strong relationship between the characters that made the story feel all the more believable.  However, Derrolyn Anderson was able to change the mood from jovial and carefree to dark and dismal in an instant.

Marina and Ethan’s romance was sweet and it was adorable to read about how they got close to one another.  Their romance was a large focus of the book, but it was easy not to mind, as they were so cute with one another.  I enjoyed how they still had their issues to work out though, and it wasn’t always happily ever after.  They had their complete trust in one another, and they knew that they would always be there for each other.

I would have liked to have seen more of the mermaids and mythology aspect thrown into the mix.  Marina definitely felt attached to the mermaids, such as Lorelei, and she knew that she had some connection to them.  As the book went on, she did everything in her power to try and find out what exactly everything meant.  However, most of the history of the mermaids wasn’t revealed until later on in the book, and I think it would have been nice to have seen it be interspersed throughout the story a bit more.  I can’t wait to learn more about Marina’s connections with the mermaids in book two of Marina’s Tales, The Moon And The Tide!

Between The Land And The Sea is an enjoyable read with an interesting cast of characters that make this story unique.  Join Marina, as she adjusts to her new life and chooses which path she must take in, Between The Land And The Sea!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!


*I received Between The Land And The Sea from the author, Derrolyn Anderson, in exchange for my honest review.  Thank you so much Derrolyn Anderson!

Check out Derrolyn Anderson's website at www.derrolyn.com.

3 comments:

  1. Your intro was so well written it made me want to go jump in the ocean or lake. Excellent review. I love your writing :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hear that! Beautiful. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've seen this series written up before and they liked it too. Of course you're writing of it tells a lot more about it than the other review, but still, it makes me want the series. I'm really into Mermaids and they seem to be popular this year! Mesmerizing review!

    Heather

    ReplyDelete

Hi, and welcome to From The Bookshelf of T.B.!

I can't wait to hear what you have to say! I do my best to try and respond to your comments, so check back often. Comment away!