Green Bean Teen Queen hosts a meme on Tuesdays called Tween Tuesday where great books for tweens are featured. This Tuesday, I am going to feature a book that, while categorized as YA, seems better suited to tweens: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings, by Helene Boudreau.
Click here for more of my Tween Tuesday posts.
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 206
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page
From Goodreads:
This was a cute book, but definitely should be categorized as MG instead of YA. Jade is 14, but her voice and situation read much more like she is in middle school. While the story is cute, I think YA readers may find themselves a little bored and unable to fully connect with Jade. Some MG books are written in such a way as to appeal to all ages, but I don’t really think that is the case with Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings.
I liked Jade and found her to be a very sympathetic character. Her emotions are clear and easy to relate to, but her voice is a little uneven. Sometimes she is charmingly sarcastic, but other times this wryness is completely absent or just a little off. As a YA character, I’d say this is somewhat uneven writing. On the other hand, as a MG character her indecision and wavering between an innocent young girl and the hint of teenager snarkiness makes perfect sense.
I think MG girls, especially those in similar situations as Jade (sans the mermaid parts) will really enjoy this book. In addition to the mermaid parts, Jade deals with a first crush, getting her first period, troubles with her friend, and learning to adjust to life without her mom. Her troubles are so typical and her emotions and the way she handles these problems will resonate well with MG girls.
What I liked about the book is that Jade’s parents both play a significant role in the story. I went into the book expecting a fluffy romance, and while there is a little romance, it takes a back seat to Jade’s relationship with her parents. The only thing that bugged me about this was that Jade sometimes seemed like more of the adult, but the whole book is so light and fluffy it’s hard to really be bothered.
The story was sweet, but simple with all of the conflicts finding fairly easy solutions. I think YAs might find things a little *too* simple and easy, but MG readers probably won’t mind. I tried to find a rating that reflects the disconnect between the book’s YA categorization and how it would be as a MG book. As a YA book, I would rate this lower than a 3.5 because it really is too shallow. As a MG book, I would probably give it a 4.
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Click here for more of my Tween Tuesday posts.
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 206
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page
Summary
From Goodreads:
Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...
If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?
Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.
Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown? Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?
This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...
If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?
Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.
Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown? Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?
This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...
Review
I liked Jade and found her to be a very sympathetic character. Her emotions are clear and easy to relate to, but her voice is a little uneven. Sometimes she is charmingly sarcastic, but other times this wryness is completely absent or just a little off. As a YA character, I’d say this is somewhat uneven writing. On the other hand, as a MG character her indecision and wavering between an innocent young girl and the hint of teenager snarkiness makes perfect sense.
I think MG girls, especially those in similar situations as Jade (sans the mermaid parts) will really enjoy this book. In addition to the mermaid parts, Jade deals with a first crush, getting her first period, troubles with her friend, and learning to adjust to life without her mom. Her troubles are so typical and her emotions and the way she handles these problems will resonate well with MG girls.
What I liked about the book is that Jade’s parents both play a significant role in the story. I went into the book expecting a fluffy romance, and while there is a little romance, it takes a back seat to Jade’s relationship with her parents. The only thing that bugged me about this was that Jade sometimes seemed like more of the adult, but the whole book is so light and fluffy it’s hard to really be bothered.
The story was sweet, but simple with all of the conflicts finding fairly easy solutions. I think YAs might find things a little *too* simple and easy, but MG readers probably won’t mind. I tried to find a rating that reflects the disconnect between the book’s YA categorization and how it would be as a MG book. As a YA book, I would rate this lower than a 3.5 because it really is too shallow. As a MG book, I would probably give it a 4.
