Descent

Son of a Mermaid #1

by Katie O'Sullivan

Shea MacNamara's life just got complicated...

When a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, fifteen-year-old Shea moves to Cape Cod to live with a grandmother he's never met. Struggling to make sense of his new surroundings, he meets a girl along the shore who changes his life forever.

Kae belongs to an undersea world hidden from drylanders, where bloody war rages between opposing clans. A fragile peace accord hinges on marriage between the royal families, but treachery and magick lurk in every shadow.

With Kae's help, Shea discovers his true heritage and finds that his destiny lies somewhere far below the ocean's surface.

Genres: Mermaids, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult Fantasy, Mythology

319 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

Katie O’Sullivan is an award winning author with more than a dozen books contemporary romance and young adult books to her name, available online and in stores.

A voracious reader, she loves to read and write second chance stories with strong female characters and hot alpha males. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now lives on Cape Cod with her family and big dogs, drinking way too much coffee and finding new uses for all the sea glass she obsessively collects from the beach. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working full time for a high tech company. Which explains all the coffee.


Find Katie online:
Follow her Blog – http://katieosullivan.blogspot.com
Friend her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kt.osullivan
Find her on Twitter - https://twitter.com/OkatieO
Check out her website at http://www.katie-osullivan.com

Reviews

[Hirdesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and respective publisher.

Stunning, Supernatural ! ! !
Well,It's my first Paranormal books of year, but utterly it was splendid and more what I had expected before reading.
Even paranormal is not my class, but in beginning somehow I had managed myself but, after some chapters, It was flowing like water in lakes so purely.

*Highly recommended for Paranormal lovers.

I never write about storyline, I don't like to be spoiler nor read spoiled reviews.

It's pretty well written and narrated and flow and rhythm.

"Teenage boy entangled in paranormal via her mother's gene. Became part of 2 kind of life eventually."

[Courtney Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Son of a Mermaid, by Katie O’Sullivan, is a fun, creative tale about Shea, a boy who discovers that his supposedly dead mother is actually alive - and a mermaid! The story begins with a slice from Shea’s interrupted life as an Oklahoma farmboy. A tornado destroys the home he shares with his single dad, presumably killing the father. Intriguingly, no body is found, which made me wonder if the missing Dad will return in a sequel.

Fifteen-year-old Shea moves to Cape Cod to live with his grandmother. Here, Katie O’Sullivan really begins to shine. Her vivid descriptions of the seaside town and the beaches make it clear that she’s spent time in this place. You can practically smell the salt air. Shae makes friends with Hailey, a local teen, and another, more mysterious girl named Kae. Kae pops up on the beach at unexpected moments. To Shae, she seems bright and fun, but oddly ignorant of the modern world.

Walking the beach, Shea finds an odd stone with a hole in the middle. The stone is a transmutare, a magical medallion that allows a mermaid to shift into human form. Luckily, the stone is in his pocket when he falls off the deck. Unable to swim, Shea is in trouble. But the medallion makes him grow gills! He survives and discovers Kae is also a transformed mermaid. She takes him to the underwater realm of his grandfather, who rules the Atlantic. But the ambitious Demyan, a merman, has plans to take over. Shea must foil Demyan and prevent his mother’s arranged marriage to take his rightful place as the heir of Neptune.

Son of a Mermaid is a completely “clean” read, making it a good choice for middle grade readers and parents who don’t want their teens to grow up too fast. The story is an engaging one that kept me turning pages right to the end. The only question left unanswered was - will there be a sequel? I certainly hope so!

[Aishvarya · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Shea MacNamara's life just got complicated. After a freak tornado devastates his Oklahoma farm, the fifteen-year-old orphan is whisked away to Cape Cod. Struggling to make sense of his new surroundings, he's trying hard to deal with feelings of abandonment... and the emotions stirred by a girl he meets along the shore. Kae belongs to an undersea world hidden from drylanders. The daughter of royal servants, she knows the planned marriage of her Princess to the foreign King should put an end to the war between the clans. But two things stand in the way of lasting peace: the ambitions of the foreign King's regent, and rumors of the Princess's bastard child. Sparks fly when she meets Shea, but could the cute drylander really be the Son of a Mermaid?

The book was really interesting and I think that the author has done a good job. Shea was just a boy who had only one friend,John, and came to know when a tornado was going to strike before it even happened. He used to have flashbacks of his mother who he doesn't know is actually a mermaid and has never meet because she left him when he was just a baby. Shortly after his father's death due to the tornado, Shea moved to Cape Cod to stay with his grandmother, Martha. There he came to know a lot of things and that is where everything falls into place. There he meets Hailey and becomes his only other friend. She talks a lot and loves to eat. In the beginning she was kinda annoying. He also meets Kae who is a mermaid and works for his mother. Kae and Shea develop feelings for each other and soon go on a mission to meet and save his mother from an unfair marriage. The book was enthralling and was a book that once when started cannot be kept down until you finish reading it. I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book and recommend the book to everyone.

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this novel! Fun, Imaginative, well written ~ Five Stars

This book filled me with daydreams about lying on sunny beaches and swimming in the cool Atlantic waters.

The mysteries and intrigue start from the very beginning as tragedy strikes fifteen year old Shea MacNamara and takes his father, and only parent, away from him. Shea leaves Oklahoma and moves in with his Grandmother in Cape Cod. Shortly thereafter Shae meets Kae, a peculiar and somewhat different "girl" early one morning on the beach. Their attraction to each other is instant and very sweet. The relationship is engaging, cute, and perfect for a YA novel. The story switches between these two characters so the reader is above water at times and below at others.
Kae is a servant to Princess Brynn. The reader gets to know all the Royal family members and Kae's family as well. The Mermaid history and hierarchy is explained clearly and was fascinating to read. There is much strife and dissension among the Royalty living underwater. If you like family secrets, treachery, and ferocious bad guys, you won't be disappointed by Son of a Mermaid.

This novel really resonated with me. I loved the ocean and beach scenes. Maybe it's because I'm a Pisces and have always loved the water, or maybe it is because the author paints vivid and realistic scenes. I could easily imagine every detail about the ocean, the undersea mermaid world, and envision the neighborhood in Cape Cop with perfect clarity - thank you Ms. O'Sullivan!

This was a fantastic beach tale filled with depth, wonderful characters, mystery, betrayal, and tender first love. Katie O'Sullivan writes great descriptions with attention to detail where it matters. Every page was enjoyable, sparked my imagination, and had just the right amount of tension. Although this novel is considered young adult, I think it is a great book for any age! I highly recommend this story and I would read anything written by Katie O'Sullivan.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to be a mermaid when I grow up. The world that the author has created both outside and inside the ocean sounds gorgeous and full of secrets and intrigue. The descriptions make me want to crawl inside the book and live there. The characters, even most of the minor ones, are fully developed people. Shea is a sweetheart who picks up trash along the coast even though he's obviously not thrilled with his new living arrangements. But he makes the best of it while he discovers who he really is. I will be reading the second book with my shiny new mermaid tail!

[Seeing Double in Neverland · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Full Review go to http://seeingdoubleinneverland.blogsp...

5 out of 5 Stars

This is a great, fun, romantic read for young readers!

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is heart achingly intricate. O’Sullivan jumps straight to the heart of the story and keeps you there throughout. You flow through the story caught on her tranquil writing style that has the hint of a storm brewing just beneath the surface. The novel is simultaneously calm and intense. O’Sullivan’s entrancingly imaginative storyline blends together legends, imagination and fact to create a uniquely seamless whole.

O’Sullivan brings this story together with larger than life characters. Her extremely vivid descriptions combine with her well thought out character descriptions to create a full cast that you can’t help but picture and get to know personally. I really appreciate how O’Sullivan keeps her novel firmly planted in the YA genre while making it entertaining for all. Her characters are never faced with situations they can’t be expected to deal with at their age (or if they are, they have adult backup). At the same time, they aren’t childish either.

Overall, this was an amazing introduction to the story, the series, and the world beneath the sea. It was an enchanting tale that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Would I read more by this author? Definitely! Both in this series and otherwise.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[max · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 10%

Tried reading this a while back and I don't recall much but I do remember being bored as heck.

Super late but thank you to Wicked Whale Publishing and NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC.

[CW ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy from Patchwork Press - Cooperative via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

With the ocean covering seventy percent of Earth, the deepest part of the ocean reaching eleven kilometres in depth and most ocean species have yet to be discovered, the ocean is the perfect place to craft an imaginative and mysterious world uniquely different to our own. And mermaids. Everyone knows about mermaids. When I was young, after watching The Little Mermaid, I wanted to be a mermaid. With the palpable absence of mermaids in fiction, Descent by Katie O'Sullivan was a pleasant discovery, and a book I certainly had to read.

Descent was a sweet, lighthearted, and, interestingly, an unexpected read. It follows a simple story of Shea, who discovers that he has merman heritage and befriends a young mermaid, Kae. Though the novel is aimed at a young adult audience, this book reads more as a middle grade book. The prose is pleasantly light and undecorated, and its central narrative explores inner conflict, self-discovery, and negotiating one's own identity interwoven with fantastical and magical elements.

While the beginning is slow to start, once introduced to the merpeople kingdoms in the ocean, the story takes on a magical quality. O'Sullivan paints an idyllic, summer vista as the setting flits from sunny Cape Cod beaches to the castles in the ocean. The differences between the two physical worlds also offer a charming dynamic between two characters, as one human and one mermaid try and understand each other's worlds and ways of life as their lives collide.

Subtle lessons are hidden in Descent, its morals focal on the meeting and empathizing between peoples who share different ways of life. The book explores how people amplify and distort the unknown until it becomes a faceless, shapeless enemy, malleable to one's fears, and how different ways of life can be met with confusion, insensitivity but also shared wonder. The momentary misunderstandings and moments of congruence demonstrate to younger audiences that empathy is a process of patience and tolerance - unfortunately a virtue that many adults forget.

There are these brief moments where Descent is reminiscent of the joys and carefreeness of youth. It also highlights the percipience and wisdom of children, a refreshing contrast to the jaded and the war-hungry characters present in the novel. It is about how a young boy can ascertain righteousness and injustice despite his simplistic and naive worldview. There are times when this sort of perspective is more puerile and irritating than it is positive, but with Descent Shea's indignant stance is a gentle reminder that, sometimes, not all things are as complicated as they need be; that sometimes children see things clearly and truthfully.

My qualm with this book is its unnecessary romance; Descent could certainly have succeeded without it. The romance between two fifteen year old teenagers was off-putting (and frankly a little awkward) and an unnecessary appendage to the story. For the book's themes to centre on an individual's self-growth as well as self-discovery and rediscovery, the underdeveloped romance was more of a detriment rather than a complement to the progression of the story. Shea and Kae's relationship is built on physical attraction which escalates to proclamations of being each other's whole world. It's not that I don't believe that teenagers don't fall in love, because they do, but the relationship was contrived and lacked depth. Is their relationship infatuation then? Perhaps, but there is no indication of self-awareness.

Descent is ultimately a lighthearted book that explores the turning points of life in youth, and is written with sensitivity but also with innocence. The story is predictable, but it is its predictability that makes the book heartwarming and fulfilling to its readers. Whilst the merits of Descent can be located and I did enjoy reading it (it filled me with child-like wonder), it is recommended specifically for younger young adults. It is for this reason that I didn't like it as much as I could have - Descent, therefore, is by all means not a bad book. Descent was a small pleasure to read, and with the ending leaving much room for development of the plot and also O'Sullivan's world, it will be fascinating to see where the series will be taken next.

Rating: 2.5/5

-

Review can also be found on my book blog, Read, Think, Ponder!

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Absolutely love this novel! Fun, Imaginative, Excellent Writing, Five Stars ***

This book filled me with daydreams about lying on sunny beaches and swimming in the cool Atlantic waters.

The mysteries and intrigue start from the very beginning as tragedy strikes fifteen year old Shea MacNamara and takes his father, and only parent, away from him. Shea leaves Oklahoma to move in with his Grandmother in Cape Cod. Shortly after Shae's move he meets Kae, a peculiar and somewhat different "girl" early one morning on the beach. Their attraction to each other is instant and very sweet. The relationship is engaging, cute, and perfect for a YA novel. The story switches between these two characters so the reader is above water at times and below at others.
Kae is a servant to Princess Brynn. The reader gets to know all the Royal family members and Kae's family as well. The Mermaid history and hierarchy is explained clearly and was fascinating to read. There is much strife and dissension among the Royalty living underwater. If you like family secrets, treachery, and ferocious bad guys, you won't be disappointed by Son of a Mermaid.

This novel really resonated with me. I loved the ocean and beach scenes. Maybe it's because I'm a Pisces and have always loved the water, or maybe it is because the author paints vivid and realistic scenes. I could easily imagine every detail about the ocean, the undersea mermaid world, and envision the neighborhood in Cape Cop with perfect clarity - thank you Ms. O'Sullivan!

This was a fantastic beach tale filled with depth, wonderful characters, mystery, betrayal, and tender first love. Katie O'Sullivan writes great descriptions with attention to detail where it matters. Every page was enjoyable, sparked my imagination, and had just the right amount of tension. Although this novel is considered young adult, I think it is a great book for any age! I highly recommend this story and I would read anything written by Katie O'Sullivan.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to be a mermaid when I grow up. The world that the author has created both outside and inside the ocean sounds gorgeous and full of secrets and intrigue. The descriptions make me want to crawl inside the book and live there. The characters, even most of the minor ones, are fully developed people. Shea is a sweetheart who picks up trash along the coast even though he's obviously not thrilled with his new living arrangements. But he makes the best of it while he discovers who he really is. I will be reading the second book with my shiny new mermaid tail!

[Sheila G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

It was like things suddenly snapped into place.
He had a mom.
He had mermaid blood.
He had a tail.
Nothing felt impossible. Not even saving the ocean.

Something about this book didn't click for me. I'm not sure if it was the writing style, the characters, the premise, the insignificant climax, or a little bit of each. While this is undoubtedly a quick and easy read, I felt that I breezed through it without a whole lot sticking with me. 

We meet Shea, a fifteen-year-old growing up in Oklahoma. When a tornado hits, he discovers that his father died in the storm. Forced to pick up his life and move to Cape Cod where is only remaining family lives. He instantly feels out of place, clearly seeing that his life on the farm is long ways away from the ocean.

One day, while walking on the beach, he meets a mysterious girl, who slips away before he can find out more about her. Through a series of events, he discovers what, and who he truly is. His new-found identity does not come without consequence. Shea quickly learns that he's stepping into a political battlefield that has existed long before he has. 

I'll start off with the things that I liked:

#1 In tales likes these, there's always a sense of whimsy. Being fantasy, I'd say it's a must! While I felt rather unimpressed by the rest of what was going on, I did get that necessary sense that the fantastical was happening to Shea.

#2 I liked that the protagonist was a boy who turned out to be a merman! I think every merfolk-related book I've read had a female protagonist, which minor references to mermen. It was good to see the male gender being represented in this genre and reminds readers that merfolk aren't just for females. ;)



Things I didn't like:

#1 I thought the writing style itself, and the voices given to the young adult characters were a bit juvenile. I don't mean that in a bad way, but it seemed this book would fit more appropriately in the middle-grade genre. Many times their deliberations and interactions with one another (including the adult characters) were childlike.  

#2 I'm not sure what it is about these mermaid books, but apparently insta-love is a must. I think the targeted audience needs to see examples of infatuation vs. actual love because these lines are being blurred something fierce. Beyond physical attraction (the culprit for the majority of insta-lovers) there's nothing to ground Shea and Kae's relationship. If these two characters are going to dive into the sea of love, (HA! quite literally) I need more explanation as to why than, "We both have green eyes and...oh yeah! We are merfolk."

#3 The climax was completely and utterly underwhelming. I'm not even sure what happened there. There was hardly a plot to be foiled. Anyone could see that the antagonist was aiming for the crown. I simply wanted more to the entire scheme.

#4 To say a little more about the characters, I felt that some were wildly unused! For example, there is a dark sorcerer, Zen, who does next to nothing but Demyan's bidding. I feel like his reasoning could hang over his head for a little while, but not for years and years. A person with that much power doesn't normally sit behind someone less powerful than himself. I think he would have made a better and more sensible antagonist than anyone.

I'm not sure if I will continue on with this series or not. I'd like to see the growth and development of the writing style. However, I'm afraid it will remain the same. I guess we will see.

Vulgarity: I don't recall any.
Sexual content: Kissing only.
Violence: There actually were some rather grotesque scenes in here. There wasn't over-explanation, but more than I expected.

2.5 stars.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Oklahoma, kids become accustomed to storm drills. Having lived there all his life, Shea MacNamara should be used to them. Still, the strange anxiety he has during the drill remains after its over, despite the blue skies overhead. He and his best friend, John, talk about seeing a baseball game in St. Louis. Two girls fawn over the richest kid in school. From the outside, everything seems normal, even as something potent within him insists that something is very wrong. That intuition is proven correct, unfortunately, when he is pulled out of class. It wasn’t a storm drill that afternoon. A tornado did touch down nearby, and it obliterated his farm. His father was unaccounted for and presumed dead. Abandoned by his mother as a baby, fifteen-year-old Shea is now an orphan, which is how he ends up in Massachusetts with a grandmother he’s never before met.

The title of the book, Son of a Mermaid, is clue enough that Shea is no ordinary kid. He is blessed with a photographic memory, which he hides by intentionally under-scoring on tests, and he has an empathy for animals. While not exactly popular in Oklahoma, he is charming and makes friends easily. He demonstrates talent for leadership, but at the same time, he portrays natural self-consciousness. He cannot swim, but he feels drawn to the ocean. He is concerned with the authority of his elders, with rules and laws, while at the same time pushing at those same boundaries. Shae is a teenage boy…curious, impetuous, with a big heart that he gives of graciously.

Kae (pronounced Kay-ee) is very much a mirror of Shea. She is an only child of a couple who serves a mer royal family, and herself a handmaid of Princess Brynneliana. Her people have been at war for years with the Adluos, the clan from of the Southern Atlantic. The two sides have agreed to settle their differences with a good old-fashioned arranged marriage, between Princess Bryneliana, and her six-year old cousin, King Theo. Of course, where there is a political marriage, there’s bound to be plain old dirty politics, and there are shenanigans aplenty. Kae, for reasons she doesn’t understand, is told to leave Shea alone. Don’t talk to him. Don’t look at him. Forget she ever saw him. But, like Shae, she’s fifteen and prone to push at the boundaries her elders set.

Son of a Mermaid is a solid YA paranormal fantasy, with a little bit of romance, a little bit of political intrigue, and a whole lot of teenagers being teenagers. Older teens may find parts of the book predictable, but I think it will appeal greatly to middle school grades.

Content: Ocean-slang cursing. Mild kissing. Mild violence.

[Louann Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Charming

Shea MacNamara, fourteen going on fifteen, is torn from land-locked Oklahoma when his father disappears from the family farm during a tornado. Under the care of his grandmother, Shea is transported to Cape Cod where he meets a beautiful young lady on the beach. Shea likes to pick up the trash, counting each item in his head. From out of nowhere she appears, dripping wet and wearing a bikini.

Kae, a mermaid turned into a land-walker with the help of a special stone,sees Shea and wants to meet him. After a quick hello on the beach, she returns home, wanting to know more of this nice young man. It doesn't help that her mother and father forbid her and for some reason, the name Shea, brings an angst to her family she is unfamiliar with.

Shea, who has never known his mother, discovers from his grandmother, that she is still alive. He was to have met her the summer of his fifteenth birthday. This summer. Except now, his father is dead and his world has collapsed around him. Even the pancakes his grandmother makes remind him of home, of the farm, and of his dad. He's not so sure he wants to meet the woman who abandoned him.

Enter Hailey, a tom boy with a sizzling personality. You will feel her jump off the page and into your heart. Finally, Shea has someone to hang out with. She teaches him the ropes of life on the Cape.

While Shea's world is one of the familiar, beaches, oceans, grandmothers, funky friends, and an odd old lady, Kae's world is filled with mermaids and mermen, princesses, queens, and kings. The balance of power in her kingdom is lost and her princess is forced to marry someone against her will. Kae learns of a legend where a teenage boy, half human and half merman and a beautiful young mermaid will bring harmony back to her world. She can't help but wonder, is Shea the merman of which the prophecy speaks?

Son of a Mermaid is a delightfully charming YA novel that could, if allowed, become a fairytale yarn. Everything you need or expect from such a tale is included, from legs morphing into tails, beautiful young girls, and all of it is seen out of the charming eyes of young boy growing into manhood.

The writing is spectacular, moving you from paragraph to paragraph with ease. The editing is outstanding. I would recommend this novel to any parent or teen looking for a delightful fairy-tale-like novel. In fact, I shall purchase a copy for my grandson. Thanks to the author for allowing me to read Son of a Mermaid.

[Take Me Away To A Great Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, fun, romantic read for young readers! It was clean and I would recommend it for my 11 year old daughter! I really enjoyed the story-line and can't wait to see what happens next!

Shea is a young man living in Oklahoma. He is a farm boy in middle school and is not popular or rich. The kids at school taunt him about his mom leaving and not being around anymore. He starts feeling a tingling in his legs and he wonders if it is just shaking from the storms. Shea has been having nightmares after the tornado but they have nothing to do with tornadoes, they are about the ocean.

Shea's grandmother asks for him to move to Cape Cod, especially after all the devastation and the loss of his Father. Shea had never met his grandmother before. As time goes on his dreams get stronger, more detailed. In his dream he sees a beautiful mermaid under the water that has the same eyes as him. Then when he moves to Cape Cod his dreams get even more vivid with sea monsters and fighting, sharp teeth and he always wakes up in sweaty sheets.

Shea is walking the dog on the beach and picking up trash when the dog runs off. Shea runs after him down the beach, till the he comes to the oceans edge and Lucky is barking. Shea legs are tingling as his feet hit the water and he sees a stone and grabs it, and puts it in his pocket.

Kae is in the water watching Shea, and looses her necklace. She thinks he is cute and wishes she had talked to him but it is against the rules to talk to strangers on the beach.

The first time Shea and Kae meet on the beach he is again picking up trash on the beach. Kae wants to know why he picks up the trash, and he feels that the ocean should not be peoples dumping ground. When Kae touches Shea an electricity runs through him from his neck down his leg, and he pulls away. They both agree to be friends and don't think anything of it.

This was a wonderful story about a young man finding love, friendship and family all after his world is turned upside down! He is thrown into the unknown and handles it with great bravery, and all to save his family and for the peace of his people. I really loved this story and can't wait to see how it continue since enemies are still out there!

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Absolutely love this novel! Fun, Imaginative, Excellent Writing, Five Stars ***

This book filled me with daydreams about lying on sunny beaches and swimming in the cool Atlantic waters.

The mysteries and intrigue start from the very beginning as tragedy strikes fifteen year old Shea MacNamara and takes his father, and only parent, away from him. Shea leaves Oklahoma to move in with his Grandmother in Cape Cod. Shortly after Shae's move he meets Kae, a peculiar and somewhat different "girl" early one morning on the beach. Their attraction to each other is instant and very sweet. The relationship is engaging, cute, and perfect for a YA novel. The story switches between these two characters so the reader is above water at times and below at others.
Kae is a servant to Princess Brynn. The reader gets to know all the Royal family members and Kae's family as well. The Mermaid history and hierarchy is explained clearly and was fascinating to read. There is much strife and dissension among the Royalty living underwater. If you like family secrets, treachery, and ferocious bad guys, you won't be disappointed by Son of a Mermaid.

This novel really resonated with me. I loved the ocean and beach scenes. Maybe it's because I'm a Pisces and have always loved the water, or maybe it is because the author paints vivid and realistic scenes. I could easily imagine every detail about the ocean, the undersea mermaid world, and envision the neighborhood in Cape Cod with perfect clarity - thank you Ms. O'Sullivan!

This was a fantastic beach tale filled with depth, wonderful characters, mystery, betrayal, and tender first love. Katie O'Sullivan writes great descriptions with attention to detail where it matters. Every page was enjoyable, sparked my imagination, and had just the right amount of tension. Although this novel is considered young adult, I think it is a great book for any age! I highly recommend this story and I would read anything written by Katie O'Sullivan.

[Babs | babs_reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Descent to be refreshing. With the NA genre taking the book world by storm I was so glad to read something a bit softer and on the YA side.

Not only was the genre a breath of fresh air, so was the point of view. I loved that we got to view this story through Shea, not many novels use the male character as a main voice. I thoroughly enjoyed that.

The under water world that O'Sullivan built was captivating and vibrant. I wanted to dive into the book and experience the world firsthand.

The story line was a bit predictable which made it a very easy 'surface' read. Not a lot of depth to the plot. Though simple it was still executed in a way that kept me interested and invested in learning the outcome.

I definitely felt like the shock value wasn't there for Shea. That's why I rated this a 4 and not a 5. He really took everything in stride and didn't balk once. His trust for Kae was unyielding in such a short time. I was quite surprised he hardly questioned her and was jumping into an ocean, knowing he can't swim, within the span of an hour tops of learning his heritage. His trust was blind.

I liked the ending and felt that it resolved the issues within the story and left it open for future novels. I will check them out simply because I want to see how well Shea does in his new life. Plus there's the whole Shea and Kae matter that will unfold interestingly.

[Heather Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book, I was actually very surprised to realize I never read a book about mermaids. What a fun concept for a YA novel! I wasn’t sure if I’d relate to a male teen narrator, but I ended up really loving Shea along with the rest of the characters.

Shea really grew as a character throughout the book. He has to deal with a large number of obstacles, including the devastating loss of his dad and a move across the country. I liked how well he rolled with everything and tried to make the best out of the situation, like picking up trash along the beach in his new town.

I love sweet romances and Son of a Mermaid featured a great one between Shea and Kae. I liked how the author decided to switch narrators so that I got to learn more about the hierarchy of the mermaid kingdom. I loved the descriptions of the kingdom. I grew up next to the beach and it was cool to imagine a whole world existing in the depths of the ocean.

The story really started to pick up after Shea’s transformation. I liked how Kae and Shea began to rely on each other in order to take down the baddie Demyan. The second half of the novel was filled with plenty of action and adventure.

The book is definitely clean enough for younger teen readers. Fans of young adult action adventure stories will definitely love Son of a Mermaid.

Rating; 4.5/5 Stars

[Constance Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shea is whisked away to Cape Cod, to live with a grandmother he doesn’t even know after a freak tornado destroys his family’s farm and takes the life of his father. In the days that follow he meets Kae, who has secrets of her own and seems to know more about Shea’s heritage than he does.

In this Young Adult novel, O’Sullivan paints a detailed picture, both on land and under the sea, where her world building is exceptional. When Shea is finally realizes he’s the son of a mermaid and accompanies Kae below the surface to help his family, we are treated to a rich and meticulous backdrop by this talented author.

At its heart, this is a sweet tale of finding one’s place in the world and learning to accept others – and ourselves. Our differences make each of us unique and special, and O’Sullivan brings this across in a very entertaining tale.

Highly recommend this fun read.
(less)

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie O'Sullivan has created a world of mermaids that anyone would love to visit. Her description of the Cape Cod area makes the reader feel like they are there, or have visited it for themselves. I found myself wanting to walk along the beach with Shae every morning.

Shae MacNamara is a well adjusted kid, who just happens to have one heck of a family secret- a secret he doesn't even know about until he has a goof with a trip into the Ocean. Half- merman, well, growing gills would freak out anyone.

Full of fantasy and adventure, partially set in a wonderful spot in the US, this is a great summer read.

I didn't want it to end, and honestly, I wish I had more than five stars to give this one.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Son of a Mermaid is a very enjoyable book filled with vivid descriptions of Cape Cod and the ocean. I love how Katie describes the ocean life and gives the reader a whole new outlook on life in the ocean. I could picture myself swimming side by side with the fish and Kae. I could also smell the salt water and feel the breeze as if I were laying on the sand letting the sun warm my cheeks. Beautifully written for a YA and the young at heart.

Original storyline and loveable characters. This book has the whole package. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to read a really fun and entertaining book.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this because there are so many books on mermaids but there seem to be few on mermen. I found the book to be okay but I kept losing interest for some reason and had to force myself to continue finishing it. I am not sure why I had trouble reading it (I think it was just me) but I know others who have read it and enjoyed it more than I did.

[Sherlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on Mermaid with a Book

Son of a Mermaid is such an adorable book. When Katie approached me for a review, I immediately agreed (because, as you know, I am such a mer-freak).

How interesting can a son of a mermaid be? Not many mermaid books have guys as main characters, but Son of a Mermaid does fairly well with one. Katie proves this by filling her book with likeable characters, especially Shea. A boy with unique traits, one of which is a brilliant memory (thanks to his mer-heritage), Shea's POVs start off in a most amusing way by featuring the different kinds of trash he remembers clearing off from the beach. Even though Shea's upset about his missing father, he doesn't stay angry or miserable at his situation and tries his best to get used to Cape Cod. The longer he stays there, the more his curiosity about his mother, whom he never knew much about, grows. He also takes to his merman transformation pretty well and is quick to adapt.

Kae is a character I grew to love just a teeny bit more than Shea! I find that Kae's character has a little more depth than Shea and I connected with her really quickly. Her speech is occasionally peppered with bits of mermaid slang like "I'm such a jellyfish!" and "... you clownfish". It was so cute and wasn't too overwhelming. Her unfamiliarity with the human world is very charming as well. I admire how Kae's bravery slowly emerges as she seeks out the answers to her questions. She's a believable character who's got her own insecurities, especially those concerning her growing attraction to Shea.

The supporting characters do not pale in comparison, either. Hailey is quite amusing, what with grading everyday things using A pluses and B minuses with her brother. I soon viewed her as an annoyance in Shea and Kae's relationship, which was great as it meant that Katie was doing her job in making me feel something towards Hailey, who didn't fade into the background. Mr Guenther is pretty amazing as well, though I wish he had dropped more hints earlier. I think it would have been better if Brynneliana (can't say I like her name very much, it's such a mouthful) had been a more prominent character and had her own POV, as she's rather an important person mermaid to Shea. Shea's granddad is the funniest granddad I've read about in a while. As for the villain, Demyan is really convincing and we haven't seen the last of him yet!

Katie paints a beautiful picture of Cape Cod and Kae's watery world beneath the surface. Both were easy for me to visualise, and I particularly love the portrayal of the merfolk and their underwater world. Who knew mer-politics could be so interesting? The third-person POVs of Shea and Kae are simple and clear, while showing how the mer-royals are formal in language with each other.

The conflict is strong and the plot is brilliantly woven. The romance between Shea and Kae isn't the highlight of the story, which is a nice change, but it came off a tad strong in the last part of the book though. The ending is not bad at all, with the promise of even more adventures for Shea and Kae.

I was totally entertained by this novel and am absolutely looking forward to the release of the sequel, Blood of a Mermaid! Son of a Mermaid is perfect for younger teens as well as older ones, especially if you're looking for a light and enjoyable afternoon read. It'll take you on an amazing underwater adventure and leave you gasping for more, so dive in!

[Pete Tarsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an author of a Young Adult mermaid story, I decided that I wanted to see what else was out there in the genre. The first book I chose to read was Son of a Mermaid by Katie O’Sullivan because, like my book, it was set on the coast and surrounding waters of New England. I’m thrilled that my exploration into the ocean of YA-mermaid-stories started here because it was an absolutely delightful story.

The story starts in Oklahoma—perhaps the most unlikely place in America to begin a story that involves mermaids. Shea McNamara, the main character, is just trying to fit in at school. He’s exceptionally bright with a tremendous memory, which he often hides to appear somewhat normal. An unfortunate tragedy strikes, and Shea loses his father in a tornado. Having never met his mother, Shea is forced to move to Cape Cod to live with his grandmother.

There he meets two girls: the nosy-neighbor/trustworthy-sidekick Hailey and the mysteriously enchanting Kae. These two characters and Shea are quite distinct, and the interactions between them read true. Shea needs this support system because he’s not connecting with his grandmother and he’s already gotten in trouble for walking his dog on the beach—even though he admirably cleans up (and lists) garbage from the beach.

When he falls into the water, a strange transformation occurs, and Shea develops gills. It turns out that he may be the titular Son of a Mermaid. Kae is also a mermaid whose family serves a princess. Under the sea, she’s about to be married for the purely political reason of uniting mermaids from different oceans. I shall keep this a spoiler-free review, but there’s undersea intrigue and espionage, and Shea and Kae get themselves involved—perhaps more deeply than either of them expected.

What I liked beyond the fun and exciting story (a great beach read!) and the well-developed characters was the attention to detail. The undersea society easily parallels a human society with royals and alliances and servants, and its population behaves enough like humans to follow what they’re doing but differently enough to make them otherworldly. The settings, both on and off land, are vividly described and easy to visualize. But it’s the little details, such as the explanation why mermaids (and Shea) have such great memories since they can’t write things down underwater! Clever details like that made me chuckle and kept me immersed in the story.

But more than those reasons, I really enjoyed that the main character was a boy instead of a girl. Even though I haven’t read many other YA mermaid stories yet, I would expect Son of a Mermaid will stand out as one with a different perspective.

For well-developed characters and plot that really hooks the reader, along with a well-realized world, I give the first book of the Son of a Mermaid series FIVE STARS.

[Zachary Flye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for my blog, Zach's YA Reivews, (zachsyareviews.com)

Review:

Protagonists: Shea MacNamara is forced to move in with his grandmother after his father's disappearance and supposed death.While in Cape Cod, Shea learns more about himself and his lineage than he ever thought possible Kae lives under the sea and waits upon the royal family, more specifically, the princess of the Atlantic merfolk. The lives of these two individuals changes forever once they meet. While I liked both of these characters, I felt like the could have used a bit more character development as they were both pretty well developed in the beginning of the story.

Romance: I enjoyed this romance, mainly because it didn't take up the bulk of the book, in fact it wasn't really there at all until closer to the end. Sure there were hints here and there that these two characters were going to spawn a romance, there was even a slight hint at a love triangle, though I may have been reading too much into it. The romance didn't go too slow nor did it go too fast which was a definite plus in my book.

World-Building: In this world that the author has built the merfolk are sorted into tribes inhabiting each of the five oceans. Some tribes are extremely prejudiced against "drylanders" while others do their best to live alongside them, this has sparked a war that when the book begins is drawing to a close due to to a treaty between the majors tribes. The world-building is amazing and is very well thought out, with political intrigue, and betrayal this book holds something for everyone.

Predictability: This book does have some very predictable and rather cliched moments that were rather unfortunate. Though it does get better the farther you get into the book, the twists become less and less predictable, and the twists come up almost completely unexpected. There weren't too many larger shocking moments, for the most part they seemed rather small though when they were larger those were usually the ones that were hard to figure out ahead of time.

Ending: This book had a very strong ending, and one that hints at, hopefully, more books to come. Though the ending wasn't anything too dramatic and for the most part stayed fairly plateaued it did give strong signs to a sequel which is hopefully in the works. As the story drew to a close I found myself much more invested in the story and became more and more excited as things started to be revealed.

Rating:

While this book didn't blow me out of the water, it's still a great summer read and wonderful addition to anyone's library. It starts off a bit slow at first but it quickly picks up, and as I've said the ending is very strong and probably my favorite part.

[Jessica Jett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review, and may contain spoilers.

Shea MacNamara, is a teenage boy close to his fifteenth birthday, living on a farm in Oklahoma when his father disappears suspiciously during a tornado. His father is assumed dead and he has no other immediate family in the vicinity so his grandmother comes to take Shea back to Cape Cod to live with her. Shea misses his friend back home in Oklahoma but he acquires a new buddy in the stray dog, Lucky, that Gramma Martha allows him to keep. While taking Lucky on walks Shea likes to pick up the trash that is left or washes up on the beach. He counts and catalogs each item in his head and remembers each one. During one of these trips Shea meets an interesting young girl named Kae

Kae, is a mermaid who possesses the ability to turn into a land-walker with the help of a special stone. She finds Shea alluring and wants to meet him. Kae introduces herself but they are interrupted by and she has to return home, but still needing to know more about the strange young boy who picks up the garbage that the humans drop on the beach that invades the salt water that she calls home.

Shea returns home and discovers through his grandmother that the mother he has never met, who he believed dead, is still alive and was wanting his father to bring him to Cape Cod so she could meet him before the tornado happened and derailed those plans.
He feels sick to his stomach. He feels home sick, he misses Oklahoma, and his father. The only loving parent he's known. Shea's not so sure he wants to meet the woman who abandoned him.

I don't like to include very many spoilers in my reviews, I feel that it takes away from the story once you begin reading it. I will say Son of a Mermaid was a fantastic, intriguing read. I enjoyed all of the characters, they were interesting in their own unique ways. It was humorous and Shea was very relateable.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance and most important of all, MERMAIDS. I personally love anything related to mermaids, especially books, I actively seek things out.

I will be reading the next book in this series titled, Blood of a Mermaid which is set to be released in May, and I hope you enjoy this book enough to do the same.

Happy reading!

[Emmeline (The Book Herald) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC from Wicked Whale Publishing via NG in return for an honest review

This story went on swimmingly! (sorry i had to make a pun there, you saw it coming!)

let's chat about the plot.

Shea MacNamara is a simple country boy.
He tends the farm with his dad, goes to high school, has a best friend named John, you can't get more normal than that.
Until the day a tornado devastates his town. Until strange and bizarre sensations makes his skin crawl. Until he loses his Father- the only parent or family he has ever known.
Shea moves with his estranged grandmother who lives by the sea, and strange things starts happening to him.
One thing in particular is a girl who is always in the sea when he walks alone on the beach, a girl that sends his heart racing.
Something is strange about this girl.
But more than that, this girl seems to know something about him that he's not sure he wants to know.
Shea is propelled into a world where a deranged ocean prince seeks ultimate power.
But shea may just be the one to change the tide of war!

I'm Sorry! I know I being really heavy on the puns right now, but can you blame me? this plot is asking for it! I personally love my 'change the tide of war' one.

But I digress,

In theory I liked this story. It was...slow, slower than I usually like it. I mean, Shea doesn't even get into the water until about 60% of the story, so the whole time we're waiting for it and when it does happen, the story finishes.

I do like the plot and the characters too, i even found it fascinating the way Prince Demyan and the court intrigue of the mermaids/men.

Its a good story, not the most original story but still enjoyable!

There is a romance in here and it was nice that it wasn't with a princess or a noble woman but with a commoner, well...more like a servant. So that was cool!

There was at first shades of a love triangle but that got torn down really quickly.

If you like reading books about Mermaids, War, Royalty and Love, then you'll definitely like this one!

Stay awesome my lovelies!

-The Book Herald

Tweet me @thebookherald

[Shawna Romkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and fun, like a day at the beach!

Normally I'm a slow reader, but Son of a Mermaid washed over me like ocean waves. I was immediately taken with the main character, Shea, and felt for him and the events that befell him in Oklahoma.

I couldn't wait for him to find out who he truly was and really enjoyed his journey and the descriptions of the undersea world that O'Sullivan creates. The characters are real, the sea world is fun, and the story kept me reading late into the night.

I really enjoyed this first book in a series and can't wait to read the rest! This is a great YA read!

[Howard Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of us are familiar in some way with the ballet, Swan Lake; lots of female dancers in white and a couple of token male dancers. In 1995, Matthew Bourne launched his own adaptation in which the female corps de ballet is replaced by male dancers and the focus is shifted away from Odette and towards Prince Siegfried. Since its debut, this ballet has not been off the stage – somewhere in the world – for more than a few months and was the longest running ballet on Broadway and London’s West End.

Katie O’Sullivan’s Son of a Mermaid is like Bourne’s adaptation in that the central character is male and it follows in the footsteps of Zoraida Cordova’s Vicious Deep series. Although both books share elements of similar themes found in female focused Mer-fiction, they provide a refreshing take on an oft told story and it is hoped that Young Adult males as well as the traditional female audience will enjoy both of these stories.  Whereas Zoraida Cordova’s series is definitely geared more towards the upper end of the YA age range, Katie O’Sullivan’s Son of a Mermaid serves the lower end of the range quite ably.

Shea MacNamara keeps losing members of his family. His mother left when Shea was a baby, his Uncle and Grandfather lost their lives when a rogue wave hit their fishing boat off of Cape Cod and most recently his father was swept away in a tornado that struck the family farm in Plainville, Oklahoma on the eve of Shea’s  15th birthday. Indeed, the only remaining relative is his paternal grandmother, Martha, whom he has never met. Martha MacNamara arrives in the days after Shea loses his father to take him “home” to Cape Cod, a place to which he has never been. While Oklahoma was almost as far away from the ocean as one could be,  the shores of the Cape were as close  to the ocean as one could be without actually being in it. However, in the ocean is one place that he has been told not to go. It’s just as well since Shea’s father, Tom, was never keen on his being in the water or learning to swim.

While Shea is homesick for his friends and school back in Oklahoma, living with his grandmother does have one benefit as he is finally able to learn something about his mother. Tom MacNamara was silent on that subject and asking questions about his mother had been a no-go area for all of Shea’s 15 years. Rather than dying in childbirth or abandoning Shea and his father entirely, his mother is still very much alive and his parents have kept in touch over the years. There is so much more to learn but the answers will be slow in coming. The biggest question Shea has is “Why?”

To pass the time, Shea walks up and down the beach with the family dog every morning to collect the detritus of human life that finds itself upon the sand, either en route to or returning from the ocean. While he is pondering “why” and “how”, Shea is being watched.

Hiding amidst the waves, she’d watched him walk the length of the beach and back again, gathering up the debris that’d become all too common along the shoreline. Something about him fascinated her.

She wasn’t supposed to talk to strangers at the beach. That was a hard and fast rule that she’d only broken once before. But those had been girls, and they’d been much younger. This was a boy…and a cute one at that.

The girl’s name is Kae and Shea will meet her on occasion as the days go by. She is something of an oddity as Kae doesn’t seem to understand the basics of life like wearing blue jeans or riding a bicycle. Another oddity is added to his life in the form of Hailey Thompson, a 13 year-old  transplant from New York City with a voracious appetite and a penchant for rapid fire questions and pronouncements. Stir in a helping of quirky neighbours and Shea has an interesting  summer ahead of him. This includes things like taking Hailey fishing – or rather, Shea going fishing with Hailey tagging along. Thanks to Hailey, Shea winds up tumbling off the dock and like a stone, sinking to the bottom where he discovers – after some anxiety -- that he can breathe water. It appears that there are indeed some things about which he needs to learn.

It is Kae who becomes his teacher and she tells Shea who and what he really is. He is a merman and the son of Princess Brynnelania. At some point in their lives, most young boys dream of being able to rescue their mom from something or other and Shea is presented with the perfect opportunity. His mother is being coerced into an arranged marriage for political reasons and the fact that her prospective fiancé is only 6 years old makes her situation even worse. Though Shea himself is only 15 years old, he intends to do something about the situation and getting from the shore to the King’s Summer palace requires a different form of locomotion than he is used to. Kae shows him how easy it is by rubbing a special stone and repeating some special words.

Having never even been in the ocean before, or any large body of water for that matter, each new sensation amazed Shea. Every new sight, every new smell, every different texture that he reached out to run his fingers across. Everything was so completely different than anything he’d ever imagined.

Each nuance of his new appendage, the shimmering tail that was suddenly a part of him, continued to fascinate and distract him. All five of his senses threatened to overload from the sheer pleasure of the cool ocean current caressing his body. He felt like the ocean was running its fingers through his hair, welcoming him home. He wondered if he’d ever be able to get used to the feeling enough to ignore it completely.

Son of a Mermaid is a fun and enjoyable story and Katie O’Sullivan has done an outstanding job in bringing Shea MacNamara’s  story to life.  There is mystery and adventure in this tale of tails as well as enough young romance to interest YA girls. The romance will probably also interest YA boys as well though they most likely will not admit it. Although Shea does play the hero in this story, MS O’Sullivan has definitely included Kae in the action and this rescue against all odds in not a one mer-man show. Katie also artfully educates the reader concerning the growing problem of trash that both intentionally and unintentionally finds its way into our planet’s oceans.

By the end of the story, readers will want to know what happens next as there are some questions left unanswered. Fortunately for everyone – and that includes this reviewer – Katie O’Sullivan has planned more books in the series, the first of which is due in the Spring of next year (2014). Do not let the fact that her exciting and mysterious coming of age story is aimed at the younger YA market put you off. Among other things, reading should provide a fun and entertaining escape from the mundane experiences of everyday life. Son of a Mermaid provides exactly such an escape and this reviewer believes that anyone interested in mer-fiction will enjoy losing themselves in this story.

[Sam Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

liked the book until it switched POV's. I could personally relate to Shea and what he was going through and it was an semi interesting story but when I got to Zen's perspective I could not follow it.