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Selina Penaluna
Selina Penaluna is a merrymaid - or so she believes...Taken as a baby to the seashore, she slips from her mother's grasp and plunges deep into a rockpool. When her mother finally gets a hold of the slippery creature, she finds a mermaid child looking back at her - her baby taken and replaced by a mermaid changeling...Ellen and Jack are twins, evacuated from the East End of London to Cornwall during the Second World War. The family that takes them in are middle-class and a little stuffy but Ellen relishes the opportunity to better herself. But Jack is different. He finds their attentions stifling and seeks freedom in the arms of Selina, the mysterious local girl he sees at the shore. Selina, Ellen and Jack's lives are intertwined in a series of events that lead to tragedy. Could Selina have finally reverted to her merrymaid roots?
373 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2008
9 people are currently reading
1170 people want to read
About the author
Jan Page
21 books18 followersJAN PAGE is a novelist, screenwriter, and television producer, whose experience ranges right across the age spectrum. Over the years, she has written hundreds of episodes of television and thirteen of her plays have been professionally staged. Jan lives in London and is co-founder of Adastra, an independent production company specializing in the children’s sector.
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May 21, 2011Hm, isn't this the same girl on the North of Beautiful cover? Sounds intriguing, though...
December 19, 2023
I found myself to be quite disappointed with this book. It is a tale set in Cornwall during the Second World War where twins, Jack and Ellen, are evacuated. There is a local girl, Selina, that Jack is drawn to but Ellen doesn't like.
The whole story is written from one of these viewpoints but some of the time I wasn't entirely sure whose viewpoint I was reading until I'd read a couple of pages. Then I would go back to make sure that I hadn't missed anything relevant to that character.
I found it hard to connect with any of these characters. Jack came across as a spoilt boy, Selina was probably the best character, as I wasn't sure whether or not to like her or not. Whether she was an innocent or a schemer. Ellen came across as someone desperate for approval and like so many in that position, will never get it. The parts that are written as Ellen as an old lady have a faintly bitter and self-pitying flavour to them which I didn't like. Perhaps it is a generational thing, but if you are not happy with your life, then change it.
There is a bit in the middle that I didn't understand at all. Paul Blanchard. Did he actually ever meet Selina or not? I didn't find this clear at all although I did understand how he and Jack connected later on in the story.
I'm glad I stuck with this book and finished it as I hate leaving books halfway through but I'm afraid that's about as good as it gets for me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 17, 2013
The whole story is written from one of these viewpoints but some of the time I wasn't entirely sure whose viewpoint I was reading until I'd read a couple of pages. Then I would go back to make sure that I hadn't missed anything relevant to that character.
I found it hard to connect with any of these characters. Jack came across as a spoilt boy, Selina was probably the best character, as I wasn't sure whether or not to like her or not. Whether she was an innocent or a schemer. Ellen came across as someone desperate for approval and like so many in that position, will never get it. The parts that are written as Ellen as an old lady have a faintly bitter and self-pitying flavour to them which I didn't like. Perhaps it is a generational thing, but if you are not happy with your life, then change it.
There is a bit in the middle that I didn't understand at all. Paul Blanchard. Did he actually ever meet Selina or not? I didn't find this clear at all although I did understand how he and Jack connected later on in the story.
I'm glad I stuck with this book and finished it as I hate leaving books halfway through but I'm afraid that's about as good as it gets for me.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 17, 2013
July 21, 2009
really interesting book that looks at people of every age from 2 different periods, the 1940s and now. It's a really unusual and poetic book about a girl who thinks she is a mermaid. And of course mermaids kill the men who fall in love with them. So what happens when Jack falls in love with Selina, who may have multiple personalities OR may really be a mermaid....
this is a fascinating well written book.
this is a fascinating well written book.
July 19, 2009
Selina Penaluna is a story full of mystery and intrigue set on the stunning Cornwall coast.
I was surprised that the narration was split between Selina, young Ellen and old Ellen. It gave a dimension to the story that couldn’t have been obtained from just one narrator. Seeing the events from two different points of view and also as a memory gave different takes on events and also displayed the widespread effects. It was a very clever way to tell the story and suited Selina Penaluna perfectly.
After reading the blurb on the back of the book I instantly expected to dislike Ellen. I don’t know why, but I did. So imagine my surprise when it’s Jack I take dislike too. He was whiney, selfish and incredibly rude. Although I understood why he was like this it still irritated me. Ellen was everything that I expected her to be but she had a charm that just wouldn’t allow me to get annoyed at her.
The ending was the most dramatic part of Selina Penaluna. It packed a subtle punch; it crept up on me and I was so surprised that I forgot to be shocked! I didn’t seeing it coming at all and I thought it ended brilliantly, though it did just increase my dislike for Jack!
Selina Penaluna is the perfect read for lovers of stories full of magic, mystery and the tragedy of World War II.
I was surprised that the narration was split between Selina, young Ellen and old Ellen. It gave a dimension to the story that couldn’t have been obtained from just one narrator. Seeing the events from two different points of view and also as a memory gave different takes on events and also displayed the widespread effects. It was a very clever way to tell the story and suited Selina Penaluna perfectly.
After reading the blurb on the back of the book I instantly expected to dislike Ellen. I don’t know why, but I did. So imagine my surprise when it’s Jack I take dislike too. He was whiney, selfish and incredibly rude. Although I understood why he was like this it still irritated me. Ellen was everything that I expected her to be but she had a charm that just wouldn’t allow me to get annoyed at her.
The ending was the most dramatic part of Selina Penaluna. It packed a subtle punch; it crept up on me and I was so surprised that I forgot to be shocked! I didn’t seeing it coming at all and I thought it ended brilliantly, though it did just increase my dislike for Jack!
Selina Penaluna is the perfect read for lovers of stories full of magic, mystery and the tragedy of World War II.
March 7, 2013
1 star. (I'm feeling particularly generous today.)
This book was a complete nonsense, ugly and frustrating.
The 99% of the book was a mess of facts without a logic, and I was
The end didn't have a sense at all. It was like the author thought: "Oh, my, I've already written 350 pages and I can't write more than 384 pages, my poor readers could die!! Let's finish this book!!"
November 14, 2010
Me l'aspettavo del tutto diverso, colpa diuna copertina che trae in inganno e di un nome (il titolo) che evoca personaggi fantastici.
Di fantasy non c'è nulla, solo la nostra immaginazione!
Se da un lato mi ha fatto piacere non ritrovare la solita storia di adolescenti alle prese con un mondo di streghe-vampiri e simili, dall'altro non ho apprezzato il modo in cui raccontata questa storia. Poteva essere più coinvolgente e scorrevole, ma l'ho trovata a tratti davvero noiosa e ho preferito spesso scorrere velocemente le pagine piuttosto che leggerne ogni particolare superfluo...
Insomma: se c'era il rischio di restare incantati dalle sirene, bè non l'ho corso.
Di fantasy non c'è nulla, solo la nostra immaginazione!
Se da un lato mi ha fatto piacere non ritrovare la solita storia di adolescenti alle prese con un mondo di streghe-vampiri e simili, dall'altro non ho apprezzato il modo in cui raccontata questa storia. Poteva essere più coinvolgente e scorrevole, ma l'ho trovata a tratti davvero noiosa e ho preferito spesso scorrere velocemente le pagine piuttosto che leggerne ogni particolare superfluo...
Insomma: se c'era il rischio di restare incantati dalle sirene, bè non l'ho corso.
August 15, 2020
Sorry Jan Page, Selina Penaluna just did not "cut the mustard". I bought it because it was advertised as a book about a mermaid. Or to be precise, a human who might really be a mermaid. Well, I like books about mermaids, so that was why I decided to read the book. It had a really good start, but as it progressed it became more and more disjointed, then towards the end it just fell to pieces. I have been reading this book this week. At first I was quite enthused. But it just deteriorated and got worse and worse. Today I read the last forty pages, and these were awful. As soon as I finished the last page I thought "what a washout, that was a total waste of time"
One problem is the narrative splits between several people, Selina Penaluna herself, Ellen as a young girl during the Second World War, Ellen now, circa 2000. It might help if you had a heading at the start of each chapter to say who is speaking.
Alright the book is about a mermaid, so a bit of fantasy would be alright. But the odd thing is, while I can buy the bits about how Selina might be a mermaid, a lot of bits about the ordinary humans living ordinary lives don't add up.
Ellen and Jack are Second World War evacuees. As children they are sent to Cornwall, where a wealthy couple, Charles and Clara Rosewarne take them in. Ellen takes to the Rosewarnes right away and co-operates wtih them. Jack is quite open that he is unhappy with the Rosewarnes and wishes he was back home. Yet right from the start the Rosewarnes prefer Jack. Ellen and Jack's parents then die in the blitz, so the Rosewarnes adopt them, and send them to fee paying schools to ensure they will get a good education, an opportunity Ellen and Jack would never have had if they had stayed with their parents. Ellen is very happy with this, and works hard at school for a university scholarship. Ellen wants the Rosewarnes to be proud of her. Jack wholly rebels, just goofs off and plays up at school, refuses to cooperate, shows the Rosewarnes nothing but hostility, and says he wishes he was back with his real parents in East London. Yet Jack is still the favourite. Ellen then, almost by accident, makes the discovery that the Rosewarnes had a son, Henry, who died aged four, and Jack was born about the same time as Henry, so they regard Jack as a substitute son, even though he is horrible to them. Yet, the Rosewarnes never once mentioned their lost son to Ellen or Jack, Ellen only finds out by accident, and then keeps the discovery completely to herself. Sorry, that just does not make any sense to me.
Quite a lot of this book is Ellen, as she is now, an elderly lady and a grandmother, reminiscing about the past. Right from the start Ellen keeps saying how her brother Jack had drowned. As the narrative progresses we find that ungrateful Jack ran away from the Rosewarnes and Ellen. He planned to elope with Selina Penaluna. Jack and Selina went away in a boat. The day they left there was a storm, the boat was never seen again. Two weeks later a drowned man was found in the sea, who was identified as Jack. In the final few pages we find that Jack had never drowned at all, he just faked his disappearance and has been living under an assumed name in the USA. He has married, then he has the audacity to tell his wife that he never really loved her, because the only woman he loved was Selina Penaluna, so she was never anything more than a second-rate substitute. Nor does Jack seem very concerned that Ellen had spent 50 years grieving for his loss, and the Rosewarnes had died broken hearted because they lost their son a second time. Well, really, this just verges on ludicrous. In all honesty, if Jack was my long lost brother, I think I would disown him and refuse to have anything more to do with him at this point.
Plus we have some horrible bits about sex that I really found upsetting. Selina Penaluna's father sexually abuses her. Ellen finds Jack and Selina having intercourse in her bedroom. Well, thats horrible.
And while we have an end for Selina Penaluna, who becomes a mermaid, this is just very hurredly tacked on at the end in the most usatisfactory way. In fact, the whole mermaid bit is rather disappointing.
Oh, and here's another thing. Chapter two, which is only two and a bit pages long, says that Morva Penaluna, a Cornishwoman, is with her baby on the beach, near a pool. Her baby falls into the pool and disappears. Morva is distraught. Then another baby comes out of the pool. Somehow, Morva suspects this may not be her baby, but she takes it anyway. The baby whom Morva takes home then grows up to be Selina Penaluna, the titular character of the book. Well, we have the story of the mermaid child who was taken by a human mother. But what happened to the mortal, human child who fell into the pool? That is never explained. And all this happens when Selina Penaluna is only a few days old, so she is unlikely to recall this. So how does Selina Penaluna get the idea that she is a mermaid? Did her mother, Morva, tell her? I do not recall that. Then, as Selina Penaluna grows up, she develops a wild, mysterious, unearthly beauty. Men who see her are entranced by her. This leads her to suspect that she is really a mermaid. But all we get is her thinking that she is a mermaid. We never see her doing anything that might suggest that this is nothing more than a fantasy, a "coping mechanism" she has imagined to cover up for the fact that her home life is unhappy (her mother deserts her and her father sexually abuses her). Usually when a person suspects they are a mermaid (or merman) they find themselves mysteriously drawn to the sea, then they find they are exceptionally good swimmers, or they go to the seaside and they meet a real mermaid or merman (with a tail) who introduces them to the undersea world. Or, if nothing else, they have dreams in which they are swimming around underwater. But none of this happens to Selina. BUT, right at the end of the book, almost as if it was tacked on as an afterthought, we have rather less than three pages in which Selina goes into the sea and finds she is really a mermaid, at which point the book ends, with nothing whatsoever about how she might adjust to her new mermaid life. So, while the book is supposed to be about how the title character is a mermaid, out of 370 pages, rather less than 6 pages are about her mermaid life, and these almost seem to have been tacked on as an afterthought, as these 6 pages really have very little connection with the other 364 pages of the book. WHAT AN UTTER LET DOWN !!!
Sorry if I have given you spoilers, but, in all honesty I was so disappointed with this book, that I think I am doing everybody a favour by telling them how it ends, because it means you do not have to waste their time reading it, the way I did.
As I say, I enjoy reading fantasy novels about mermaids, but I'll make an exception with this one! I'll go back to reading Liz Kessler's Emily Windsnap books and Sibeal Pounder's Bad Mermaids. At least, they don't include twisted, perverted sex, and they make me laugh, too.
One problem is the narrative splits between several people, Selina Penaluna herself, Ellen as a young girl during the Second World War, Ellen now, circa 2000. It might help if you had a heading at the start of each chapter to say who is speaking.
Alright the book is about a mermaid, so a bit of fantasy would be alright. But the odd thing is, while I can buy the bits about how Selina might be a mermaid, a lot of bits about the ordinary humans living ordinary lives don't add up.
Ellen and Jack are Second World War evacuees. As children they are sent to Cornwall, where a wealthy couple, Charles and Clara Rosewarne take them in. Ellen takes to the Rosewarnes right away and co-operates wtih them. Jack is quite open that he is unhappy with the Rosewarnes and wishes he was back home. Yet right from the start the Rosewarnes prefer Jack. Ellen and Jack's parents then die in the blitz, so the Rosewarnes adopt them, and send them to fee paying schools to ensure they will get a good education, an opportunity Ellen and Jack would never have had if they had stayed with their parents. Ellen is very happy with this, and works hard at school for a university scholarship. Ellen wants the Rosewarnes to be proud of her. Jack wholly rebels, just goofs off and plays up at school, refuses to cooperate, shows the Rosewarnes nothing but hostility, and says he wishes he was back with his real parents in East London. Yet Jack is still the favourite. Ellen then, almost by accident, makes the discovery that the Rosewarnes had a son, Henry, who died aged four, and Jack was born about the same time as Henry, so they regard Jack as a substitute son, even though he is horrible to them. Yet, the Rosewarnes never once mentioned their lost son to Ellen or Jack, Ellen only finds out by accident, and then keeps the discovery completely to herself. Sorry, that just does not make any sense to me.
Quite a lot of this book is Ellen, as she is now, an elderly lady and a grandmother, reminiscing about the past. Right from the start Ellen keeps saying how her brother Jack had drowned. As the narrative progresses we find that ungrateful Jack ran away from the Rosewarnes and Ellen. He planned to elope with Selina Penaluna. Jack and Selina went away in a boat. The day they left there was a storm, the boat was never seen again. Two weeks later a drowned man was found in the sea, who was identified as Jack. In the final few pages we find that Jack had never drowned at all, he just faked his disappearance and has been living under an assumed name in the USA. He has married, then he has the audacity to tell his wife that he never really loved her, because the only woman he loved was Selina Penaluna, so she was never anything more than a second-rate substitute. Nor does Jack seem very concerned that Ellen had spent 50 years grieving for his loss, and the Rosewarnes had died broken hearted because they lost their son a second time. Well, really, this just verges on ludicrous. In all honesty, if Jack was my long lost brother, I think I would disown him and refuse to have anything more to do with him at this point.
Plus we have some horrible bits about sex that I really found upsetting. Selina Penaluna's father sexually abuses her. Ellen finds Jack and Selina having intercourse in her bedroom. Well, thats horrible.
And while we have an end for Selina Penaluna, who becomes a mermaid, this is just very hurredly tacked on at the end in the most usatisfactory way. In fact, the whole mermaid bit is rather disappointing.
Oh, and here's another thing. Chapter two, which is only two and a bit pages long, says that Morva Penaluna, a Cornishwoman, is with her baby on the beach, near a pool. Her baby falls into the pool and disappears. Morva is distraught. Then another baby comes out of the pool. Somehow, Morva suspects this may not be her baby, but she takes it anyway. The baby whom Morva takes home then grows up to be Selina Penaluna, the titular character of the book. Well, we have the story of the mermaid child who was taken by a human mother. But what happened to the mortal, human child who fell into the pool? That is never explained. And all this happens when Selina Penaluna is only a few days old, so she is unlikely to recall this. So how does Selina Penaluna get the idea that she is a mermaid? Did her mother, Morva, tell her? I do not recall that. Then, as Selina Penaluna grows up, she develops a wild, mysterious, unearthly beauty. Men who see her are entranced by her. This leads her to suspect that she is really a mermaid. But all we get is her thinking that she is a mermaid. We never see her doing anything that might suggest that this is nothing more than a fantasy, a "coping mechanism" she has imagined to cover up for the fact that her home life is unhappy (her mother deserts her and her father sexually abuses her). Usually when a person suspects they are a mermaid (or merman) they find themselves mysteriously drawn to the sea, then they find they are exceptionally good swimmers, or they go to the seaside and they meet a real mermaid or merman (with a tail) who introduces them to the undersea world. Or, if nothing else, they have dreams in which they are swimming around underwater. But none of this happens to Selina. BUT, right at the end of the book, almost as if it was tacked on as an afterthought, we have rather less than three pages in which Selina goes into the sea and finds she is really a mermaid, at which point the book ends, with nothing whatsoever about how she might adjust to her new mermaid life. So, while the book is supposed to be about how the title character is a mermaid, out of 370 pages, rather less than 6 pages are about her mermaid life, and these almost seem to have been tacked on as an afterthought, as these 6 pages really have very little connection with the other 364 pages of the book. WHAT AN UTTER LET DOWN !!!
Sorry if I have given you spoilers, but, in all honesty I was so disappointed with this book, that I think I am doing everybody a favour by telling them how it ends, because it means you do not have to waste their time reading it, the way I did.
As I say, I enjoy reading fantasy novels about mermaids, but I'll make an exception with this one! I'll go back to reading Liz Kessler's Emily Windsnap books and Sibeal Pounder's Bad Mermaids. At least, they don't include twisted, perverted sex, and they make me laugh, too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2012
Due voci scorrono parallele, narrando di due tempi diversi ma anche comuni: entrambe sono voci di donne, giovani che non sono mai state amiche ma che, se le cose fossero andate in modo diverso, forse avrebbero potuto diventarlo.
Ellen, oggi nonna, ieri bambina sfollata in Cornovaglia da una Londra a rischio bombardamento, accolta e poi adottata insieme al gemello Jack dai coniugi Rosewarne.
Selina, bambina strana, adolescente incompresa e diversa, additata da tutti come quella "facile", per usare un eufemismo: dietro i suoi occhi viola cela un segreto che ha il terrore di confessare, per paura di esser presa in giro o considerata matta.
Questa è anche la storia di Jack, scomparso in mare a soli sedici anni, ma anche di Clara e Charles Rosewarne, che si fingono genitori, non tanto per ingannare gli altri, quanto sé stessi.
C'è anche Jory, figlio di agricoltori, ragazzo onesto e schietto come la terra che lavora: il suo legame con Ellen, nonostante sia talmente profondo da durare fino alla vecchiaia, non ha mai portato a nulla più che a un'amicizia.
Ciascun personaggio cela dentro di sé un segreto che non può svelare: un dolore, una perdita, un'omissione.
Sullo sfondo il mare, potente e imprevedibile, e la guerra che incalza e sconvolge le vite dei protagonisti, anche se indirettamente.
Un romanzo scritto per i giovani, che però si fa apprezzare anche da chi è cresciuto: sentimenti profondi e contrasti dolorosi, che lasciano sulle labbra il sapore del sale.
Ellen, oggi nonna, ieri bambina sfollata in Cornovaglia da una Londra a rischio bombardamento, accolta e poi adottata insieme al gemello Jack dai coniugi Rosewarne.
Selina, bambina strana, adolescente incompresa e diversa, additata da tutti come quella "facile", per usare un eufemismo: dietro i suoi occhi viola cela un segreto che ha il terrore di confessare, per paura di esser presa in giro o considerata matta.
Questa è anche la storia di Jack, scomparso in mare a soli sedici anni, ma anche di Clara e Charles Rosewarne, che si fingono genitori, non tanto per ingannare gli altri, quanto sé stessi.
C'è anche Jory, figlio di agricoltori, ragazzo onesto e schietto come la terra che lavora: il suo legame con Ellen, nonostante sia talmente profondo da durare fino alla vecchiaia, non ha mai portato a nulla più che a un'amicizia.
Ciascun personaggio cela dentro di sé un segreto che non può svelare: un dolore, una perdita, un'omissione.
Sullo sfondo il mare, potente e imprevedibile, e la guerra che incalza e sconvolge le vite dei protagonisti, anche se indirettamente.
Un romanzo scritto per i giovani, che però si fa apprezzare anche da chi è cresciuto: sentimenti profondi e contrasti dolorosi, che lasciano sulle labbra il sapore del sale.
June 9, 2013
Dite pure quello che volete, ma a me proprio non è piaciuto.
La trama e le recensioni super positive mi hanno ingannata! Pensavo a tutto tranne che ad una storia così cupa e triste da ambo le parti. Mi aspettavo una vera storia di sirene, invece se c'è giusto un accenno è già tanto.
Selina, la ''presunta'' sirena, può anche averne passate di cotte e di crude, per carità, ma il suo modo di rapportarsi con gli altri lascia un po' a desiderare. Il povero (o stupido?) Jack ne rimane prima incantato e poi vittima.. un'esperienza che si porta, poi, per tutta la vita, come la sorella Ellen, che da adulta è ancora affascinata, ma allo stesso tempo inorridita dal ricordo di lei.
Un ricordo che sarà costretta ad affrontare insieme alla nipote a causa della riscoperta di un libro che raffigura una sirena che somiglia molto alla stessa Selina.
L'andamento della lettura è molto lento, per nulla scorrevole, forse perché affrontato dai punti di vista delle due protagoniste, che diciamolo, non hanno una vita proprio fecile.
Non è uno di quei libri che ti incuriosisce talmente tanto da chiederti "Come andrà a finire?", ma uno di quei libri che ti fa venire voglia di non completarlo.
Ma alla fine ci riesci, perchè (cavolo!) ci hai speso 16 euro!
La trama e le recensioni super positive mi hanno ingannata! Pensavo a tutto tranne che ad una storia così cupa e triste da ambo le parti. Mi aspettavo una vera storia di sirene, invece se c'è giusto un accenno è già tanto.
Selina, la ''presunta'' sirena, può anche averne passate di cotte e di crude, per carità, ma il suo modo di rapportarsi con gli altri lascia un po' a desiderare. Il povero (o stupido?) Jack ne rimane prima incantato e poi vittima.. un'esperienza che si porta, poi, per tutta la vita, come la sorella Ellen, che da adulta è ancora affascinata, ma allo stesso tempo inorridita dal ricordo di lei.
Un ricordo che sarà costretta ad affrontare insieme alla nipote a causa della riscoperta di un libro che raffigura una sirena che somiglia molto alla stessa Selina.
L'andamento della lettura è molto lento, per nulla scorrevole, forse perché affrontato dai punti di vista delle due protagoniste, che diciamolo, non hanno una vita proprio fecile.
Non è uno di quei libri che ti incuriosisce talmente tanto da chiederti "Come andrà a finire?", ma uno di quei libri che ti fa venire voglia di non completarlo.
Ma alla fine ci riesci, perchè (cavolo!) ci hai speso 16 euro!
December 28, 2014
Selina Penaluna, wow this book is very confusing.
With constant POV changes and time lapses it takes you at least a few pages before you realise whether your reading for Ellen or Selina. The story itself seemed far too predictable, the historical context was easy to guess and the ending. God, i felt like it dragged ridiculously for about 50 pages, just waiting for the ending that i'd already guessed from the blurb!
Selina, what even are you? You're a mental, slutty teenage thats what. She got on my nerves soooo much. Yes what her dad did was horrible and her mother was just a selfish bish but still. There is no need for Selina to flirt with every guy that gives her a smile or calls her pretty because she believes that she is a mermaid. Seriously, what 15/16 year old believes they are a mermaid?
"There is danger in her gaze, but he takes her cold fingers, smiling"
The writing itself was okay, it was very detailed which made the book drag in a few places, and made me just want to sleep. Some words are spelt weirdly... Is "Cheild" a real word? Or is that just a really stupid error??
What i liked:
•mermaids (fantasy)
•historical context
• Jack
• Cassie
What i didnt like;
•predictably ending
•too long
•Selina
•Nellie/Ellen
With constant POV changes and time lapses it takes you at least a few pages before you realise whether your reading for Ellen or Selina. The story itself seemed far too predictable, the historical context was easy to guess and the ending. God, i felt like it dragged ridiculously for about 50 pages, just waiting for the ending that i'd already guessed from the blurb!
Selina, what even are you? You're a mental, slutty teenage thats what. She got on my nerves soooo much. Yes what her dad did was horrible and her mother was just a selfish bish but still. There is no need for Selina to flirt with every guy that gives her a smile or calls her pretty because she believes that she is a mermaid. Seriously, what 15/16 year old believes they are a mermaid?
"There is danger in her gaze, but he takes her cold fingers, smiling"
The writing itself was okay, it was very detailed which made the book drag in a few places, and made me just want to sleep. Some words are spelt weirdly... Is "Cheild" a real word? Or is that just a really stupid error??
What i liked:
•mermaids (fantasy)
•historical context
• Jack
• Cassie
What i didnt like;
•predictably ending
•too long
•Selina
•Nellie/Ellen
March 9, 2013
I thought some parts of this book were really interesting, but the characters seemed slightly undeveloped and I couldn't fully understand the behaviour of some of them because it didn't make sense. Page attempts some things that do work; the setting, the use of narrative split over time and the reasoning for some of the characters' behaviours, however my frustration with why the characters just didn't speak to each other made them unbelievable and slappable! The ending felt rushed in some ways and again Ellen's forgiveness was too easily given. The mermaid twist throughout was the most intriguing thing about the whole story, and something I'd like to research into more.
July 13, 2013
I am rather dissapointed in this book. While the cover and blurb promise a YA magical tale, the book itself presents a disgusting story in which blood, sweat and tears are shed.
I suppose, it may attract a certain type of reader but I reckon you must have an acquired taste in order to properly enjoy it.
If you are young, and looking for a book with young romance and fantasy, then look elsewhere.
I suppose, it may attract a certain type of reader but I reckon you must have an acquired taste in order to properly enjoy it.
If you are young, and looking for a book with young romance and fantasy, then look elsewhere.
September 26, 2019
I read this book years ago and today, when I think about it, it still makes me feel as angry and frustrated as I felt while reading it. I'm giving 2 stars because it made me feel such hatred that I still carry it with me but let me tell you: I did not enjoy a single page.
June 13, 2023
I read this book as a teenager and will forever remain one of my favourite stories. The writing is beautiful and the imagery will stay with me always. This is a story of love, friendship and betrayal. A haunting story based on mermaid mythology.
June 3, 2024
Una storia che fonde fatti storici e folklore. All’inizio lo stile narrativo mi ha un po’ confusa perché segue tre filoni narrativi: il presente di Nellie e il passato visto dagli occhi di Selina narrati in prima persona al presente, e il terzo filone scritto in prima persona al passato narrato dalla Nellie ragazzina. I capitoli sono solo numerati quindi non si sa prima di iniziare a leggere in che filone si verrà portati, quindi è destabilizzante all’inizio. Poi si entra nella storia e quindi la lettura è andata meglio. La storia è molto particolare, non è un fantasy, è una lettura molto psicologica che permette un’introspezione grande in un periodo storico buio è difficile. Un libro che per me è stato una bella lettura da metà in poi ma con un inizio davvero faticoso e a tratti noioso.
July 20, 2020
Titubanza assoluta..
Allora... come lettura non è malaccio, un po' scarsina dal punto di vista della trama ma perde nella narrazione. Ho avuto un blocco continuo frastagliato solo in rari e pochissimi punti ma non troppo a lungo.
La cosa migliore son le grandi descrizioni che ti portano direttamente nello scenario marino della cornovaglia e ti incantano sontuosamente ma per il resto merita un 5+ tondeggiante.
Peccato, ci credevo moltissimo ma non è stato questo granché...molto somigliante allo stesso entusiasmo di "Farfalle Nere", gli ultimissimi capitoli sono la parte migliore dell'intera vicenda penso che se il narratore fosse stato Jack forse sarebbe stato diverso/migliore.
Allora... come lettura non è malaccio, un po' scarsina dal punto di vista della trama ma perde nella narrazione. Ho avuto un blocco continuo frastagliato solo in rari e pochissimi punti ma non troppo a lungo.
La cosa migliore son le grandi descrizioni che ti portano direttamente nello scenario marino della cornovaglia e ti incantano sontuosamente ma per il resto merita un 5+ tondeggiante.
Peccato, ci credevo moltissimo ma non è stato questo granché...molto somigliante allo stesso entusiasmo di "Farfalle Nere", gli ultimissimi capitoli sono la parte migliore dell'intera vicenda penso che se il narratore fosse stato Jack forse sarebbe stato diverso/migliore.
June 18, 2023
I've held onto this book for years - nostalgia - I think it's time to let it go.
June 5, 2025
I bought three books with this cover, but in 2015 I was getting too into kdramas so I think I never finished this
February 15, 2013
It's a YA story that crosses between mermaid folklore-based fantasy and romantic mystery that vaguely reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.
The story is told from the different points of view by the three main characters: Selina Penaluana, the daughter of a poor fisherman who believes herself to be a mermaid changling; Ellen and Jack, twin siblings evacuated from the wartime London to Cornwall. Ellen embraced the highly cultured middle-class lifestyle of their new family with opened-arms, but Jack never adjusted to their new life, nor did he accept the love and obvious favor from their guardians (later adoptive parents).
Soon Jack found his mean to escape the new life that he hardly wanted: he fell passionately in love with the beautiful fragile Selina, whom to him was the symbol of everything extraordinary, mysterious and otherworldly. But Ellen grew jealous of Selina and she also thought her brother's girlfriend was an unhealthy influence for him. The distance between brother and sister only seemed to grow. Eventually tragedy took place when both Selina and Jack were lost at sea in one stormy night, leaving Ellen to face the loss for years to come.
It is a spellbinding story; we travel back in time with the aged Ellen to her teenager days, into the strange, fascinating wonder of the Cornwall countryside, the raging sea, the seaside village, the marsh and the open woodland. As the plot processes, Page's skillful use of words makes Jack and Selina's romance come to life, through the writing we can sense the power of dreamy, all consuming young love and passion so vividly, which I consider the most successful part of the story.
As the story process, the readers must find out whether Selina was actually an otherworldly creature from the sea or was her belief only an escapist fantasy created by an unhappy, sexually abused young girl's imaginative mind.
The ending is also a satisfying one, like Rebecca we got no happy-ever-after type of make-believe ending. Instead by the end of the book we'd already learned how ill-fated circumstances could change people's lives, and how people survived tragedy in their lives and how they might move on (or failed to move on) after losing their loved ones.
Selina Penaluana is a fairy tale influenced works which draws us a rather realistic picture of the 40s to 50s countryside England. The author weaved history, folklore, memorial and small town setting so finely together in her part teenage romance, part coming-of-age story that would leave an impression for her readers.
The story is told from the different points of view by the three main characters: Selina Penaluana, the daughter of a poor fisherman who believes herself to be a mermaid changling; Ellen and Jack, twin siblings evacuated from the wartime London to Cornwall. Ellen embraced the highly cultured middle-class lifestyle of their new family with opened-arms, but Jack never adjusted to their new life, nor did he accept the love and obvious favor from their guardians (later adoptive parents).
Soon Jack found his mean to escape the new life that he hardly wanted: he fell passionately in love with the beautiful fragile Selina, whom to him was the symbol of everything extraordinary, mysterious and otherworldly. But Ellen grew jealous of Selina and she also thought her brother's girlfriend was an unhealthy influence for him. The distance between brother and sister only seemed to grow. Eventually tragedy took place when both Selina and Jack were lost at sea in one stormy night, leaving Ellen to face the loss for years to come.
It is a spellbinding story; we travel back in time with the aged Ellen to her teenager days, into the strange, fascinating wonder of the Cornwall countryside, the raging sea, the seaside village, the marsh and the open woodland. As the plot processes, Page's skillful use of words makes Jack and Selina's romance come to life, through the writing we can sense the power of dreamy, all consuming young love and passion so vividly, which I consider the most successful part of the story.
As the story process, the readers must find out whether Selina was actually an otherworldly creature from the sea or was her belief only an escapist fantasy created by an unhappy, sexually abused young girl's imaginative mind.
The ending is also a satisfying one, like Rebecca we got no happy-ever-after type of make-believe ending. Instead by the end of the book we'd already learned how ill-fated circumstances could change people's lives, and how people survived tragedy in their lives and how they might move on (or failed to move on) after losing their loved ones.
Selina Penaluana is a fairy tale influenced works which draws us a rather realistic picture of the 40s to 50s countryside England. The author weaved history, folklore, memorial and small town setting so finely together in her part teenage romance, part coming-of-age story that would leave an impression for her readers.
August 13, 2009
Selina Penaluna is a story told from two different people, but in three different ways.
Selina Penaluna grew up thinking that she was a merrymaid. She knew all about the story that her mother told her--one day her mother dropped her into a deep pool but swears a different child came up. She tells her version of the story in the viewpoint of a child/young adult.
Ellen and Jack are twins. Due to the war, they had to evacuate and live with a new family. Ellen loved the new life, but Jack never adjusted. The story is told from Ellen's point of view as a child/young adult, an as a senior citizen.
Jack and Selina fall in love but Ellen is jealous. When tragedy happens to Jack, Ellen blames Selina and sees her ghost everywhere.
This was an interesting story. It took me a while to get into it. The language told from Selina's viewpoint was a little hard to read and to get into at first. I felt sorry for Ellen--she just wanted to be loved, both by the family that took the twins in, and by her twin. But I didn't like Jack or Selina at all. I felt that Jack's character was just rude and obnoxious and I just couldn't get into Selena. I really liked the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming at all! And just as a side note--I absolutely LOVE this cover--it's beautiful!!!!
Selina Penaluna grew up thinking that she was a merrymaid. She knew all about the story that her mother told her--one day her mother dropped her into a deep pool but swears a different child came up. She tells her version of the story in the viewpoint of a child/young adult.
Ellen and Jack are twins. Due to the war, they had to evacuate and live with a new family. Ellen loved the new life, but Jack never adjusted. The story is told from Ellen's point of view as a child/young adult, an as a senior citizen.
Jack and Selina fall in love but Ellen is jealous. When tragedy happens to Jack, Ellen blames Selina and sees her ghost everywhere.
This was an interesting story. It took me a while to get into it. The language told from Selina's viewpoint was a little hard to read and to get into at first. I felt sorry for Ellen--she just wanted to be loved, both by the family that took the twins in, and by her twin. But I didn't like Jack or Selina at all. I felt that Jack's character was just rude and obnoxious and I just couldn't get into Selena. I really liked the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming at all! And just as a side note--I absolutely LOVE this cover--it's beautiful!!!!
November 26, 2012
SELINA PENALUNA by Jan Page is a story told from two different people, but in three different ways.
Selina grew up thinking that she was a merrymaid. She knew all about the story that her mother told her - that one day her mother dropped her into a deep pool but swears a different child came up. She tells her version of the story in the viewpoint of a child/teen.
Ellen and Jack are twins. Due to the war, they had to evacuate and live with a different family. Ellen loved the new life, but Jack never adjusted. The story is told from Ellen's point of view as a child/young adult, and later as a senior citizen.
Jack and Selina fall in love, but Ellen is jealous. When tragedy befalls Jack, Ellen blames Selina and sees her ghost everywhere.
This was an interesting story, although it took me a while to get into it. The language told from Selina's viewpoint was a little hard to read at first. I felt sorry for Ellen; she just wanted to be loved, both by the family that took the twins in and by her brother. But I didn't like Jack or Selina. I felt that Jack's character was just rude and obnoxious and I couldn't connect with Selina.
However, I really liked the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming at all! And just as a side note - I absolutely LOVE this cover. It's beautiful!
Selina grew up thinking that she was a merrymaid. She knew all about the story that her mother told her - that one day her mother dropped her into a deep pool but swears a different child came up. She tells her version of the story in the viewpoint of a child/teen.
Ellen and Jack are twins. Due to the war, they had to evacuate and live with a different family. Ellen loved the new life, but Jack never adjusted. The story is told from Ellen's point of view as a child/young adult, and later as a senior citizen.
Jack and Selina fall in love, but Ellen is jealous. When tragedy befalls Jack, Ellen blames Selina and sees her ghost everywhere.
This was an interesting story, although it took me a while to get into it. The language told from Selina's viewpoint was a little hard to read at first. I felt sorry for Ellen; she just wanted to be loved, both by the family that took the twins in and by her brother. But I didn't like Jack or Selina. I felt that Jack's character was just rude and obnoxious and I couldn't connect with Selina.
However, I really liked the twist at the end. I didn't see it coming at all! And just as a side note - I absolutely LOVE this cover. It's beautiful!
July 6, 2013
I simply love mermaids, anything and everything to do with them, and am always eager to read books with even a slight hint towards them/the sea/ the myths. I had read the Ingo series (or however many had come out by then, my memory is a little hazy, it was quite a while ago) by Helen Dunmore and was hooked on them, but this novel was amazingly different and as equally if not more quenching for my thirst for mermaid-based/hinted-at novels. The blurb had me desperate to read it, and after reading I was blown away. It is absolutely beautiful, emotional to the point where it deepens to new levels. It will remain one of my favorite novels of all time, no exaggeration! Brilliant, just brilliant. Talking about it makes me want to go and experience it all again..
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April 4, 2013Uuuuh, this cover looks exactly like the North of Beautiful and now that therealbadkitty mentioned it, the Evermore cover as well. Like, change the blue hue to yellow and flip the girl, and you'll get identical cover copies for NoB and for Evermore, the hue was simply changed to purple.
I. Do. Not. Like. Similar. Looking. Covers. *fumes*
I. Do. Not. Like. Similar. Looking. Covers. *fumes*
October 7, 2011
I haven't been on here in a while, and I finished this book ages ago :P
It took me a while to read, but it was a really good story, about two twins evacuated in the war to the coast. They aren't used to the coast, of course, and haven't seen real animals like cows before. Which surprised me a bit as I live in a town and I go to the coast...but obviously this was set in the 1930s :P and also I like in a rural town with farms everywhere so I've seen cows :P
I really enjoyed this and recommend ^^
It took me a while to read, but it was a really good story, about two twins evacuated in the war to the coast. They aren't used to the coast, of course, and haven't seen real animals like cows before. Which surprised me a bit as I live in a town and I go to the coast...but obviously this was set in the 1930s :P and also I like in a rural town with farms everywhere so I've seen cows :P
I really enjoyed this and recommend ^^
September 26, 2013
I don't know what's so good about the girl on Evermore's cover that the author of this book had to copy it and rip it off. Psh.
On the other, I was kind of expecting a good and saucy romance between Selina and Jack. And when I started reading, with POVs having no name on who is talking, I realized that it was a jealous grandma-Ellen.
What the hell?
Afterwards I didn't finish reading the book as it was getting too boring, and the shifting between the time was confusing. Half the book seemed like fillers.
On the other, I was kind of expecting a good and saucy romance between Selina and Jack. And when I started reading, with POVs having no name on who is talking, I realized that it was a jealous grandma-Ellen.
What the hell?
Afterwards I didn't finish reading the book as it was getting too boring, and the shifting between the time was confusing. Half the book seemed like fillers.
January 8, 2011
I picked up this book , only because it sounded pretty alright, and i am pretty interested in mermaid fairytale (with a twist of course).
Even though i have only scanned this book at first, it didn't really caught my interest, so i just briefly read the main part of the story and i guess it was okay.
Maybe some time again, i will pick up this book and really read it properly from front to back, but right now that is the result i can give.
Even though i have only scanned this book at first, it didn't really caught my interest, so i just briefly read the main part of the story and i guess it was okay.
Maybe some time again, i will pick up this book and really read it properly from front to back, but right now that is the result i can give.
October 23, 2009
I liked this book. It was enjoyable to read. However, it took me a long time to read it. There are some long-winded descriptions. I only really got in to this book near the end. But I am glad I read it. And with all the descriptions I kept thinking it would make a brilliant film. Here are more of my thoughts:
http://anotherbookblogwhore.blogspot....
http://anotherbookblogwhore.blogspot....
February 21, 2011
This book wasn't my usual type of read if im honest. I picked it up and thought it was a dark romance/paranormal type book and although it had mermaids, it was more a love story and a book about growing up and self belief i think. I enjoyed it emencly and recomend it for anyone who wants to try something different x
July 6, 2010
This story dragged a bit too much for me.
I was certainly not the happy story, which I was hopeing for. Though I'm glad I always stick to my principle of always reading a book to completion because I quite liked the ending.
Love the cover!
I was certainly not the happy story, which I was hopeing for. Though I'm glad I always stick to my principle of always reading a book to completion because I quite liked the ending.
Love the cover!
January 20, 2011
le stelle sarebbero due e mezzo.. la storia era carina e tutto sommato lo stile della scrittrice è abbastanza scorrevole e suggestivo ma ho troppo odiato il personaggio della narratrice principale.. nellie...detestabile
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