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Secrets of Carrick #1
Merrow
The people of Carrick Island have been whispering behind Neen's back ever since her father drowned and her mother disappeared. The townspeople say her mother was a merrow and has returned to the ocean. Neen, caught in her hazy new in-between self-not a child, but not quite grown up-can't help but wonder if the villagers are right. But if her mother was a merrow, then what does that make Neen?
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First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Ananda Braxton-Smith
9 books27 followersAnanda Braxton-Smith is a journalist and children’s writer who is passionate about communicating history to young people in new and innovative ways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
January 1, 2021
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Steeped in Irish lore, Merrow is a nuanced coming-of-age that celebrates the power of stories.
Steeped in Irish lore, Merrow is a nuanced coming-of-age that celebrates the power of stories.
April 1, 2016
I was looking for the sea
and I found it in this book, all of it.
February 8, 2017
I have to admit, my pet peeve is tenses that skip and slide out of place. Slipping from past to present and back again can work beautifully if done properly but here I simply felt that the author kept forgetting which time she was writing in!
That aside, Merrow has some really lovely moments and walks the line between fantasy and reality in a rather odd and interesting manner.
That aside, Merrow has some really lovely moments and walks the line between fantasy and reality in a rather odd and interesting manner.
July 19, 2011
She is a wild girl, full of stories and covered in scales, growing up without a mother or a father. Although her aunt raised her it is the stories surrounding the island of Carrick that she lives on, stories of Other Ones, changeling's, the honey-tongued and cave people. But the stories she craves most are the stories of her own family, her great-grandfathers merrow wife, her fathers search for a sea wife, her mother's watery end.
With her affinity for water the long hot summer has driven her to the seabed for respite and answers, however it is through a hidden cave of hands, a man washed ashore in a net and an encounter with an ancient one that brings about the answers she so desperately needs. But when the truth is revealed it is not the story she had been hoping for, but with the truth she is finally able to find peace in her own story.
Merrow brings a young girls dreams of hope, magic and merrow's to life only to have those dreams transformed with the truth into memories of a woman who loved and was loved, a woman who was her mother. Neen's summer is one filled with stifling heat, enchanted stories, hidden truths, uncovered pasts and a new found affinity for bees. A notable story that is as wondrous as it is fulfilling.
With her affinity for water the long hot summer has driven her to the seabed for respite and answers, however it is through a hidden cave of hands, a man washed ashore in a net and an encounter with an ancient one that brings about the answers she so desperately needs. But when the truth is revealed it is not the story she had been hoping for, but with the truth she is finally able to find peace in her own story.
Merrow brings a young girls dreams of hope, magic and merrow's to life only to have those dreams transformed with the truth into memories of a woman who loved and was loved, a woman who was her mother. Neen's summer is one filled with stifling heat, enchanted stories, hidden truths, uncovered pasts and a new found affinity for bees. A notable story that is as wondrous as it is fulfilling.
February 7, 2017
I guess more like 3.5. The writing was lyrical and beautiful. But... the story ended up being more literary to the point that I was wondering what led me to pick it up in the first place. I had been expecting mermaids. You know... because the entire summary and plot revolves around mermaids! I read a few other reviews that questioned whether or not the mermaids even exist for real in this world. And I have to agree with them on this. Are there actual mermaids??? I really don't like books that are ambiguous. Like, stop. Just don't.
But the writing did save it because it was beautiful.
But the writing did save it because it was beautiful.
January 6, 2017
I loved so much about this - the place, the nature of story, the realness of Neen's struggle to make sense of her circumstances, the tales within the tale, the gentle flashes of humor, the tension between Christianity and paganism. So it killed me with the needless anachronisms. In the year 900-something (because Vikings and near the millennium), they didn't have figs or almonds on the Isle of Man. I want to give this five stars, but every time one of these references cropped up I was tossed out of the story and it just spoiled this nearly perfect little novel.
August 31, 2016
Absolutely beautiful! I felt like I was in Ireland and swimming in the ocean along with the mermaids and kelp. I loved the fantastical elements in this historical fantasy, placed at the time period where Christianity is first starting to work its way into rural Ireland. This is a slow and quiet story that portrays life in a small fishing village while exploring whether mermaids lurk below the waves. Merrow are an Irish myth that are a cross between Selkies and mermaids and I loved exploring their lore for the first time. Highly recommended when you are in the mood for magical realism and historical fantasy.
February 20, 2017
So it should be no surprise that Merrow caught my eye. Just look at that lovely cover. I dare anyone to pass up a book that clearly shows that mermaids will be involved. I'm a lover of all things fantastical, but mermaids have a very big piece of my heart. Alas, imagine my disappointment when I found out that, in fact, there may or may not actually be any mermaids hiding in Merrow. If you're looking for a very literary book, with a lot of descriptive writing, this is it. If you're looking for a book that focuses on mermaids, you may want to look elsewhere.
Let's start with the good. First off, Neen Marrey was a character that I could absolutely get behind. She was strong, hardworking, kind, and honest to a fault. I loved that she felt realistic and, most of all, that her relationship with her Aunt was always perfect. Watching the two of them go through ups and downs, while still remembering to support one another despite what was thrown in their path, made me smile. Families, whatever their makeup, aren't always perfect, and I appreciated Braxton-Smith for highlighting that. I also very much enjoyed the story telling in this book. Neen's family history is passed down orally, which was quite a treat.
Now, as far as what bothered me, you'll actually find that my issue with this book is the same with the last review I wrote on this blog. If there is one thing I can't abide, it's books that rely solely on lyrical writing and purple prose, ignoring the actual world that they are building. Merrow reads beautifully. It's lilting, and moves like the ocean waves. What it doesn't do, is ever really pick up speed. This is a slow read and, truth be told, one that is very easy to skim. Neen's ultimate hunt for the fate of her mother was an interesting plot point but, since there didn't seem to be any actual mermaids here, one that I quickly lost track of. I still loved the family dynamic, and Neen's growth, but that initial reason I started reading this had gone out the window and so had the majority of my attention span.
As I said above, if you're looking for a book that is lyrical and reads like a folktale, then Merrow is absolutely for you. If, like I was, you're looking for a fantastical tale of mermaids? Well, you'd be better off looking elsewhere. I can see the draw to this book, and I know that many will love it from beginning to end. I just wasn't able to count myself among that number.
Let's start with the good. First off, Neen Marrey was a character that I could absolutely get behind. She was strong, hardworking, kind, and honest to a fault. I loved that she felt realistic and, most of all, that her relationship with her Aunt was always perfect. Watching the two of them go through ups and downs, while still remembering to support one another despite what was thrown in their path, made me smile. Families, whatever their makeup, aren't always perfect, and I appreciated Braxton-Smith for highlighting that. I also very much enjoyed the story telling in this book. Neen's family history is passed down orally, which was quite a treat.
Now, as far as what bothered me, you'll actually find that my issue with this book is the same with the last review I wrote on this blog. If there is one thing I can't abide, it's books that rely solely on lyrical writing and purple prose, ignoring the actual world that they are building. Merrow reads beautifully. It's lilting, and moves like the ocean waves. What it doesn't do, is ever really pick up speed. This is a slow read and, truth be told, one that is very easy to skim. Neen's ultimate hunt for the fate of her mother was an interesting plot point but, since there didn't seem to be any actual mermaids here, one that I quickly lost track of. I still loved the family dynamic, and Neen's growth, but that initial reason I started reading this had gone out the window and so had the majority of my attention span.
As I said above, if you're looking for a book that is lyrical and reads like a folktale, then Merrow is absolutely for you. If, like I was, you're looking for a fantastical tale of mermaids? Well, you'd be better off looking elsewhere. I can see the draw to this book, and I know that many will love it from beginning to end. I just wasn't able to count myself among that number.
August 6, 2021
The writing is beautiful, and the medieval Irish setting is well-researched. I felt as if I was there. But I had trouble getting into this one, since there’s not much of a plot. Also, not gonna lie, I was expecting a story with actual mermaids.
November 8, 2017
Good story, but not great. A bit hard to get into it, and the characters do not elicit sympathy.
"Life is not fussy where it grows, but it is set hard on doing so."
"Soft feelings butter no parsnips."
"Life is not fussy where it grows, but it is set hard on doing so."
"Soft feelings butter no parsnips."
June 4, 2017
Nooooooot good for kids. Goodness knows I hated it. Now: there are in fact things to like about it, and I understand the award. Sometimes committees give awards to books that are literary even if they have zero audience appeal. This is one of those books.
I'm too bored to even attempt a plot synopsis.
The one thing that was interesting about it was the setting on the Isle of Man--it made me do some internet research to learn more about that island and its people.
Main character was a very realistic 12-year-old: judgemental, moody, difficult, unpleasant to be around most of the time, with other moments of shining insight and selflessness. (It's not that fun for me to read about that age group.)
Not much happens. This is definitely not a book club book--I don't think you'd find 5 kids in 300 who'd enjoy it, let alone 5 kids in one class. I'll put it in my classroom library--and we'll see how many kids finish it over the next 5 years.
I'm too bored to even attempt a plot synopsis.
The one thing that was interesting about it was the setting on the Isle of Man--it made me do some internet research to learn more about that island and its people.
Main character was a very realistic 12-year-old: judgemental, moody, difficult, unpleasant to be around most of the time, with other moments of shining insight and selflessness. (It's not that fun for me to read about that age group.)
Not much happens. This is definitely not a book club book--I don't think you'd find 5 kids in 300 who'd enjoy it, let alone 5 kids in one class. I'll put it in my classroom library--and we'll see how many kids finish it over the next 5 years.
February 18, 2017
(spoiler alert)
For anyone who is considering reading this: know that there aren't actual mermaids in it.
I've read worse books, but I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone. It felt immensely slow and extremely disappointing. Honestly, I couldn't even explain what it was about. It kept dragging on and on with no identifiable basic plot structure (inciting incident, climax, etc.), and quite frankly, it bored me.
*Warning: spoilers ahead*
First off, the title and cover art gave me a certain expectation that simply went unfulfilled. In the book, "merrow" is the word for "mermaids". The book is called "mermaids", and the cover art of the edition I read is a mermaid: (
) Therefore, I expected a mermaid-centered plotline, but at the end of the book, I still couldn't tell for sure whether or not mermaids even existed or not. A five-year-old could tell a better mermaid story because at least there'd be actual mermaids in it. Keep in mind, I said " a better MERMAID story". Not a better story in general. That said, I think if I'd known this going in, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
The story had some huge pacing problems. It was slow for a really long time, then something would happen (like Ulf washing up on the beach) that would build up some steam and get me interested, but that momentum quickly died back down, leaving me once again bored and re-reading whole pages that lost my attention. The same thing happened when Neen found the so-called "cave of hands", and when she and her aunt found the (maybe) merrow bones.
The ending felt confusing and off. The fact that she not only doesn't tell anyone about finding her mother's body, but also PLANS NOT TO DO SO bothered me. It means Ven never gets a proper burial and is left to rot in a cave forever. I would say it didn't feel like a proper resolution, except that there was no conflict to resolve.
I would much rather have read a book with the plot of Auntie Ushag's story at the feast in the second to last chapter because she told a great adventure story that could have been thrilling at every turn. Instead, to put it simply, I found "Merrow" lacking in important storytelling components.
Overall, "Merrow" was just blah to me. I didn't ever get attached to any characters. I believe the mark of a good book is one thing: that at some point, the reader forgets that they are reading. That they get so caught up in the story that, at least for a moment, they forget that there is anything outside of it. That never happened for me with this book.
For anyone who is considering reading this: know that there aren't actual mermaids in it.
I've read worse books, but I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone. It felt immensely slow and extremely disappointing. Honestly, I couldn't even explain what it was about. It kept dragging on and on with no identifiable basic plot structure (inciting incident, climax, etc.), and quite frankly, it bored me.
*Warning: spoilers ahead*
First off, the title and cover art gave me a certain expectation that simply went unfulfilled. In the book, "merrow" is the word for "mermaids". The book is called "mermaids", and the cover art of the edition I read is a mermaid: (
) Therefore, I expected a mermaid-centered plotline, but at the end of the book, I still couldn't tell for sure whether or not mermaids even existed or not. A five-year-old could tell a better mermaid story because at least there'd be actual mermaids in it. Keep in mind, I said " a better MERMAID story". Not a better story in general. That said, I think if I'd known this going in, I would have enjoyed it a lot more.The story had some huge pacing problems. It was slow for a really long time, then something would happen (like Ulf washing up on the beach) that would build up some steam and get me interested, but that momentum quickly died back down, leaving me once again bored and re-reading whole pages that lost my attention. The same thing happened when Neen found the so-called "cave of hands", and when she and her aunt found the (maybe) merrow bones.
The ending felt confusing and off. The fact that she not only doesn't tell anyone about finding her mother's body, but also PLANS NOT TO DO SO bothered me. It means Ven never gets a proper burial and is left to rot in a cave forever. I would say it didn't feel like a proper resolution, except that there was no conflict to resolve.
I would much rather have read a book with the plot of Auntie Ushag's story at the feast in the second to last chapter because she told a great adventure story that could have been thrilling at every turn. Instead, to put it simply, I found "Merrow" lacking in important storytelling components.
Overall, "Merrow" was just blah to me. I didn't ever get attached to any characters. I believe the mark of a good book is one thing: that at some point, the reader forgets that they are reading. That they get so caught up in the story that, at least for a moment, they forget that there is anything outside of it. That never happened for me with this book.
December 3, 2016
Are stories meant to be truthful, or to make things right? There is a difference. This book is about that difference. It’s about the people who carry the stories and pass them on to those who need them. Set in a time where Christian missionaries have only begun to set foot on the farthest shores of Northern Europe, Merrow has all the necessary parts needed to make a fairytale. Instead, it’s a beautiful, rugged pastoral with subtle undertones for wildlife conservation.
« She’s not your mother. She’s not a woman; she’s not even human. From the moment she went over, we lost her just as surely as if she’d died. They do not live for our benefit. They belong to Themselves. »
I remembered the rolling otter and its sweet-looking paws – dashing that urchin with the rock and the blood staining the water. I remembered the jewel-red carb – dragging that scavenged flesh into the sea grass. I’d found them comical, and pretty, but they were their own creatures too, just as my aunt had said, and busy with the job of living. They probably didn’t even see me. I remembered the way the cave spiders and suchlike scurried to hide from me in the rocks.
They were not there for us. They had their own mysterious life living inside them. Their world was not my world, their story not mine.
February 9, 2017
I need to start going with my instinct! This got multiple starred reviews and even though I thought it wouldn't appeal to Teens, I ended up purchasing it. It's exactly as I expected. Even though it's a short tale, I think it'll be a hard sell for teens. I thought it was pretty boring and I didn't really care about the characters. I'm still not sure if mermaids and mermen existed in this book or not. Frankly, I don't care at this point. There were also too many stories within the story. I felt like I was reading an overlong fairy tale at times.
September 27, 2017
I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) of Merrow by Ananda Braxton-Smith from my local library. I found this book to be an excellent, quick read with an intriguing plot and inventive characters. I would highly recommend it to fans of Maggie Stiefvater. This book is definitely not for everyone due to it's fanciful, 'up in the air' writing, in which an unreliable young narrator attempts to discern fantasy from reality in a coming of age tale. In some ways the ending is the indecisive sort, leaving you wondering just how much of Neen, Ma Slevin and Scully's fantasies are true, but despite the mystery I found it quite satisfying. Nothing is quite one way or the other in this story, it has an abstracted, thoughtful quality and the lyrical writing was a pleasure to read.
I enjoy contemplative books such as this that assess real world problems and spin them into a fairytale. The truth behind illness, death and general hardships of the islanders' life are shrouded in mystery and legend. the reader is offered hints and even strong suggestions but rarely definitive answers as Neen tries to learn the truth of her family's past and her mother's disappearance.
A glowing 5 stars for this good read!
I enjoy contemplative books such as this that assess real world problems and spin them into a fairytale. The truth behind illness, death and general hardships of the islanders' life are shrouded in mystery and legend. the reader is offered hints and even strong suggestions but rarely definitive answers as Neen tries to learn the truth of her family's past and her mother's disappearance.
A glowing 5 stars for this good read!
Read
February 3, 2017DNF...although I DID really try.
Although I really liked how poetic and atmospheric the writing was, I didn't feel the book was getting anywhere as far as plot/action (from other reviews, I see that a lot of you had the same opinion). I know I've paraphrased this sentiment before: A good story cannot be built on descriptive writing alone. Also, I felt things were a bit deceptive. Going on the cover and synopsis, I thought there would be mermaids involved somehow. Really, really wanted that magical-realism element I like so very much. Instead there was just a character who seemed to have severe eczema (scale-y skin).
Additionally, I didn't much care for any of the characters. They all seemed to be whiny or crabby or pessimistic. Kind of a downer.
I got about 2/3 through this one before giving up. Hopefully others will have better luck than I did.
Although I really liked how poetic and atmospheric the writing was, I didn't feel the book was getting anywhere as far as plot/action (from other reviews, I see that a lot of you had the same opinion). I know I've paraphrased this sentiment before: A good story cannot be built on descriptive writing alone. Also, I felt things were a bit deceptive. Going on the cover and synopsis, I thought there would be mermaids involved somehow. Really, really wanted that magical-realism element I like so very much. Instead there was just a character who seemed to have severe eczema (scale-y skin).
Additionally, I didn't much care for any of the characters. They all seemed to be whiny or crabby or pessimistic. Kind of a downer.
I got about 2/3 through this one before giving up. Hopefully others will have better luck than I did.
May 21, 2022
2022: Reread! This really is a luscious and lovely read. It can be a bit slow and not as magical as desired. But still a decent little mermaid book.
2017: Beautifully woven folklore! Mystical, magical Ananda Braxton- Smith is a true storyteller. It gives you that fun warm fuzzy feeling of sitting around a campfire listening to someone tell you a enthralling tale of magic and mermaids. While I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it for those who love mermaid tales....it didn't make my favorites list....for various reasons.
2017: Beautifully woven folklore! Mystical, magical Ananda Braxton- Smith is a true storyteller. It gives you that fun warm fuzzy feeling of sitting around a campfire listening to someone tell you a enthralling tale of magic and mermaids. While I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it for those who love mermaid tales....it didn't make my favorites list....for various reasons.
March 26, 2017
Merrow is salty and murky and full of tales retold so many ways you're not quite sure what's true or if there is a single truth. If you're looking for a high fantasy, you may want to search elsewhere. This is a story of family and of longing and of magic that lurks in old traditions and wild places.
December 1, 2025
2025
Found this at the library discard shop. I might have to reread, if I loved it this much...
2018
I love this more than words can say.
Found this at the library discard shop. I might have to reread, if I loved it this much...
2018
"Her voice is in the wind, her ears in the sea-caves and her heart beats in my stone-sack. Instead of carrying the stories, the stories now carry her."
I love this more than words can say.
December 22, 2016
Drawing on the folklore and customs of the Isle of Man, this was a lovely read. Atmospheric and beautiful turns of phrase. Definitely recommend
did-not-finish
August 24, 2017I love mer-anything, and I tried really hard to get into the writing, but it didn't keep my attention. Then I came here and saw it was part of a series, and I'm done with series. Done, I tell you.
September 13, 2019
Honestly, I don't have much to say about this book. I wasn't too interested at any point in the book. I was more bored reading it than anything and was pretty glad when it was over. It dragged on for me. The first few pages I thought it possibly would be interesting but sadly not. It started with the MC questioning her heritage, her family, where she came from. At first, I was interested and wanted her to find out what happened to her mother. But the plot took a deep dive for me.
One thing is that I was unsure throughout the book where the mermaids came in because there was no real mention of mermaids, so (brilliant me) I looked up "merrow" to learn it's in Irish folklore and is a mermaid. I guess I should've looked it up first but I just kept looking for that term: mermaid. LOL
One thing is that I was unsure throughout the book where the mermaids came in because there was no real mention of mermaids, so (brilliant me) I looked up "merrow" to learn it's in Irish folklore and is a mermaid. I guess I should've looked it up first but I just kept looking for that term: mermaid. LOL
December 4, 2017
What a marvelous twisty little book! It’s so full of secrets and stories and magic, and the setting and language are so vivid. Quite enthralling!
February 7, 2017
The plot is hard to follow and a lot of the specialized vocabulary acts more as distraction than enhancement. This is not the book for someone looking for a fast-paced and compelling mermaid YA read. It might appeal more to an older audience interesting in Irish folklore and culture.
February 22, 2017
3.5 stars: Where does belief end and truth begin?
Neen, an orphan, lives with her Aunt Ushag on a small homestead next to the sea. Her father died before she was born and her mother left when she small and never returned. Stories abound about what happened to her mother, but the 2 main ones are that she drowned herself from grief, or that she went back to the sea to live with her people.
You see, Neen's family has had stories told about them for many long years now. They are touched by the Other. Some say one of the great-grandfathers married a Merrow--a sea girl--and the children she bore to him all had gifts...or curses, depending on your point of view. Neen believes the old stories. She has the Red Scale on her own arms in the summer, doesn't she?
Ushag refuses to believe. The bitterness of being left behind and left to raise Neen and care for the land all by herself has turned her into a sour old woman. The two of them rarely get along anymore--Neen pushing for answers and Ushag refusing to talk.
Then a couple of things happen: the two find a mostly-drowned man tangled up in the gill net (and take him home to save him) and Neen finds something in a sea cave that seems to confirm every story she's ever heard. If she can only get her aunt to see it, too, it might be the beginning of something better.
* * * * *
Steeped in the lore of coastal fairy tales: selkies, water horses, changeling babies, and the Other. This is, at its heart, a story of a girl growing up and figuring out for herself what to believe and how to frame it in her heart.
This could easily have veered into the realm of magical realism, but it managed to walk that line without ever quite stepping over it.
Well done and atmospheric.
Content: Clean. As Neen is 12 in the story, this will probably appeal most to the older middle grade crowd, or teenagers enough into mermaids to overlook the young protagonist. For ages 10 and up.
I blog at: www.ofbooksandblooms.com
Neen, an orphan, lives with her Aunt Ushag on a small homestead next to the sea. Her father died before she was born and her mother left when she small and never returned. Stories abound about what happened to her mother, but the 2 main ones are that she drowned herself from grief, or that she went back to the sea to live with her people.
You see, Neen's family has had stories told about them for many long years now. They are touched by the Other. Some say one of the great-grandfathers married a Merrow--a sea girl--and the children she bore to him all had gifts...or curses, depending on your point of view. Neen believes the old stories. She has the Red Scale on her own arms in the summer, doesn't she?
Ushag refuses to believe. The bitterness of being left behind and left to raise Neen and care for the land all by herself has turned her into a sour old woman. The two of them rarely get along anymore--Neen pushing for answers and Ushag refusing to talk.
Then a couple of things happen: the two find a mostly-drowned man tangled up in the gill net (and take him home to save him) and Neen finds something in a sea cave that seems to confirm every story she's ever heard. If she can only get her aunt to see it, too, it might be the beginning of something better.
* * * * *
Steeped in the lore of coastal fairy tales: selkies, water horses, changeling babies, and the Other. This is, at its heart, a story of a girl growing up and figuring out for herself what to believe and how to frame it in her heart.
This could easily have veered into the realm of magical realism, but it managed to walk that line without ever quite stepping over it.
Well done and atmospheric.
Content: Clean. As Neen is 12 in the story, this will probably appeal most to the older middle grade crowd, or teenagers enough into mermaids to overlook the young protagonist. For ages 10 and up.
I blog at: www.ofbooksandblooms.com
February 16, 2017
These was too much suspense and no mermaids!! I thought there were mermaids. :( It was more like a children's book about people on the Isle of Man that talked about Merrows, which I thought were mermaids.
December 27, 2013
This book was not what I was expecting at all! I imagined it to be a bit of a celtic story about people turning into Selkies and Mermaids (in other words, a bit of a light-hearted read). In that regard, I must say this review will be slightly tainted by my expectations. I liked Neen's character, her inner turmoil, her quest for answers about her missing mother. I LOVED Ushag, learning what she went through, realising that she was only 14 when she started to bring up Neen in a reclusive area. In some ways I felt that Ushag's journey was more interesting that Neen's. The characters interactions were different to many other stories and the more I read, the more I felt I began to understand the nuances of their relationship.
It did not feel extremely action packed, the chapters ran on, giving tid-bits of information but not really tying anything together, simply leaving me with more questions until I reached the end. When the conclusion did come, I was somewhat disappointed... but again, I did have preconceived ideas about this book. Not sure I would take time to re-read, but wasn't a terrible experience. Simply, the author's style of writing didn't really grab me.
It did not feel extremely action packed, the chapters ran on, giving tid-bits of information but not really tying anything together, simply leaving me with more questions until I reached the end. When the conclusion did come, I was somewhat disappointed... but again, I did have preconceived ideas about this book. Not sure I would take time to re-read, but wasn't a terrible experience. Simply, the author's style of writing didn't really grab me.
August 9, 2022
Orphaned Neen, yearning to be of merfolk descent, searches for the truth of her origins as she threshes through stories, folklore, gossip and events she believes, imagines, or knows to be true. She finds that “some stories are truer than facts” in a haunting coming-of-age story on the Isle of Man.
Sweet:
Raw, lyrical, beautifully written voice. “A yell got stuck in my gullet, and I couldn’t breathe. Like something out of Ushag’s traps, I was both skinned and gutted. Held in the thinnest of sacks and bound together by the finest of wires, slowly my own bones filled with doom and revolt.”
Gorgeous prose, deft handling of the intersection of pagan and Christian culture. Rewarding role-reversal regarding who believes in merrow and who does not.
Sour:
This tale is dominated by Neen’s thoughts, so this may not appeal to readers who need constant action.
Since Ulf was an ex-Viking raider, (pre 1066?) preparing “salad” (p.209) stuck in my gullet. (Greens? Yes. Plants? Yes.)
Best read:
By strong, introspective readers who appreciate long passages of an internal monologue and reflection.
Sweet:
Raw, lyrical, beautifully written voice. “A yell got stuck in my gullet, and I couldn’t breathe. Like something out of Ushag’s traps, I was both skinned and gutted. Held in the thinnest of sacks and bound together by the finest of wires, slowly my own bones filled with doom and revolt.”
Gorgeous prose, deft handling of the intersection of pagan and Christian culture. Rewarding role-reversal regarding who believes in merrow and who does not.
Sour:
This tale is dominated by Neen’s thoughts, so this may not appeal to readers who need constant action.
Since Ulf was an ex-Viking raider, (pre 1066?) preparing “salad” (p.209) stuck in my gullet. (Greens? Yes. Plants? Yes.)
Best read:
By strong, introspective readers who appreciate long passages of an internal monologue and reflection.
November 15, 2010
This is the dilemma facing Neen: marked by her scales, she is both an outsider in the community and a young girl eager to reclaim the truth about her family and her self. This is what feeds the story and gives it an emotional brevity – we all want to know where we fit in the world.
And it is a wonderful world Braxton-Smith creates. I love the way the characters speak; their vernacular, their quirks, and the stories they tell. I love the relationship between Neen and Ushag and the way it develops. I love the way Neen views the world, and I love that the emotion here is raw and real and yet filtered through something distinctly otherworldly. I love the clash of the old and new worlds and I love the way Merrow is so stubbornly unique. Most of all I love the way Braxton-Smith uses words to evoke time and place and feeling.
I loved this book. I think the best way I can describe it is imperfectly perfect.
Full review at: http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/search...
And it is a wonderful world Braxton-Smith creates. I love the way the characters speak; their vernacular, their quirks, and the stories they tell. I love the relationship between Neen and Ushag and the way it develops. I love the way Neen views the world, and I love that the emotion here is raw and real and yet filtered through something distinctly otherworldly. I love the clash of the old and new worlds and I love the way Merrow is so stubbornly unique. Most of all I love the way Braxton-Smith uses words to evoke time and place and feeling.
I loved this book. I think the best way I can describe it is imperfectly perfect.
Full review at: http://bookgrotto.blogspot.com/search...
March 10, 2017
Neen is an orphan girl living in a seaside village. Her father drowned, her mother disappeared, and Neen can't help wondering if she herself is connected somehow. If the selkies that the townspeople whisper about have something to do with it, too. And she's bound and determined to discover the truth for herself. But is Neen prepared for the reality of what she will find?
Ooh, I enjoyed this. I don't know what it is about Australian young adult authors, but they tend to write mysterious, atmospheric, almost gothic tales that I can burrow into and really feel like I'm living in them. Justine Larbalestier and Karen Foxlee fall into this category, and now I'm adding Ananda Braxton-Smith. The mythology and vocabulary and fierce world-building of Merrow reminded me a lot of Francesca Lia Block, and although this isn't a fantasy in the strict sense of the word (it's not really about mermaids, and they don't appear in the book), I feel confident categorizing the book as one.
Ooh, I enjoyed this. I don't know what it is about Australian young adult authors, but they tend to write mysterious, atmospheric, almost gothic tales that I can burrow into and really feel like I'm living in them. Justine Larbalestier and Karen Foxlee fall into this category, and now I'm adding Ananda Braxton-Smith. The mythology and vocabulary and fierce world-building of Merrow reminded me a lot of Francesca Lia Block, and although this isn't a fantasy in the strict sense of the word (it's not really about mermaids, and they don't appear in the book), I feel confident categorizing the book as one.
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