Really Truly

Pumpkin Falls #3

by Heather Vogel Frederick

The Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes grapple with pirates and mermaids in the third cozy mystery of the Edgar Award–nominated middle grade series from the author of the beloved Mother-Daughter Book Club books.

Truly Lovejoy is excited for the perfect summer in Pumpkin Falls, New swim practice outside, working at the bookstore, one-on-one time with her mom, and best of all, time with the dreamy RJ Calhoun who may just like Truly back. But the idyllic falls apart when she’s sent off to mermaid academy—sparkly tail and all.

Luckily, a mystery is never too far behind the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes, and synchronized swimming turns into a hunt for a sunken ship and an investigation of the founding of Pumpkin Falls…which may have involved more pirates than originally thought.

And as the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes get closer to the heart of the mystery and Truly gets closer to her mermaid debut, she may just learn to come out of her shell.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary, Summer, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2020

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly is in for a very busy summer in this third installment of the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series. There is a family reunion, Mermaid Academy, Pirates of Penzance, and not one but two mysteries for her and the gang to unravel. Truly's father Jericho Lovejoy has come a long way in adjusting to his war injury since book #1. Lots of great changes with other characters as well like Aunt True. If you like pirates and mermaids (and Esther Williams), you will fall in love with this book. There is a bonus recipe at the end. Yum! Enjoy!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this series continues to be very sweet and a lot of fun, I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as the previous novels. It really bothered me that Truly’s father punished her for defending herself when another girl sabotaged her swimsuit. Being exposed, in front of a crowd with cameras and a news crew, is really serious, and rather than be proud of his daughter for sticking up for herself and protecting her bodily autonomy, he grounds her. I couldn’t get over that. I felt betrayed by a family that has been strict but loving in the face of adversity. Also, the end was super rushed. I kept glancing at how many pages were left and wondering how that was going to work - and it really didn’t.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanted to re-read this book for the fourth time or so, because it’s such a fun light summer read! I love reading about truly and her friends! I would recommend this book to so many people!! There are some connections to the last Mother Daughter Book-Club which makes even more fun!! Even though the mystery is not as big as the ones in the other books, there’s still twists and turns that make you want to keep reading! Five stars all the way!!

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become one of my favorite series!
The third installment involves Truly and her friends taking part in a “mermaid camp”, and working to solve the mystery of a possible Lovejoy treasure linked to pirate ancestors! Great reading!
Moving along to the fourth book, releasing on August 22nd!

I Forgot:
A member of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series makes a cameo appearance ( I love it when authors do this!)

[Sarah Nealy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute! I loved the whole pirate and mermaid theme. This was more adventurous then the other ones and it made it a very enjoyable read. My only fault with it is Truly's negative attitude about everything including hating mermaid camp, my inner 12 year old was like are you kidding me, mermaids are awesome, but I guess not everyone likes mermaids....

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun installment in the Pumpkin Falls series. I really liked this one-the mysteries are always interesting and hold my attention well. Great read!

[kaylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

more like 3.5 ⭐️
pretty good but the plot was weird and kinda two parted and the ending was meh. otherwise it was good! i would recommend to certain people.

[Jamie Johnson Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly still enjoying this series 😉💜🧜‍♀️

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Pumpkin Falls series has two mysteries for the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes to solve: a missing trophy and a missing pirate treasure. There are a lot of characters with a lot going on: a huge family reunion, a Fourth of July Race, Mermaid Academy, a Pirates of Penzance production, plus two mysteries. The story unfolds slowly, but the ending is exciting and worth the wait. For readers new to the series, this might not be the best book to begin with, but fans of the series will enjoy catching up with old friends. More, please!

"I am Grania -- hear me roar!"

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a complete delight! I am so very fond of Pumpkin Falls and all its citizens and honorary citizens. The author is so good at creating a community that is so warm you want to pack up and move there tomorrow. It reminds me of the middle grade Mitford, which is another wonderful, community-based novel series with an endearing protagonist. This novel is split into three “volumes” if you will: the Gifford family reunion in PF, the mermaid academy, and the treasure hunt/musical practice back in Pumpkin Falls. The middle section about the mermaid academy was so funny. I giggled basically the entire time. At first I found it as ridiculous as Truly but I also grew to appreciate it and the community of the academy just like Truly. Also, who doesn’t love mermaids and pirates? I will definitely be reading this again.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too many sub- plots make this about 150 pages longer than it needs to be. Also, the dad, realize he has a lot in his background, but he’s just plain harsh. I enjoyed the first two books in the series better.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 this one might be my favorite of the Pumpkin Falls!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a super enjoyable series!

[Shella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Shuster for an ARC of Really Truly to give an honest review. This is the third installment of the Pumpkin Falls mystery series. My students have been long anticipating this next installment. The beginning of the story starts with a 4th of July family reunion for Truly's Texas side of the family. They break tradition and meet in Pumpkin Falls. The details of this extended family describing their relationships and traditions are heartwarming. It makes you want to step through the pages and join this family. The book takes a detour to Mermaid Academy with 2 Pumpkin Falls friends and Truly's cousin. Even though the description and secondary characters introduced in this part of the story are terrific- it was too girly. The strength of the other books is that they have attracted readers of both genders. I'm hoping the boys don't abandon the book during this section. I'm with Truly- what is all the enthrallment about mermaids? At the end of this week long camp- Truly's action get her grounded again (her dad is a tough one) and the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes are off to solve 2 mysteries- one about her relative that founded the college with a pirate background and second finding the stolen trophy from the 4th of July race. The backstory of her relative will pick up steam especially for those that were not that interested in the side story of Mermaid Academy. It ended on a note that turns the family in a new direction and should be a great set-up for the 4th book- I hope for the next book, we don't have to wait as long as we did for this one. If you have middle school or older elementary readers- this is a wonderful mystery series that adds historical background, interesting characters that model great behavior and solid families that rely on each other for support. I love the relationship between Truly and her Aunt True. There are many mystery series out there that are just too gritty for this age- this one fits a sweet spot in a genre that has pushed the edge too far for many readers in this age group.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. More please.


Mysteries typically don't leave the location of the crime. For a mystery series to be set in another location the main character or the ensemble cast of characters (as is often the case) need a reason to be traveling together and then the crime happens in this new location. Solving the crime becomes a necessity for the character(s) to be able to either go home or continue on their trip. This trope remains true despite twenty years of cellphones and the growing ubiquity of the internet.

That said, the Pumpkin Falls books have never been typical mysteries, though the first and second books were set entirely within the village, thus sticking to the no changing location trope. This one, though, takes advantage of the fact that it's also a middle grade novel which has its own tropes and expectations. One of those is that adults can and do frequently disrupt the plans of the teenaged protagonist.

So while Truly and her cousin spend about half of the book in Cape Cod at the mermaid academy, Truly's friends back home continue to investigate the missing silver pumpkin and report back via text and FaceTime.

This long tangential mermaid plot gives the novel time to work in the threads of a much more interesting and difficult to solve mystery, namely the missing treasure of a ship that sank off the coast of Cape Cod. This historic mystery which involves a man accused of piracy is similar to the Gentleman George side plot from Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder (2020).

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

[Hanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I see a Truly book on the shelf, it is a surprise to me. I picked up the first book in the series because of the cover, and that has been the case for pretty much every other Truly book in the series.

I remember really enjoying at least the first book in the series (and apparently the second as well, since I gave them both 5 stars), though I don't really remember what is in them. Considering it has been 4 years since I've read them and I still remember some of the plot though, I would assume that I really did enjoy them when I did read them. Really Truly fell a bit flat for me: it feels like the author milked the Original Thought she had for too long and now this book is dead, or maybe I am no longer the target demographic, who knows?

Like Truly, I thought that the Mermaid ~Academy~ was dumb, especially with how it ended, and the mystery in this book was significantly less interesting than the previous ones. The interactions with Truly and the rest of the people in this family weren't as interesting as before either, and the only really interesting characters in this book were Aunt True and the 90 year old ladies.

Like the other books in this series, I also thought it was just a tad too long: it lost my interest about 3/4 of the way through the book and I had to push to finish it. Overall, this book wasn't my favorite, though I will definitely still read whatever books come out further in the series. I would have really enjoyed this book as a 10-year old, so for her sake, I did enjoy this book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this installment but still struggle with "Pumpkin Falls Mystery" as the descriptor- these are realistic fiction with a mystery as one of the plot points, but not strictly "mysteries" to this reader. Nonetheless a fun and fast read with a great setting and likeable characters.

I did find the resolution of the pirate mystery to be over the top the way Wish You Were Eyre (by the same author) was. I was hoping for more stories about Truly and her friends and family, but this ended in such a way that I don't know if there will be anymore.

[Faith Miletello · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really couldn’t get where this book was going until page 200… mystery or boring saga of a negative pre teen? Truly is so down on everything and you never really understand why. I also don’t understand why she is shipped off to stupid mermaid camp when she is supposed to solve the mystery? And her parents are ecstatic to rid themselves of her in front of her face? Just a really boring book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truly's father is terrible. It seems to be an unpopular opinion but for the most part her whole family (minus Aunt True) is super annoying, but her dad is just a controlling asshole.

[Kit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heather Vogel Frederick's books were some of my favorite comfort reads growing up, and I recently embarked on a reread of Mother-Daughter Book Club (MDBC) and Pumpkin Falls, ending with this book. Frederick's books are solidly middle grade, this series more than MDBC (which has a little more for adult readers, though this may be due to the enduring charm of the classic books that the book club reads.) A sweet enough story, though the central mystery itself wasn't particularly compelling and its conclusion felt rushed, as it was in the first two books. This is the weakest of her books in my opinion, though part of it is also due to some of the central conceits of the series that simply aren't for me. The authoritarian parenting of the Lovejoy family patriarch is probably commonplace, acceptable, and even charming in some families but it rubs me the wrong way (I do not love the focus on obedience being a good and important thing for children to strive for - respect, sure! Blind obedience, "because I am your parent", no, and it isn't something I've encountered in Frederick's other books so I'm a bit baffled as to why it appears here, especially when the narrative seems to earnestly believe that the Lovejoy parents are virtually always right), and though Truly can be a whiny teenager, there is a certain amount of disrespect for her autonomy or her wishes displayed by both parents that I find dismaying to read even as an adult. (Also a difference from MDBC.) Finally, the inclusion of Cassidy Sloane, Frederick's MDBC darling who is beautiful and tall and a perfect athlete with two handsome men in love with her (!), just reminded me of some of the things that bothered me about the conclusion to the MDBC series, and which further soured my experience here.

This is a general note for all of Frederick's books, and stands out far more for a book published in 2020 than it does for one published in 2007 - at this point, I find the lack of even a mention of any LGBTQ+ people - particularly in a story that takes place in large part on Cape Cod, a destination famous for being queer-friendly - very disappointing. Representation of nonwhite, non-Christian characters is not Frederick's strong suit, though the Pumpkin Falls series has been a small improvement over Mother-Daughter Book Club. What is more telling is that Frederick has shown herself to be not at all averse to romance, and heterosexual romance, both adolescent and adult, along with pregnancy, have featured prominently in many of her books. There is nothing inherently adult or inappropriate for middle grade about the existence of queer characters that would prohibit their inclusion here, and at best, this is an innocent oversight. But it strains belief that this pattern has continued into 2020 for innocent reasons.

So yes, this is a 2-star read. Even as a middle-grade reader, I don't think I would've enjoyed this very much. I will probably try Vogel's next book simply because of the fond memories of the first books of hers I came across, but my expectations are low.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I did not read the first two books in this series, but that isn't a problem. There are nods to the earlier books and reading them first would clarify characters and such, but grabbing it up as a stand alone isn't terribly difficult, either.

Truly is anything but thrilled, when her family decides to have their annual reunion in the small town of Pumpkin Falls. She's still trying to settle in, since she no longer lives next to her best friend and cousin, and knows her huge family is embarrassing. But as life bubbles around her, the first mystery pops up and a trophy goes missing. But before her and her gang of sleuths can really get going, she's sent off to Mermaid Camp with her cousin...something she's not thrilled about. Add the new adventure of a possible lost treasure and deepening mystery back home, and soon she's dealing with more than a super heavy, mermaid tale.

This is such a lovely book. The author has woven two mysteries together, and that while diving into an amazing family and bunch of friends. Each character...and there are a lot of them...carries so much personality and quirks. There's a constant sense of chaos, and yet it's the wonderful kind, which makes the reader wish they could dive right into it too. The relatives are smart but ridiculous in their own ways, and the mermaid camp is packed full of unexpected and odd moments, too. Truly definitely has a lot going on, but she keeps her chin up, tries her best, and has so much support from around her that it's impossible not to cheer her on.

The mix of pirate treasure and mermaid camp is amazing...and not what I expected when I first read the blurb. The pirate end belongs to a mystery back in Pumpkin Falls, which her friends are investigating. This one involves the history of the town and a town myth. The Mermaid Camp, on the other hand, is a setting all for itself and involves Truly's cousin's dream of becoming...or learning to swim....like a mermaid. Actually, this end could have been a book on its own thanks to the amazing setting, characters and happenings. I almost wish this had been so as to let it deepen even more. The pirate mystery, while a great contrast (and in some ways, combination) to the mermaids, didn't get the attention it could have...and would have made a great book on its own as well.

This is a fun read with tons of silliness, tension, heart, family, friendship, and exciting mystery. I can really recommend it (and will have to go back and read the first two books, now). I received an ARC and really enjoyed this mystery and the characters.

[mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so, I kind of have a deep emotional connection to these books.

*flashback*
It all started when I learned to read. By first grade, I was in an advanced reading group, reading 100-200 page books. I was already most of the way through the Harry Potter series with my dad, and I read non-stop. This continued through the years until I slowly stop reading. Looking back, I don’t know how it happened, but it did. This was a dark time in my life. And I don’t mean just because I stopped reading. I had fake friends who shared my secrets with everyone, tried to push me out of my comfort zone way too many times, let the freaking bus leave with out me, and overall, made my life awful. I had teachers who were not fit to teach, and way too much homework. Then, one day, I won Absolutely Truly at a giveaway. I read it and loved it. I begged for the next book, and cried when i learned there were only two. I started reading again. I got better friends. Absolutely Truly marks a turning part in my life, and I know it sounds cheesy. I’ve read it waaaaaaaay to many times.

Now, just last week, the library closed because of a snowstorm. And i had nothing to read. So i went and grabbed Absolutely Truly off the shelf, and then I read Yours Truly. Then, just the other day, I learned a new book had come out. I may or may not have cried. I read it in one sitting, and loved every part of it.

I totally agree with Truly on the stupidity of Mermaid Camp *cough* I’m sorry Mermaid Academy . It surprised me how all the other girls were so excited about it. But then I started wondering i this was a real thing. This book was so good.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!

HOW COULD CALHOUN JUST DUMP HER IN THE LAKE AFTER TRYING TO KISS HER. HE KNEW SHE TRIED TO KISS HIM BACK. THIS WAS THE BID MOMENT. THEY WOULD KISS AND THEN HE COULD TOSS HER IN THE LAKE. JUST COME ON.

Also, the kissing scene between Calhoun and Cha Cha was made into a big deal, but when they performed, it wasn’t even mentioned. Just saying.

NO MORE SPOILERS

Here’s the thing, though. I have sadly noticed a pattern. These books come out three years apart. There years. There better be a fourth one or somebody will die. But i can not wait THREE YEARS for another book!!!!!!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly is ready for the best summer ever. After her mom's family reunion she's going to work at the bookstore and go to the movie festival with Calhoun, and have some alone time with her parents because all her siblings will be at camp. But then during the family reunion Mackenzie sees a brochure for Mermaid camp and even though that sounds like torture instead of fun to Truly (and there's a missing trophy the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes have been tasked to find), she finds herself signed up along with Mackenzie, Cha Cha, and Jasmine. While there, Truly stumbles across a clue in a book about a local pirate ship wreck she thinks points to her ancestor? Could the patron saint of Pumpkin Falls Nathaniel Daniel Lovejoy have secretly been the former pirate Dandy Dan? If so, is his treasure still around? And will Truly ever have a chance to investigate after a disaster at the end of Mermaid Academy gets her grounded for life and sentenced to stage hand duty for the community production of The Pirates of Penzance?

This kind of felt like three stories in one. The first 1/3 revolves around the family reunion, the 2nd third happens at Mermaid Academy, and the last third happens back in Pumpkin Falls during the prep for the play and treasure hunt. There are two main things that tie everything together. 1, the mystery of what happened to the trophy for the 4th of July race, and 2, Truly learning to be more comfortable in her own skin and more able to see things from the perspectives of those around her. She grows a lot through the summer and learns important things for any middle grade reader to learn. I really liked how the author introduced readers to The Pirates of Penzance and Esther Williams. I come from a family who liked Gilbert & Sullivan quite a lot and old movies, so I love seeing these things being introduced to a new generation. Hand this to readers who like contemporary fiction, mystery stories, summer camp stories, and pirate treasure hunts.

No content issues.

[Makayla Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘’Really Truly’’, written by Heather Vogel Frederick, is a fiction story featuring the main character, Truly Lovejoy. Truly, her cousin Mackenzie, and their two friends attend a camp over the summer at Cape Cod, meanwhile Truly and Mackenzie along with their friends are trying to solve a mystery before they have to leave. On the Fourth of July, a race was held in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire and a trophy was awarded to the first-place winner. However, the trophy goes missing. This race has been held for hundreds of years in Pumpkin Falls so this is a big deal. Will they be able to figure out who took it? While Truly and Mackenzie attend camp, another problem arises and they need to put this mystery on hold. In Cape Cod, they go to a book signing for a famous writer, Amanda Appleton and she is out to find answers to another mystery about Truly’s ancestor, Nathaniel Daniel Lovejoy. Truly made a connection while reading a pirate book that her ancestor is involved with. There is treasure hidden in Pumpkin Falls. Truly needs to figure out this mystery before Amanda Appleton can because of a ‘’finders keepers rule.’’ Even though Nathaniel Daniel Lovejoy is Truly’s ancestor, if she cannot find the ‘’treasure’’ before Amanda does, then it all goes to waste. Who will find it first and who will solve this mystery? I really enjoyed this book because of the mystery and cliff-hanging chapters. It left me wanting more throughout the whole book. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars because of its creativity, suspense, and cliff-hanging chapters. The theme of this book is to never give up. If you like a book filled with mystery, then this is the book for you!

[Sarah Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay let's be upfront about this ... I might be a little partial to Heather Vogel Frederick characters in general and my opinion may be slightly biased.

1. The mermaids and the entire mermaid academy was incredibly cheesy.
2. The missing trophy that no one has any clue what happened to also incredibly cheesy.
3. Amanda Appleton and her book about pirates that conveniently tie back to Truly and her family also incredibly cheesy.

But I don't care because I love Truly and her entire family and the book was wonderful and the series is amazing.

So happy that True and Rusty are engaged. So happy that all the couples were engaged. So happy that True and RJ Calhoun seem to have a real budding romance. So happy about Hatcher and Cha Cha possibly having a budding relationship.

Also ... can I just say that there are extra stars for the simple fact that Cassidy Sloan and the Lovejoy Camp from the Mother-Daughter Book Club series made an appearance?! That was wonderful to see Cassidy at the race at the beginning but I did not realize it was the same summer camp until the steamboat they got overnights in showed up at the end!! It was so wonderful to have these two series come together like they did. I loved it!!

I cannot wait for the next book but this one ended at a point that I can wait for it to be written. Looking forward to what happens for this family that no longer has to worry about money.

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I have not read the first two books in the series. I didn't feel like I had missed anything coming into this one.

Truly Lovejoy lives in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire. She is originally from Texas and her family had to move up North when her dad came back from Afghanistan missing an arm and work for the family business. In this book Truly's whole Texas clan has come up for a family reunion. On the one hand she's excited to see her favorite cousin, Makenzie, and her other family, but she is also a little embarrassed by the whole spectacle in this small town where everyone knows everyone and everything (typical teenager). Truly and some others participate in a 4K on the 4th of July and the pumpkin prize trophy goes missing. Truly and her friends (Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes), decide to try to solve the mystery, but the next day Makenzie ends up getting Truly and Jasmine and Cha Cha to all go to mermaid camp for a week. Truly really does not want to go, but ends up having an okay time. While they are there they hear about pirates and a pirate treasure that ends up coming back to relate to Truly! As the book goes on the missing pumpkin trophy ends up being solved along with the pirate treasure, but it does not work out how you think!

Thank you to Edelweiss for the DRC

[Nuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

No. I just. No. This book! Please let there be more in the future!! I can't believe Calhoun and Truly ALMOST kissed, and then he dumps her in the lake! Although they do get rich and Amanda Appleton doesn't. And Truly finally accepts being a mermaid! I'm so happy she had so much fun, and the "elderly" ladies were so much fun. And also Delphine opened up a restaurant/café! Although I think her dad was kind of harsh with the grounded thing, I can see where he was coming from, so I'll give him that. Truly was kind of asking for it, too, sneaking around like that. The play went amazing, Truly was a mermaid, she solved the mystery, Amanda Appleton went back to where she came from, Bud and Lucas's mother get married, and AUNT TRUE AND PROFESSOR RUSTY GET MARRIED!!!!! YAAASSSSSSS!!!!! Also Mackenzie is in this book too, and we get to meet Truly's big family, and her father is finally back to joking around. Right, that's it for me today!! Loved this book, highly recommend it after you read the other two books!!

[Sarah Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third Pumpkin Falls Mystery takes Truly to Cape Cod for mermaid camp -- correction mermaid academy -- with her cousin from the previous installments, and she definitely has a rocky start to the week-long event, especially in her general attitude to having to attend and feeling like she is missing out on her perfect summer that she'd planned for herself. When things go awry during the culminating showcase review and Truly gets revenge on another girl who had bugged her all week, her parents ground her for the summer. Meanwhile, the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes are attempting to solve the disappearance of the town's race trophy and eventually try to outwit a PhD treasure hunter who starts snooping around the town looking for treasure that has potential ties to the Lovejoy family. There are several 50s films mentioned throughout the book, almost more than the few novels that are listed as "Miss Marple's Picks" and an interesting fictional connection to movie star Esther Williams with two supporting characters.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight as always, Frederick makes up for a slightly whiny second book in the series by a delightful childhood adventure that reads like all your favorite Disney live action movies in one (think the Parent Trap)> Friendships and family relations are tested when Truly has to accompany her best friend and cousin to Mermaid camp. A lover of swimming, but not attention, Truly is a fish out of water in this very girly setting, and just wants to get back to Pumpkin Falls to see the rest of her friends, the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes to solve the mystery in progress and help run the family's bookstore. But lo and behold, a pirate related mystery pops up that ties back to Truly's hometown, and she's on the case.
This series is so real, and while Truly isn't always perfect, that's what makes her approachable. She breaks rules for the wrong reasons sometimes, loves and is constantly frustrated by her family, and luckily, has a fabulous aunt. This series is an under-rated joy.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very exciting ending to this one (#3 in series), but honestly I consider Truly’s father ( and to a lesser extent her mother) to be emotionally abusive. They made her go to Mermaid Academy even though she made it clear she absolutely didn’t want to go, and then her father punished her for standing up to a bully by making her take part in a play she didn’t want to be a part of. This book is teaching young readers that your NO can be easily vetoed, so why bother saying no at all? Also the chapters on the Mermaid Academy, in my opinion, had too much detail on swimming strokes, breathing etc. which would not be interesting to most people. ( I mean it went on forever! I know the fact that she’s a good swimmer is important later, but it was just too much!) I actually teach a water exercise class, so it’s not like I don’t like the water.