Book Reviews, Paranormal Romance

BOOK REVIEW: D.S. Murphy’s SHEARWATER

A retelling that will make you wonder if mermaids exist.

Overall

Summary:

5

User Rating: 4.8 (2 votes)

This has been the year of the mermaids. They were everywhere! Although my mermaid obsession fizzled out when I hit my teenage years, I’ve always been a fan of paranormal romance, and if that included mermaids, then I was game.

When I picked up Murphy’s Shearwater, I’d already read quite a few stories about mermaids. Murphy set Clara’s story in our day and age, but created an elaborate mermaid or “merrow” (as he calls them) myth, so elaborate that for a second, I wondered if mermaids could potentially exist amongst us. Questioning the boundaries between reality and fiction is one of the signs that a story has hooked me.

Another sign is when I begin losing sleep to read just a few more pages…that turn out to be a few more chapters. Following Clara was an enthralling adventure. She’s a spunky heroine with a real backbone who overcame great grief and built a solid circle of friends in her new home. When she finds herself falling for Sebastian, I found myself falling for him as well. The potential for a love triangle is there, but Murphy hasn’t overly drawn it out, which I found refreshing. Too many YA novels are built on all-encompassing love triangles, which produce wishy-washy, lovesick characters.

The setting is also something to be noted in Shearwater. It was vivid and poetic, and added texture to the tight web of stories Murphy expertly wove together.

I’ve seen Shearwater compared to Twilight taken to the ocean, and I think there’s no better analogy. However, everything happens faster in Murphy’s story. It’s like Meyer’s four books rolled up in one. Which makes me that much more curious to discover where he plans on taking Clara’s story in book 2.

  • Is Taylor Swift Really a Mermaid?

    Super-celeb Taylor has a lot in common with mermaid literature. What follows is an in-depth argument that Taylor swift is a ...
  • BOOK REVIEW: D.S. Murphy’s SHEARWATER

    This has been the year of the mermaids. They were everywhere! Although my mermaid obsession fizzled out when I hit my ...
  • “THE SIREN” BY KIERA CASS BOOK REVIEW

    We have entered the epoch of mermaids. 2015 saw dozens of mermaid themed books hit the market, and what has so ...
Load More Related Articles
Load More By OLIVIA WILDENSTEIN
Load More In Book Reviews

Leave a Reply

Check Also

OUR DARK STARS by Audrey Grey and Krystal Wade

  1 word: Incredible! This was my first ...

Welcome to The YA Shelf

Helping you find the BEST young adult literature online! We're YA authors, readers and bibliophiles, who read everything and sometimes post book reviews and fandom summaries. Check out our "best books for teens" lists to see our favorites, or browse nearly 300+ book reviews!

Check out today's deals or See what's hot! Today's FREE books
Today's BestSellers


imlovingbooks

Top Posts & Pages

Sarah J Maas and YA cancel culture (what's up?)
50 YA fiction tropes and cliches we can't get enough of!
The Best Angel and Fallen Angel Romances for Teens
The Best YA Magic Academy Books
The Best YA Fae Fantasy Books
32 thrilling mermaid books for fans of young adult (YA) fantasy novels
The Best Time Travel Books for Teens
The Best YA/Teen Fiction Books With Spooky Ghosts & Haunted Houses

Search

Category Posts