Rating: 6 / 10
From the blurb: When a mermaid has her first kiss, she 'bonds' for life with the person she kisses. For Lily, a mermaid princess living in secret on land, this means she has ended up accidentally bonded to her obnoxious neighbour, instead of to the boy of her dreams. So begins a tidal wave of relationship drama, as Lily discovers that happily-ever-after never goes as smoothly as you plan it to.
This is one of the first mermaid books I've ever read, and I really enjoyed it. There was some fascinating mer lore - especially the "finkini", bikini bottoms made of tail scales to protect one's modesty! Lily was a believable teenager, falling for a boy and believing it's true love. Not only that, but she struggles to strike a balance between duty and happiness. So when she accidentally bonds to the boy she hates most of all, it's hard for her to know what to do. Quince, her bonded neighbour, was adorably enigmatic; he's gruff but sweet and therefore impossible to read. Lily's family and friends are supportive and, thankfully, she's grateful for that. Brody Bennett, on the other hand - the object of Lily's long lasting affections - is kind of irritating, ignoring Lily until she can be of use to him. He may not be intentionally malicious, but he is a little self-centred.
At times the writing seems a little twee, and because of Lily's inability to kiss boys without a huge commitment there's no real romance, which seems a shame. Also, the storyline is a little predictable. From reading the blurb I had a pretty good idea of what would happen and, as it turned out, I was pretty much right.
I loved the setting of Thalassinia, the undersea kingdom. There was so much detail, and the way it was conveyed showed Lily's love of her home. I would have liked more information about her mother, but it is only the first book of a series so fingers crossed! The epilogue was infuriating, only because it was cut off too soon. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
If you enjoy this book, try out 'Wings' by Aprilynne Pike or 'Supernaturally' by Kiersten White. Or if you're in it for the mermaids, give 'Ripple' a go, by Mandy Hubbard.
Fins are Forever was released in April 2012.
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