Nerissa Marin isn’t your average teenager. She’s secretly the runaway princess of an ancient underwater world called Waterfell, sent away by her father to learn the ways of humans to better understand them. Rissa also has run away from her duties as the queen-to-be by deciding not to return to Waterfell and avenge her father’s murderer – except that her guardians still expect her to take up her crown, and when she comes of age she’s expected to fight for her kingdom.

I really liked Nerissa as a character. I liked her a ridiculous amount. I loved her voice and the narration and her over the top angst and selfishness and the way she turned herself around to become responsible and ultimately fight for her crown. I really loved her relationship with her human best friend Jenna. I even loved how Rissa was determined not to fall for the cocky, arrogant bad-boy wannabe hottie-pants Lo right away. There was no insta-love in this book. I also really loved how Rissa had hobbies and interests that expanded beyond the boy, including school hockey and ocean conservation, which served to round out her character and add depth to the story.

Dear publishers and authors,

Consider the following warning label:

WARNING: This book contains instalove. The protagonist falls head over heels for the love interest in less than 10% of the novel for some undeniable and yet inexplicable reason. And after that, 90% of the protagonist's thoughts and actions concern this undying love. It will be insufferable. You will hate it. Stay away.

For the love of god. Please start using this label. Because I'm getting sick of going into these books expecting an actual plot and having it center on nothing but the irritating ramblings of a love sick teenager. And that was just the beginning of the immense list of issues I have with this book.

Nerissa is a thoroughly unlikable character. So in a thoroughly original turn of events, Lo, short for Lotharius, is a new guy at Nerissa's school, and from the moment they lock eyes, Nerissa just can't stop thinking about him. But the way this instalove is set up becomes even more annoying when you factor in Nerissa's personality. She's so darn attracted to him, but the whole thing is set up as if she can't stand him. For the first half of the book, it pretty much goes like this:

Nerissa: *stares at new guy*
Lo: ... *stares back*
Nerissa: YOU'RE SO ARROGANT AND ANNOYING.
Lo: ...Hi.
Nerissa: STOP STALKING ME.
Lo: I like you.
Nerissa: UGH I HATE YOU. *storms off*
Nerissa: God I don't get that guy. Oh but he's so pretty. With his deep blue eyes and hair the color of wet sand (literal statement, I don't get how that's attractive). You can tell he's strong by how skinny he is and his long fingers (..yeah.). Could I possibly like him? Naaaaaaaaaaaah.
*process repeats*

So I already couldn't stand Nerissa for her stupid and inexplicable attraction to Lo, who showed absolutely no personality - and contrary to how she asserts that he is arrogant and douchey, he displays no such behavior aside from an odd snarky comment here and there. But then this ex-friendship with Cara is introduced. Nerissa and Cara used to be friends until a guy Cara was crushing on asked Nerissa out and she accepted. However, instead of Cara being a bitch to Nerissa, Nerissa makes Cara's life a living hell, pretty much. She completely shuts Cara out during a hockey game, refusing to pass to her when she was open, and in general just keeps narrating about how rude and bitchy Cara is. Cara barely does anything aside from glare at Nerissa. But of course then Lo becomes friends with Cara, so Nerissa doesn't like that. And then later Nerissa's best friend Speio starts dating Cara and Nerissa doesn't like that.

Are you *headdesk*ing with me yet?

Honestly I don't know why I didn't just drop this book. I knew within 50 pages that it wasn't the book for me. But it went quickly, and I guess I felt like that made it tolerable?

The plot is near nonexistent, as most of the novel focuses on this annoying romance that had me rolling my eyes and scoffing constantly. There's one infodump chapter around midway through the novel where Nerissa explains exactly what kind of creature she is and where she comes from, which is all rather vague, nonsensical, or confusing... then it goes back to the romantic melodrama, because *gasp* Nerissa realizes she actually is in love with Lo. I know. Shocker. Then the end has a few chapters of battles and plot but it's way too late in the game to save the show. Sadly, all the plot twists regarding the identities of several characters I had called practically at the very beginning of the book. Yeah. So no big shockers there either. What a waste of time.

About the only ray of light in this sad excuse of a novel was Nerissa's friendship with Jenna. It was actually a very healthy and nice female friendship, and it stood totally apart from any relationship/boy drama. Sadly, this was overshadowed by Nerissa's illogically intense hatred of Cara and the bitchy narrations associated with that element. And of course, all the rest of the book.

Summing Up:

I thoroughly disliked this book and sped read it to get it out of the way as soon as possible. It's just not worth it. Annoying instalove, hateful main character, bland love interest, minor plot, vague worldbuilding through infodumps... *sigh* I just want a good mermaid book. I know it's possible. Please. Someone. Prove me right.

GIF it to me straight!

Recommended To:

82%

"I can enjoy the feel of a boy's arms holding me tight... of shared secret glances with Jenna that only two best friends can share."

I know this is an ARC but SERIOUSLY?

85%

I'm pretty sure they had unprotected sex. BUT WHO CARES IT'S ROMANTIC.

85% (again)

"Remote, with no internet."

So you pick South Africa? REALLY? I know a tonne of people who will be offended by this. Hey guys, if you live in South African apparently you have no internet, and probably no phone lines or postal services either. It's impossible to have a long-distance relationship if you live in South Africa.

86%

"Boys come and go, but best friends are forever."

Tell that to my high school BFF.

I find that the opposite tends to be true once you're grown up.

Nerissa Marin is heir to the undersea kingdom known as Waterfell but she can't claim her birthright while she's hiding away in the human world. Not that she wants to. Her father told her to stay away and that's exactly what she plans to do despite the urging of her bad-tempered best friend to fight for her throne. But everything changes when the one who caused her family's devastation comes up to Nerissa and demands a battle to the death. Now Nerissa has to make a choice, give up the throne or abandon her people to the clutches of a power-hungry tyrant.

I have to admit that I thought this would be about mermaids. Sea creatures? An undersea kingdom? Mermaids. Sadly I was wrong, the sea creatures in Waterfell are more of the Loch Ness kind rather than the half human half fish kind. 

I like Nerissa. I like how she's totally capable of admitting all her flaws and strives to do better. She's scared, which is totally acceptable, seeing as how her life's been turned around and there's this evil witch of a sea monster vying for her throne. A throne which she would willingly give up if things were up to her. But they aren't and Nerissa's got people depending on her so she stands and she fights and in the end she grows a pretty sizable backbone and faces down her problems head on. You go girl! I can also see that she's a brat, but come on, she's a teenager, she's selfish and prideful but it comes with the territory. She's a princess, her father's been pretty lenient with her - so she says - so she's used to thinking of only herself. But kudos to her for manning up.

Now let me take a moment to talk about the romance. The reason why I'm having a hard time rating this book is because of the romance. Insta-love with the surfer boy who dons a smarmy grin on his face and a devil-may-care attitude and walks with a swagger that's irresistible to teenage girls. Nerissa may be a sea monster but she's still a teenager and subject to rampaging hormones. I didn't like Lo. He was so incredibly...lame and douchey. I don't understand what Nerissa saw in him and from the get-go I felt like there was something really shady about him. I mean if the romance didn't play such a big part in this story I wouldn't have been so irritated, but it did. It really did.

Taking a break from the sucky romance, I actually liked the sea monsters Howard introduced - the Aquarathi. I mean she's a legit sea monster, how can I not like that? Like a serpent. And I was actually surprised by their back story and how they came to exist in the oceans. Pretty cool. And the plot, while entertaining, was kind of predictable but it does have a whole lot of potential. 

If you're checking this out thinking that this is gonna be some story about mermaids, think again. You'll find sea creatures with sharp teeth and killer flippers that are oddly endearing and a not-so-endearing romance with a shady surfer boy and a main character who's pretty real and flawed and human.

"And despite throwing myself at him on the first night, when we came back to his place after I downed a wine cooler, he sent me to have a nice long shower and put me to bed. In the guest room."
Don't you think that the most interesting, angsty, vulnerable moment in the whole damn book should have been shown, not told? I'm sure there are MANY other places that could have been recapped in the place of this. WHY WAS THIS NOT INCLUDED?

ALSO

"She thinks you've kidnapped me and are forcing me to go all Fifty Shades on you."
"It wouldn't be forcing, would it?" Lo says.
This interests me because the book is about domination and force, and forcing Ana to commit acts she doesn't want to or is uncomfortable with, including but not limited to rape. So 'forcing' someone to go 'all Fifty Shades' is in effect forcing them into being forced by sheer force. Also, it's not sexy. At all.