Review: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pub. Date: December 1st, 2010
Pages: 208
Age Level: Upper MG / 11+
Source: From publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis via Goodreads
Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...

If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...

Review
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is absolute brilliance in one of it's most humorous and touching forms, making me not only laugh-out-loud several times but I also teared up on occasion! Helene Boudreau beautifully weaved together both realistic and fantastical elements to create a refreshing, fun, and all-around excellent story.

Jade was a strong and determined heroine with a hilarious sense of humor. Freshly sprouted mermaid tale aside, she was also a character that I found myself being able to easily relate to and connect with. While she did have a couple self-esteem issues, they were understandable and Jade maintained a fairly light attitude about them versus a whining and pitiful one. This also furthered her realism as a thirteen-year-old girl. Jade is definitely one of the most memorable protagonists I've come across and a new favorite as well. An aspect that I respected and thought was wonderfully done was the close relationship between Jade and her dad and, while I'd rather not say why, this is something that effected me emotionally. Cori proved to be a terrific best friend, one that I would have loved to have had by my side at that age. Luke was a very crush-worthy character and I wish he were real and had lived here during my early teen years. lol. Lainey, though a fairly minor character, had her role in this and I can honestly say that I whole-heartedly agree with Jade and would like to pluck Lainey's eyelashes out one by one. Though I got to say, Jade was a pretty good sport when it came to putting up with her and I admired that. The mer-criminals were creepy and well portrayed by Boudreau, really adding to the story. There is one other character that I would love to talk about but I like to keep my reviews spoiler free so I will just say that I really liked said character.

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings was both a delightful and moving blend of clever wit, action, adventure, family, and friends. Seriously, this book had it all, and Boudreau was able to pull it off without making the book seem cluttered. Throw in Jade's little journey of self-discovery and you've got the perfect coming-of-age story. Boudreau did a lovely job of making this book fast, but well, paced and compelling.

Boudreau's writing style was simple and witty, very well suited to the story. The first-person narrative was the right way to go with this one and I thought Boudreau did a great job.

While part of me really liked the ending, another part of me was left wanting more and felt it was slightly abrupt. There was a certain revelation made about one of the characters during the ending and I would love to see that come into play in a sequel. Also, I had really been hoping that Jade would have revealed her secret to Cori by the end of the book. Aside from that I really enjoyed the ending and while it doesn't necessarily give the feeling that there has to be a sequel, it is left open enough that there could be one and I would, indeed, like there to be.

All in all, Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings was a fabulously fun and page-turning adventure! Helene Boudreau did an impressive job of captivating my heart and mind with such a lovable heroine and imaginative story; I give her two thumbs up on this one. I would highly recommend this book to every girl and woman out there, especially to those girls in middle school. (Pssst, a few of the scenes may make the men a bit uncomfortable. :P) This is a new addition to my favorites and I look forward to reading it again in the future.

Grade
Characters: A-
Writing: B+
Plot: A
Ending: B-
Enjoyment/Likability: A
Recommendable: A

Overall: A-

Cover: B