The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

🩵The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler🩵

Book one in the Emily Windsnap series.

Blurb: 

A young girl learns she’s half mermaid and plunges into a scheme to reunite with her father in this entrancing, satisfying tale that beckons readers far below the waves.

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery — about her own identity, the mysterious father she’s never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water’s surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident — an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.

My thoughts:

I had first read this book when I was 10ish, but I decided to read it again because I vaguely remembered it being a clean-ish book, so I picked it up. 

I was surprised by the whole plot. I didn’t expect to be kept interested in the story, so I found pleasure in knowing I was wrong and that I enjoyed it.🙃

For a secular book, the characters were well done, although there is some to be desired about Emily’s mother. I understand the grief that she was in and her memory was taken from her, often; but I do hope, that in the second book, her mother would be a bit more motherly. 

I loved that little twist in the end, and I absolutely adored the moment with Emily and her [spoiler!] ➡️

father.😍

I do have to say that there was two instances where God’s name was taken in vain, so unfortunately I will have to lower a star for that. 😦 

In conclusion, it was a clean read and I enjoyed it! 

⚠️ Age recommendation: 11-12+ ⚠️

My rating: 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sexual content:

No romance, but there is a comment worth mentioning.

Mr. Beeston tells Emily why her father left; he tells her that her parents fell in in love, and that her father had gotten her mother pregnant and then left her (We find out that this is actually a lie). 

Profanity:

A “swishy heck”. God’s name is taken in vain twice. 

Violence: 

A little blood, some pain; and a man was hurt and some thought he was dead, but turned out he was not. All this is very light. The merfolk use a memory wiper called an M-drug on humans. 

POV’s: Emily and (1x) Mr. Beeston 

Pages: 209 

This was a cute middle grade book and I could see young girls enjoying this, maybe even new teens. I hope to review the second book of this series soon!