Lies Beneath

July 9, 2012
Brown debuts with a mermaid novel told from the perspective of Calder White, a gorgeous teenage merman, who is torn between his family's quest for vengeance and the girl he loves. Calder and his equally beautiful sisters have spent years seeking revenge for their mother's death; their intended victim is Jason Hancock, the adult son of the man responsible for killing their mother. When Jason and his family move to Bayfield, a Wisconsin town on Lake Superior, Calder is instructed to seduce one of Jason's daughters in order to lure him into the mermaids' trap. But as Calder gets closer to (and is attracted to) Lily, she begins to suspect his secret. The mermaids' plan is slow to unfold, and their de-termination to exact revenge for a death is somewhat puzzling, considering that they themselves kill humans regularly, feeding on human happiness to survive. Variations on questions common to paranormal romancesâwhy is Calder (who is actually several decades old) so taken with 17-year-old Lily? why is Lily so calmly accepting of Calder's murderous habits?âremain baffling. Ages 12âup. Agent: Jacqueline Flynn, Joëlle Delbourgo Associates.

April 15, 2012
Riding the wave of mermaid paranormalia is a young merman with a mission. For 18-year-old Calder White, family life is a little different. He spends part of his year living in Lake Superior with his three sisters, plotting revenge on Jason Hancock, the son of the man the merpeople hold responsible for killing their mother. Calder plans to lure Jason into the water by using Jason's daughters Lily and Sophie, but he does not count on falling in love with Lily nor on her learning of his true nature. When he is about to spring the trap, Calder finds himself out of his depth and drowning. Narrator Calder isn't particularly self-reflective, which ably conveys his emotional numbness but also makes him rather dull. There's little that's engaging about Brown's treatment of the mermaid mythology, the characters or the plot, making it an underwater retread of stories about sparkly creatures and dangerous love. Initially borrowing from Native American tales, Brown dumps the legends quickly into the inky depths. Astute readers will see the entire plot arc from the first few pages, which makes Calder and Lily's romance feel forced from the beginning. About as exciting as a handful of chum. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Calder and his murderous mermaid sisters have spent years obsessing over a man named Jason Hancock, who was promised to their family as an infant after their mother saved his father's life. Finally Hancock has moved back to the shores of Lake Superior with his family to take up residence in his old house. Unfortunately, a lifetime spent listening to his father tell horrific yet improbable tales of "monsters" has made him wary of the water. Calder is dispatched, disguised in human form, to lure one of Hancock's daughters to the water instead, to be used as bait. Calder selects the elder daughter, beautiful Lily, and needless to say he quickly becomes distracted from his mission. The romance that ensues feels familiar, with a merman in place of other supernatural creatures du jour. Calder is amazingly handsome and alluring (due to his merman powers), while there is something different about Lily, who seems to have a special connection to the water. As narrator and romantic hero, Calder is problematic, not just because he is a self-confessed serial killer (though he feels bad about it, or at least he has mixed feelings), but also because he is a total wimp, constantly being bossed around by his sisters and whining about the cold water. A few plot twists keep the story going, and a sequel is in the works.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
Merman Calder and his sisters can dive deep to investigate sunken ships in Lake Superior or change into human form and meander the streets of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Charged with luring human Lily's father (who they think killed their mother) to the water, Calder grapples with his sisters' cruel intentions and Lily's lovely aura. Readers will appreciate the unique twists on relationships and acceptance.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)