Got a little cheesy near the end, but still a cute book that satisfied my nostalgia for mermaid-themed YT novels. I remember only reading the first book in middle school and not being able to find the rest at the time, so I guess I'll continue with the series and see where it goes. ( )

This is heartwarming. Emily's exuberant determination to find a best friend is something I just love about her! In addition to the magic and mermaids, this book centers discovery (of self and the natural world) and genuine excitement over connection with both family and friends. Highly suggest as a buddy read with friends, for readers of all ages. Guaranteed sunshine mood! Bonus: this is book 1 in a series, so many more adventures with Emily await! I listened to the audio (UK production) and read the US print edition. and loved both. The print includes darling little illustrations between section breaks and as chapter openers.

It’s MerMay! And I’d like to kick it off by recommending one of my favourite mermaid books of all time!

Emily Windsnap is a twelve-year-old girl who discovers she is part-mermaid when her legs transform into a tail the first time she submerges herself in water. This discovery leads her to a fantastical underwater world where she meets her mermaid best friend, Shona Silkfin, goes to mermaid school, explores sunken shipwrecks, and even manages to break her long-lost merman father out of an underwater prison!

I found this at the Scholastic Book Fair and absolutely fell in love with it! It has everything a middle-grade mermaid story could want and more, and I still enjoy re-reading it as an adult. It was originally a trilogy, but at some point since deciding to end the series there, the author changed her mind and continued writing about Emily’s adventures, so now there are 9 books and I am almost caught up! The whole series is a lot of fun, full of magic, friendship, and mythical creatures — plus the covers are all really pretty! ( )

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I wish we could've learnt more about this version of mermaid culture, but maybe that is what the next books are for.
The main character isn't perfect, she felt real. ( )