Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Deep Blue (The Waterfire Saga #1)

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Length: 320 pages

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mermaids

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Source: ARC (Received from a Twitter Promotion from Seale Ballenger! Thank you so much!!!)

Read: June 2014

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world. Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe. When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence. 

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***I won an ARC of this book from a promotion giveaway on Twitter. This does not change the way I view this book.***

I LOVE this cover. When I first saw the cover, I knew that I wanted to read this book. I haven't read many books about mermaids, but I have (since a child) been interested in movies that have mermaids (like The Little Mermaid and Splash). So I knew that this is one that I really wanted to read and enjoy. 

And I am so glad that I did. 

I read this book really quickly. I was so engrossed in everything that was going on. I had a hard time putting the book down. If I would have had the time, I probably would have read this book in one day.

I really liked this book and I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series. 

The Story:

I really liked and enjoyed this book. I thought it was like a mash up of Mermaids and Witches. I liked that the mermaids can have powers. I found the songspells to be really interesting and unique. I don't think I have read anything quite like this book. 
I found it to be really fascinating. 

I liked the mystery that was set up at the beginning of the story. It really grabbed my attention and made me anxious to find out some of what was happening.

I also thought that the world-building was really interesting.

I liked that the book had a lot of information and history about the Mermaid (Underwater) World. At first it was a bit confusing, I felt like I had a whole lot of information being explained to me all at once. But I was pretty interested in the information that I was reading. (I like learning the back-story of the world that has been created.)

I found the story to be fun and full of adventure. There were parts that made me sad and parts that frustrated me a little. But there were also parts that made me happy and some that made me laugh. But above all, the story kept me entertained. I was curious about the characters and the situations that they were in. 

It does end leaving the reader with more questions than answers. I wasn’t upset with how it ended though. Yes, I am VERY curious about what else happens with this series. I need to know more, but I wasn’t left upset with how it did finish up. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

I felt that it was a good set-up for an interesting series that I can’t wait to continue to read.

The Characters:

I liked the characters. I was definitely interested in what would happen with their lives.
I did feel like there were a lot of characters being introduced, but that I still don't know much about them or their lives. I am interested to find out more about these characters in the following books. 

I was able to relate with Seraphina's character. I know what some of her fears feel like (in a sense). I really enjoyed her character development throughout the story and I am looking forward to watching her further develop in the next book. 

I really liked Seraphina and Neela’s friendship. And I loved all the interaction between the two of these characters. And I feel that they were the best developed out of all the characters in the book. I think that their friendship was one of my favorite things about this book. 

I found this book to be interesting and a quick read. I loved the world created and am looking forward to reading more about this world and the challenges that the characters will be facing in the future. 

My Rating: