Book Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.
Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.
Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life. 
When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids has been on my radar for awhile now for multiple reasons. Namely because of; diversity, interracial couple and the Pacific Northwest. 

Oh, and mermaids. Sort of. 

If you're looking for a story about actual mermaids, this isn't that. I think it was sort of like a modern re-telling of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. Either that or just an homage to it. The narrator can't speak, can't sing and her voice was stolen by the sea. She also meets a handsome sailor. So in those details, yes, it's similar to the Disney movie we all know and love.

But that's about where the similarities end. First off, we have a WOC (woman of color) as the narrator. Yay! The book is constantly bringing up parts of her culture without making it stereotypical, like it's "cool" or trying really hard to say that she's different. There was no "I'm [insert culture] so I do [insert thing] because I'm [insert culture]". None of that. It was just the character being herself and it was wonderful. 

The author did a great job with her culture as well as her disability. It was interesting to read from her perspective because while I'm used to constantly hearing the narrator's thoughts, I wasn't used to them not being able to share them easily. It was also interesting to see how others react to her disability. There was a wide range of them and it represented the characters well. It was also a great character development for her to lose her voice only to find it again. You'll see when you read it.

Being a PNW native myself, I was curious to see how the author would represent this rainy wasteland I call home. She did a great job. While the setting was mainly just a backdrop for the story, she captured the essence of it remarkably well. It was nice to see the narrator view it as cold and rainy until she came to realize the ancient power and wisdom it has. If you've been to the PNW, especially the Oregon coast, you'd understand.

Also, I loved the incorporation of the mermaid myth. Atargatis being the first mermaid and the town she lives in being named after her. Unfortunately, the town doesn't actually exist. (Another fictional let down. Why couldn't have Forks not existed instead?) Anyways, mermaids. It was so cool. I don't know what else to say besides read it. Seriously. It's worth it. Also it has a pretty cover. 

Read: August 2015
My Rating: 5 stars / 5 stars