Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown, Delacorte Press, 2012
Format: novel
Rating: 3.5
Genre: Fantasy
What did you like about the book? I liked the voice of Calder. It was refreshing to hear a guy’s voice in a mermaid (err, merman) book. He was very conflicted and I think the story was on the edge of some good themes — chosen family vs. biological family, etc. I also liked the strong sense of setting. The lake was almost its own character in the novel. The end of the novel was refreshingly complex and bittersweet. I’m glad it didn’t end with a cliffhanger because there is a sequel due out next year. And killer mermaids are awesome!
What didn’t you like about the book? I really didn’t understand how Calder suddenly fell in love with Lily. I knew it was going to happen, but it just wasn’t believable that he went from stalking her to loving her. The sisters seemed flat and uninteresting like one-dimensional villains. I had a real problem with Lily’s character. She started out so quirky and interesting and ended up being a bad cliche from some romance fantasy.
To whom would you recommend this book? This will appeal to those looking for those generic fantasy romances. It has a little bit of adventure, but it’s really just a romance novel.
Who should buy this book? (Middle schools, high schools, small libraries, all libraries, etc.) An additional purchase only.
Where would you shelve it and why? YA fiction
Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? no
Sharon Colvin
Chelmsford Public Library
August 1, 2012
