Customer Reviews

Mermaid Park

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book for my teenage neice and decided to read it myself before giving it to her. I found it well written and fun reading. Any teenager will find themselves somewhere in this book. It expresses very well the range of teenage emotions and feelings. Although I am far from being a teenager I had to read it since I spent five summers working at the seashore as a teenager. The book just took me right back in time. It's not only a good summer read but I could just see someone cuddled up in a comfortable chair on a cold day reliving their summer experiences. It's really a very delightful book. I'll be giving it to the teens in my life for Birthdays and Christmas. I hope Beth Mayall decides to write some more. She has talent.

At first I was concerned about the geographical inconsistencies stated by another reviewer. Wildwood's bridge is actually a four-lane affair instead of two? The veracity of every book on my shelf was called into question. Can anything be real? Does this mean there's no Narnia? No Swiss Family Robinson? No -- gulp -- Winnie the Pooh?

Then I realized it's just a novel - this kind of gaffe would be notable in a AAA guide, but in a fiction story? Please.

"Mermaid Park" is a fast and pleasant read, full of fun characters and delightful twists. The lead character, Amy, is an excellent model for girls her age, struggling with romance, family issues, and her sense of self - and learning along the way that she's not perfect. Her time with the mermaids goes from fantasy to reality and back again, providing a fun journey for the reader while it propels the story forward. Girls in their tween to teen years will enjoy Amy's story and learn some valuable lessons. Readers of all ages will have a fun time visiting Mermaid Park.

What a wonderful book. It was an easy read, but the characters were well developed. Beth really captured the pain and delight of adolescence. Amy, the main character, tries to deal with growing up in a house a dysfunctional family. Most of her troubles center around her verbally abusive stepfather. A trip to the beach allows her to gain some personal space and discover herself without the roadblocks she faces at home. On this road to self discovery, she finds more than she bargained for.

I hope there is a sequel!

Mermaid Park has it all. It's got summer romance, mystery, great characters. Everything rings true, especially the excitement of having your first real job and your first real boyfriend.

Buy it!

Warning!! This is going to be one of the best books you are going to read. The book is Mermaid Park. The author of this book is Beth Mayall. This book has a bit of adventure and a bit of romance in it. Most of all I think it has a mystery behind this entire book.
The main character in this story is Amy Rush. The thing is that Amy is tired of always being the outsider in her family. She is tired of the distance between her sister, Mel. Nothing in sixteen-year old Amy holds the promise of anything but disappointment until a nightmare weekend at the New Jersey shore with her mother, sister and Tom, her stepfather, and tom leads to a discovery that will change her life. She never really liked her stepfather Tom.
When she was in New Jersey shore she first lays eyes on Mermaid Park. She felt like she stepped into a living, breathing fantasy. Girls dressed in fabulous costumes put on underwater shows. Amy becomes convinced that she could be one of the "mermaids." Over the summer she discovers that reality and fantasy is murkier than it seems.

Mermaid Park was such a fun read. I can't wait to read more by Beth Mayall. The author made me root for the main character and made me feel like I wasnt the only one with teen insecurities re: boys and family. And what plot twists?! You definitely want to read Mermaid Park.

First thing, this book totally made be crave summer. It's set at the New Jersey beach, lots of swimming, etc, etc... So reading in the middle of winter (like I did) can either make you crazy, or make you sweetly long for summer. Hopefully the latter.

Moments of gorgeous writing... By the end, the narrator is painfully real, and flawed. And her family is, too. There plot moves fast and is engaging... A few threads don't add up if you look too close, but I was along for the ride, and by the end, couldn't put it down. I kept thinking that it would make a great movie, with Orlando Bloom as Dylan... sigh.

Spoilers are in my review, you have been warned!!!

After reading all the reviews, I had big hopes for this book. I couldn't find it in any of the stores so I had to order it online. For the record I'm 29 years old and I find that I enjoy teenage books alot more than adult books.

I have a few unanswered questions:

1) Who was the mermaid she saw so late at night?
2) Why was Lynn so against her going to the North side and hiding Mermaid Park from her? You'd think that she'd certainly tell her about the towns greatest attraction. So that lead me to believe that Lynn NEW about Skip.

The book started off great, build up of characters, our girl is the classic spoiled teenager that is used to getting her way. She also has to deal with a stepdad that has no respect for her, thus she has no respect for him. I believe that if a parent or an adult wants respect from their child, they are to respect them in return. I don't think it's fair that your parent can sit there and cuss and yell at you all day long and all you can do is take it. They TEACH us to act this way... sorry getting off topic, I grew up with a strict stepmother and an abusive dad. Moving on. The build up of Dylan and her relationship was great, it reached the climax and just... dropped. I don't mean fell down slowly, it DROPPED. One min she was so into this guy, build up, build up, I do mean ALOT of build up, and BOOM, she gets him to kiss her and the very next day she goes "oh wow.. his ears are to big". And she suddenly doesn't like him anymore. Her obsession with becoming an actor in the Mermaid act was exhausting.

I found the scene where she fell threw the window, or pushed through it with her hand, a little had to believe.

I find.. the secret... I just don't get people like her mom. She keeps this huge secret about Amy being the daughter of another guy, finding out that Bruce was really her grandpa. How the heck is a teenager supposed to respect or trust their parent after this? Maybe I'm being to harsh.

Overall, the book was so so. It reminded me of a time when I was a teenager and my family took me to a show just like this. Underwater mermaids and men swimming around, breathing threw tubes and so forth. I really don't believe that she learned anything, maybe to be more nicer? It would seem her sister learned more than our main girl did.

I have 1 sister that's still a teenager and I can already say she wouldn't care much for this book, course right now, it's all about the vampires. But for other teenagers, I'd say give it a go. It's not a romance, it may have built up into one but dies, completely dies in the middle of it. The book is more about her obsession with Mermaid Park then anything.

3.5 stars
Mermaid Park is a story about Amy, a teenage girl who is sick of her family. Her mother never listens to her, her sister is a big phony and her stepdad is, well, a big jerk. She goes to vacation with her family at Jersey Shore. She ends up staying for the summer with her godmother and works at the Mermaid Park, where mermaids perform underwater in a huge tank.

This is a coming of age story. We see Amy discover herself and learn to deal with the people around her. Even though this book isn't what I expected, I enjoyed it. Amy reminded me of some of the things I went through as a teenager. I think we all feel like the world is out to get us at sixteen, at least I did.

I was dissapointed by the romance. It set it up in the beginning for romance, but it fell short in the story. But like I said, this is a coming of age story. Amy can't be sure of someone if she is not sure of herself. The mermaid park is what makes this story. Dressing up as a mermaid and performing underwater in a huge tank is like the all time little girl dream job. The Jersey Shore was a fun setting to read about. I felt like a was on vacation again with my family while reading this. This is a great beach read, or a read when you are wishing for warm weather.

I picked Mermaid Park up at the bookstore because the cover intruiged me. At first, I wasn't sure whether or not I would like the book. But as I got farther into the book, I loved it. The characters are well developed and they each have their own personality.



The plot has just enough twists and turns to keep you waiting. At first, I thought it would be very predictable but it turned out not to be, especially on the romance side.



If you're looking for a fun summer read, this is the book for you!