Customer Reviews

Mermaid's Song

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For all of us who have been searching for another book - any other book - by the author who wrote Mermaid's Song, I found this on the web today. It's dated July 5, 1998.

"Author and screenwriter Alida Adrianna Van Gores died of breast cancer June 3 at her home in Laguna Beach. She was 47.

Van Gores began her career as an artist, but soon moved on to writing. Her first novel, "Mermaid Song," was published in 1989, and she was working on her second novel when she died. Also, Van Gores wrote the teleplay for the 1984 CBS telepic "He's Not Your Son," and her screenplay "Marooned" was recently optioned by Itaska Films."

She wrote the perfect mermaid book, but there will only be one.

I highly recommend this well-written and engaging book to anyone interested in intelligent undersea life. The characters are true-to-life and it is easy to like and dislike them. Inclusion of split-tailed mers is a particularly nice touch, since they are well-known in Europe (check out The Mermaid of Denmark out in the Bay!) but seem to have been forgotten by American artists and writers. She's got romance, secrets from the past, political corruption, civil war, and the potential destruction of the oceans! Thoroughly enjoyable.

Unfortunately, this book has been out of print for a long time and it is difficult to obtain a reasonably priced used copy. It would be nice if the publisher decided to reprint this wonderful book, as there are many people out there who would appreciate it and others like me who already appreciate it and would like to be able to pop down to the bookstore and pick it up for birthdays!

In all my years of reading, absorbing and devouring books. I have never found another like this one. Alida Van Gores should be found and prasied. The brilliant world of the Merra brought to life with such cleaverness. She's created what's reffered to by fans as the "Holy Grail" of mermaid fiction. Alida if you ever read this, I want you to know, my daughter falls asleep each night to the songs and legends of the Merra.
"Start a ripple, change the sea and all that was will ever be."
You changed the sea Alida.

I accidentaly stumbled across this book while searching through endless pages of books, here on Amazon. I am so glad that I did. I've always been fascinated by mermaids and have been building my own collection of mermaid books. This is the best mermaid novel that I've read. I'm sure that this will become one of my all time favorite books.
While most mermaid stories are set in our human world, this tale takes place entirely in the realm of the mer, which makes it particularly interesting. The story is centered on one mermaid's struggles to uncover the truth of her lost heritage and to claim her rightful place in the sea. It is a beautiful and well written story. I highly recommend it as a must read for mermaid enthusiasts. Other books that I recommend:
Sleeping with the Fishes (Fred the Mermaid, Book 1)
Swimming without a Net (Fred the Mermaid, Book 2)
The Last Mermaid
Goddess of the Sea (Goddess Summoning, Book 1) (Berkley Sensation)
The Mermaid's Song
The Changeling Sea (Firebird)
The Mermaid Summer

I am not a avid book reader, but I couldn't put the book down. It gave a new meaning to the sea. A went to school with Alida and she was a very special person in my life. I am sorry to tell all she passed away a few years back and there will be no sequal. It would have been wonderful I am sure. Pick it up and you will devour it. Wonderfully written!

This is perhaps the best mermaid novel out there. I can't wait to read it again. I couldn't put it down! The story and the characters are unforgettable. Very unique.

this book truly caught me like a fish and pulled me under. You dont encounter a book like this every so often, and i managed to snare this classic for 50 cents at a garage sale.

For anyone looking for a great read, you wont be disapointed. not when this books got romance, manipulation, action, mystery, you name it. I just hope Alida Van Gores thinking about writing again. people are truly missing out.

Like the other reviewers, I have been scanning the scifi/fantasy shelves for years, always hoping to see a new book by this author. mermaid's song is one of my favorite "old friends", that is, a book that I can come back to year after year and discover new facets. I just unearthed my copy from storage and am currently rereading it with tremendous pleasure.

Does anyone know what happened to the author? I can only hope that she is out there, occasionally checking in on her reviews, even so many years later, and will be encouraged to enter the fray once again.

This has been my favorite book ever since I was a young girl. My copy is worn from reading it so often.

I loved everything about this book. There are very few books I choose to read more than once. I read it first in the early ninties. When I moved back home I lost the book. Several years ago I started searching for a copy again and when I found it I devoured the book yet again.

I was dissappointed to find out that the author passed away before she finished the sequel. Her talents will be sorely missed.