Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" (Once Upon a Time) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Debbie Viguié (Author), Mahlon F. Craft (Designer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"ONCE UPON A TIME"

IS TIMELESS

In a quiet fishing village seventeen years ago, one lone fisherman rescued a child from the sea. He and his wife raised the girl, Pearl, as their own daughter, never allowing themselves to wonder long about where she came from -- or notice her silver hair, usually pale skin, and wide, dark blue eyes.

Pearl grows from a mysterious child into an unusual young woman, not always welcomed in the village. As all the other girls her age find husbands, she has only one friend to ease her loneliness. One very special, secret companion: Prince James.

But their friendship is shaken when trouble erupts in the kingdom -- a conspiracy against the royal family combines with an evil enchantment from beneath the sea. Now, just when Pearl and James need each other most, bewitching magic and hints about Pearl's past threaten to tear them apart...forever.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (October 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416940162
• ISBN-13: 978-1416940166
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,836 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #20 in	Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Fairy Tales & Folk Tales > Little Mermaid
  #41 in	Books > Children's Books > Obsessions > Mermaids

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting variation on The Little Mermaid, August 25, 2007

By	T. Bridenstine "Alicorne137" (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Being a fan of the original Anderson fairy tale, The Little Seamaid, and the Disney cartoon, The Little Mermaid, (and also enjoying the occasional young adult novel) I decided to take a chance on Midnight Pearls. Though it's not my favorite retelling, it was a good read. The author put an interesting twist on the story, adding in a little more adventure than other versions of the fairy tale. The beginning of the story especially is fascinating and very well told. The main body of the story and the ending don't have quite the depth of the original, but they are still interesting, and I think they will have more appeal to the young adult audience than the orinal might have had. My only disappointment was in what I thought to be clumsy execution of the story.

SPOILER WARNING

In the book, we're introduced to the two main characters. We learn that they've been friends since childhood and that they meet on a regular basis. It is also hinted that they have started to have feelings for each other. Both discover that their parents expect them to marry soon, and each begins to regard the other as a possible choice for that marriage. The male main character even tries to propose -- though he is interrupted. It's not until that point, around page 60 (almost halfway through the book), that two new characters enter the scene. These two, we realize, are the REAL love interests for the two main characters. This is the clumsy story telling. At this point, I'm already attached to the two main characters as a couple. Everything has hinted that they love each other, that they're meant for each other. So, as a reader, when new love interests suddenly pop up halfway through the story, I view them as intruders and immediately dislike them. I don't sympathize with them or cheer for their success. Their story seemed to come out of nowhere and blindsided me, and the love at first sight that develops with the two new characters is unconvincing in contrast to the two main characters, who seem to have the sort of love that sometimes blossoms from friendship that is also seen in a lot of fairy tales. Even though I know how the story would turn out, I still held out hope that somehow these new characters would go away and the two main characters would end up together. I thought the author could have handled that aspect of the story more gracefully -- perhaps by introducing the two love interests and their part in the plot earlier on in the book so it seemed more natural when they do meet the main characters.

However, aside from that, I did enjoy the story, and I think it will have a strong appeal to young adult readers.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mermaids and betrothals and mystery, oh my!, February 25, 2007

By	Cassandra "cassiebrite" (Berea, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This is one retelling of Andersen's fairy tale that I'm glad I didn't miss. I was skeptical about ordering, but it was a nice twist. The only objection I had is that the denouement was a bit short (i.e. the resolution of the climax of the story). I would have liked to have seen more detail than "and we lived happily ever after."

The plot change that I enjoyed was that there are two additional characters that are introduced in the middle of the story. You think you're getting to know the couple that's intended, but you discover that you aren't. It helps you to identify with the characters a bit more, I guess.

Either way, I enjoyed the book a great deal. The ending is a lot like the Disney version, though, so if you are looking for a sad ending like the original tale, don't get this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than I'd Expected, April 15, 2008

By	Hakajin "Ecclectic Student" (GA) - See all my reviews

I like the "Once Upon a Time" series and the story of "The Little Mermaid," so I was immediately interested in reading this book. However, negative reviews discouraged me from buying it for some time.

Then I saw it at a bookstore one day and had nothing else to buy, so I decided to try it anyway. And it was much better than the ratings here give it credit for.

I liked the characters and the setting, and the story was interesting. Some things were easy to figure out, but others weren't, and the twists kept me interested. There were a couple of problems, however. For one, the writing style was a bit cliched and overwrought. This didn't affect my enjoyment very much, though.

SPOILER
The thing that did bother me was the way the author handled the romance. She creates a very tender and real relationship between Pearl and James. Then, I assume to make the plot less predictable, she throws in two new characters to be their real romantic interests. The new characters were likable enough, and their romances with Pearl and James were sweet. But they didn't have the tenderness or depth that existed between James and Pearl, and I was a bit disappointed that those two didn't end up together.

But that aside, I did enjoy the book, and I'm not sorry I read it. It's not the best addition to the "Once Upon a Time" series, but it's still worth a look.