Love and Salt Water

Undercurrent


Written by: Tricia Rayburn

Released: July 12, 2011 by Egmont USA

Summary: After losing her sister and finding out who- or what- she really is, Vanessa returns home for her senior year. Everyone at Hawthorne Prep has questions about her tragic summer, but knowing who to open up to is impossible. As she walks the halls without Justine for the very first time, Vanessa has more to worry about than just making a new life for herself.

Because the sirens are out for revenge. To protect herself and the ones she loves, Vanessa must call on powers she believes she has but does not know how to use. To learn, she'll have to seek help from the only person who truly knows her. But first, she must admit the truth about her real identity.

Another mermaid novel for summer and I couldn’t be more ecstatic. I was so happy when I picked up a copy of this novel while at BEA. I had wanted to read Siren (the first novel) for a while and with obtaining this novel it gave me the push to go out and buy the first so that I could read them together. Of course, now I have to wait probably a year or more for the third novel in the trilogy...

Reading this second novel right after the first definitely had its perks. First of all, since Undercurrent happens right after Siren, I was already in tune with the characters and there was no period of catch-up, so immediately I was thrown into the drama and action.

One thing that I really liked about this novel was how you weren’t sure whether Vanessa was slightly going crazy or if she was really seeing what she thought she was seeing. There were times when I wondered if the transformation had friend her brain (or the connection was playing tricks on her) or whether she was just seeing something that no one else was looking for. The whole psychological angle of the story was just amped from the first novel, which made this a really interesting read.

Another thing that I liked about this novel was the romantic side of things. Sure, there were times where I just wanted to scream at the characters and fill them in on how things were, but I loved reading about Vanessa’s inner battle against her siren nature and her love for Simon. I think that’s why the ending broke my heart just a little bit.

The slight cliff-hanger ending almost made me chuck this novel across the room. I cannot wait to find out what happens next and it made me upset that it didn’t end. Of course, I’m also so excited now to read the last novel in the trilogy, which means that there’s another whole book where I can read about Simon and Vanessa’s romance. But the anticipation might just kill me.

In all, this is a great second novel and a great novel in general. In fact, I enjoyed reading this one just a little bit more than the first! I’m giving it an 8/10.