Review: Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Title: Between the Sea and Sky
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 10/25/11
Reviewed by: Sara
But the Book:

Summary:

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren -- the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood -- a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship... and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Plot: 4.5 Stars
I absolutely loved the world that the author created in this novel. Between the underwater world of the mermaids, the high flying world of the Fandarsee, and the humans in between, there was always something new to learn while reading. While the different races interacted at times, they were all very inclusive. I loved how the author worked in all the little details about the different groups of people as Esmerine and Alan were on their journey.

Pace: 5 Stars
This novel was a very quick read. I got home from the book signing really excited to read it and jumped right in. I only put it down to eat and sleep (and possibly work), which I don't do very often anymore. Although Esmerine was on a journey to find her sister, none of the events of the novel came across as rushed. The story unfolded very naturally as Esmerine and Alan first reunited and then began the journay to find her sister, Dosinia.

Characters: 5 Stars
My favorite part of this novel was watching Esmerine reunited with her childhood friend, a Fandarsee names Alandare. I loved watching their relationship change and morph as they got to know each other once again. They were so different, and yet very similar. Between Esmerine's parents and younger sisters, Alan's family, and the humans they meet along the way, there was also a very strong cast of supporting characters. Although some of them had smaller parts than others, the author did a great job of introducing each character.

Cover: 5 Stars
This novel was blessed with a beautiful cover. The image of Esmerine bursting out of the water is very striking, and the wave around her frames her in a great way. You can't really tell where the water ends and the sky begins. The pose of the cover model works well considering that Esmerine becomes a siren. The blues and greens of the cover are very serene and definitely gives the feel of mermaid. The tail fin detail on the title is actually the only part of the cover that actually says mermaid, and does so in a way that doesn't take away from the rest of the cover.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.