Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon

ISBN-13: 9780307589972
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: March 2011
256 pgs
Source: Personal Library

After reading Carolyn Turgeon's Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story in April last year (my review here) and was mesmerised by her wonderful storytelling skill, I know I wouldn't want to miss reading Mermaid after knowing that she would be writing this new release based on Hans Christian Andersen's original tale.

I am sure many of you have read or heard of the original tale, but what makes this book a little different from Andersen's is it features two narratives - the mermaid princess, Lenia, and Princess Margrethe, who is the daughter of a northern king.

On Lenia's eighteenth birthday, she was given the chance to swim ashore to the upper world. She had wanted to do so ever since she had heard wonderful stories from her elder sisters as they shared with her the tales of the curiosities and wonders that lay above. But what made her trip so different and special from her sisters is that she witnessed a shipwreck and she had fell in love with a handsome man while saving him.

On the other end, Princess Margrethe, who is daughter of the northern king, is hiding in a convent when news broke that the northern and southern kingdom might go to war. While wandering around one day, she found a mermaid with an injured man in her arms. Both women are struck by the sight of each other, but circumstances called so Lenia delivers the man to Princess Margrethe as she thinks she could save him. Meanwhile, Princess Margrethe thinks it must be fate that brings her and this man together. As luck would have it, the man whom they rescued, is the son of the southern king but none of them knew each other's identity.

What unveils this story is the love triangle and aside from the original tale where Lenia requested for a magic potion in exchange for her voice so as to have her tail be split into human legs, Carolyn Turgeon has gone a step further into making this beloved classic more intriguing by adding Princess Margrethe's point of view besides Lenia's though the story is told in the third person throughout the whole book. Turgeon also pushed this story to a climax through Princess Margrethe's dilemma between love and saving her kingdom, and the stakes she and Lenia have to take should they decide on any choice they have to make. What would be the ending? Would there ever be a happy ending this time around? I'm not telling, but I have to say I was once again mesmerised by Turgeon's writing, and felt myself entranced by The Little Mermaid all over again. I don't think I would ever get tired of reading this poignant yet beautiful story over and over again, be it the original or any retelling tales.

As of writing this, I also learnt that Carolyn Turgeon will have a new book out in August titled The Next Full Moon; and I knew it would be another magical, compelling story after reading the synopsis. I can't wait.

Ash by Malinda Lo

ISBN-13: 9780316040099
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: September 2009
272 pgs

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I am a sucker for fairy tales retellings, and that is why I got sidetracked and I have to dive into this book the moment I have my hands on it. That said, that does not mean I do not enjoy the other books I am reading; I do, but it is just that I have been waiting for this book for some time. I even remember featuring it on one of the Cover Attraction post a while back.

Anyway, I shall end my ramblings and share my thoughts with you about this lovely book. Ash is a retelling of Cinderella, but it is definitely a darker tale and though the protagonist in each tale may portray of the same (a young girl who is treated unfairly by her stepmother and stepsisters), their journey and destiny are so much different. And unlike Cinderella, Ash is much more than a happily-ever-after story, besides the story about loss, hope and love, Ash is also a tale about courage and self discovery.

Aisling (Ash) is close with her mother and they always share stories about witches, fairies and the like. So when her mother died due to an illness, Ash felt her world has came to an end. To make matter worse, her father died shortly after remarrying another woman and Ash is stucked with her cruel stepmother and her two stepsisters, who claimed that her father has left them in debts and now Ash has to repay them by serving them and doing all the household chores. With no one to turn to, Ash can only find solace in her mother's fairy tales and through her dreams, she could only hope that those fairies will steal her away or grant her wishes. And it appears that those dreams are true, for Ash met a dark and alluring fairy, Sidhean, who told her that he would not want her to cross the human/fairy borders though he is fairly attracted to her.

It is also at this time that Ash met the King's huntress, Kaisa, and their friendship blossom. Their relationship gradually changes and they find themselves got attracted to each other as the days go by. However, Sidhean has already claimed Ash as his own and Ash felt torn between the two. Ash made a pact with Sidhean in return of spending some time with Kaisa and in the end, she has to make a decision between finding her dream or her true love.

Ash is not your typical happily-ever-after fairy tale, for the protagonist does not end up with the prince. In fact, Ash has no interest in the prince, for her mind is occupied with meeting with her late mother and to be with Kaisa. The love triangle between Sidhean and Kaisa is not as anticipating as it look, and I felt Sidhean's romantic feeling towards Ash is not as great. Though I could feel the strong relationship between Ash and Kaisa, I am not sure how some of the readers might react to their feeling towards each other. For me, I could think of nothing but the simple act of love for another human being and the motivations of pursuing one's dream.

Ash is beautifully written and the author has painted a vivid scene of the fairyland and in the woods and I found myself fascinated and drawn to them during my reading journey. This is Malinda Lo's debut novel and I definitely look forward for more.

Other reviews:
Presenting Lenore
Steph Su Reads
The Story Siren
(Let me know if I missed yours.)

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon

ISBN-13: 9780307407993
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: March 2009
288pp

I am sure everyone have read or heard the story about Cinderella for the umpteenth times, but have you ever wondered about the fairy godmother and what she thinks or feels about her responsibility to Cinderella?

In Godmother, that fairy godmother is named Lil. But instead of getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with the Prince, she did something unthinkable and unforgivable: she began to feel the emotions of human beings and allow herself to be fallen in love with the Prince! For this deed, she is to leave her fairy sisters and friends, banished from her magical underwater world and have to live her life among humans (though her white feathery wings are still existing and are tucked and bound behind her back).

Fast forward to the modern day in Manhattan, Lil is an old woman and now her life revolves around a bookstore which she is working at. She has not many friends except George, who is the bookstore owner. Then one day, she meets Veronica, a cheerful and bubbly young lady when she stepped into the bookstore and handed her some books to sell. Lil felt connected to her, and she was sure Veronica must have sent to her for a purpose. Feeling exhilarated over the aspect of another chance for redemption, she decided to matchmake Veronica and George. But will Veronica and George fall in love with each other? After all, Veronica claimed she has been burned by love so many times so would she dare to take the chance, again?

I have to admit I am a sucker for any fairy tale retellings, which is why I have to read this book as soon as I bought it last week. I have always enjoyed reading Cinderella's story, right when I was a young girl and now my daughter seemed to have follow my steps too. Anyway, Godmother is a refreshing tale told from the fairy godmother's POV. Though there is a magical feel in this story, there is nothing fluffy about it as there are some dark elements (such as abusive punishment and suicide) so it might not seem appropriate for young children.

I love reading all the characters in this story, and I felt a terrible ache for Lil and Veronica as well. Another thing I liked is how the story alternates between the past and the present so the readers would get a glimpse of Lil's inner world and what had actually happened between then and now.

I have just checked Carolyn Turgeon's website and understand she is currently writing her third novel, which is a retelling of the mermaid story. You can bet I am going to get that book too once it is released in the near future!

Other reviews:

Booking Mama
Stephanie's Written Word
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)