**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**
Synopsis (from Goodreads): Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.
Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.
When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.
My Thoughts: Jackson Pearce is one of my favorite authors so I was completely excited to be able to read this book early. Now, The Little Mermaid is not my favorite fairy tale but I love how Pearce redid this one.
Celia is a triplet but she is the "odd one out". She doesn't look the same and just feels like an outsider. All of the sisters have "powers". Once can see the future, one the present and Celia the past. Celia doesn't think her power is worth much until she saves Jude and meets Lo.
Jude is a young musician. He is out on the pier one night when he trips and falls into the ocean. Unfortunately for Jude, mermaids are real and they are not friendly. The newest mermaid, Molly, tries to drown Jude to take his soul. The legend is that if a mermaid can find someone who loves them and she drowns that person then she gains that person's soul and becomes human again. Lo, one of the older mermaids, doesn't want Jude to die so she saves him. Once she drags him on shore, Celia takes over.
After Jude is taken to the hospital, Celia can do nothing but think of Lo. She goes back down to the beach to find her. When she does, she finally finds a use for her powers...helping Lo remember her past and how she became a mermaid.
I loved how the mermaids were described. They were still like real people...you know, with legs and feet and all. No tails. Lo was able to walk on land but at a cost to her. She had blue skin so wasn't able to be out during the day but she met Celia on the beach many nights.
Lo was a great character! She was complicated to figure out and always kept you guessing until the very end. Is she good or bad, friendly or evil, are her intentions good or does she plan on trying to drown Jude for herself? I had no idea if Celia could trust her until the very end.
Celia is very sweet. I love her complicated relationship with her sisters and her blooming relationship with Jude. She really wants to help Lo and that is the only time I get irritated with her...at the end she runs out into a oncoming hurricane to help save Lo. A very dumb move but of course, necessary (I guess).
The ending to this one was very unpredictable. I enjoyed the twists and turns and can't wait to read Pearce's next fairy tale retelling!
