The Mermaid's Sister, by Carrie Anne Noble

New this week on the Tween Shelf is The Mermaid's Sister, by debut author Carrie Anne Noble. In this short, sweet fantasy, you'll find magic, adventure, and some light romance. But the driving force behind the story is the love the two main characters, adopted sisters, have for each other. It is this sisterly love that, eventually, saves the day (not unlike in Frozen).

Foundlings Clara and Maren grew up on a secluded mountain and were raised by their adopted guardian Auntie Verity, who is somewhat of a good witch/medicine woman. Despite their mysterious origins (Clara was, quite literally, delivered by a Stork while Maren arrived inside a seashell), the girls had a happy childhood, playing around Auntie's house and looking forward to the annual Springtime visits by their best friend O'Neill (also a foundling). Then, when the girls turn 16, something strange happens: Maren begins rapidly transforming into a mermaid. If she is not taken to the Ocean soon, she will die. And here the story begins...

Accompanied by O'Neill, Clara begins an epic adventure to get her sister to the Ocean before it's too late. On the way, they encounter many dangers, but also many magical and incredible things. 

And yes, there IS a happy ending!

I've always been partial to mermaid stories (a holdover from a childhood Little Mermaid obsession), and The Mermaid's Sister is simply delightful! The story starts out a bit slow, mainly for character building and plot setup, but progresses quickly once it gets going. This book can be found on our New Tween shelf, but it's a great recommendation for fantasy adventure fans of all ages! --AJB