by Liz Kessler
First published 2012
Emily Windsnap has spent her twelve years living on a boat with her mother, who keeps her away from the water for reasons Emily cannot understand. When her mother finally permits swimming lessons, Emily discovers something extraordinary happens when she enters the water. Her legs transform, revealing she is half mermaid. This discovery leads Emily to questions about her missing father and her true identity. She ventures into an underwater world where mermaids attend schools focused on shipwreck studies and Neptune wields his trident as ruler. Emily becomes determined to find her father and bring her family back together. Her quest takes her deeper into mermaid society, where she encounters both friends and dangers. The story explores how family secrets shape our lives and how love can bridge two very different worlds. Emily must navigate the tensions between her human life on the surface and her mermaid heritage below the waves.
Genres: family-life, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Boat, Underwater
Period: 12 Years
224 pages · Paperback · Candlewick