Goodreads Synopsis:
Four years ago, Crystal White fell in love with Llyr, a prince of the magical mer colony living off the coast of Starfish Island. For one summer, he enchanted her with stories of jeweled palaces and underwater gardens, but then he left, returning beneath the waves with her heart in tow.

Now, graduated with no job in sight, Crystal is forced to go back to the island she thought she had left in the past. By the sea again, she realizes she is far from over her first love, and when an opportunity arises to contact the merfolk, Crystal can’t resist.

Once more with the mer, Crystal is forced to come with terms with the fact that Llyr has moved on, and also with her own magical secret that has endangered her life, his throne, and every mer kingdom. Working against all odds, she has to try to save the people she has come to love and- if she can- rekindle the romance of her first summer on Starfish Island.

Review:
This book is SO much better than the first one. I feel like the entire plot itself was more complex and interesting. I wasn’t nearly as annoyed with the characters. I actually saw development in the characters. There were so many plot twists that I never saw coming. There was also a completely unexpected love… square?

In this book, we saw lots of familiar characters in addition to some new faces. One thing that did bother me was some of the decisions that the characters made, a lot of the time I thought they were making naive decisions. Overall, a lot of stuff happened that I did not see coming (which I loved), the characters were much more likeable and relatable, and I enjoyed this book a lot. I think this series is worth checking out because the concept is very intriguing. This was not my favorite book but I did have fun reading it.

*I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.*

​Buy A Thousand Salt Kisses Later:

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Crystal White is the new girl on Starfish Island. Dragged to the remote community by her environmental activist father, she is eager to find fun that doesn’t involve touching fish guts or listening to local folklore.

During a midnight swim with some new friends, Crystal is pulled out to sea by the waves. Convinced she’s going to drown, Crystal is rescued by Llyr, a handsome stranger. As she searches for him in the following weeks, she finds there may be more truth to the Starfish legends than she thought.

Over a sizzling roller-coaster summer, Llyr introduces Crystal to magic she’d only ever dreamed of. But as Crystal comes to love Starfish Island, it begins to drive her family apart. A nearby power plant is devastating local marine life, and her parents are stuck in the middle. As the magic and mundane parts of Crystal’s life converge, she finds herself risking everything to save Llyr, her family, and herself.

Review:
I really wanted to love this book. Everything about it screamed amazing. I am actually really upset that I didn't love it. This book did not capture my attention at all. I was waiting and waiting for something to change in history and for me to be drawn in… it never happened.

I also didn't like Crystal. For some reason she just struck me as really arrogant and naive. This book also had insta-love. A.k.a the pet peeve of every reader ever. I didn't like the relationship between Crystal and Llyr.

That being said, I did like the idea and concept of this book. I mean… mermaids… that's pretty cool! And, Crystal’s best friend and parents are hilarious. Even though I am not a fan of the first book, I am going to continue with the series and hope it gets better. I think this series has great potential and I am excited to see what happens.

Author Interview:
What made you write a book about mermaids?
I loved the Hans Christian Anderson tale ‘The Little Mermaid’ when I was little and I still think they are under-explored creatures, despite being so popular. I wanted to give them a really interesting, ancient, mythological background, but put them in a modern context.

If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

I imagine it would be Crystal, as she has all the fin, I mean fun. She is sweet and sensitive, but a little over-emotional and that doesn’t help as she goes through some very dramatic times.

There are many books out there about.... What makes yours different?

I think the mer-lore is especially unique, and completely different from what we have read about before. I also think the book is quite an accurate portrayal of how it really is being a young adult; the messy nights out, the emotions, the insecurities that may make you squirm, but that we actually all experience. Also, although Crystal can hold her own and survives all her highs and lows, she is not the typical ‘bad-ass’ heroine we see regularly today. I really enjoy that type of character, but see Crystal as quite real, and I know many of my young Wattpad readers can really relate to her and all the emotions she experiences.

How long have you been writing?

I think like most writers, since I could hold a pen. And when I was maybe five or six my Dad would type up my stories for me on a typewriter and then we would make books with cardboard hardback covers, and masking tape binding. And then I learned to type myself…

What advice would you give budding writers?

Just write! And go back and correct stuff later. Write what you want to write, and don’t hold back - but it is also good to seek and use feedback with people you can trust to be constructive. Storytelling sites like Wattpad are great for this.

-Page 56 of The Extraordinary Journey of Vivianne Marshall by Shannon Kirk

Hello everyone! First, I want to apologize for not posting regularly. I have been swamped with schoolwork, especially the past two weeks, studying for tests.  But, exams are finally over and I have the ability to post again. I will be able to post almost everyday again and I am so excited! 
-Shoshi :)

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires—the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger…and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever…


​Review:

Buy Vampire Academy:

What are you reading?
I am reading nothing at the moment but I am thinking of starting Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas soon.

What have you just finished?
I just finished Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead.

What are you reading next?
As I said before, I think I'll read Throne of Glass next. I also may read of Fire and Stars.

-Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

I just finished this book and now I have no idea what to do with myself. I loved this book so much and I don't want to leave the Vampire Academy world. :(

-Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

OOOHHHH WHAT IS HAPPENING??? I won't tell.... you'll just have to read and find out yourself! ;)