{REVIEW} FATHOMLESS (FAIRYTALE RETELLINGS #3) by JACKSON PEARCE

 

Series: Fairytale Retellings #3
Publisher: LB Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: Sept 4, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304 pages
Source: Received from publisher for review.

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.

Wow. I almost have no words for Fathomless. Actually, that's not true at all. I have a lot of words for Fathomless, but am having a hard time sorting them.

In a nutshell, it was fantastic, creepy, scary, and beautiful. This is the first of Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings that I've read so I really had no idea of what to expect. I'm not always a fan of retellings because I typically find them confusing. There were some aspects to the lore that did confuse me, but I'm going to put that down to my lack of knowledge of the original stories.

Fathomless is a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Now, I know you're thinking "Duh, Andrea. There's a mermaid on the cover." But let me tell you, if you're expecting happy girls wearing shell bras and a singing lobster, well, you're not going to find it here. These girls, mermaids, nymphs...whatever you want to call them, are hardcore dangerous. They are girls who have been forced into the ocean, ripped from their lives, their memories washed away, bit by bit until the become soulless, monsters.

Lo is an ocean girl. She holds only the foggiest of memories of her past. She's waiting to become an angel. But one night changes Lo's grip on her existence. When she rescues Jude and meets Celia, she is given an opportunity to reclaim pieces of her memory. But the more she remembers her past, her former life and name, Lo becomes two people. Two girls warring for control. But who will win? And who will pay the price for control? The dual personality aspect was fascinating. I felt for both girls, Lo and her former self. It was so, so sad.

Celia, the girl who helps Lo, has her own issues. As a triplet, Celia is the odd girl out. One sister can read the future. Another can read the present. Celia can read the past, which she finds useless until she realizes she can help Lo. Lo, who helped her rescue Jude from the ocean.  The closer she gets to uncovering Lo's past, the closer she gets to danger, because ultimately, Lo is becoming a monster. A monster who needs a human soul in order to become free. Celia, such a loving girl, refuses to give up on Lo. Her selflessness, though, may cost her, or Jude, their lives.

Just thinking about Fathomless has me all worked up again. The story had me ripping through the pages. How was it going to end? Who was going to survive, the monster or the girl? Would the ocean girl claim Jude or Celia? Fathomless was fantastic until the very last page. The story stole me away from the world for an entire day. I can't recommend it highly enough.


Favorite Quote:

"I sigh, fall back in the shadow of the pier-I remember watching the boy with the gray eyes fall from here just last night, when everything was perfect and I as just a girl waiting to become an angel."
(pg 64)

" 'No one has ever risked anything for me or...' He shakes his head. 'But you went after me in the ocean, in the middle of the night. And you didn't even know me. So...yes.That's why I'm here. Not because you saved me, but because you're the kind of person who saved me." (pg 194)

You can purchase Fathomless at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

Review ~ PURITY, by Jackson Pearce

A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order. Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex. Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity. ~From GoodReads

Shelby Crewe made three promises to her dying mother. To always listen to her dad, to love as much as possible and to live her life without limits. She has spent the six years since making good on those promises, especially the last promise. But there's a problem. If she always listens to her dad, she can't live without limits. So Shelby has a "loophole" system. If her dad isn't specific about a rule, she can work around it. When Shelby's dad signs them up for the annual Princess Ball that will force her to make a vow of purity until marriage, Shelby only has one way around it. She must lose her purity before taking the vow. That decision sets Shelby up on a quest to find the right guy to give her virginity to, but she also discovers what she's lost in her single-minded goal of fulfilling her mother's wishes.

PURITY was not what I expected. I thought the story would be more of a closer look at Purity (or Princess) Balls. A cautionary tale of what happens when you let a group decide what's best for you and your body. For those who may not know, a purity ball consists of several vows, among those, vowing your "purity" to your father. I for one, think that's creepy. But honestly, while the question of the vow does play a big part in the story, I found the heart of PURITY to be Shelby's relationships.

While Shelby's mother asked her to keep the promises to her father to help them remain close, it actually caused a distance between them. I went into the story sure that I would dislike Shelby's dad. He does sign her up for a purity ball, after all. But as the story unfolded, I began to realize that he is simply lacking direction. He's not a bad guy at all, simply misguided. Shelby is a girl with strong conviction. Even if she's not sure that her decision is the best, she will follow through, no matter what. She is incredulous every step of the way, even questioning the pastor as to why boys don't have "Prince Balls". And I admire that Shelby wasn't afraid to stand up for herself and her body. Shelby's friends, Ruby and Jonas were simply brilliant. Ruby was a riot, a great relief for the drama. She continually pulled through for Shelby when needed. Jonas was Shelby's compass. He was always there, no matter if he thought Shelby was wrong. I enjoyed seeing their friendship unfold in new ways.

PURITY is a funny, thought-provoking story. I was charmed from the opening lines, and read it in only a few hours. I was surprised by the development of the story. OH! I can't go without saying: If you love the movie Sixteen Candles, you will love last few chapters of PURITY. Maybe it was just me, but I felt a "Jake Ryan standing at his car after the church" moment. If nothing else, that should seal the deal for some of you!


Favorite Quote:

(A funny moment when a friend was describing the sexual status of the HS band.)
" 'I'd also say most of the horn line has played the game, and the majority of the horn line has gone hot and heavy with a girl or two - usually from the woodwind section. People always figure it's the color guard, but seriously, it's the woodwinds you've got to look out for.' " (pg.47)

Published April 24th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

You can purchase PURITY at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


Source: A finished copy was provided by the publisher for review purpose.

IN MY MAILBOX, # 36

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a great way to put a spotlight on books received during the past week.

Books Received:

FRAGILE, by M. Leighton
PURITY, by Jackson Pearce
PRETTY AMY, by Lisa Burstein
TEMPEST (Tempest, #1) by Julie Cross
MY WICKED GLADIATORS, by Lauren Hawkeye
THE IMMORTAL RULES (Blood of Eden, #1)by Julie Kagawa
WHAT A BOY WANTS, by Nyrae Dawn

Thanks to:

-The super fabulous M. Leighton!
-Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
-Lisa Burstein and Entangled Publishing.
-Mindy at Magical Urban Fantasy Reads.
-Avon Books
-Harlequin Teen

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!