"Mermaid myths and mystery in a tale of tangled truths and friendships"
Like everyone in Lake Splendour, Vivien is obsessed with mermaids. The legend of the mysterious lake mermaid put the town on the map, helped by the efforts of two early twentieth century teenage entrepreneurs Lydia and Violet, who claimed not only that the mermaid spoke to them, but that they had spent months with her, out of sight of the human world only returning as the First World War broke out.
Some people love the stories, others loathe them, while for Vivien and her best friend Erik, their family businesses rely on the mermaid tourist trade; is it only Alice, newly arrived, who really believes the stories though? As she and Vivien become unlikely friends, it seems that their friendship will change Vivien, alienating her old friends, and even her grandma. Will Alice’s obsession change the town too and could it put Viv into real danger?
Alex Cotter’s story is full of larger than life, Gothic twists and turns, but also sensitively explores the importance of self-worth and having the confidence to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. Both elements hold readers’ attention, the supernatural element adding tension and wonderfully creepy frisson of fear. The truth about the mermaid and the two Mermaid Girls will come as a surprise, but feels very right.
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