#TeenTuesday: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids and We Were Liars

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

After an accident leaves Elyse d’Aubreau unable to sing and follow her dreams of becoming a singer, she decides to spend the summer away from her home of Tobago and instead at Atargatis Cove in Oregon. Elyse finds she can’t escape forever–when her aunt’s house becomes in jeopardy after developers plan to commercialize the Cove, Elyse must participate in the town’s Pirate Regatta to save her aunt’s home. Along with the Cove’s summer playboy, Christian Kane, Elyse must face her fears of the open seas and find her voice again.

Only one word can adequately describe this book: enchanting. The story, the characters, the setting and the writing were all equally amazing. I loved how the author incorporated the myth of the Atargatis mermaid and the culture of Trinidad and Tobago. All of the characters were well developed and writing style was beautiful. I’ve read most of Sarah Ockler’s books and I definitely think this is one of her best. This book is the perfect summer beach read and I rate it five out of five stars.

We Were Liars by e. lockhart

Cadence is a part of a wealthy family that spends their summers on a private island off of Martha’s Vineyard. After suffering an injury that renders Cadence unable to remember a major event that unfolded in a past summer, Cadence goes back to the island to uncover the secret that her family is keeping from her.

At first, I wasn’t sure how to rate this book. I really enjoyed the ending, however, the majority of the book was boring to me and I only found myself just reading it to find out what actually happened, even though I ended up guessing the ending while reading the first half of the book. I didn’t mind guessing the ending, but since the beginning of the book and the writing style were hard to get into, I rate this book three out of five stars.

What are your favorite summer books?