Bengal Reads: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova (Review)

Title: The Vicious Deep

The Vicious Deep #1

Author: Zoraida Cordova

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Pages: 384

Pre-Order Here: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Book Depository

For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

My Review:

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a "splash"! Zoraida has taken mermaids and mermen and created a while new world that is both refreshing and beautiful! Was it just me or did this story seem to fly by? It was a whole 370 pages and it only felt like 200? That is how much I liked it.

I love Tristan Hart, he is such a teenage boy... worrying about girlfriends, cheating, the swim team, and school. His life takes a BIG turn when he discovers who HE really is... A Merman. It is so funny how he finds out what he is, I laughed so hard. I love the description and take of Mermaids and Mermen in this story... Vicious, Beautiful, and Vague. I loved them all... well, not all but you won't either. Layla is Tristian's best friend who he really thinks of as more than a friend.

I loved Thalia and Kurt, they are both Tristan's Mer-Friends and Kurt was appointed to guide Tristan. In order to become King of the Sea and take his Grandfather's place he has to compete with some of the most skilled Mermen to find pieces of the Tritan, whoever finds them all and puts them together will become king. The characters remind me so much of regular High School students and I really related to them.

Now for how this story made me feel... I felt really happy and giddy while reading it! I kept cheering Layla and Tristan on because I WANT THEM to be together. The ending killed me, there is definitely going to be a second book and I will have to suffer until it comes out. Put this on your TBR list everyone, it is really GOOD! The reason I have it 4 stars instead of 5 was because sometimes I got a little lost... other than that Perfecto!

-ARC provided by Sourcebooks Fire.