Kelly
Written on Jul 14, 2015
I haven't had much luck with Mermaid themed young adult reads, they tend to be underwhelming and not the magical, whimsical storylines most readers are probably expecting. Not only does Lorali break that mould, but it's a much darker storyline than I'd imagined. Told from three points of view, Rory, Lorali and The Sea, it tells the story of Princess Lorali who has surfaced among humans and those who are on the hunt to capture her.
It was deliciously bizarre, the inclusion of pirates, the sirens they tame and the world between the underwater kingdom and Walkers was simplistic, yet incredibly engaging once the hunt for Lorali begins. Rory's character is the average, knockabout lad but cares deeply for his single mother who seems on the verge of falling apart. Along with best friends Flynn and Elvis, they plan on celebrating Rory's sixteenth birthday when the weather turns nasty and Lorali washes up on shore. Her transformation from mermaid to human is incredibly charming.
But lorali is by no means safe, and Rory is about to find out how deadly betrayal can be. As much as I enjoyed the storyline overall, I found the world building lacking. Lorali's underwater kingdom was underdeveloped and I found it hard to imagine. Seeing a point of view from The Sea was bizarre, and it felt as though it used the narrative as a way to explain the pirates and the politics of Lorali's world. Inventive, but personally I would rather have seen a point of view from the pirate Abelgare brothers, who added a dose of intrigue throughout the storyline.
Lorali is a unique storyline of mermaids, sirens and pirates within the human world. Slow to begin, but the action soon heats up as the battle is on to capture and return Lorali home... Or otherwise. With points of view from The Sea, it is a unique read and one of the more engaging mermaid themed books in young adult.