With political intrigue that rivals the republicans and democrats, Breakwater pits the merpeople and the naiads against each other. Murder and mayhem around every corner. Stuck in the middle, what will Lady Jade do?

Very unique mermaid story that I really wasn't expecting to enjoy so much! It was different from what I expected and while it took me some time to get into, it was unlike my initial expectations. The writing was easy to get into and I would definitely pick up more books from this author!

Rating: 4/5

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 13+ (slight sexual conduct, mer-swearing, and some light violence)

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

A red tide is rising.

As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she'd ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean's fragile peace.

Can the city's divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves? - Amazon.com

Under the sea! Under the sea! Seriously, why can’t I read a book with mermaids in it without thinking about The Little Mermaid? So I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light hearted mermaid book, but I was so wrong. This book is probably on par with Undertow by Michael Buckley. It uses mer people to discuss heavy topics such as racism and prejudice. It also discusses slavery and it shows people that the choices they make effect everyone around them, not just themselves. Honestly, this and Undertow together would make a perfect combination for teaching young readers about how harmful their words and actions and their prejudices can be to others. That being said, this book is way more political than some people like in their books but it really fits in well and doesn’t detract from the story at all. The plot was developed amazingly well and the pacing was phenomenal. The writing is also very well done and funny! The writer commonly inserts phrases like “whale in the room” for “elephant in the room” and it really makes the world building complete.

However, I did feel like the characters fell flat and weren’t developed properly. I felt that there could have been many places where the characters had room to grow or their background to be expanded upon, but it just didn’t happen. I also felt that the book gave room for a sequel, but one hasn’t been spoken of yet. I think the world building could definitely continue into a second book and the story could continue.

Verdict: If you like mermaid tales/political thrillers/books that look at social dilemmas then this book is for you! It’s an amazingly well written look at racism and prejudice through the lens of mermaids and it could teach others about what effect their words and actions have on others.

Let’s chat shall we? I want to talk about this book before I actually talk about this book. Honestly, I’ve never really thought about mermaids. Yes as a teen or early adult I watched ‘The Little Mermaid’. Yes, if I wasn’t older than a couple of decades I might remember a fascination or wonderment about them as a child. Obviously if there was it was short lived because I have no memory of such. If you know me at all, I’m not besties with the fantasy genre. Yarp, I’ve had my nerd card threatened to be revoked over this. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve read fantasy and even enjoyed fantasy, it’s just not my go to genre. It’s honestly been more than a minute since I spent some time with the genre. I dipped my toe with this book mostly thanks to the ever increasing insistence of Kristin. Have you yet realized that when I get tossed into something new/different/weird/quirky/chaotic/so on and so forth, it’s almost always her fault? Yup, I’ve noticed it too!

That being said let’s actually talk about ‘Breakwater’. Obviously I have it 4 stars which means I actually really liked it. Many of the the things I enjoyed are tempered with things that were off for me. One thing I really think this book needed is more back story. The story gave me some of what I wanted but not enough. What was the deal with Jade’s father? How was it the naiads were pushed into the corner they were in? They were obviously welcomed into the city at some point but when and how did it start going so sideways? I get it, the naiads and the mer were in a racial clash that was extremely reminiscent of current news with the refugees in Africa and the Middle East. It reminded me of racial issues of the 1950’s and 60’s. It reminded me how of things started with the Jews in Germany leading up to WWII. It reminded me of a lot of issues throughout human history where one race or class or gender even felt they were superior to another and found ways to invoke that superiority onto the other and push the other down and keep them down in what ends up as an attempt to eradicate them. That’s probably a little too deep for a young adult book review isn’t it? This is what I thought of as I read this book. It was entirely more political (without politics if that makes sense) than I expected from a book about mermaids. But, I’m not complaining.

The characters throughout the story were relate-able and bond-able. Sometimes, however, they lacked depth. I don’t mean like how shallow her friends were when the engagement was broken but in how they came to be in the situations they were in with the outlooks they had. It’s known that Jade’s father was killed by the naiads, which had to in some way color her views. While she was ready to stand up for them and embrace them I feel like there is more to Dad’s story than the dusting we were given to provide her this outlook. I respected her. I have a desire, no a need, to see where her story is going to lead. And for the love of gravy the cliff hanger at the end is enough to leave me checking for a release date on the next book already!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

BREAKWATER was such a unique mermaid novel, so unlike anything I have heard of or read before. I enjoyed it completely even though I wish I had known it was the first in a series when I went into it. It would have meant the my concerns for resolution being rushed wouldn't have been so overwhelming. I liked that our main character — Jade — wasn't always right and had many flaws, but often just wanted to do the right thing. I definitely am looking forward to the next book!

This is a very politically intense book. That being said it was very fast and easy to read. I didn't have to stop and look up any words that had to do with politics so that is a plus. Though I did have to look up what a Naiad was. The way it is described in the book you think human because it describes a two legged person essentially and that they can manipulate water. That is about all the description you get so if you don't know what a Naiad is I suggest looking it up before you read the story. In this story the characters are forced to marry and preferably someone that is higher in nobility then their family. If they marry someone of lower nobility or no nobility they essentially lose their nobility or are looked down upon it seems. There government system in this world is a monarchy on the brink of being over throne. There is romance, mystery, and murder all in one book. I felt at times the author kept repeating, "I said" "he said" she said" and it started to bother me but other then that it was a good quick read.

*** Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

Hey Book Peeps

I made a request for this e-arc from Netgalley at a time when I didn't know what I wanted to read. When I saw the cover I was intrigued because the last mermaid themed book I read was [book:Deep Blue|18601430] which I, surprisingly, came to like. So much so that I read the entires series so with that thought in mind I wondered if lightening could strike twice?.......... <b>As a heads up, it can't. It really can't.</b> This book suffered in two major areas which were world building and character development. If one of these is impacted, your story is in danger but when both of them are affected, your book is heading for an iceberg.

Lets start with the world building or lack there of. This mermaid society is a monarchy with a nobility case and a refugee class. The whole premise of this book is that there is unrest with the refugee class and that there is a possible rebellion happening when an event takes place that our main character, Jade, is a part of. Now the thing is when you write a story with such a heavy political lean you need to explain the hierarchy of the society and you need to show the suffering and mistreatment of the oppressed. In this story Jade is a noble by birth and she is referred to as Lady Jade but you don't know where she stacks in terms of rank in her society. Her mom is an advisor to the king but I can't tell you how or on what topic she councils to specifically. Her rank and position is never fully explained and it is important to know because it would've given us an idea where she stood in the scheme of things once the plot starts to develop. Without knowing how much influence Jade's family actually had in this society, you don't fully understand all the motives of the family members.

Without even a partial understanding of the noble hierarchy you don't get to see how they live and you are not able to compare it fully to the lives of the refugees. The book should have had a second prospective from the refugee side that really gave you an inside look at the political climate over there. I felt like the refugees were a random group that the author just threw in to be the victims in the story. I didn't feel any personal conflict between the two peoples that made any of the claims of strife between them even remotely believable. When one of the refugees is killed by a noble it is suppose to spark something and you, as the reader, should feel the heat of the spark and anticipate the drama that will unfold but you are never given that. You are given half ass moments of stirring insurrection but not based on anything the refugees are doing. No they are all based on Lady Jade and the scandal it is bringing to her family and the nobility as a whole.

This brings me to the second point; the character development. Firstly there are to many unimportant characters and not enough distinction between the voices of everyone present. I still can't tell you how many younger siblings Jade has. I know there is one boy child for sure and another one that is named a lot but I am unsure if they are a family member or a servant. The elimination of some of these side characters would have been great so that we could get a better and fuller picture without all these useless interactions that amounted to nothing and didn't move the plot forward at all.

The most offending thing of this topic is how it applies to the main character and her family. Jade was such a flip floppy character. Not in a "unreliable narrator" type way but in a "I-don't-know- what-stereotype-I-wanna-be-so-let-me-try-to-be-all-of-them-at-different-points-of-the- book" type. I mean she started out like the spoiled brat and then went on to be the social activist and then she tried to be a rebel / badass etc. It was just all over the place!!! And it is not to say that a character can't go through all of those stages but they have to grow through them. These attributes just seemed to get turned on depending what the author wanted to do in that chapter and be gone for the rest of the storyline. Because of this I didn't believe in the main character and anything she was trying to do to quell the so called "tensions" between the people. Her mother's characterization was not as out of control as Jade's was but our impression of her, which was given to us by Jade initially, conflicted with the actions that her mother was taking during the whole story. Like she wanted Jade to be a strong independent mermaid but she needed her to make a good match in society to uphold their position. It was just ridiculously hypercritical a lot of the time.

There was a love interest in this story as well but it wasn't believable and in the end he was to good for Jade because she was to self involved to think about his feelings. I am actually glad he didn't end up with her because he is too loyal for his own good.

In the end I just wanted so much more from this book and the only reason it has a 2 star rating is because the grammar was pretty good and the plot had some good bones but it needs a lot of work. This is not a mermaid read I'd recommend.

Happy Reading you guys

Jo

Such I wonderful book!!' I just loved it and could not put it down!!

The racial tensions in this novel definitely reflect aspects of our society. If you're looking for a fantasy novel that challenges the notions of racial superiority, look no further.

DNF at 29%

I gave it the good college try but this book and me are not a fit. Right away, vapid and naive Jade goes from admiring her big ol' engagement ring to judgy judging a less well-connected girl's prospects to witnessing her fiancé with a dead girl (no matter, it's just a naiad--back to life about me!) to being the tramp of the seas for breaking off the engagement.

I could not stand Jade. Further reviews suggest that she matures as the book continues, but reading about her giving herself a high five for defending a naiad and then saying, "well alllll naiads can't be bad plus I know his boss" to having to struggle through different "wraps," cloaks and necklaces has me putting this down over and over.

The political premise raises some very poignant parallels to current times, but I felt that the writing was both too heavy handed and not complex enough. At least, with this heroine it wasn't working for me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Alright, this was the first mermaid based book I have ever read. I looked at the cover and I was like woww I love it little did I know that I would like the story as well.

Everything was new to me. The book grabbed me since the very beginning and it did not disappoint me until the end. I loved the way the author displayed the main characters and focused on some issues related to discrimination, social ranking privileges, the value of family. The character development of Jade which is our courageous young mermaid that fights fearlessly for the things she believes in is admirable.

The world building was very very interesting despite the fact that actually I am terrified of water. The storyline was consistent full of surprises and unexpected turn of events that made me turn one page after another so I could find out what is going to happen next.

I certainly did not expected the end of the book to be so abrupt and I would definitely wait for the second one to come out and hopefully I would not die out of curiosity by then.

Thank you for the opportunity!

DNF

The writing wasn't for me and the character's really didn't pull me in. I only got about 10% in and I couldn't force myself to finish. It took me 3 days to get to that 10%. I really wanted to love this book, because it sounded right up my alley.

This cover is beyond beautiful! The book... well that was okay. It was nothing really new for me, which was disappointing.

Can I just pretend for a moment that I’m fifteen and I just discovered Breakwater by Catherine Jones Payne? Because, if I can? I’m gonna SQUEEEEE! Like a kid. I don’t even care! See? I’m the girl who wanted to be a mermaid when I grew up.

Imagine a young girl, sitting in a conservative, strict, Christian school. The kind that thinks fantasy is wrong, Star Wars is occultic and, well, Mermaids? Half-naked figments of Disney’s imagination.

The teacher had handed out papers for us to fill out with the statement, “When I grow up, I’d like to be.” Yep, I’m the slightly odd girl who wore glasses and had her head in the clouds. The bookish girl who already struggled to fit in. I—being the rather outcast booknerd that I am—answered: “A Mermaid.”

Yes, a parent-teacher meeting was scheduled. I guess they thought that a six-year-old in a Christian school should have answered like the other little girls and said things like nurse and missionary. I mean, I’m totally not putting down those other kids for their inspirational goals but I just wanted to be a mermaid.

This book is meant for Young Adults and I saw some reviews that sort of picked apart the antagonist for being shallow. Truth is? I get it. Yes, people of all ages can be shallow. As I already stated, I was a bit of an outcast, I understand how these so-called mean girls act.

But, I understand how people change, they evolve. Jade was a product of her society. She had been taught to fear the Naiad and I can understand her internal struggle. The important thing is that she put aside societal prejudices and chose to do what she felt was right.

Sure, she was a little spoiled and maybe she couldn’t relate with the Naiad as well as she thought. But, she took the steps (err, she swam?) towards becoming a better person. And, I think that counts for something.

The only reason I’m giving this a four-star rating instead of five is that I wanted to get to know the characters more. Jade and I have an understanding but I didn’t get very well acquainted with the supporting cast. Jade’s mom, her friends, and her love interests—these are characters I would have liked to have bonded with on a deeper level.

i love the cover of breakwater so much! (*insert heart eye emoji*)

breakwater is definitely a one of a kind book. the characters, the writing style, everything. absolutely phenomenal. i love how the book focuses around the social injustice between the mer folk and the naiad. i like how it reflects what the world is like today. breakwater tackles some important issues and really makes the reader think while reading.

i didn't like jade that much at first, but towards the end i absolutely loved her. jade changes so much as a person due to the events throughout the book. she befriends a naiad, and on her journey, she learns a lot about the society she lives in and herself. she is a strong protagonist, and a likeable character.
i wasn't a fan of the romance. i liked alexander, but i felt the romance was a bit rushed and awkward. i mean, she was just engaged to someone else?

aside from that, i love the world building and writing style. catherine jones payne is a strong author and i can't wait to read more books in this series!

<I>Breakwater</I> by Catherine Jones Payne

<b>Star Rating</b>: ★★★★★ 5/5 stars

<b>Format</b>: ebook galley

<b>Summary</b>: Jade, a mermaid, is excited for her upcoming wedding to Captain Tor. Until she finds him holding the dead body of a naiad girl he has just murdered. Her decision to take him to the authorities creates a bigger scandal than she could have imagined. Already tense relations between the mer and naiads is pushed even further after this incident.

<b>Review</b>: I received an egalley copy of this book for review from NetGalley.

I really really liked this book. I think the world was set up nice and I liked the main character. She doesn't always make the right decisions and has some real flaws. I was completely interested during the whole book. It was exciting and engaging.

I liked how it didn't end with a happily ever after, that Jade chooses duty over love. I thought that was a great decision and definitely don't see that a lot in books so I liked it. It ended on a cliffhanger and I feel there will be a chance for HEA in the future.

I thought the world building was great. There was just enough to immerse you in the world but it wasn't overwhelming and didn't end up weighing the novel down. There was a lot of small details that kept you in the world. Like when a character would be in a room it said things like float instead of stand. It was small but it really cemented it.

I liked the politics of this world, how Jade knows a bit but not a lot of what is going on. It felt realistic. I liked how realistic it felt when her friends abandoned her over a scandal. There was so much small and big grief in this book that it just felt really real to me. Not over the top but just like this is life and a really shitty situation.

I don't read a lot of mermaid novels so requesting this was me taking a gamble. I'm super happy I took that gamble. I really enjoyed this book and nothing really stands out to me that I didn't like. I just thought it was great all around.

<b>Recommendation</b>: I think this is a really cool mermaid book. I'd check it out if you're into fantasy, even if you're unsure about the mermaid element.

Thank you to Netgalley, Catherine Jones Payne and Fathom Ink Press for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

I liked that this story had strong female characters, who weren’t afraid to stand up for the less fortunate and speak the truth as they saw it. I think that this story has political parallels evident in our own society.

Jade is a seventeen year old mermaid, whose father is one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors. Everything in her life is wonderful and she is preparing to marry her handsome fiancé, but her bubble is about to burst.

She witnesses her fiancé murder a naiad and he and his family try to stop her from reporting it. Of course, Jade does the right thing by breaking off their engagement and reporting him at great personal cost to herself and her family.

This incident plunges the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar and tensions flare between the mer and the naiads (the lesser water race). Jade learns too late that the choices that she makes have far reaching effects for her family and her city. The fragile peace is shattered and the mer guards are killing naiads to get them under control. Jade is caught between trying to help the naiads and keeping her family safe.

Jade, as the protagonist in this story, can come across as naïve, which is irritating in parts as she doesn’t seem to grow in character and she foolishly thinks that she can save everyone by sacrificing herself.

There is a hint of a developing romance between Jade and a mer, who lives amongst the naiads and is a long-time friend. I am presuming that this will be elaborated upon in Book 2.

This book offers plenty of intrigue, authentic characters and interesting plots. It will leave you wanting to find out what happens next.

This story earns a solid 3 stars.

Might be a secondary option for acquisitions -- I may try to see if one of our Teen Advisory Group members is more engrossed by it than I was.

Review and blog tour can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

The story of Jade and her life underwater was a very interesting one. There's politics plot to destroy and a very vivid, colorful underwater world. I liked the premise of the book, but what kept me hook to the story was the constant race against time in order to save everyone.

Needless to say the reason I also loved this book was because the underwater city where Jade lives is named Thessalonike, just like my home city in Greece!

I was able to read this book in one day. The pace was quick and the writing was easy but it failed to keep me engaged. Its not that the plot was slow but more like I wasnt completely invested. The court drama and tension between the naiads and mermaids kept me reading until the end. I think someone who hasnt read as many books as me might enjoy this more than I did because despite my issues it was a quick enjoyable read.

Ive read similar plots many times before and I totally saw the missing naiad twist coming as well as the thing that happened with her friend. The setting was a bit more unique but it lacked some world building. I wanted to know more about the history, the the antimonarchicist and the tensions between species. I did enjoy some scenes, like the dancing naiads and their water magic as well as the dolphin Kiki and how the main character found her.

The main character was naive and impulsive. She didnt make the smartest decisions. Shes considered an adult but her mother treats her like a child. Not that I necessarily blame her since she does act like a child but it often got on my nerves. Despite that I did appreciate her trying to do the right thing. She treats the naiads refugees better than most of her kin. I liked her relationship with Pippa and Alexander. She also had a cute relationship with her brother but I wish her relationships were more developped.

I appreciated the authors take on oppression. We get to see the main character of color from high class slowly start to realize how badly the refugees in her city have been treated and tries to help them. After living a sheltered life she struggles to work through her own preconceived notions of the refugees and becomes friends with some of them. Even though this didnt get a higher rating Id still recommend it if you want a quick mermaid story.

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