Thank you so much to Rosen Publishing/ West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Holly is a half mermaid and by chance whilst swimming comes across her school bully Brad who finds her mermaid secret. But he needs her help to find treasure from an old sunken ship said to be full of gold. Which is in desperate need of if he wants to save his family farm. But the quest becomes way more dangerous than either of them expected.

A fun little mermaid fantasy book, It was a cute and enjoyable read, with a few scary scenes and a sweet new freindship formed throughout the story. It had an environmental twist and some scary lamprey fishes. It’s a very unique and creative modern take on mermaids.

I had a good time reading this verse book, it’s very creative book, with a new take on a mermaid and the skills they possess. I like that it showed pressures of living in smaller water areas and having to live the everyday life as a human. I really liked the friendship that formed between Brad and Holly, it was really sweet and it grew naturally and I liked it a lot.

I think mermaid fans would really enjoy this sweet story, it’s very creative and very different to others out there. I liked the twist with the lampreys, not a fish that’s used in stories very often so very cool to see them included, I also liked that the story had some great twists throughout.

***I received a free E-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review***

This was an interesting read - a quirky new mermaid story written in verse!

A great choice for young, reluctant readers.

P.s. I thought the author had made up the lamprey creatures, and not gonna lie, I'm kinda horrified that they are not fictional 😅

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Maija Barnett for the opportunity to read My Fake Sea in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a HiLo novel-in-verse, accessible to a range of readers and written in a poetic style.

The story follows Holly, a middle school student with a secret: she's a mermaid. She doesn't live near the sea, but she makes do with the nearby lake. Her mother works with another mermaid for Clear Water Mer, a secret organization that helps keep the environment safe and friendly in the nearby lake.

The lake seems to be infested with lampreys, which is a problem for the mermaids. They enjoy the magical taste of mermaid blood.

One day, when her bully of a classmate, Brad, catcher her in the lake in full mermaid mode, he uses her secret as blackmail. He seeks the treasure of a sunken ship in the lake to help pay the debts of his farm. Together, Holly works with Brad to find the sunken treasure, though a more sinister plan seems to be aloft. Can Holly and Brad put aside their differences to succeed in their goals?

This was an easy and fun read. I enjoy the "mermaids among us" type of idea, where mythical creatures maintain a human lifestyle, remaining hidden in plain sight. The story has a bit of a quest-style plot, with Brad seeking a rumored treasure and Holly's secret at risk, pulling her in to help. Trust is on the line within the mermaid community and how their culture and traditions are being maintained.

The story offers an enemies-to-friends friendship experience, a mother-daughter dynamic, and a contemporary mysticism with the mermaid element. And who doesn't like a treasure hunt? This makes for a fun and engaging novel featuring adventure, friendship, and mermaids for a middle grade reader.

A wonderful adventure and accessible novel in verse. Beautifully written and a fun, age appropriate fantasy story. This story was meant to be told in verse format and Maija Barnett really shines through as a writer.

I’ve always been a sucker for a good mermaid story, and this middle grade book, which I read as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, definitely falls into that category.

Truly, the only disappointing thing I have to say about it is that there isn’t more of it. More! I need more! I would be so happy if this developed into a series because I am absolutely not ready to leave this story behind.

This was such a wonderful read. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, and if you’re a fellow mermaid-story lover, I hope you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did.

Another wonderful book from Barnett! Historically, I have always been fascinated with the amount of world building Barnett inserts into her hi-lo verse novels, and My Fake Sea is no exception! The world this story takes place in is so detailed and defined, which helps propel the reader through the pages. I enjoyed the unexpected plot twist toward the end; did not see it coming! The descriptions are lyrical storytelling brought each page to life. An excellent read!!

As a librarian, hi/lo books are so important. This was a good one for kids who like fantasy and possibly a bit of romance, depending on how you interpret it. I loved the interpretation of mermaids here, as well as the lampreys and the society that they're all in. Very well written with believable characters and fast pacing that keeps the reader engaged.