Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Emily Windsnap and the Monster of the Deep
Illustrator: Sarah Gibb
Fiction Series
For ages 8 to 12
Candlewick, 2006 ISBN: 978-0763625047
Emily is on her way to her new home and she is feeling very hopeful for the future. For twelve long years Emily's human mother and her merman father were kept apart by the wrath of King Neptune. Now, at long last, the family is together again and Neptune has arranged for Emily and her parents to live on Allpoints Island. Protected by the Bermuda Triangle, the island is a place where humans and the merfolk can live together in peace.
Without a doubt Allpoints Island is a beautiful, magical place, but soon after arriving Emily goes exploring and she encounters a terrifying current which almost sweeps her out to the deepest depths of the sea. The experience rattles her and leaves her wondering if she will ever find a place where she will feels safe and where she can fit in.
Desperate to win the approval of the other mermaids, Emily makes a dreadful mistake. She urges her friend Shona to go to a place where the other mermaids will not go, a secret cave beyond a hidden lagoon. There Emily accidentally wakens, and sets free, an enormous and very angry kraken.
Emily is mortified about what she has done and soon enough Neptune, in a rage, arrives at Allpoints Island, looking for the merperson who dared to set his "pet" free. Somehow Emily is going to have to find a way to fix the mess she has made.
Readers who enjoyed "The Tail of Emily Windsnap" will like this second book in the series. The author tells a captivating story, and once again Emily is faced with some very difficult decisions. Through Emily's adventures, the author explores the true nature of courage, forgiveness and the power of real friendship.
