jordanlzreads

Tag: ocean

  • Shorelines – Ruth Ennis

    Bibliographic info

    Title: Shorelines

    Shorelines by Ruth Ennis

    Author: Ruth Ennis

    ISBN: 9781915071989

    Publisher: Little Island Books

    Copyright date: 2026

    Genre/Format: fantasy, verse

    Awards: none.

    Reading level: Grade 10 and up (School Library Journal)

    Plot Summary

    Muireann is a mermaid, her large body built to withstand deep ocean temperatures and to propel her against the currents. When she and her family find her twin sister killed in a large fishing net, Muireann is shaken to her core. The humans, she believes, don’t realize that their overfishing is harming the mermaid population. She convinces her aunt (a sea-witch) to separate her tail into legs, so that she can venture onto land to convince the local prince to lay off on the fishing. This is not your typical Little Mermaid story, though: the humans on land are painfully cruel, and their perception of her body immediately confuses Muireann. Despite their violent mistreatment of her, Muireann finds some humans kind enough to help, so that she can save her family and all of the merpeople.

    Author background

    Ruth Ennis is a writer, children’s book review, and verse novelist from Kildare, Ireland, and Shorelines is her debut novel. (Ennis, 2026.) Her poetry and other short stories are in several Irish publications. Every October, she hosts a challenge on social media to encourage readers to read Irish stories and share them online.

    Critical Evaluation

    I was so surprised by the imagery in this novel. I enjoy reading verse novels every once in a while, often because they can be stunning one-sitting experiences. But Shorelines really floored me, especially because I hadn’t expected it to become so dark. Muireann’s sister dies so suddenly in the story that it immediately shocks your system into paying attention. Muireann’s mother completely shuts down after this event, which encourages her to find a solution to the over-fishing that is plaguing the merpeople. Muireann’s new mission partially serves as a method of coping with her grief.

    Muireann’s positive attitude towards the humans is of course reminiscent of the original Little Mermaid. Her ability to see the good in them fights all of the warning signs, and her unfamiliarity with human culture others her as soon as she takes her first steps on land. I thought this was realistic, if not also really depressing to read.

    Overall I thought this was such an imaginative and fresh take on an old classic, and one that also continues the hauntingly dark tone of the original Andersen fairytale.

    Creative use for a library program

    Possibly a bit of a stretch, but: a library in a coastal area, or one situated near a lake or large body of water known for fishing, could partner with local park rangers or other professionals to either deliver a presentation about climate change and overfishing or sponsor a field trip. Teaching young adults about these issues earlier would be a strong way to introduce them to the realities of climate change in their own backyards.

    Speed-Run Book-Talk

    Muireann’s never given much thought to her body: her strong tail and extra layers of skin protect her in the ocean, and she looks like all the other merpeople she knows. But when she volunteers to transform and venture on land in order to save her people from humans taking their resources, she’s faced with shame and ridicule from them. To them, Muireann is not deserving of respect, so she decides to take matters into her hands…

    Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

    What makes this story a fresh take on an old classic is that Muireann is visibly fat, and there’s strong themes of body acceptance and body shaming. It might be difficult for some audiences to read, based on their life experiences, but the enduring message is highly empowering. The book also touches on climate change lightly, to explain why humans are overfishing so much. It’s not a strong theme, and the issue of Muireann being mistreated for her body and taking revenge is ultimately the main focus of the novel.

    Reason for inclusion

    I wanted to include some verse novels in my collection; they can be a helpful way to get some teens reading who might not have a lot of time to devote to reading every day. It’s also a recognizable plot, with a dark and revengeful twist that most teens will enjoy!

    References

    About- Ruth Ennis. (2026) Retrieved from https://www.ruthennis.com/about

    Smitala, Mariah. (2026, April 1). Shorelines. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/review/shorelines-100010327

  • Out of Air – Rachel Reiss [audiobook]

    Out of Air

    Title: Out of Air

    Author: Rachel Reiss

    Narrator: Gail Shalan

    ISBN: 9781250366146

    Publisher: Wednesday Books (imprint of St. Martin’s Press, division of Macmillan Publishers)

    Copyright date: 2025

    Genre/Format: thriller/horror, mystery

    Awards: none.

    Reading level: Grade 8 and up (School Library Journal)

    Plot Summary

    Phoebe “Phibs” Ray and her friends, the treasure hunting and diving social media stars the Salt Squad, take a last-summer-before-college trip to the island of Mira Mar off the coast of Australia. On the surface, this group of friends is tight-knit and loving, but soon their underwater discoveries begin to fracture the group. Phibs, Lani, Isabel, and twins Gabe and Will all grew up in the Florida Keys, but Phibs alone lives on Boca Chica Key, notably less glamorous than all her friends. Her mother left her with her grandparents when she was young, and now, her Gram’s memory is starting to decline. In Australia, visiting Lani’s uncle, the group comes across an underwater cave complete with an air pocket- a magical discovery, until some members of the The Salt Squad start experiencing weird symptoms on their bodies…and hearing whispers calling them back into the ocean. In an alternating timeline following the group’s adventures in Australia as well as an incident back in the Keys 5 months ago, the friend group struggles to trust each other, only before learning that they’re all they have.

    Author background

    Rachel Reiss | Authors | Macmillan

    “Years ago I went diving in Chandelier Cave in Palau, and during that dive we surfaced in an air pocket. I remember breathing in there, and thinking how strange it was to be underwater, yet able to breathe within the submerged cavern. The beauty of that cave stuck with me, as well as the experience in the air pocket, and it became the catalyst from which the story began to take shape.”

    Rachel Reiss, via Armed With A Book, 2025.

    Rachel Reiss is a writer of YA thrillers, as well as a skilled scuba diver. Her upcoming novel, Seconds to Spare, originated on the online writing platform Wattpad. (Reiss, 2026)

    *After a good amount of research, I couldn’t locate much more information about Reiss’s life. Out of Air is her debut in traditional publishing.

    Critical Evaluation

    Right off the bat, my experience reading this book was completely defined by the audiobook narrator. Gail Shalan pulls no punches, every thrilling and terrifying moment (running out of oxygen underwater, body horror, treasure hunting kidnappers…) were all fully acted out. At times, it was a bit intense, and I wish sometimes the bigger moments could be quieter, and maybe more horrifying. Seriously, I had to turn my volume down because the acting was so much. At the best of times, however, it did feel like listening to a movie; I could visualize everything through the audio alone.

    Phibs is an interesting narrator. She’s maybe not the most put-together 18 year old out there, and her lines of thinking almost only revolve around her grandmother, Gabe, and being underwater. She’s also an aspiring photographer, coming to realize it may not be possible for her due to her family’s financial situation, but this interest was sort of abandoned in the plot pretty early on. Her internal dialogue focuses a lot on feeling a need to belong- finding Lani, Isabel, Gabe, and Will saved her, in more ways than one. In her mind, she’s timid and almost wallflower-like, but in reality she argues with everyone constantly. This particular dichotomy was confusing to me at times, but I can get behind her being an occasionally unreliable narrator. Her and Gabe’s romantic development was perfectly fine, but I’m not thrilled with the way the story ended. (I’m at the age where, when 18-19 year olds in books get a very definitive “this is my life now” ending, I’m just thinking, “YOU’RE TOO YOUNG!!???”)

    There were pretty much no loose ends upon the story’s conclusion. The writing itself was very compelling (with a narrator gasping for air and yelling half the time, it was hard not to pay attention). I’m not typically a thriller reader, to be honest, so it won’t be a new favorite. I also wish the body horror was a little scarier, although I do get that this book’s audience can be as young as 12-13, so that might be a personal preference not appropriate for the setting. I’ve never seen the hit Netflix show Outer Banks, which this book is heavily comped to, but from what I understand, the southern coastal teens hunting for treasure and facing danger of it all is present.

    Creative use for a library program

    A self-led treasure hunt among the bookshelves comes to mind for this possible library program. While the Salt Squad is indeed a group, Phibs makes several key discoveries on her own, via a genetic intuition inherited on her mother’s side. An individual clue list available for teens to start, ending in earning a special edition library card (I’m thinking gold…) would be fun, taking place during the summer months.

    Speed-Run Book-Talk

    Phoebe “Phibs” Ray and her best friends, the Salt Squad, are social media stars, all thanks to some amazing underwater treasure discoveries off the Florida Keys and Phibs’ underwater photography. When the crew ventures to Australia for a summer vacation, a secret underwater cave (read also: romantic, cramped space) turns the teens from explorers to something out of sea monster legend. Think Outer Banks, but ocean magic that consumes you from the inside.

    Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation

    There’s some gruesome scenes in this book, mainly around the mutating something on some of the character’s bodies. It warps and oozes mysteriously, but there’s no weaponry or blood involved. One character loses fingers from a hand (which is bloody) in an altercation with a corrupt police officer. Lani and Isabel are dating (not a spoiler), but their relationship is very tame, mainly smiles, hugs, and elevated communication skills. Phibs is also very in love with Gabe, but the plot of the book takes precedence over their romance. Overall, the adrenaline of this book is more on page than any violence or romance is.

    Reason for inclusion

    I wanted to include some audiobooks in this collection, so I thought I would check this one out, based on pretty much nothing but gut instinct. I love stories sent in or around the ocean, and although I’m not a thriller-lover, this book will absolutely resonate with those who are.

    References

    About- Rachel Reiss. (2026) Retrieved from https://www.rachelreisswrites.com/about

    Laferriere, Mandy. (2025, May 1). Out of Air. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/review/out-of-air

    K, Kriti. (2025, May 12). Rachel Reiss. https://armedwithabook.com/rachel-reiss/