BRAXTON-SMITH, Ananda. Merrow. 240p. ebook available. Candlewick. Nov. 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780763679248.

Gr 8 Up –Twelve-year-old Neen has heard the stories the people of Carrick tell: “Her Pa was a drinker who’d killed Mam by mistake.” “Pa married a merrow—a mermaid—and Mam went after him and drowned.” “Mam lost her mind after Pa died and walked the island until she was nothing but a skeleton.” But Neen believes none of these. The only tales she’ll listen to are those of Skully Slevin, the island’s blind fiddler, and his ma. Skully tells Neen that she has merrow blood running through her veins—the proof is in the itchy red scales that appear on her each year. The only one who doesn’t tell stories is bitter Auntie Ushag—she’s more concerned with day-to-day tasks that need to be done, and all she’ll say is that Neen’s mam left because of a broken heart. But as the girl stands on the border between childhood and womanhood, she is restless and desperate for answers, and her search for them will take her to unexpected places. The author has done detailed research on the customs and language of Carrick, and this novel perfectly captures the harshness and beauty of that culture. This exquisitely told work examines the power of stories and how a well-told tale can transcend truth and history. VERDICT Readers will want to curl up at the feet of this narrator and listen to her spellbinding account. Recommended for all YA collections.–Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

This review was published in the School Library Journal October 2016 issue.