Bad Mermaids: On the Rocks is the second installment in the Bad Mermaids series. It follows a group of mermaids and a human friend of theirs as they find adventure in the mysterious Crocodile Kingdom, a land that has been long-lost to their own corner of the mermaid realm. Zaniness ensues as they attempt to stop a businesswoman from the surface world from taking mermaids, and even whole buildings, to open a mermaid-themed tourist attraction. Can they save the mermaid realm from such a fate?
Sibeal Pounder has a talent for bringing fantastic worlds to life. The detail that she provides to the world of the mermaids and to its various inhabitants, whether of the mermaid, fish, and other sea creature varieties, is immense. This attention to detail makes the book an immersive read. The storyline is over-the-top hilarity that should appeal to its target middle-grade audience. The characters are lovable (except for the villainess, who is very intentionally easy to dislike), and the witty banter that they sprinkle throughout their adventures makes an entertaining read.
Girls who love mermaids, fashion, and light-hearted drama will find much to enjoy in this book.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language:None
Violence/Gore: Character shoves others out of the way of a wayward vehicle; character gets stuck in a window; comic violence in which a character has a car dropped on her; a character is trapped in a sack; a character attempts unsuccessfully to poison others; a character jokes that she sold her kidney; a verbal threat; report of a vehicle accident; report of a few fights; characters are subject to magic attacks such as freezing and shrinking a few times; a character is in a vehicle that sinks; a character is held captive in a tank; a few buildings are destroyed; a few vehicles are destroyed.
Sex/Nudity: Characters apply lipstick by kissing fish; a male character wears a cone-style bikini top throughout the book, and this is depicted in one illustration.
Mature Subject Matter:
Kidnapping.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
