Once upon a time, in a kingdom deep beneath the sea, lived a beautiful mermaid full of love and grace. She possessed a singing voice that would leave you speechless, or so I’ve been told. But our fair mermaid made one fatal mistake. She fell in love with a human prince. In her quest to be human, she sold her voice to the sea witch who gave her three days to win the love of the prince or else she would die. In the original Hans Christian Anderson story, the mermaid dies, and I’m weeping when I read the final lines. In Disney’s version, the ending is much happier. The only one who dies is the evil sea hag. But what about in Midnight Pearls, the retelling of the tale by Debbie Viguié, is there a happily ever after for that young mermaid?
Now this is where things get tricky. This story is so cleverly written that nothing is what it might seem. It is told from the point of view of several characters which increases the suspense. The main protagonist is Pearl. As a young child of four, she was found in the sea during a vicious storm. The fisherman, who rescued her, and his wife raise her as their own daughter. Pearl grows to become a young woman in a time when you married at the age of sixteen or seventeen. Everyone shuns her except for one: Prince James. But their friendship is not allowed, as she is a mere commoner, so they meet in secrecy.
Pearl knows she’s different, but doesn’t know why. As a conspiracy against the royal family and an evil enchantment from beneath the sea merges, she is forced to question everything she knows and everything she believes in. And to save the one she loves, she must make a difficult decision that could ultimately tear the two friends apart.
Midnight Pearls is one of the growing number of retold fairytales found in the Once Upon A Time series by Simon Pulse. Each one is a twist on a beloved story told with more suspense and conflict then the original version. The voice is compelling as are the characters. The female protagonists embrace strong virtues important for today’s teen. And I’m proud to admit that books are addictive. I already own several and am eyeing several more. Hint. Hint. You can expect to see me review another one soon.