JCPL Teens

Keeper lives on the Oyster Ridge Road in one of only three houses out by the Gulf of Mexico. She lives with Signe, who is not her mother but might as well be. She works as a waxwing for Dogie, who owns the surf bus on the beach. And she has a grandfather figure, Mr. Beauchamp, who has lived on Oyster Ridge Road for longer than anyone, including him, can remember. They also have Best Dog (BD) and Too (short for Best Dog Too) and a seagull named Captain. Keeper’s mother is a mermaid who swam away seven years ago, the night that Keeper made her solumn promise to never, ever swim in the gulf.

 

It is good life, and this day is going to be best of all because Signe is making crab gumbo, Dogie is practicing his two-word song, and Mr. Beauchamp is getting ready for his night-blooming cyrus to bloom for the first time in a year. Then the crabs for the gumbo start talking and Keeper is swept away in a series of unfortunate events that mess up *everything!* She decides to sneak out in the night and borrow Dogie’s little boat to go find her mermaid mother and get her help to fix everything.

 

But mermaids aren’t real. And Keeper is in more trouble than anyone can fix.

 

This book is charming from the first page. Each chapter focuses on a different character, including the animals, and you get to hear their thoughts about events and troubles as they unfold. The writing style is soft and pleasant yet moves quite fast. I was left feeling warm and fuzzy over this whole book. 

 

Have you read it? What did you think?