So I picked this book up because I hoped it would have mermaids and yes, it totally did have mermaids in, but that was not all! It had everything: mermaids that swore like sailors, evil seagulls, ghost both evil and nice, cats of all sizes with WINGS, statues coming to life, werewolves, darkelves, a great evil returning from beyond the grave, sharks ... basically it had so many magical creatures I lost count and it was amazing.

Venice is in trouble, and Teadora is the only one who can save it from turning into a swamp and having everyone dying. With the help of a magical book (YES, magical book!) and her snobbish but brave friend Renzo she sets out to stop a great evil ... by cursing at it.

I love long children's fantasy books. They have all the twists and turns and magic of any good fantasy book, but you don't have to deal with the dark and edgy topics of rape and shit that adults feel they need to include to have a good time. It's just fanastical story WITH MERMAIDS WHO SPEAKS LIKE PIRATES. I mean I can't stress that part enough.

Loved it. I really did. ( )

I'm so glad that I picked up this book, because it reminds me so much of all the amazing fantasy novels that I used to read as a teenager. Even though the protagonists are young the situations that they are thrown into are decidedly mature (in this case saving Venice from an ancient magical enemy) and the author refrains from patronizing readers. Through this example of creative, intelligent, and memorably characterization Louric (and similar authors before her like Diana Wynna Jones, Susan Cooper, and J.K. Rowling) giving forming minds a basis for positive character traits which will hopefully be carried into a productive adult life. Children in the real world may never encounter magical foes, but the courage to question the world around them and to defy negative aspects of life can still remain. ( )

This was a disappointment. Apparently all scientists are unimaginative, rational and unable to appreciate art, mood or atmosphere. Being rational is intrinsically bad, also. Perhaps Ms. Lovric should meet some scientists, as in my experience many of them are keen on the arts and have to be imaginative in order to do their work. Did it not require imagination to propose that microscopic organisms are responsible for human disease?

Anyway, Lovric's prejudices aside, this is a fairly standard orphan with hidden destiny story, enlivened by a great scene where all the "good" magical entities of Venice are called to fight against the equally magical forces of evil. ( )

It's 1899 and Teodora has spent most of her eleven years longing to visit Venice. When strange happenings in the city lead to an invitation for her scientist parents to provide aid, Teodora finally gets her wish. But while her parents work to determine what is going wrong, Teo will be drawn into a secret world of mermaids, ghosts, and other unbelievable creatures who know exactly what is causing the increasingly alarming changes in Venice. A dark power is rising in the city, one who wants to destroy everything and everyone in Venice and Teo may be the only person who can stop it.

I have mixed feelings about this novel. The concept and setting are interesting and I adored the mermaids. It's also obvious the author loves Venice and does leave the reader with a case of wanderlust. However, several plot events just made me crazy because they involved Teo doing exactly what she was told not to or passively watching something happen and doing nothing just so the plot could move forward. I'm also not sure who the audience is for this novel. The villains in this novel are gruesome and scary even for this adult (although admittedly I'm not great with horror-ish elements) but the protagonist is only eleven. My library has this in their teen collection and I'd only recommend it for upper middle grade readers. Not a bad read and if you enjoy a tinge of horror to your fantasy, this one may work better for you. ( )

There were a few too many ideas in this book but it drew me in and kept me reading. The undrowned Child is our heroine, Teodora, adopted and going for, what she believes the first time to, Venice with her parents where she finds that she's one of the few who can save the city from itself. She has the skill of being able to see people's voices as print over their heads and she's also dealing with issues from the past she can't remember.

It's not a bad read it just feels too full of ideas for the size. ( )