Lorali by Laura Dockrill

Series: N/A, Standalone

Publication date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Format: Uncorrected proof copy 
Source: The publisher  in exchange for an honest review
Pages: 337

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Colourful, raw, brave, rich and fantastical - this mermaid tale is not for the faint-hearted.

Looking after a naked girl he found washed up under Hastings pier isn't exactly how Rory had imagined spending his sixteenth birthday. But more surprising than finding her in the first place is discovering where she has come from.

Lorali is running not just from the sea, not just from her position as princess, but her entire destiny. Lorali has rejected life as a mermaid, and become human.

But along with Lorali's arrival, and the freak weather suddenly battering the coast, more strange visitors begin appearing in Rory's bemused Sussex town. With beautifully coiffed hair, sharp-collared shirts and a pirate ship shaped like a Tudor house, the Abelgare boys are a mystery all of their own. What are they really up to? Can Rory protect Lorali? And who from? And where does she really belong, anyway?

So, Lorali is about Lorali, a mermaid who swims up to the surface and is transformed. That's the basic plotline but there's so much more to the book, it does not just center around Lorali and it's unlike any other mermaid book. 

Lorali have been on my radar for a while; I love reading books about mermaids even though I don't read them that often. Unfortunately I'm often disappointed by said books - I wasn't this time though!

This story holds a bunch of different characters and each one is unique! We have Lorali who is this strong and wonderful character! She surprised me throughout the entire book - I had not expected such a strong, willfull and confident character in her, I don't know how I imagined or expected she would be but nonethless she is a kickass character!

Rory is the guy who saves Lorali from drowning when she transfered (ironic, right?).  Even though Rory is the hero in the story he's such a cutiepie; I simply love the fact that he's so shy around Lorali and even though he leaves her a couple of times in the beginning he definitely makes up for it in the end!

There's a bunch of other characters and each of them are important for the story! 

Lorali surprised me more than once. I thought it was going to be like any other mermaid book I'd read: a normal town and then a mermaid arrive and things start happening. Claiming that Lorali is like any other mermaid book is definitely wrong. Lorali doesn't just have mermaids, Lorali has pirates and sirens as well and even though I didn't like it in the beginning I loved it in the end. It's so full of imagination. 

I love the fact that their tails or 'tapestraries' show their stories and the fact that the mermaids or mermen actually used to be human! It's such a cool take on the "usual" mermaid story.

Lorali is told from multiple perspectives; Rory (a sweet human guy), Lorali and the sea! I loved reading the chapters told from the seas point of view, it was so unlike any other story and so fun too!

As any other book there's a certain "dialect" which is a bit weird in the beginning but after a while it's quite easy to comprehend. For example humans or regular people are called 'Walkers' - which I thought was a surname to begin with. Once you're immersed in the story everything makes sense - trust me! 

Another thing I really loved about this book is the fact that it's not just about Lorali! There's so many other stories in the book and I enjoyed everyone of them. We have stories about the pirates on the two ships, we have some stories about the mermaids and how they deal with Lorali's disapperance and we have some stories about ancient mermaid history - which was probably my favourite part of the entire book. 

The ending seriously killed me! Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you but I just want to say that I did not expect that ending, it took me completely by surprise! And yes, I was devestated but it's the perfect ending to the story, even though it's heartbreaking.