Rogue Wave

Rogue Wave is the second novel in Jennifer Donnelly's Waterfire saga. It follows Serafina and Neela as they search for the missing talismans and learn more about who is trying to destroy their kingdom.

When I finished Dark Blue, I was disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't a book I wanted to rave about either. The second novel, Rogue Wave greatly improves upon the first. Much of the first novel suffered from building up the world. The characters were only so/so. In Rogue Wave, the characters are finding out who they are and what they're made of. They aren't the whiny sheltered princesses anymore. Now they have a common bond.

The novel only follows Sera and Neela, which I thought was a great choice. I had (and still have) a hard time keeping track of who the other 4 mermaids are. We learn so much from these two, and even learn the fate of Blu. I loved the character developments and the new additions to the world. I had a much easier time imagining the world this time around. There were so many great references in this book (shipwrecks anyone?) and there are so many great underwater puns (transparenSEA pearls). Some things don't make sense (how do you drink tea underwater?), but that didn't matter. Those references make the girls more relatable. I thought Jennifer created some GREAT role models in this book. Neela learns that you can't eat away your problems and Sera learns what it really means to rule a kingdom. Neither are the naive (and sometimes bratty) girls we met in Dark Blue. I can't wait to read the third book (Dark Tides). If there are ways to get an Advanced Reader copy, I will be applying for every single one.