by Ethan Atwell

As the teen librarian at Ames Public Library, I have the privilege to review and order books for the young adult section. In doing this I notice trends in the stories being shared and published. Some trends are almost always present, like a high school setting, the chosen one, or enemies to lovers. Other trends are more subtle.

One of the more subtle trends recently is the uptick in books featuring mermaids, pirates, or adventures in the high sea. It’s hard to know why this is a trend. It could be popular shows about pirates, a recently remade mermaid classic, or authors and publishers just eventually cycle through different trends. But no matter the reason, exploring the recent rise in mermaid, pirate, and high sea adventure books is fun and exciting. Below are a few of the books available at the Library, and there are even more. Now go and explore the high sea! 

• “Our Vengeful Souls” by Kristi McManus. Sereia, a magical mermaid, is cursed to be a human because of the threat she poses to her brother’s throne. As she lives on land, Sereia finds a place for herself among the humans, but she must decide if it is worth losing her home forever.
   
• “The Isles of the Gods” by Amie Kaufman. Selly and her crew are approached by a stranger with marks of a magician to sail across the Crescent Sea to the Isles of the Gods—without detection by two countries on the brink of war or the slumbering gods.
   
• “The Wicked Bargain” by Gabe Cole Novoa. Mar’s father made a deal with el Diablo, and the time has come to collect his soul and the souls of their crew. Mar now must use their magical powers—and some new questionable friends—to save their father and the souls of the crew.
   
• “Zatanna: The Jewel of Gravesend” by Alys Arden, Jacquelin De Leon, Sam Lotfi. Zantanna loves the fun that comes with the mystics, mobsters, and mermaids of Coney Island, but the fun can’t last forever. She must face the truth about her family legacy when a mystic’s journey unravels the truth.
   
• “A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix” by C.B. Lee. In this thrilling retelling of “Treasure Island,” Xiang joins the Anh and her crew to find a fabled treasure and find her missing father, all while navigating the dangerous high sea.