In the world of mermaid lore, I feel like often we get that same stories and tropes over and over again with our beautiful mermaid princess and her handsome human love, but Zoraida Cordova threw over that notion from the very beginning. This book is NOT about a mermaid...but a merman and it's brilliant! The refreshing perspective that a male POV provided pulled me in from the beginning and kept me flipping the pages up until its finale. 
 Tristan Hart is your fairly average, good-looking beach-town boy. He's on the swim team, he works as a lifeguard, and he's got QUITE the reputation as a womanizer. When he's swept out to sea in a freak storm, yet returns alive when no one else survived, his world is rapidly turned upside down. Finding out that your a merman is one thing--your parents NOT freaking out? Somebody has obviously got some explaining to do. 
 I really enjoyed Tristan's voice in this novel. It felt like an authentic male voice (which maybe I can't really say that since I'm, you know, NOT a boy, but whatever). I liked his insecurities and the moments when his womanizing catches up with him. I liked the point of view that a male perspective lends to the fairy tale merfolk lore and I thought that it really emphasized the mythology behind the story. And really, it just WORKED for this adventure tale. 
 The fantasy and mythology aspects of The Vicious Deep are sure to entertain many teen readers and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to many teens I often visit with at the library. The story moves at a perfect pace, pulling you quickly through its pages and leaving you wanting more. The sequel doesn't come out until 2013 and I, personally, will be waiting anxiously to read more of Tristan's journey!