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12 books to read next
If you loved Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Readers who love Forgive My Fins tend to enjoy its light, funny voice and its mix of everyday teen worries with a secret magical world. Lily's crush, her mermaid family, and her awkward human life give the story a playful tone, and the pace moves quickly through misunderstandings and small disasters. It is romantic without being heavy, and it treats a first love as a big, serious deal. If you want more of that blend of humour, sea magic and high-school romance, these picks are a good place to start.
Hans Christian Andersen
Andersen's original tale is the root of Lily's world: a sea princess who gives up her home for a human love. Reading it shows where Childs's mermaid ideas come from, though his version is much darker and sadder.
Tricia Rayburn
Like Lily, a girl learns that her family's sea-born nature sets her apart at school. Siren brings the same mix of a teen romance and a secret, watery heritage, with a sharper, more dangerous edge.
Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson shares Forgive My Fins' fast, joking narration and its hidden divine ancestry. A teenager discovers that his bloodline ties him to the sea god, and the humour keeps the mythic stakes light.
Gail Carson Levine
A witty fairy-tale heroine lives with a magical curse that gets her into trouble, much as Lily's secret keeps landing her in trouble. The humour is sharp and warm, and the romance builds slowly.
Meg Cabot
Mia discovers a hidden royal identity while dealing with school, a crush, and an annoying rival, just as Lily juggles a secret heritage with ordinary teen life. Cabot's diary voice is chatty and very funny.
Shannon Hale
A girl discovers she has a special place in her community's future, and her chosen path is both comic and romantic. Its gentle tone and steady pace suit readers who enjoyed Lily's quieter, more personal moments.
Melissa Marr
A girl who can see the faerie world finds herself caught in a dangerous, tempting romance. Like Forgive My Fins, the story combines a teen love triangle with a hidden magical world that has its own rules.
Becca Fitzpatrick
A new student who seems to be dangerous pulls the narrator into a secretive romance full of mystery and attraction. The heroine's sense of being different from everyone around her echoes Lily's experience.
Maggie Stiefvater
Grace and Sam share a deep, almost fated bond, and the supernatural rules of their world shape every choice they make. Readers who loved the mix of destiny and first love in Forgive My Fins will find that appeal here.
Jenny Han
Lara Jean's secret letters and her awkward, sincere crushes give this story the same heartfelt, funny teen voice that drives Lily's romance. It is light, warm, and very easy to read in one sitting.
Stephanie Perkins
Anna's year abroad is full of crushes, friendship, and small social disasters, much like Lily's struggles at Seaview High. The tone is breezy and romantic, with a satisfying happy ending.
Nicola Yoon
A teen who has never left home falls for a boy next door, which mirrors Lily's crush on a boy she can't quite be honest with. Yoon's short chapters and playful bursts of illustration keep the pace lively.
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