The Lost Island Of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar

"Maya felt amazed.
'where are we?' she asked the boy.
'where are you?' the boy asked, raising his spear over his head. He swirled it around him with a flourish and planted it firmly in the earth in front of them. He smiled.
'You're in Greater Tamarind.'"
And so begins an adventure of a lifetime.
Maya is a thirteen year old girl who lives on a boat with her brother Simon, her baby sister Penny, and her mother and father. When her Mother and Father are washed over board, Maya and her brother steer the boat towards land. when they reach it, they find that it is like nothing anyone has ever seen. In this island, called Tamarind, which doesn't exist on any map, Vines eat meat, People live in villages in the trees, the north part of Tamarind is at war with the south, and an evil sorceress rules the jungle.
With the help of a mysterious boy named Helix, a strange old lady called Valerie, and lots of other friends, Maya must find her parents, and on this island, that is no small feat.

I would defiantly recommend this book to everyone, but especially to girls. I would give this book four and 1/2 stars. oh, and one more thing. I think that there is going to be another novel in the future. or, at least I certainly hope so. but, in the mean time, make sure you read this book!

She squinted and shaded her eyes and saw that the tail of the fish turned into the upper body of a woman. Maya was gazing at a mermaid.