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demikbrayus · 6 years

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Best Checking Accounts of 2018

This article first appeared on aaacreditguide.com at AAACreditGuide.

Having the right checking account comes with a number of benefits and conveniences, from free ATMs to automatic billpay. Your checking account can also end up costing you money in the form of monthly maintenance fees and overdraft charges.

Finding the best fit depends on a variety of factors, including how you make deposits, what type of balance you carry, and how you spend.

To help narrow down your choices, we’ve compiled a list of the year’s best checking accounts in different categories. Even if you already have a checking account, it’s smart to review your options to make sure your bank is working for you.

High Interest Rate Checking Accounts

Interest rates on any type of bank account aren’t very high today, but that doesn’t mean they’re unheard of. And while you usually have to open a savings account to receive any type of yield on your balance, there are some checking accounts that offer interest on your deposits. Here are our top picks.

Aspiration

Offering one of the highest interest rates currently available for checking accounts, Aspiration is an FDIC-insured financial institution with no monthly fees.

You’ll get a full 1.00% APY on balances of $2,500 or more, and 0.25% APY on anything under $2,500. Another attractive quality is that there is no minimum balance or minimum deposit required each month.

Like any other bank you can order debit cards and personal checks, but unlike other banks you can use any ATM in the world for free because Aspiration will automatically reimburse all fees you incur from ATMs straight to your account, making it an excellent choice if you are a frequent traveler.

The only drawback to Aspiration is that they do have a hefty overdraft fee of $25, but they compensate for that by donating a dime for every dollar they earn to nonprofit organizations across the country.

Radius Bank

Radius is another FDIC-insured bank with a strong interest rate. For accounts with a balance of $2,500 or more, you’ll receive 0.85% APY.

The interest accumulates daily and is then compounded and credited to your account balance each month. There is no minimum account balance you’re required to maintain, but you do need to make an initial deposit of $10 when you first open your account.

You won’t be charged any monthly fee and will have both online and mobile banking at your disposal if you sign up. Each account comes with a debit card enabled for Apply Pay and most of Radius’s checking accounts offer your first order of checks for free. While Radius’s ATMs are located in the Boston area, you can also use any SUM ATM throughout the country free of charge.

Bank5 Connect

Our final pick for best high-interest checking accounts is Bank5 Connect. This is a great choice because you only need a $100 account balance to start earning interest.

While the 0.76% APY is lower than other options, it is much more accessible with such a low balance minimum. You also don’t have to worry about monthly maintenance fees and can use any ATM in the country for free. Anytime you’re charged for an ATM, Bank5 will reimburse your account up to $15 per fee on each statement cycle.

Bank5 gives you your first order of checks for free in addition to offering a checking rewards program. UChoose Rewards lets you earn one point for every $2 you spend. But, don’t forget to run your debit card as credit and sign for the purchase (instead of entering your PIN). From there, redeem your points online for gift cards, vacations, or other items of your choice. It’s pretty simple.

Online Checking Accounts

Many people prefer the convenience of a strong online presence over going to a bank’s physical location. Luckily, there are plenty of heavy-hitters with online checking accounts for anyone who’s constantly on the go. Check out our four best options when you want to handle all your banking needs online.

Capital One 360

Capital One 360 offers big bank perks with online convenience.

This free checking account doesn’t have any minimum balance requirement and allows you to earn a small amount of interest regardless of your deposit size (0.2% APY on balances up to $49,999.99). A 360 account gets you use of 40,000 ATMs throughout the U.S. for free from either Allpoint or Capital One.

Other great features are that Capital One provides mobile deposit, which allows you to deposit your checks into your account right from your smartphone, and you get your first book of checks for free.

This versatile checking account provides two overdraft protection options. The first is a free savings transfer. Just sign up for a 360 savings account and any overdrafted funds will be transferred from your savings to your checking account. Obviously, this only works if you have sufficient funds in savings. Your other option is to apply for an overdraft line of credit. You’ll be charged a variable interest rate on any funds you borrow through overdrafting. The current starting APR is 11.50%.

Bank of Internet USA

Bank of Internet’s Rewards Checking comes with high yield interest rates and user-friendly features.

To qualify for the highest APY of 1.25%, your account must receive at least $1,000 in direct deposits each month and you must use your debit card at least 15 times each month, with a minimum $3 transaction. Even if you don’t meet both of these criteria, you may earn a smaller amount of interest for each one (including just using your debit card 10 times a month).

What else can you expect from this Bank of Internet checking account? For starters, there are no monthly fees and you do not have to maintain a minimum account balance. There are also no overdraft fees. Online banking and billpay services are free and you can also take advantage of mobile deposits.

Bank of Internet also has a cash back purchase rewards program. When you sign up, you select stores you typically shop at, and whenever you shop at them you’ll earn cash back on each of your purchases. The deposits go straight into your account without you having to do a thing.

Credit Union Checking Accounts

Credit unions typically require some type of common bond in order to qualify for membership, like working in a particular industry or living in a specific community. However, many national credit unions have wide membership requirements, but they offer some great perks once you’re in.

Establish a strong relationship with a credit union and you’ll set the stage to get approved for future financial needs, including personal loans or car loans.

Alliant Credit Union

Alliant offers an easy, free checking account that boasts no monthly service fees and no account minimums. There are over 80,000 ATMs you can use for free, and Alliant will give you up to $20 a month in reimbursements for any ATM fees you accumulate.

Of course, your Visa debit card is free, as is your first box of checks, but also noteworthy is that Alliant provides both online banking and mobile apps, which makes your account compatible with Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay.

Yes, you can sign up for overdraft protection and courtesy pay — a smart choice because who wants to worry about his or her card being declined at the register? If you go with Alliant Credit Union, your account will be insured to at least $250,000 by the NCUA.

Consumers Credit Union

Based in Michigan, Consumers Credit Union is available nationwide and has a high yield checking account that’s worth looking into.

The interest rate structure is based on a tiered system and as you complete more and more financial transactions, your rate bumps up to the next tier.

Here’s how it works:

You can earn as much as 3.09% APY for balances up to $10,000 when you do one of the following:

use your debit card at least 12 times as credit each month

make a direct deposit

ACH debit

Or you can use online bill pay once a month, access your online banking monthly, and enroll to receive eDocuments rather than paper statements. There are also tiers available earning 3.59% APY on balances up to $15,000 and 4.59% on balances up to $20,000.

Connexus

Connexus offers checking account members a variety of free services, including free online and mobile banking, bill pay, and eStatements.

You have a few different options as to which checking account you’d like, all come with no minimum account balance. With Connexus you don’t have to worry about being penalized for not leaving a lot of money in there.

Connexus offers above average interest rates; in fact, you can earn up to 1.75% APY on your account balance. You can apply for overdraft protection as a line of credit attached to your checking account, so rather than paying an overdraft fee or having your card declined when you’re checking out at a store, you essentially borrow the amount of funds you’re short on. The fixed APR for this service is 18%.

Checking Accounts with Signup Bonuses

A little free cash never hurt anyone, and two banks are currently offering some attractive signup bonuses. That means if you follow a few guidelines upon signing up, you’ll get a pre-determined deposit of cash right into your new checking account. Here are today’s best deals for checking accounts with signup bonuses.

TD Bank

TD Bank is currently offering new checking account customers a $200 signup bonus by meeting just a few eligible criteria.

First, make sure you live in one of the following states to qualify: Connecticut, Washington, DC, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, or Vermont.

Once you meet the geographic requirement, you’ll then need to set up a direct deposit totaling $2,500 over the first 60 days of opening your account. Once you meet this benchmark, $200 will be deposited into your account within 95 days. TD Bank does have a $25 monthly maintenance fee, but it will be waived as long as you keep your daily balance at $2,500 or above. There is also an account closing fee of $15.

Chase

Chase currently offers a similar promotion for new checking customers. You can also receive a $200 bonus by setting up a direct deposit into your checking account.

You’ll need to start off with a minimum deposit of $25 to open the account, and then link an employer or government benefit to deposit directly into your Chase account within 60 days.

You’ll then receive the bonus within just 10 days of completing these actions. Chase does charge a monthly service fee of $25 unless you either keep an average daily balance of $15,000 or sign up for autopay from your checking account to pay your Chase mortgage.

from Credit And Credit Repair https://aaacreditguide.com/best-checking-accounts/

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cjbolan · 1 year

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[Image description. A merman giving his mermaid daughter a necklace with rainbow beads and gold pendant with the Taino sun symbol. End description.]

Next Mermay piece! Now also for #mermayacrosstheseas . Which may be my favorite Mermay prompt simply because it's weekly. And it ties in perfectly with my Emily Windsnap fanart, plus the movie version’s worldbuilding map (click here to see it). Week 1's prompt is The Caribbean Sea, so here's Emily and Jake at their new home in the Bermuda Triangle ...

Given Jake's convenient knowledge about their secret Caribbean island, plus his black hair and brown eyes... I headcanon him being actually from the Caribbean. Some fans also suggested them being Taino (the left image is the Taino Sun symbol). Others suggested Allpoints (the Windsnap’s Caribbean home) having a Mayan look like Talokan in Wakanda Forever. Or they could be Haitian, like a certain character in the mid-credits. Also based on this sketch (click here to see it).

[Image description. Emily Windsnap movie worldbuilding map including the Caribbean. End description.]

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cjbolan · 8 months

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How I Would Rewrite Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret

Inspired by @aquaheartgirl and @deepestphotoshopwonderwomanpaper 's E.W. rewrites. I have a love-hate relationship with this book. Re-reading it years later, and knowing it might get adapted into a movie, I can think of a million ways it could be better. My biggest issue is all its inconsistencies with the previous books, so for each issue I proposed several solutions...

*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Sirens made the story way too unfocused. They are the title characters and should've gotten way more focus. They should have been introduced much earlier in the story. The first half of this book kept switching conflicts and adding subplot upon subplot, and the Sirens don't come in until Chapter 9. Up to that point they are briefly mentioned here and there, but the Sirens really should have been the main focus. This story had so many conflicts happening at the same time, I really don't know what the main conflict is. My proposed solutions are...

A) Have all the Sirens appear in the prologue instead of just one. That way their appearance in Chapter 9 doesn't feel completely out of nowhere.

B) Have the Sirens actually try to help Emily save Shiprock while she's trying to rescue them at the same time. Maybe they could each have different solutions and differing opinions about humans. The moment the Sirens arrived, I feel like we suddenly started a completely different story. It's quite jarring.

C) Have Emily's parents be extremely worried about her disappearance when she comes back from saving them. That would make the story much more coherent. The Sirens subplot and "unite two worlds" subplot would better fit together. Mary especially would notice Emily is missing longer than usual (she doesn't do much in this story), she'd panic, maybe even start regretting how harsh she'd been with Emily (more on that later).

2. The Windsnaps being homesick for Brightport then being sent on a mission there feels like a contrived coincidence. Again this contradicts the Book 3 ending of Neptune giving the Windsnaps freedom to go where they please. My proposed solutions are either...

A) Have the Windsnaps decide to move back to Brightport themselves (seriously what is stopping them?). Then Neptune gets word that they're in Brightport and gives them his mission.

B) The Windsnaps instead are just on vacation to Brightport. Being on vacation means there's no reason for that pointless retconning of Emily's school situation. In this scenario, Emily would sneak into Shiprock School to see Shona because Shona is too busy to come see her. So you could still have that whole scene where Emily is kicked out for being half human. By the end of the story, with everyone getting along and realizing how much they are missed in Brightport, the Windsnaps would decide to stay in Brightport.

C) Mr. Beeston enlists the Windsnaps' help instead of Archie and Neptune. It would demonstrate his fragile friendship with Emily's parents and effort to make amends with them. It would also be in character with Emily and Jake's rule-breaking tendencies, by doing something they weren't assigned to do. It could even demonstrate Mary's kindness and proactiveness, by going out of her way to help hundreds of innocent people when she didn't need to. Even if that means having to work with an old enemy.

3. This book completely undoes the ending of the previous books. Book 3 ended with Emily's parents declaring they'll travel wherever they please and started actively planning a balanced human-mermaid school curriculum for Emily. But in Book 4 they’re completely back to where they started. Back to staying in Allpoints Island, Emily's back in mermaid school school only, Mary's back to being miserable on Allpoints Island, Jake is back to wanting only mermaid school, Mary is back to wanting only human school. For some reason this book brings back a bunch of conflicts that were solved earlier and should've stayed solved. My proposed solutions...

A) Have it open with the Windsnaps actually sailing all the seas...you know, like they said they would! They're so focused on spending quality time as a family that they're not even thinking about school, so nothing they do is actually contradicting everything. This would be a prime moment for Mary and Jake to repair their relationship, Mary could be momentarily happy with the family's newfound freedom granted by King Neptune, and then later realizes she misses Brightport so the Windsnaps decide to go home and that's where the story picks up.

B) Have it open with the Windsnaps coming back to Allpoints Island from a long vacation across the seas.

C) Have it open with the Windsnaps back at Allpoints Island actually planning a vacation.

D) Have it open with Emily's parents still discussing and trying to figure out Emily's school situation.

E) Have it open with Emily actually being homeschooled. Maybe homeschooling doesn't work for Emily or maybe her parents become too busy with Neptune's mission to homeschool, which could justify them wanting to send her to either Brightport High or Shiprock High.

F) Have Emily in Chapter 3 fight with Jake instead of Mary. Imagine Jake saying he wants Emily in Brightport school instead of Shiprock school. No doubt it'd be a hard choice for him to make. But it's consistent with his Book 3 arc of deciding to balance her human life and mermaid life, and trying to be a stricter parent, and trying to listen to his wife. Especially if his wife is there watching him and he's trying to show he can be a firm parent when needed. Book 2 showed Jake being stern/firm with Emily several times, and losing his temper near the end, so them fighting wouldn't be that out of character. Neither of them would want Brightport High, but only Jake is mature enough to understand it might be best for Emily. And when Emily rants about her being bullied and shunned in Brightport school, it makes more sense for Jake to be dumbfounded because he was gone for most of Emily's life. Because I REFUSE to believe Mary would be dumbfounded at learning this. This woman, who could always tell when something's bothering Emily...wouldn't know her daughter is being bullied at school?! And by her daughter's former best friend, whom Mary often saw and would surely have noticed Emily and her ex-friend not hanging out anymore?! Also the "we're your parents" line feels super out of character for Mary, who was always able to establish her authority without ever having to pull the "I"M YOUR MOTHER/PARENT" card. That's the kind of parenting mistake a new parent like Jake would make. Honestly everything Mary says during that argument is more in character for Jake.

I don't normally rewrite stories, but since this rewrite is just changing and adding some words, here's what I would have written. Swap out Mary for Jake, add Mr. Beeston (Beeston is Jake's only real friend and I think the only person Jake would say all this to), and you have the following:

"'Well, Mary wants her to go to Brightport High of course. Normally I think she should go to Shiprock School, but for once I agree with Mary.' Dad was pouring cups of tea for himself, Mr. Beeston, and Aaron's mom..."

"'Of course you'll have some say," Dad replied a bit sharply. "But we're the ones who will have to make the final decision.'

'Why?" I asked. I bet Mom made him say all this.

'Because we're your parents!' Dad snapped. Maybe I was embarrassing him by arguing with him in front of everyone, but I didn't care...'

"Dad looked at me. 'We'll have to see what your mom says first.' I sighed in relief. I can't believe Dad just said I should go to Brightport High..."

4. Emily kind of forgot the Rainbow Rocks can restore people’s memories. Instead she went through so many complicated loopholes to restore her grandparents' memories and reunite with them. My proposed solutions when she learns they got their memories wiped...

A) Have Emily bring her grandparents to Rainbow Rocks. After the failed first attempt to reunite them with Mary, this would've been a much quicker solution and they wouldn't have to walk on eggshells around Mary. I think the moment the grandparents regained their memories, they'd immediately go to Mary and reconcile with her without Emily having to arrange this whole elaborate meeting for them.

B) Have Emily TRY bringing her grandparents to Rainbow Rocks, but a bigger problem stops her. In the books all it took to stop her was just seeing her picture in the newspaper. Are you fucking kidding me, Emily?! You've been in far worse situations than this and just a photo is gonna stop you from saving everyone? Maybe Rainbow Rocks gets destroyed. Maybe Mary P. overhears Emily discussing plans to bring the grandparents back and stops her because she's still mad at the grandparents. Maybe Mary P. overhears Emily's plans and, realizing she's been way too proud and stubborn just as Emily said, decides to contact the grandparents herself. Maybe Emily is about to bring them to Rainbow Rocks but gets sucked in by that whirlpool to where the lost Sirens are.

5. Jake turned into a cowardly Henpecked Husband. Jake seems strangely afraid of his wife. Which is pretty out of character for him. Up to this point they were always very direct with each other. Here he's suddenly a spineless doormat to Mary letting her harshly berate both him and Emily. When Mary very firmly lectures Emily for wanting to contact the grandparents, I would’ve liked to see him intervene in some way. But nope. Instead he just keeps his mouth shut until after the ordeal has blown over , and quietly mumbles to Emily : “You know what your mom is like…”. I REALLY lost all respect for him in that moment. Like he’s Emily’s scared little brother instead of her dad.

This guy who…

unapologetically tells his wife exactly when she’s being unreasonable,

bravely defied Neptune’s laws for a long time,

angrily grabbed and screamed at Neptune’s enforcers,

screamed demands at King Neptune in a fit of both rage and grief.

…is suddenly too scared to stop a family squabble inside his own house. Also in Chapter 4 he's WAAAY too calm/indecisive. Jake suddenly lost his protective parental instincts here. Hard to believe the guy who viciously assaulted Beeston to save Emily and snapped at Mary for disliking Emily’s mermaid school, would be that calm when Emily’s being bullied BY A TEACHER. I get Jake not wanting to confront the school because he always tries to avoid conflict, but…the fact he didn’t have any other ideas just pissed me off. Even a bad idea would be better than no idea, because it would’ve shown he ultimately cares for Emily. Jake SAYS he won't let Shiprock make an example of Emily, but his delivery is way too calm and makes his words seem false. Even worse Jake's inaction leads to positive outcomes. I think this sends a terrible message to kids that it's OK to let your romantic partner treat you like crap. My proposed solutions are...

A) Have some chapters written from Jake's POV. Like how Book 2 was from both Emily and Mandy's POVs. If we can go into his inner mind, we can better understand why he's acting so out of character.

B) When he sees Mary tell off Emily, he backs up Mary by telling Emily “listen to your mom/your mom is right”.

C) OR when he sees Mary tell off Emily, he interrupts Mary telling her to go calm down and let him talk to Emily.

D) Have Jake be completely absent during Mary and Emily's fight in Chapter 5. Because why would Jake seriously just back and watch his daughter keep antagonizing his wife by bringing up painful memories?? He should've been trying to stop Emily when she kept pushing the subject. And Jake KNOWS that HE'S the reason Mary's parents cut her off, he really should've expressed some opinion about those parents!! You could easily write him out of that scene and have him be busy working with Mr. Beeston.

E) Have Jake act/sound much more angry when Mary berates him during Chapter 4.. It would show how much Jake fiercely cares for his daughter's well-being and normally would raise hell, but is also frustrated at the supposed restrictions of his new job. At this point Mary really doesn't deserve his patience. Here's how I would rewritten his response:

"'Look, I understand what you are saying,' Dad said, trying and utterly failing to stay calm. "But we're going to have to tread carefully. I'm NOT going to sit doing nothing while Shiprock makes an example of Emily...I'll do something. But I want to make sure that whatever we do, it's the right thing! IF WE GO CHARGING IN THERE SHOUTING OUR GILLS OFF NOW, HOW'S THAT GOING TO HELP OUR CAUSE?!" Mom turned away. Dad took a deep breath and tried again..."

6. Mary P. became a bitch. I HATE her in the 4th Emily Windsnap book . I used to admire her stubbornness and perseverance. But here it’s made her really bitchy to everyone: her daughter, her husband, her daughter’s school(though that’s completely justified), her friend, basically everyone she cares about, for all sorts of reasons. Literally all the characters walk on eggshells around her, because she’s that difficult to reason and be honest with. And seeing how much Mary’s parents actually missed her, her going no-contact seems like a big overreaction…

I think to justify her refusal , we’d need to SEE Mary’s parents being awful to her — without Mr. Beeston’s intervention— and not just hear about it . Like how we saw Mandy’s parents being awful, to better understand Mandy’s awful attitude. Even worse Mary never learns or grows from her stubbornness. There’s no moment where she decides to change her behavior, no moment where she realizes she made a mistake. Everyone else seems to learn from their mistakes , except her.

In fact, Mary is rewarded for her stubborn attitude! By forcing Emily and friends to bring Mary’s parents to her.

Even after she’s told contacting her parents could save Shiprock, she STILL won’t do it. She’d rather let that entire town get blown to smithereens. She essentially said “LET THEM DIE 🧨 🧜‍♂️🧜‍♀️ 💀 ☠️ “

I get why she cut contact, but seriously Mary? You’ll let innocent people die just to avoid your parents? Damn gurl that’s cold. Also kinda weird we don’t see Mary apologize later for her stubbornness. That felt out-of-character to me. Yes she’s stubborn, but never too stubborn to apologize. Until now. And like the complete bitch she is, Mary P. is only nice to Emily after immediately getting something she wants (her old job,returning to Brightport, reconciling with her estranged parents).

I think another reason this angers me so much is , after reading the book… let’s just say I had some Book 4 Mary Penelopes in my life. People who are absolute saints to strangers, yet horrible to the people closest to them, and who conveniently bring up their personal drama as an excuse for their bad behavior, instead of just admitting they were wrong. So I guess rereading it years later brought back all those unpleasant memories. Even after Mystic Millie eventually calls her out, there’s no visible sign of Mary showing remorse or realizing her mistakes.

Yet somehow she forgives Mr. Beeston for doing far worse to her than what her parents did.

Oh and unlike the other characters, she did absolutely nothing to save Shiprock. Except hold hands in a group for a few seconds. I swear everything in this book was resolved by just holding hands 😆.

Also she’s a lot more gullible than ever. Somehow she believes all of Emily’s lies, and not once does she ever suspect Emily is hiding something. Again unlike the previous books. Where she’s still gullible, but not stupid. Earlier she often realized something was off about Emily, and would come pretty close to discovering the truth.

Worst of all is her interactions with her daughter Emily. She’s just suddenly much more impatient and snappy with her than usual. Mary P., this woman who…

hugged and comforted Emily when caught stealing their houseboat and driving it through dangerous waters, without ever acting angry.

comforted and gently assured Emily “I understand” when caught forging Mary P.’s signature to skip swim lessons at school.

calmly and gently asks Emily what’s going on, right after Emily angrily yelled at her out of nowhere and accused her of keeping secrets about her dad.

would always try reasoning with her daughter first for at least several pages, only getting firm with her as an absolute last resort.

would always calm down to reassure and be gentler with Emily , IMMEDIATELY after the few times she was firm with her.

…is now snapping at Emily for interrupting a conversation and for bringing up uncomfortable topics.

All this makes her both a nuisance and possible threat to Shiprock.

If Liz Kessler wants me to hate Mary P. Windsnap, congratulations she succeeded.

My proposed solutions are...

A) Add some scenes of Mary P. apologizing and admitting her mistakes to the people she was mean to (mainly Jake and Emily). One of my favorite things about Mary P. was that she always owned her mistakes.

B) Write some scenes from Mary P.'s POV. That way we could understand why she's acting so out-of-character. Even if she never says sorry, we could see her clearly feeling sorry via some internal monologue.

C) Have a subplot of Mary P. trying to find and apologize to Emily. Kinda like The Little Mermaid 2 when after their first fight, Ariel feels really guilty and goes searching for Melody so she can make amends with her.

D) Have Mary P. tell Emily all about her grandpa, instead of Mr. Beeston telling her. There was a good scene of Mary about to answer all of Emily's questions about her grandparents, until Mr. Beeston arrives and she tells everything to him instead. I think if Mary was the one telling Emily about her grandparents, it would show more of her positive traits as a patient mother with open communication skills, and it could be Mary's way of making peace with Emily after their tense conversation in Chapter 5.

E) During Chapter 5, have Mary finally snap at Millie instead of Emily. Mary has shut Emily down before. But this was WAY harsher than she normally does it, without even consoling or comforting Emily afterwards like in previous books. Also it was Millie who brought up and kept pushing the subject (contacting estranged parents)...so shouldn't Mary be mad at Millie instead of Emily? Emily only pitched in because of Millie. Here's how I would've rewritten the scene:

"'No buts,' Mom said firmly. Then she turned to face Millie. 'I'm not putting myself through that again. It took me long enough to over what they did. I don't intend to give them the chance to do it all over again. Subject closed. Now let's have some breakfast.' And with that she got some bread out of the cupboard and started to slice it. I opened my mouth to say something else, but Dad shook his head at me.

'Best leave it,' Millie said softly. 'You know what your mom's like when she's made up her mind.'"

(I think that mean-spirited "You know what your mom's like..." comment sounds way more in-character coming from Millie rather than Jake. Millie was always very blunt.)

7. Mary P. kind of forgot she can scuba dive. Seriously her scuba diving skills would've helped avoid a lot of conflict. My proposed solutions...

A) Have Mary P. scuba dive to Shiprock School. She could've just dove to Shiprock School herself to give them a piece of her mind, instead of bitching at Jake to do it for her. Maybe Mary and Jake would argue not because of Jake's inaction, but because Mary went ahead and confronted Shiprock School without him. Jake is a guy who tries to avoid conflict, so he would be upset at Mary causing a huge confrontation.

B) Have Mary P. scuba dive with Jake and the other merfolk. She could've gone with Jake to meet with various merfolk and they would've found solutions much more quickly. It'd be a great chance for Mary to show how much she really loves and supports Jake, and care about Neptune's mission to unite the 2 worlds. Also it'd be a great test for the merfolk to see how well they can really get along with humans, when they meet one face to face. Because in this book only Jake is doing most of the hard work and giving any support for Mary.

C) Have Mary P. scuba dive searching for Emily. Remember when I suggested Mary having a subplot of searching for Emily? What if after not seeing Emily for a while, she realizes Emily is out somewhere at sea and decides to scuba dive to find her? Then in the end Emily and Mary could reunite at sea, with Emily seeing her mom in full scuba gear then realizing how much Mary goes through to keep Emily safe? It would be a great way for Emily and Mary to reconcile.

8. Too many subplots. The subplots about the mermaid hunt, Millie initially staying behind in Allpoints, didn't add much to the plot IMO. My proposed solutions...

A) Cut these subplots out entirely.

B) Have Millie still try helping the Windsnaps even from Allpoints Island. She could've easily borrowed a shellphone.

C) Have the mermaid hunt be for JAKE OR SHONA, instead of Emily. That way Emily has no excuse to completely abandon her mission and run away from Brightport. Imagine Emily's horror at seeing Jake or Shona's picture in a newspaper article placing a bounty on their heads for their capture. She'd have to swallow her own fears of exposure, to save someone she loves from a similar fate. Seeing a bounty on her loved one's head should make Emily even more determined to unite the two worlds.

9. Jake sabotages Emily's speech in the end. I do love Jake's big speech to Brightport, I just don't like that he interrupted Emily to give it. Especially since Emily was supposed to give that speech. This is yet another BIG retcon, completely undoing Jake's Book 2 arc of learning not to treat Emily like a baby. I know old habits die hard, but then shouldn't Jake give Emily room to talk after he interrupts her? He doesn't just interrupt his daughter, he completely takes over her speech and ruins her moment to shine. It reminded me of Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift. Here are my proposed rewrites...

A) Have it be planned for Jake to give the speech instead. That way he can have his moment without ruining his daughter's. MAYBE Mr. Beeston tries to find Jake but Jake is running late, so he makes Emily fill in and stall for time until Jake shows up.

B) Have Jake and Emily take turns giving the speech together.

C) Have Jake secretly help Emily give the entire speech herself. Like how Elinor helped with Merida's speech in Brave.

That's all I got for now. If you have any other ideas, disagreements, etc. feel free to share.

#this rant was a long time coming #emily windsnap #emily windsnap and the siren's secret #rant #critique #liz kessler #middle grade fiction #middle grade series #middle grade books

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cjbolan · 10 months

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Up to Chapter 14 of Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time. More thoughts...

Is Emily learning in school about Greco-Roman mythology? Her classmate mentions King Midas...

Aiden: Something about gold. King Midas or something.

Does this mean Emily is learning in school about King Neptune? Being a human school, would they get the facts right about Neptune? After discovering that Shiprock and Neptune are real, would Emily’s school have to change their lessons about Ancient Rome? I’m sure every school has to teach about Ancient Rome at some point, be it through history or English literature class. This also brings to mind my headcanon about Emily being possibly Greek...if she is, would this affect how much she knows about Neptune?

IF ONLY Emily had just waited to talk with Shona first before making her 2nd wish DX .....

I KNEW there was gonna be some catch to things in Shiprock becoming better.

There’s a recurring theme of small run-down playgrounds getting replaced by bigger playgrounds. Make of that what you will. Kinda funny because IRL the reverse is happening, with playgrounds getting downside due to safety/financial reasons.

I giggled at the mention of old mermen with “strong muscled” arms XD. Because it reminds me of this viral shot of JK Simmons:

Did Shona just imply Emily offers sexual favors XD?

Adult Shona: *to adult Emily* How did you get here? Still got that friendly guard on the border?

Millie’s future may be the saddest, if not second saddest, part of the series. Maybe even sadder, because Millie this time is gravely ill without any doctor nearby she could see. Again this also hits home hard: my neighborhood getting rapidly gentrified coincided with rising homelessness, more business closures, and more chain stores getting relocated.

Where’s Mr. Beeston in the 2nd future? Did he die of old age? For some reason I always just assumed he’s really old.

LOVE the bait-and-switch on who Councillor Windsnap is. Just like Emily I thought Mary P. was the mayor of Brightport. Makes sense as she’s known Brightport way longer than Emily would, she has the right persistence and compassion for the job, and Book 4 showed she's capable of bringing a peaceful co-existence between humans and merfolk. Until I was shocked to find out instead Emily became mayor. If Emily became mayor, then why didn’t she get her mom a better place to live than that shabby boat? Did Emily at least try?

Are humans more feminist than merpeople? I’ve mentioned this before, but Brightport electing a woman mayor brings me back to something I noticed through the series. The last 3 books make me think human women have way more equality and opportunities than mermaids do. In the human world women can be…

Mayors (Emily)

Queens (Pirate Queen)

Captains (again the Pirate Queen)

Goddesses (Terra Mater)

Tribal Leaders (Ella though she’s technically just second-in-command)

Business Owners (Mystic Millie, Mrs. Rushton)

School Principals (Mandy)

Meanwhile teachers are the only mermaid authority figures we ever see . No hate to teachers but, compared to human women…mermaids don’t have many options. Also everyone working for King Neptune is male, does Neptune not allow mermaids in politics? Meanwhile on land Emily just assumed her mom is Mayor, which suggests women politicians are nothing new to humans. I can better see why Mary hated Allpoints Island. She went from a world where women can be anything, to a world where women can be only teachers or stay-home housewives.

Mary Penelope: …look at my life here. What do I do all day? Sunbathe, comb my hair, maybe go to synchro swim a couple of times a week. This isn’t a life for me, Jake. I want more than this. (Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist)

I wonder how shocked Jake was learning how much more human women are allowed than mermaids.

SOOO happy this time Mary P. and Jake are still together!!! These 2 really are my OTP for many reasons One of those reasons being the only couple that stays together the entire series. All the other couples either broke up (Emily/Aaron), started dating later (Shona/Seth), or met a tragic fate (Neptune/Aurora, Archie/Millie). And they’re good people unlike the Pirate King&Queen. I might do a later post about just Jake/Mary P.

Are Jake/Mary P. the next Shona/Seth? In this 2nd future they’re still in a relationship, but just don’t spend much time together because one of them is busy working for Neptune.

King Neptune is such a sly cunning bastard. Shortly after releasing Jake from 12 years of imprisonment, he has Jake working for him. In both situations Neptune is keeping close tabs on Jake. I guess to make sure he doesn’t break the law again. Unfortunately this means Jake having to spend long periods of time away from his family, which is especially cruel after he was forcefully separated from them for 12 years. Gotta both admire and loathe Neptune for keeping people in his clutches in such a clever way.

What do y’all think Aaron is like 20 years later? Because this book keeps mentioning him.

Gonna keep reading! If you’ve read this book, what are your thoughts? Always down to talk more about my favorite book series.

#i could probably finish this book sooner #but each chapter leaves me with so many thoughts that I wanna write down before I forget #also I bought this book so I'm in no rush #emily windsnap #emily windsnap and the tides of time #review #recap #reaction #liz kessler #mermaid #middle grade fiction #middle grade series #middle grade books #tw sex reference

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cjbolan · 1 year

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Not to bother you for the second time, but Jake Winsnap for the character ask?

Oh it's no bother at all :) !

1: sexuality headcanon Heterosexual or Bisexual 2: otp Jake&Mary Penelope 3: brotp Jake&Mr. Rushton. I think seeing their daughters Emily and Mandy rebuild their own friendship, would make these two want to know each other. With Mr. Rushton being the mermaid fanboy he is, and Jake taking human-mermaid relations super seriously, these two would get along great! I could just hear them constantly asking each other about human life and mermaid life. Not unlike Emily and Shona's first meeting. 4: notp Jake&Archie. Only because Archie's such an awful person who plays with peoples' feelings. 5: first headcanon that pops into my head I've said this before, I headcanon him being from the Caribbean Sea! Because so much from the series back this up...

He got punished for "openly discussing" Allpoints Island, which is in the Bermuda Triangle. Whatever he said must confirm that the island is real and not just a rumor.

Without working for Neptune, he somehow knows his way around Allpoints Island. From his showing Emily around, to his secretly following her all the way through the island caves. Bear in mind he did all this alone. There's no indication he used a map, or asked for directions, or had a guide with him.

His black wavy hair and brown eyes, like most local people in the Caribbean.

His purple tail, like tropical reef fishes. 6: favorite line from this character "Just tell her, no matter what happens, I never stopped loving her, and I never will." 7: one way in which I relate to this character I make jewelry. 8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character That scene in Book 2 when he's giving a doll... to his 12-year-old daughter Emily. Granted I think that feeling is intentional. Because Emily reacts exactly how I would react XD. 9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? Overall a sweet cinnamon roll! (The only problematic thing about Jake, is how he secretly stalked Mary at Rainbow Rocks. For several nights. But he gets kudos for immediately confessing this to Mary. Guess even he realized how creepy he's acting. )

BASED ON THIS ASK TEMPLATE HERE

My answers so far:

Mary Windsnap

#emily windsnap #jake windsnap #mermaid #merman #middle grade series #middle grade fiction #middle grade books #character ask #orithereticent #ask #answer #books #book #emily windsnap series

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cjbolan · 2 years

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CHARACTER ASK MEME: Emily Windsnap

(thanks to @princesssarisa for tagging me in this!)

Give me a fictional character and i will say: Emily Windsnap

Favorite thing about them: This is a long one. She’s curious, brave, a loyal friend, a good listener, she’ll push herself to do the right thing even when she’s terrified, she tries to forgive people even when it’s clearly difficult for her, and she’ll go all the way to make it up to someone if she’s hurt their feelings. Also love how she’s still friends with all her ex’s even after leaving them.

TLDR; she works through her many flaws rather than have few/no flaws.

Least favorite thing about them: She’s overly stubborn, and sometimes toxic towards her friends. There’s that scene in Book 1 where she forces Shona to swim with her to the mermaid jail (”If you were really my best friend, you would.”). Which backfires completely. Thankfully Emily does apologize for it.

Three things i have in common with them:

My birthday is on September 4.

A person who bullied me during middle school, later reached out and apologized to me for it.

I’m mixed race (Asian/Latina), as a teen and shared many of Emily’s identity struggles. I ESPECIALLY wondered a lot whether I was more Asian or Hispanic, and tried a lot to insert myself into those 2 cultures seeing where I would fit more. n. The result is I overworked myself with so many extracurriculars (foreign language lessons, club activities, music performances, etc.), desperate to show everyone that I was Asian/Latina enough in their eyes. Much like how Emily was desperate at Allpoints Island to prove to everyone she’s a real mermaid. Now as an adult, I don’t try anymore to seem like one or the other. My family and friends accept me just as I am. I have my own ways now of showing off my heritage. If others don’t think I act or look Asian/Latina enough for them, that is 100% their fault. It shouldn’t be my responsibility people have rigid narrow ideas about my communities (BONUS: at age 12 I began learning about and embracing my dad’s heritage more.) Honestly there’s A LOT I have in common with Emily Windsnap. Happy to share more if anyone asks!

Three things i don’t have in common with them:

Despite my internal struggles, my peers all accepted/tolerated my mixed heritage. Most racism I faced was from older people. And I’m lucky that it was never overt, just a bunch of microaggressions that gradually took their toll (”Where are you from?” “What are you?” “Why don’t you [insert racial stereotype]?” “You don’t look [insert race]”). Thanks to living in a pretty diverse town, my friends and classmates really didn’t give a f***k about my mixed racial background. Some even thought it was cool! Funny to this day, most people who ask about my race are adults XD.

I actually LIKE dressing up and wearing jewelry! Not so much now because I work from home. In that regard I’m more like Shona.

I’ve never been a cruise. Hopefully someday I’ll get a chance.

Favorite line: “You can't make people stop loving each other just because a law says it's wrong...”

brOTP: Emily/Aaron. Though they’re a romantic couple in canon, I like how they stayed friends after breaking up. And even before dating they had a pretty good chemistry as friends. They basically have friends-to-lovers-to-friends dynamic!

OTP: Emily/Shona. I used to ship Emily/Aaron (see my brOTP answer). But Emily/Shona are my new OTP for several reasons...

Their close female friendship despite having other female friends.

They each have several friends and both break up with their respective boyfriends, but only their bond stays constant throughout the entire series.

They have secret meetings at the Rainbow Rocks--the same place where Emily’s parents had their secret love affair. A place associated with rainbows as a designated spot for forbidden meetings? The LGBT metaphors just write themselves ;) .

nOTP: Emily/Mandy. Honestly never liked the bullies-to-lovers trope. It’s a like bad version of enemies-to-lovers, a much broader trope that for me is hit or miss.

Random Headcanon: Emily has Caribbean ancestry, through her dad Jake. Jake somehow knew things about that Bermuda Triangle island, he has black hair and brown eyes, plus he has a purple tail like tropical fish. So I imagine Emily being either Black/Latina/Taino/all of the above.

Unpopular Opinion: Not really about Emily but...I think the way Emily’s parents met is creepy. Jake was secretly stalking Mary Penelope for several nights, Mary went out alone each night to find him. What’s even worse is that this series is targeted towards young girls, who might emulate Mary’s behavior and not realize Jake’s behavior can be a huge red flag. It’s like Twilight where all my female classmates thought Edward secretly watching Bella sleep was romantic. And furthermore, why is Mary P. totally OK with Jake stalking her, but not when learning Mr. Beeston was stalking her too? That all aside, I still think Mary P. and Jake are great characters. And I may be venting from personal experience having been stalked myself (both in person and online). Guess stalking is only OK as long as the stalker looks sexy. And judging from Mary P.’s description, we have to assume she found him sexy XD.

Song i associate with them: “No Ordinary Girl” by Indiana Evans

Favorite picture of them: This fanart by @bakastandotsukai (from their IG)

(MEME TEMPLATE HERE)

@orithereticent @rosettastarlight @princesstadashi @curetapwater @thewitchway @george-the-capybara @thenamelessdoll @elizalock-sherbeth-shipper @notyouraveragejulie @hello-robin-goodfellow @muzikalsiren @lilylizard @king-minyard @thenamelessdoll @xmoonangelx @bakastandotsukai @madmozarteanfelinefantasy @vogelfanger1984 @werewolfpurfect @fdelopera @kisari-v @iamdeltas @hungryhipho @zenxenophilia

#emily windsnap #character ask #mermaid #middle grade series #middle grade fiction #character ask meme

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