Her mother is gone. Her fisherman grandfather is missing at sea. Australian farm girl Kirsten McGee is convinced her clumsy, overgrown feet are the final sign she's been cursed. But when a mysterious white horse, Merri, enters her life, Kirsten learns that things are not always what they seem. A beach holiday with her fidgety brother, Jeremy shines a new light on her family heritage. She is not the ugly duck she'd thought, but a Hybrid; part human, part mermaid. As the trio embark on a quest to find their grandfather somewhere in the South Pacific, the children venture to the secret city of Mermirran to meet their mermaid Grandmother. But Grandpa is not the only one missing. The stakes are raised as the children discover the entire region is under threat by a fire-obsessed Minotaur, using a stolen relic from the deep to fuel his evil plot. Volcanic eruptions are imminent and the children must now recover the powerful Great Pearl of Mermirran to save the creatures living in the hidden depths. Using their wits, Jeremy's backpack full of junk and the aid of some new friends, the children combine their skills to restore a life they hadn't known existed. **Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist, 2013**