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caitlinrose923's review against another edition
1.0
What. The. Hell.
This book took me three separate attempts to get into. I found Deb’s narration to be annoying and I found her unlikeable. I didn’t see the point of the random images that look like they’re from a cheap computer game. I honestly couldn’t tell if Deb even LIKED Chip or if she just liked screwing him in public and making fun of his hobbies.
How are you going to write a book about mermaid sightings, make it out like that’s the main story, and then they don’t even INTERACT with the mermaids? Deb herself only sees them twice, and they never interact at all.
I liked the concept of Capitalism = Bad (the parent company wanting to make a theme park essentially out of the mermaids’ home) because obviously that’s real life.
But the kidnapping? The fake death - which was a second kidnapping? The description of a woman as “not-Mormon” because she’d been wearing a LONG SKIRT and was now dressed normally!?
And the ending!?
First - Deb refers to the parrotfish expert (Nancy) as dead again, LONG after they’ve found her alive. I guess she could have been a bit delirious from her injury but it just came across as flagrantly bad writing.
And then… where does the ending even COME FROM? That could have been mentioned way at the beginning, even as an offhand comment! Especially seeing as Deb claims that’s WHY THEY GOT MARRIED! Just because time was running out???
Where did Chip’s annoying mother go? What was the point of introducing her as such a foil to Deb if she never appeared again? There must have been a way to get her to the island somehow. Didn’t she see Chip on the news and flip out? Hello?
What is this book? What did I just read?
This book took me three separate attempts to get into. I found Deb’s narration to be annoying and I found her unlikeable. I didn’t see the point of the random images that look like they’re from a cheap computer game. I honestly couldn’t tell if Deb even LIKED Chip or if she just liked screwing him in public and making fun of his hobbies.
How are you going to write a book about mermaid sightings, make it out like that’s the main story, and then they don’t even INTERACT with the mermaids? Deb herself only sees them twice, and they never interact at all.
I liked the concept of Capitalism = Bad (the parent company wanting to make a theme park essentially out of the mermaids’ home) because obviously that’s real life.
But the kidnapping? The fake death - which was a second kidnapping? The description of a woman as “not-Mormon” because she’d been wearing a LONG SKIRT and was now dressed normally!?
And the ending!?
First - Deb refers to the parrotfish expert (Nancy) as dead again, LONG after they’ve found her alive. I guess she could have been a bit delirious from her injury but it just came across as flagrantly bad writing.
And then… where does the ending even COME FROM? That could have been mentioned way at the beginning, even as an offhand comment! Especially seeing as Deb claims that’s WHY THEY GOT MARRIED! Just because time was running out???
Where did Chip’s annoying mother go? What was the point of introducing her as such a foil to Deb if she never appeared again? There must have been a way to get her to the island somehow. Didn’t she see Chip on the news and flip out? Hello?
What is this book? What did I just read?
raediance04's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very funny. I actually like the narrator's personality, which makes the story very intriguing. The introduction of mermaids and fantasy is also very interesting. I give this novel only 4 stars because it is a little long. There is a lot of fluff put in, especially in the beginning and the end. I am also not a fan of the ending because I feel like it does not really mesh well with the rest of the story.
Spoiler
I feel like if the world were ending, no one would have had the same motives and intentions. Why save the mermaids when everyone is just going to die in the end? Why bother getting married? Why bother making friends? Why? And that is why I am going to pretend like the last three or so pages do not exist and allow the book to end on my own terms.Spoiler
sdgibson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wemedge's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jweather23's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I don't think I would have liked the main character much in the print version but the reader of the audiobook did a good job. I was wondering why this book had such low ratings because I was enjoying the story in many parts. However, the final chapter makes me wonder what the point of the book was at all.
hannabee's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mldryan's review against another edition
3.0
I’m feeling generous giving this a three star review. Listened at 1.5 speed and consistently kept skipping ahead too, especially in the first three hours which were painful to listen to. Maybe this works better read than the audiobook version. I have very little tolerance for women being presented with trite, valley girl voices which is how the reader presented the main character for the first part of the book. I was on a long drive when I started this and didn’t have many options. Given other things to listen to, I wouldn’t have kept going with this one (sink time cost or something got me through to the end, but yikes!). Regardless of the way it was read, this book simply did not work for me. I didn’t care about the characters, I didn’t care about the plot, I just wanted it to end.
meshuggeknitter's review against another edition
3.0
The rating that I was going to give this book started at 2 stars went up to 3 and almost made it back to a 2 with the bizarre and seemingly unconnected ending. Huh? I would have given it a 2 1/2 if I could. The mermaid story was the best part of the book. The beginning was slow and boring and only got interesting when they got out of LA. I really didn't like Deb the narrator. Chip, her fiancé/husband was far too good for her. She kind of got on my nerves, especially at the beginning.
catmom21's review against another edition
This was another novel that started out with such great promise but didn't fulfill it. Like other reviewers have said, the first part of the book is actually quite good. The narrator, Deb, is a bit annoying in that she voices opinions that everyone thinks but never wants to admit. But it's a good annoying, a refreshing commentary on life. But the honeymoon just is unbearable. I was listening to the book, so perhaps I wasn't enjoying the reader's portrayal, but it got so bad I looked at other reviews on the book and found it wasn't just me that felt that way. I even skipped to the last chapter to find out what the "twist" was. It just makes the book seem totally ridiculous. Maybe that's the purpose, I don't know - the author made some great satirical commentary on life that way. But if I'm spending time reading/listening to book when there are so many out there I don't need to waste my time with such a poor, ridiculously boring story in order to get to somebody's commentary on life. I'd rather just hear their actual argument.
So, Ms. Millet - can we get another Deb story, a continuation of her life before the wedding? Some more tough-mudders and crazy bachelorette parties? That's a book I'd want to read.
So, Ms. Millet - can we get another Deb story, a continuation of her life before the wedding? Some more tough-mudders and crazy bachelorette parties? That's a book I'd want to read.