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themissyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Racism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child death, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, and Sexual violence
Mr Hancock’s late wife died in childbirth and the baby was stillborn these are established in ch 1 and are important to the grief exploration.imogenoakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Child death, Colonisation, and Death
bookishpip's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Miscarriage
shinypurplepants's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.75
This is a windy, sad tale, yes about a dark sort of mermaid, but mostly about frivolous people. There are also intense moments of tragedy here.
There's a lot to be said about historical fiction that confronts the women's place in the world. For me I find it draining more than uplifting.
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Rape
ceilisbookshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Miscarriage
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Classism
beriboo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Abortion
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Violence
dukeofkel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Miscarriage and Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Infidelity
anapthine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Infertility, Misogyny, Miscarriage, and Confinement
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Ableism
suneaters's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked the magical realism and how we never got a straight answer as to if any of it was real which was neat. I appreciated the ambiguity. The historical racism, sexism, and classism is also here and you can tell how it impacts everyone. I was so worried about Polly, but that last scene with Mrs. Chappel does seem to imply that she’s alright which is good!
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Racism
cevec's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the imagery and plot of the mermaid and how it could represent womanhood, femininity as a whole, particularly at that time, mirroring how each female character was trapped in someway, somehow at that time. And the longing to escape. But also on a wider scale of each character, each trying to escape their own lives for bigger, better and greater things. But do they, and do we, ever truly find it?
I just wish the book and plot had a bit more drive behind it, smore payoff and greater connections. More tightly written is what I think I was hoping for! Also, I don't think I actually really liked ANY of the characters, but the lovely writing and sense of place and time (the research the author put in shone through) was enough to keep me reading and find out what happened to them all in the end.
Moderate: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Trafficking