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blove0312's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I almost threw in the towel by the 20% mark. And even then again until around the 45% mark. It wasn’t that it was bad; it’s well written. But it was slow, and confusing. The backstory for *her* was too long and drawn out I think. You don’t even realize how much time is passing even though it appears to be well over 20 years just for her portion. And her chapter is over 100 pages I think, or close to. But then, when the stuff starts going down, you just want to see where it’s going. Then the POVs start changing. And you just want to see where each person is going and what decision they’ll make. Idk. It ended a lot stronger than it started, and I don’t regret reading it I guess, but I also don’t think I’ll let StoryGraph recommend something again lol it’s the first one I’ve read that was recommended. It isn’t a long book, if Scottish/Irish-esque selfie-folklore, non flashy magic, mysterious stories are up your alley, give it a shot. But be prepared to trudge through a bit at first.
nickystrickland's review against another edition
4.0
Oh for the darned 1/2 star option. I read the novella first and perhaps didn't leave quite enough time between readings (around 6 months). So, for me, the novel lost a tich and I mean tich of an impact on me as a result.
For those who have yet to discover her, this is a seductive (by that I mean use of language), to Lanagan's work.
For those who have yet to discover her, this is a seductive (by that I mean use of language), to Lanagan's work.
heather4994's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book a bit confusing at first as I was reading. The language is somewhat ancient or of a different dialect so that it's hard to understand at first and I didn't fall into the rhythm of it or the meaning of it for quite some time. The second chapter is especially confusing because it occurs the longest back in time and the language is hardest to understand. The names and nicknames are hard to catch and whereas Misskaella's brother's and sisters have names like Billy and Ann and Bee she has this name. There is nothing to signify the change in time periods so I was left a bit floundering only realizing it because in the first chapter Misskaella is called an old witch as she sits on the beach weaving a blanket of seaweed and the young boys are all scared of her. In the second chapter she is a young child and you discover how she grew up to be a witch but she is still not that old woman. She doesn't become her until later in the story, another chapter.
I will say though that the story, a selkie or mermaid story, is one of the most genuinely unique I've ever read. Not only that, but the characters that the chapters focus on, you really get to know them and understand them. Some you may like, some you may not. Daniel Mallett is my favorite, I think he'll be yours too. The absolute love he has for his mother, so unselfish is unbelievable. At the lengths all the boys will got to secure their mothers' happiness was so beautiful. Once I understood time and place the language came together for me and I went back to understand the first chapter. It didn't take long for the story to come together when I read the first couple of pages again and got names and what the boys were doing. I knew exactly the time and place it was happening.
The language is lovely, once you understand it. The descriptions are seemingly in a foreign language, but they are in English. It's just the way the words are put together that makes the familiar seem new and foreign. The entire time I read this novel I could only think of barren, windswept, bleak landscapes. A small town of only a few buildings. The men made their living by fishing. A sense of foreboding always hung over the story like you knew that something terrible would happen, you were just waiting for it.
It did feel longish to me, but then I don't know what part I would have cut out. It was all so necessary to the story. That may have just been me. I enjoyed it very much especially that there was a little secret revealed at the end. Even old Misskaella had a few secrets up her sleeves.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys historical novels, mermaid/selkie/siren tales. It's definitely PG. I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley for review from Random House Publishers.
This in no way influenced my review. I was not compensated for my review.
I will say though that the story, a selkie or mermaid story, is one of the most genuinely unique I've ever read. Not only that, but the characters that the chapters focus on, you really get to know them and understand them. Some you may like, some you may not. Daniel Mallett is my favorite, I think he'll be yours too. The absolute love he has for his mother, so unselfish is unbelievable. At the lengths all the boys will got to secure their mothers' happiness was so beautiful. Once I understood time and place the language came together for me and I went back to understand the first chapter. It didn't take long for the story to come together when I read the first couple of pages again and got names and what the boys were doing. I knew exactly the time and place it was happening.
The language is lovely, once you understand it. The descriptions are seemingly in a foreign language, but they are in English. It's just the way the words are put together that makes the familiar seem new and foreign. The entire time I read this novel I could only think of barren, windswept, bleak landscapes. A small town of only a few buildings. The men made their living by fishing. A sense of foreboding always hung over the story like you knew that something terrible would happen, you were just waiting for it.
It did feel longish to me, but then I don't know what part I would have cut out. It was all so necessary to the story. That may have just been me. I enjoyed it very much especially that there was a little secret revealed at the end. Even old Misskaella had a few secrets up her sleeves.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys historical novels, mermaid/selkie/siren tales. It's definitely PG. I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley for review from Random House Publishers.
This in no way influenced my review. I was not compensated for my review.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
I am not sure why this is marketed as YA (or maybe it isn't and the tags are misleading me?)
I loved the prose and the worldbuilding, as well as the sequence of the unfolding events. I loved the shifting POVs. I would have enjoyed for the consent issues to be explored a little more from the point of view of the wives, but other than that, I enjoyed this profoundly. It's been a while since I last read a book in one day; this one was just that gripping.
I loved the prose and the worldbuilding, as well as the sequence of the unfolding events. I loved the shifting POVs. I would have enjoyed for the consent issues to be explored a little more from the point of view of the wives, but other than that, I enjoyed this profoundly. It's been a while since I last read a book in one day; this one was just that gripping.
charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of really neat ideas - a cool interpretation. I wish I'd known it was short stories before I started - that's always a jarring transition to make.
kellysavagebooks's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Lonely Rollrock Island is home to hard fishermen and their ordinary wives. But it is also home to a young woman who can bring forth women from the sea. Dark-eyed, bewitching women. A man need only hide away her seal coat to keep her to himself—no matter what it costs him, no matter whether she wills it.
I found this book in my search for selkie stories, and it did not disappoint. The brides of Rollrock will haunt you as they haunt their island. The brides are the embodiment of women’s suffering in silence. They are the result of another woman’s resentment. They are desired but cannot be fully known. They are objects of scorn and jealousy, but they deserve pity.
This book is all the melancholy, gray, squally splendor I hoped it would be and so much more. The characters really stole my heart in no time at all, and I wasn’t expecting to be as moved as I was. No spoilers, but I’ll just say, the end…wow.
If you’re into gray ocean books, quiet fantasy, or if, like me, you want selkie stories and find them impossible to track down, this is THE book. I could go on and on but I don’t want to say anything at all because I don’t want to steal a moment of magic from anyone who might choose to pick this up.
clarissep's review
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Aside from the story itself, much of my enjoyment in reading a book lies with how carried away I get by the mood of the story, as well as my connection to the characters. In this case, the book did not deliver on that last point for me, which is why I can't quite bring myself to give it a 4, but neither does it deserve just a 3. For a while, it was a bit difficult for me to pinpoint just how I feel about this exactly. While I was enthralled by Rollrock Island, I couldn't quite find myself identifying with any of the characters. I felt very much like an outsider looking in, witnessing the story of Rollrock from a safe distance. In a way that is how you would want it, after reading this twisted tale.
Technically speaking there isn't really anything wrong with this book.It has all the markings of a novel that is just my thing. The story itself is quite intriguing and unique, told through the eyes and distinct voices of several characters in a span of several generations. It starts in the present and jumps back to where it all began until it comes full circle and back to the present. The narrative was eloquent, with a language that flows naturally as the differing streams of thought of each character is explored.
I found myself being whisked into this world where every moment was spent in a melancholic stupor; watching out for any tragic event about to happen thanks to that feeling of doom that constantly hung about. This book is beautifully written, but mostly it's a sad sad story about the fickleness and shallowness of human nature. I literally had moments when I absolutely loathed the characters. These ill feelings turned into pity as I watched the people on Rollrock commit mistake after mistake, waiting for that moment when all their ideas of a perfect world would finally collapse on them. And very badly it did.
It was not difficult for me to suspend my disbelief no matter how far-fetched this story was now that I think about it. The novel did an amazing job setting up the lore of the seal-women. Even though I didn't get an explanation as to how it was possible for beautiful women to be born out of seals (or where they came from and where they go or how they give birth to more seals containing humans inside), I felt like it was just right for the selkies to remain a mystery as it went with the overall mysterious and eerie mood of the book. All we know is that it was possible for the selkies to live on land and give birth to human-looking children in their human form.
Lanagan did an especially great job showing us the cause and effect of everything that happened within the novel-- from the reasons why the witch Miskaella finds joy in toying with the lives of those who ridiculed and wronged her growing up, to the long-term effect her meddling had to the lives of the present and future generations of Rollrock. The novel explored how people often fall into the trap of their own lavish and sometimes illogical desires; how even someone's conscience is no match for their lust. It showed with such force the lengths at which some people will go to attain the things they want, in the process weaving a very complicated web. Eventually when this web begins to unravel, who is to take the blame?
What struck me most about the story was the fact that you can't really point to a specific villain or hero. It's like all the people in Rollrock made a pact to do something unnatural together such that it became the absolute norm. In that sense it stopped being wrong and began being the only accepted and expected path to take. Though the tale is told through just a few points of view, these views represented each affected party among those living in Rollrock. Lanagan effectively related why men cannot resist the lure of the seal-women; and then there is the constant torn feeling among the women to return to the sea or to stay with their children on land. The children who begin as innocents eventually are thrown into this tug of war as well, and as it is in the real world, they are the ones who get hurt the most from the actions of the adults. From the narration of each character we see the effect of this magic Miskaella has brought upon Rollrock, and yet she is as much at fault for what Rollrock has become as the men are for asking her to bring forth wives from the sea.
This book spoke to me about how sometimes people end up following a cycle of things which may not necessarily be good, but there is always a chance to break it once they come to realize the error of falling into it. Granted the way they come their senses might involve some cruel circumstances, but no matter how much the human life is filled with grief and mistakes, it is also full of hope, resilience, and renewal.
Aside from the story itself, much of my enjoyment in reading a book lies with how carried away I get by the mood of the story, as well as my connection to the characters. In this case, the book did not deliver on that last point for me, which is why I can't quite bring myself to give it a 4, but neither does it deserve just a 3. For a while, it was a bit difficult for me to pinpoint just how I feel about this exactly. While I was enthralled by Rollrock Island, I couldn't quite find myself identifying with any of the characters. I felt very much like an outsider looking in, witnessing the story of Rollrock from a safe distance. In a way that is how you would want it, after reading this twisted tale.
Technically speaking there isn't really anything wrong with this book.It has all the markings of a novel that is just my thing. The story itself is quite intriguing and unique, told through the eyes and distinct voices of several characters in a span of several generations. It starts in the present and jumps back to where it all began until it comes full circle and back to the present. The narrative was eloquent, with a language that flows naturally as the differing streams of thought of each character is explored.
I found myself being whisked into this world where every moment was spent in a melancholic stupor; watching out for any tragic event about to happen thanks to that feeling of doom that constantly hung about. This book is beautifully written, but mostly it's a sad sad story about the fickleness and shallowness of human nature. I literally had moments when I absolutely loathed the characters. These ill feelings turned into pity as I watched the people on Rollrock commit mistake after mistake, waiting for that moment when all their ideas of a perfect world would finally collapse on them. And very badly it did.
It was not difficult for me to suspend my disbelief no matter how far-fetched this story was now that I think about it. The novel did an amazing job setting up the lore of the seal-women. Even though I didn't get an explanation as to how it was possible for beautiful women to be born out of seals (or where they came from and where they go or how they give birth to more seals containing humans inside), I felt like it was just right for the selkies to remain a mystery as it went with the overall mysterious and eerie mood of the book. All we know is that it was possible for the selkies to live on land and give birth to human-looking children in their human form.
Lanagan did an especially great job showing us the cause and effect of everything that happened within the novel-- from the reasons why the witch Miskaella finds joy in toying with the lives of those who ridiculed and wronged her growing up, to the long-term effect her meddling had to the lives of the present and future generations of Rollrock. The novel explored how people often fall into the trap of their own lavish and sometimes illogical desires; how even someone's conscience is no match for their lust. It showed with such force the lengths at which some people will go to attain the things they want, in the process weaving a very complicated web. Eventually when this web begins to unravel, who is to take the blame?
What struck me most about the story was the fact that you can't really point to a specific villain or hero. It's like all the people in Rollrock made a pact to do something unnatural together such that it became the absolute norm. In that sense it stopped being wrong and began being the only accepted and expected path to take. Though the tale is told through just a few points of view, these views represented each affected party among those living in Rollrock. Lanagan effectively related why men cannot resist the lure of the seal-women; and then there is the constant torn feeling among the women to return to the sea or to stay with their children on land. The children who begin as innocents eventually are thrown into this tug of war as well, and as it is in the real world, they are the ones who get hurt the most from the actions of the adults. From the narration of each character we see the effect of this magic Miskaella has brought upon Rollrock, and yet she is as much at fault for what Rollrock has become as the men are for asking her to bring forth wives from the sea.
This book spoke to me about how sometimes people end up following a cycle of things which may not necessarily be good, but there is always a chance to break it once they come to realize the error of falling into it. Granted the way they come their senses might involve some cruel circumstances, but no matter how much the human life is filled with grief and mistakes, it is also full of hope, resilience, and renewal.
akallabeth's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
this book being categorised and marketed as ya is really odd to me. i know teens can deal with heavy subjects and that's not really my quibble, but the way this is written just does not... read as ya.
the book is about. well. it's about the island of rollrock and how it comes to pass that its men start marrying selkie women (again) and the consequences and fallout of that. they live in a society. the main character is... well there's multiple povs. but not in a asoiaf epic fantasy sort of way. once a pov's done they're done, and we're on to the next, with our previous narrators seen from other people's perspectives only.
it's a bleak little book with no real protagonist, no one to root for in the classic sense, and no neat moral lesson to tie it off. everyone's a little bit sympathetic and a little bit despicable. it's also very slow-moving; a good part of it just reads like literary historical fiction. lanagan really takes the time to paint a picture for you of this odd, wind-swept, isolated island. it just reads much more like adult fantasy to me.
i really liked it & wish more people would read it, but it will not work for everybody.
(r/fantasy 2023 bingo read, square: bottom of the tbr. would also work for: published in the 2000s, coastal or island setting, mythical beasts, young adult I Fucking Guess.)
the book is about. well. it's about the island of rollrock and how it comes to pass that its men start marrying selkie women (again) and the consequences and fallout of that. they live in a society. the main character is... well there's multiple povs. but not in a asoiaf epic fantasy sort of way. once a pov's done they're done, and we're on to the next, with our previous narrators seen from other people's perspectives only.
it's a bleak little book with no real protagonist, no one to root for in the classic sense, and no neat moral lesson to tie it off. everyone's a little bit sympathetic and a little bit despicable. it's also very slow-moving; a good part of it just reads like literary historical fiction. lanagan really takes the time to paint a picture for you of this odd, wind-swept, isolated island. it just reads much more like adult fantasy to me.
i really liked it & wish more people would read it, but it will not work for everybody.
(r/fantasy 2023 bingo read, square: bottom of the tbr. would also work for: published in the 2000s, coastal or island setting, mythical beasts, young adult I Fucking Guess.)
ginnikin's review against another edition
This was hard to read. Misska never thought about what she was doing to those seal women, and the only POV character who did was Daniel, and he mostly did through the lens of conflicted child choosing between his mother's happiness and his own. It was upsetting to encounter women being treated so badly throughout.