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sarahp85's review against another edition
3.0
Well written, like the idea of the book but it was long and... kind of boring?
I never truly got into it even though I love everything mermaids normally.
I never truly got into it even though I love everything mermaids normally.
lovelylilpill's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
480 pages and nothing happens.
story_singer_101's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Well-written prose and interesting world. The lower rating comes from thematic content that I strongly disagreed with rather than bad writing.
Well-written prose and interesting world. The lower rating comes from thematic content that I strongly disagreed with rather than bad writing.
lyoungthebookfae's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC!!
FANTASTIC! A wonderful twist on a classic sea creature... Kept me guessing and rooting for Sanna! Absolutely adored this, and I really must get my hands on the gorgeous physical copy.
FANTASTIC! A wonderful twist on a classic sea creature... Kept me guessing and rooting for Sanna! Absolutely adored this, and I really must get my hands on the gorgeous physical copy.
sunshine169's review against another edition
2.0
I am an avid reader of mermaid stories. The Little Mermaid was my absolute favorite Disney movie as a child. I played out that VHS so much my parents had to buy a new one. That means that when I see a book about mermaids I am going to want to read it.
With all that said this was not my favorite. Mostly because I am not sure what was going on. The story lagged a lot and then you mix that with some confusing aspects and you get a disappointed Stephanie. I am just not really sure what happened. Sanna, our half mermaid half human, sets off with a goal of find her mother who is from the land. However, this was not a quest to find her mom like I had hoped. It ended up being a cluster of randomness and then all hell breaks loose.
Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
With all that said this was not my favorite. Mostly because I am not sure what was going on. The story lagged a lot and then you mix that with some confusing aspects and you get a disappointed Stephanie. I am just not really sure what happened. Sanna, our half mermaid half human, sets off with a goal of find her mother who is from the land. However, this was not a quest to find her mom like I had hoped. It ended up being a cluster of randomness and then all hell breaks loose.
Spoiler
At the end she finds her mother in a blink to just tie up the quest. It just felt really out of the blue with no satisfying finish. I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it was an actual adventure to find her mom.Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
_kvjones_'s review against another edition
3.0
Maybe closer to a 3.5?
I feel like the prose was very beautiful and a lot was put into the world-building, but I also had a lot of difficulty getting through the book. The changing perspectives were a bit jarring and made it very easy to disengage, and harder to reengage. There's a lot of beautiful descriptions and words, as well as impactful unbeautiful words and descriptions, but overall it fell a little flat for me.
I enjoyed the world-building specifically of mermaid culture, and even the culture of the island being discussed. I don't really know how I feel about particular characters very strongly.
I feel like the prose was very beautiful and a lot was put into the world-building, but I also had a lot of difficulty getting through the book. The changing perspectives were a bit jarring and made it very easy to disengage, and harder to reengage. There's a lot of beautiful descriptions and words, as well as impactful unbeautiful words and descriptions, but overall it fell a little flat for me.
I enjoyed the world-building specifically of mermaid culture, and even the culture of the island being discussed. I don't really know how I feel about particular characters very strongly.
booklover160's review against another edition
3.0
Three stars doesn't seem like a lot, but I can't justify four so let's go with 3.5
I liked this. It's beautifully written and feels like an old fairytale. But the "alternating"(?) chapters is an odd format and took a while to adjust to. It felt like an extraordinarily long book for not much to happen.
The plot felt like it got lost in the prose. I didn't see where anything was going until we got there which was somewhat frustrating. I had really no desire to pick up the book again after I finished it other than it was the only physical book I had with me at work...
Review sounds harsh, but it was very well written and I liked Sanna's character. I think I would have liked Thyrla a lot more if she got a proper motivation but I feel like she was criminally underdeveloped. She could have been so much better but there was very little time devoted to her background or motivation.
I also think there are way too many metaphors since I have no idea if Thyrla was a dragon, was there a dragon at all, or what did the whole dragon business mean????
I liked this. It's beautifully written and feels like an old fairytale. But the "alternating"(?) chapters is an odd format and took a while to adjust to. It felt like an extraordinarily long book for not much to happen.
The plot felt like it got lost in the prose. I didn't see where anything was going until we got there which was somewhat frustrating. I had really no desire to pick up the book again after I finished it other than it was the only physical book I had with me at work...
Review sounds harsh, but it was very well written and I liked Sanna's character. I think I would have liked Thyrla a lot more if she got a proper motivation but I feel like she was criminally underdeveloped. She could have been so much better but there was very little time devoted to her background or motivation.
I also think there are way too many metaphors since I have no idea if Thyrla was a dragon, was there a dragon at all, or what did the whole dragon business mean????
owlyreadsalot's review against another edition
3.0
This story has a bit of a resemblance to that of The Little Mermaid, but only a small fraction of it. The rest is a story all its own, with many twisted moments, people who are rooted in darkness, and a tale that is completely magically intertwined. And it begins, with the birth of Sanna, the memory wipe of all those surrounding her birth, and where her journey to find a forgotten mother leads her to.
"The roses are pouring forth a deeper scent, one that plunges to the bottom of the belly. It is the best scent, and the red is the most beautiful color, any of these poor people have known in their lives. And the cause of it all--that stranger, the pale-haired, blue-robed girl--now lies in the rose vine's embrace, with thorns in her skin, her own blood glittering richer than Baroness Thyrla's jewels. Richer even than the red of the roses. The people break out both laughing and weeping. When at last they can speak, they cry, "Miracle!'
Moments like that above, set the precedence for everything that is to come. Especially, with how people in this novel live their lives, and what their ritualistic beliefs bring forth. It makes for a more interesting story, with much self discovery. But, one cannot forget the Baroness that's been mentioned. She is a character to be reckoned with. A definite villain that holds nothing back.
"Superstitious village folk and farmers--Thyrla has counted on their stupidity during the many decades of her reign. She has always been the Baroness, as long as any of them can remember, and her power has grown with each annual feast. Soon, she reckons, she will have enough of both power and treasure to leave these Thirty-Seven Dark Islands and set sail for the world, where she will live on her ship like a queen."
Sometimes the narrative did seem to be overly continuative, but it didn't hurt the progression much in here. If anything it only kept adding to the world. For some, seeing as its a young adult novel, might see it as excessive in parts. But, don't be dismayed, there is a really wicked story in here, with that much more to dive into (yes, a bit of a pun intended lol).
"After this strange encounter, I think I've found my moment. Out here, in the clean air, with the sea so nearby, I could dash away--could use my powers and change midair, return to the flok and the southward migration that will take me far, far, away."
"All of this gives me a kick of determination, even as my powers are bound in Thyrla's castle, in the dress she made for me. The distant bell hurts my head and scrambles my thoughts. But I will get away, and I will see Sjaeldent and Father and the flok again, and then I will find Lisabet somewhere along an edge of the great dark seas of this world."
Another tidbit to note is, at times, it might be over-the-top in the point being made across that feminism is everything. I'm all for the empowerment of women, or the right to not agree with the religious beliefs of others, but sometimes it felt a little much, when not always necessary. But again, it's only a small part of everything else that is bewitching about this novel. So worth the plunge!
***I received this copy from Candlewick Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
"The roses are pouring forth a deeper scent, one that plunges to the bottom of the belly. It is the best scent, and the red is the most beautiful color, any of these poor people have known in their lives. And the cause of it all--that stranger, the pale-haired, blue-robed girl--now lies in the rose vine's embrace, with thorns in her skin, her own blood glittering richer than Baroness Thyrla's jewels. Richer even than the red of the roses. The people break out both laughing and weeping. When at last they can speak, they cry, "Miracle!'
Moments like that above, set the precedence for everything that is to come. Especially, with how people in this novel live their lives, and what their ritualistic beliefs bring forth. It makes for a more interesting story, with much self discovery. But, one cannot forget the Baroness that's been mentioned. She is a character to be reckoned with. A definite villain that holds nothing back.
"Superstitious village folk and farmers--Thyrla has counted on their stupidity during the many decades of her reign. She has always been the Baroness, as long as any of them can remember, and her power has grown with each annual feast. Soon, she reckons, she will have enough of both power and treasure to leave these Thirty-Seven Dark Islands and set sail for the world, where she will live on her ship like a queen."
Sometimes the narrative did seem to be overly continuative, but it didn't hurt the progression much in here. If anything it only kept adding to the world. For some, seeing as its a young adult novel, might see it as excessive in parts. But, don't be dismayed, there is a really wicked story in here, with that much more to dive into (yes, a bit of a pun intended lol).
"After this strange encounter, I think I've found my moment. Out here, in the clean air, with the sea so nearby, I could dash away--could use my powers and change midair, return to the flok and the southward migration that will take me far, far, away."
"All of this gives me a kick of determination, even as my powers are bound in Thyrla's castle, in the dress she made for me. The distant bell hurts my head and scrambles my thoughts. But I will get away, and I will see Sjaeldent and Father and the flok again, and then I will find Lisabet somewhere along an edge of the great dark seas of this world."
Another tidbit to note is, at times, it might be over-the-top in the point being made across that feminism is everything. I'm all for the empowerment of women, or the right to not agree with the religious beliefs of others, but sometimes it felt a little much, when not always necessary. But again, it's only a small part of everything else that is bewitching about this novel. So worth the plunge!
***I received this copy from Candlewick Press, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
rosannelortz's review against another edition
2.0
This retelling of The Little Mermaid puts a whole new perspective on the classic tale. The matriarchal, bisexual society that inhabits the waves is full of strong female characters who are happy to use their siren voices to wreck the mariners that would harm them. Sanna is a mermaid who has always been different than the other Seavish people. She has no mother to guide her, and no one in the flok (clan) has any memory of who Sanna's mother was. Determined to find answers, Sanna goes to the grotesque sea witch and learns that her father mated with a human woman. A spell was cast so that no one would remember that Sanna was the product of such a union. Undaunted, Sanna bribes the witch until she gains the magical powers to turn her tail fin into legs.
Searching for her mother, Sanna enters the land of superstitious island dwellers who consider her to be a saint sent from God. The lady of the land is a witch herself, however, a witch that (like Mother Gothell from Tangled) needs to absorb power from others to have a long life. This baroness determines to wed Sanna to her son Peder to keep the powerful mermaid in her clutches. But with determination, love, and a little magic, Sanna manages to foil everyone who wishes her ill, save the innocent from destruction, and come to the end of her quest.
This book had an interesting premise that wasn't fully executed. The world building was well done, but the plot and characters never crystallized completely. The character of Sanna was confusing, her motivations becoming more and more unclear as the book progressed. Peder, whom Sanna goes to great lengths to save, was one of the most unlikable characters I have ever met. Sanna's own love interest was a strange afterthought--at one point, I thought he might actually turn out to be Sanna's brother since he was obviously important but the chemistry between them was so off. Baroness Thyrla, the witch, was probably the most developed character. Her horrifying schemes unfolded like a nightmare with a macabre sense of humor and horror.
Those who like fairy tale retellings may enjoy this twist on a classic tale.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Searching for her mother, Sanna enters the land of superstitious island dwellers who consider her to be a saint sent from God. The lady of the land is a witch herself, however, a witch that (like Mother Gothell from Tangled) needs to absorb power from others to have a long life. This baroness determines to wed Sanna to her son Peder to keep the powerful mermaid in her clutches. But with determination, love, and a little magic, Sanna manages to foil everyone who wishes her ill, save the innocent from destruction, and come to the end of her quest.
This book had an interesting premise that wasn't fully executed. The world building was well done, but the plot and characters never crystallized completely. The character of Sanna was confusing, her motivations becoming more and more unclear as the book progressed. Peder, whom Sanna goes to great lengths to save, was one of the most unlikable characters I have ever met. Sanna's own love interest was a strange afterthought--at one point, I thought he might actually turn out to be Sanna's brother since he was obviously important but the chemistry between them was so off. Baroness Thyrla, the witch, was probably the most developed character. Her horrifying schemes unfolded like a nightmare with a macabre sense of humor and horror.
Those who like fairy tale retellings may enjoy this twist on a classic tale.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.