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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
“I don’t belong to you,” Amelia said. “I don’t belong to any man—not to Jack, not to Barnum, not to you. I only belong to myself. But belonging to myself doesn’t mean I don’t love you, or that I don’t want to stand beside you.”
I receive an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
This is my first book by Christina Henry, although Lost Boy has been on my TBR for ages, and I really enjoyed it. It might be more of a 3.5 but I thought it had enough good themes to round it up. This is a really fun take on P.T. Barnum's 'Feejee Mermaid' scam, except this time there's an actual mermaid. Most of the page space is spent focusing on Amelia and her relationships with and reactions to people in this world that is so different from where she is from. I really liked how she used the mermaid thing as a metaphor for freedom and the restrictions that were [and still are] unnecessarily placed on women in society. There are a lot of good quotes in here where people keep telling Amelia she can't do this and that because she is a woman and she begins to wonder if she really wants to be in the world of men and begins to miss the ocean.
My main problem with the book and the reason I almost rated it 3 stars instead of 4 is the ending so THE NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS
Amelia marries Lyman and he begins to become more controlling of her and also shows some of his more racist beliefs. She ends up having to flee while pregnant with his child because a mob is threatening her life and then the epilogue is four years later where he finally catches up to her on a far away island so they can presumably live as one big happy family. I guess there are four years that have passed and he could have come to terms with his backward beliefs in that time period but the reader doesn't see any of that so to us it's basically just a cut to him showing up on an island inhabited by people he called savages probably ten pages ago and you're kind of wondering whether Amelia and her daughter might actually be better off without him.
But it was still a great book and had some really great commentary on gender roles and society. I'll definitely be moving Lost Boy up on my TBR after this.
I receive an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
This is my first book by Christina Henry, although Lost Boy has been on my TBR for ages, and I really enjoyed it. It might be more of a 3.5 but I thought it had enough good themes to round it up. This is a really fun take on P.T. Barnum's 'Feejee Mermaid' scam, except this time there's an actual mermaid. Most of the page space is spent focusing on Amelia and her relationships with and reactions to people in this world that is so different from where she is from. I really liked how she used the mermaid thing as a metaphor for freedom and the restrictions that were [and still are] unnecessarily placed on women in society. There are a lot of good quotes in here where people keep telling Amelia she can't do this and that because she is a woman and she begins to wonder if she really wants to be in the world of men and begins to miss the ocean.
My main problem with the book and the reason I almost rated it 3 stars instead of 4 is the ending so THE NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS
Amelia marries Lyman and he begins to become more controlling of her and also shows some of his more racist beliefs. She ends up having to flee while pregnant with his child because a mob is threatening her life and then the epilogue is four years later where he finally catches up to her on a far away island so they can presumably live as one big happy family. I guess there are four years that have passed and he could have come to terms with his backward beliefs in that time period but the reader doesn't see any of that so to us it's basically just a cut to him showing up on an island inhabited by people he called savages probably ten pages ago and you're kind of wondering whether Amelia and her daughter might actually be better off without him.
But it was still a great book and had some really great commentary on gender roles and society. I'll definitely be moving Lost Boy up on my TBR after this.
It took me so long to read this it became my emotional support book I almost didn't want to finish; I just wanted to have it.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review. I was immediately enticed by the pretty tail on the cover. I have always loved the variety of stories about what might live in the unexplored portions of the vast waters of Earth. This tale hooked me easily. A combination of mermaids and PT Barnum?! A perfect almost historical fiction.
I was going down the shore one weekend, and I was interested in a quick, easy read that I could sit on the beach with. The Mermaid seemed like that kind of book, and it appeared short enough for me to get through in a day or two. I didn’t get to read the whole thing while down the shore, but I did manage to get it read rather quickly, and it was such an interesting story!
The mermaid is caught in a fisherman’s net, but instead of taking advantage of the miraculous find, he lets her go. She is immediately intrigued by him and follows him home, forsaking her mermaid life for a life as a human and the man’s wife. They live happily ever after, until her husband dies, and she’s left all alone. Her character is intriguing, as she has become a part of two very different worlds. As a mermaid, she looks nothing like we would imagine, and she is strong and powerful. As a human, she is a woman who longs for the love of a family, but that comes to an end.
Her desire now is to travel the world and see the wonders of humans, but she’s practical and realizes that in order to do that, she needs money. From her cottage in Maine, she travels all the way to New York City after meeting with a man about becoming a part of the American Museum. She wants to show the world her kind and make money so she can live comfortably the way she wants. She is strong-willed and understands her value, but she is also cautious about those around her, unsure if she will ever be able to love or trust another human again.
And then there’s P.T. Barnum. There are so many aspects of this novel that are from history, and this man is one of them. One if his most popular attractions was the Feejee Mermaid, which was essentially the body of a dead monkey sewn onto the tail of a fish. It was grotesque, but it traveled the country as one of Barnum’s famous attractions. Henry takes this historical event and places a real mermaid in its stead, and she did it extremely well.
But P.T. Barnum wasn’t known as a kind man, and he always put money before everything else, even the comfort of his exhibits. This is touched upon quite a bit in the story, as Amelia has many demands that would protect her own interests. Even in the end, despite his change in attitude a bit, Barnum is still a man who loves money and will do what it takes to make his name famous.
I really enjoyed this book, but I wish it was a bit longer. There were many aspects of the plot that could have been expanded a bit more, but other than that, this is a quick read that is light-hearted and fun. It even reads more like a fairy tale than a novel of this time. And the cover is simply GORGEOUS, so it will be welcome on my shelf! Definitely pick this book up if you’re into fairy tale-inspired stories!
The mermaid is caught in a fisherman’s net, but instead of taking advantage of the miraculous find, he lets her go. She is immediately intrigued by him and follows him home, forsaking her mermaid life for a life as a human and the man’s wife. They live happily ever after, until her husband dies, and she’s left all alone. Her character is intriguing, as she has become a part of two very different worlds. As a mermaid, she looks nothing like we would imagine, and she is strong and powerful. As a human, she is a woman who longs for the love of a family, but that comes to an end.
Her desire now is to travel the world and see the wonders of humans, but she’s practical and realizes that in order to do that, she needs money. From her cottage in Maine, she travels all the way to New York City after meeting with a man about becoming a part of the American Museum. She wants to show the world her kind and make money so she can live comfortably the way she wants. She is strong-willed and understands her value, but she is also cautious about those around her, unsure if she will ever be able to love or trust another human again.
And then there’s P.T. Barnum. There are so many aspects of this novel that are from history, and this man is one of them. One if his most popular attractions was the Feejee Mermaid, which was essentially the body of a dead monkey sewn onto the tail of a fish. It was grotesque, but it traveled the country as one of Barnum’s famous attractions. Henry takes this historical event and places a real mermaid in its stead, and she did it extremely well.
But P.T. Barnum wasn’t known as a kind man, and he always put money before everything else, even the comfort of his exhibits. This is touched upon quite a bit in the story, as Amelia has many demands that would protect her own interests. Even in the end, despite his change in attitude a bit, Barnum is still a man who loves money and will do what it takes to make his name famous.
I really enjoyed this book, but I wish it was a bit longer. There were many aspects of the plot that could have been expanded a bit more, but other than that, this is a quick read that is light-hearted and fun. It even reads more like a fairy tale than a novel of this time. And the cover is simply GORGEOUS, so it will be welcome on my shelf! Definitely pick this book up if you’re into fairy tale-inspired stories!
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is more historical fiction than fantasy. I enjoyed it and appreciated that it wasn't "silly" as so many mermaid books are. However, I wanted a little bit more description, I didn't feel like I understood the characters well. I would have enjoyed more of a look into Amelia's life before Barnum's show, that section was too short for me! Overall I recommend if it sounds like your cup of tea.
Fantastical page turner. I enjoyed this one immensely.
Part love story and part women’s empowerment. I really enjoyed this tale of a real mermaid who decides to try to make a go of if in a human world.
She challenges barriers for women in society in the 1800s by speaking her mind honestly. I loved her measured responses throughout the book. She was a very thoughtful character. I enjoyed how she helped Barnum’s wife, Charity, discover her own power.
The love story is wonderfully realistic, too, how they have to learn and grow with each other. Well told!
Audible reader was good.
She challenges barriers for women in society in the 1800s by speaking her mind honestly. I loved her measured responses throughout the book. She was a very thoughtful character. I enjoyed how she helped Barnum’s wife, Charity, discover her own power.
The love story is wonderfully realistic, too, how they have to learn and grow with each other. Well told!
Audible reader was good.
This started off nicely with a lot of potential ahead, but it later became very repetitive and ultimately not that exciting.
Having read Henry's "Alice" series, my expectations of this may have been influenced, but even when I realised it wasn't going to be that kind of story, I still had to push myself just to finish it.
Perhaps a younger mind would appreciate it more, I can see some teens liking this sort of thing, as for adults, I'd recommend going to the "Alice" series instead.
Decent but not great.
Having read Henry's "Alice" series, my expectations of this may have been influenced, but even when I realised it wasn't going to be that kind of story, I still had to push myself just to finish it.
Perhaps a younger mind would appreciate it more, I can see some teens liking this sort of thing, as for adults, I'd recommend going to the "Alice" series instead.
Decent but not great.