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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A fascinating story about a mermaid who returns to the man who caught and set her free. She learns she has the ability to turn into a human by touching dry land. The story follows her from there, and how P.T. Barnum in NYC wants to display her for the world to see in his museum.
This is my second time reading the book, having first read it in 2019. I might actually have a different cover version, since I got my copy from a Waterstone’s in the UK.
All in all, a great book. Set in mid-19th century, the story blends history and fantasy well, without it feeling too unbelievable. Amelia is a great protagonist who feels like a (pun intended) fish out of water, as she stands out in many ways with her agency and her conflict over what she wants. She has agency, which is great.
Won’t say too much else. Though I realized that Henry employs a weird thing where characters will converse, and then it’ll be broken up by some description of something, and back to dialogue. It feels weird and it breaks the flow.
I would’ve liked more world building too. Not of 19th century New York, but of the mermaid world that Amelia hails from. And her adapting to life on land. I wanted to see more of that.
Regardless, still a good read.
This is my second time reading the book, having first read it in 2019. I might actually have a different cover version, since I got my copy from a Waterstone’s in the UK.
All in all, a great book. Set in mid-19th century, the story blends history and fantasy well, without it feeling too unbelievable. Amelia is a great protagonist who feels like a (pun intended) fish out of water, as she stands out in many ways with her agency and her conflict over what she wants. She has agency, which is great.
Won’t say too much else. Though I realized that Henry employs a weird thing where characters will converse, and then it’ll be broken up by some description of something, and back to dialogue. It feels weird and it breaks the flow.
I would’ve liked more world building too. Not of 19th century New York, but of the mermaid world that Amelia hails from. And her adapting to life on land. I wanted to see more of that.
Regardless, still a good read.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Outstanding depiction of The Little Mermaid tale, as seen through the lens of a semi-fictional take of the world of P.T. Barnum. The mermaid is not a beautiful, beckoning creature but a mystifying, eerie creature that seems more alien than human. The book follows her journey of love, heartache, exploitation and the healing that follows.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
3.5 stars. An interesting take on the Little Mermaid story but fell short for me. Everything felt a bit like the wood cuttings they mention.
Easy read.
Interesting spin on the little mermaid.
Found the ending a bit rushed but enjoyed it.
Interesting spin on the little mermaid.
Found the ending a bit rushed but enjoyed it.
3.5
Although Henry states in her afterword that this is not a historically accurate representation of P.T. Barnum, I think her Barnum is more historical than the music man portrayed by Hugh Jackman. He's greedy, narcissistic, and ego-maniacal, without much thought for his wife, children, or the people he "hires."
The story of Amelia is emotionally fraught, particularly the first chapter. That first chapter broke. My. Heart. This is not really a "happy" story, but it is a beautiful story: about self-acceptance; about accepting others for who they are, not who we want them to be; and about the beauty there is in being different. And also about the beauty in being yourself only for yourself.
Something I loved about this book that has absolutely nothing do with the story is its design. I love the woodcut style of the cover and I loved, loved the feel of it in my hand. The paperback version, which I read, is squatter than a normal novel, so it was almost square rather than rectangular. For some reason, that appealed to me greatly. The first few times I opened it, I marveled over the smaller dimensions. I'm a sucker for things that make me notice their GOOD design.
Although Henry states in her afterword that this is not a historically accurate representation of P.T. Barnum, I think her Barnum is more historical than the music man portrayed by Hugh Jackman. He's greedy, narcissistic, and ego-maniacal, without much thought for his wife, children, or the people he "hires."
The story of Amelia is emotionally fraught, particularly the first chapter. That first chapter broke. My. Heart. This is not really a "happy" story, but it is a beautiful story: about self-acceptance; about accepting others for who they are, not who we want them to be; and about the beauty there is in being different. And also about the beauty in being yourself only for yourself.
Something I loved about this book that has absolutely nothing do with the story is its design. I love the woodcut style of the cover and I loved, loved the feel of it in my hand. The paperback version, which I read, is squatter than a normal novel, so it was almost square rather than rectangular. For some reason, that appealed to me greatly. The first few times I opened it, I marveled over the smaller dimensions. I'm a sucker for things that make me notice their GOOD design.
Delightful story about a mermaid that finds herself living in the land of humans. She encounters PT Barnum, and she decides to act as an exhibit in his museum. Will the world accept what they see? Or will the mystery of a real mermaid cause chaos to unfold?
Plot-wise, this book was EXACTLY what you would expect it to be. Enjoyment-wise, it was pretty meh. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Probably a 2.5
Started the book a long time ago, not interested in picking it back up.