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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
This book was about a mermaid’s choice to step on land and live as a human. There was love and loss and other complex emotions, but the part that intrigued me the most was her choice to go to work for P. T. Barnum in his New York Museum. While I loved the story and was amazed by the magic of the mermaid, I can’t get over how much this book made me want to look up more about Barnum. The telling of the Joice Heth humbug and the real like FeeJee mermaid caught my attention. Google told me that Barnum wrote an autobiography, and I’m thinking that’ll be my next nonfiction read.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I rarely rate books anymore and I hardly ever review them, but I needed to come here and say that I hate every man in this book except probably Jack. Levi sucks? Why is the author trying to convince me he doesn’t?
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Mermaid is about a mermaid who has been living in Maine alone since the fisherman she loved died. When P. T. Barnum hears talk about a mermaid, he wants Amelia in his show. Wanting to see the world, Amelia agrees but being in his act and getting stared at and treated like she isn't human isn't ideal. Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life and he isn't going to let his mermaid go.
The premise of this book is pretty interesting: what if P.T. Barnum's feejee mermaid was real and a woman instead? But instead of being sinister and dark, this book was just kind of a slow moving and boring love story. What hurts more is that there are hints and moments that this book was going to go off the rails into being dark but then it just didn't. [b:Alice|23398606|Alice (The Chronicles of Alice, #1)|Christina Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531783537l/23398606._SY75_.jpg|42955198] was dark and horrifying, this just made me sleep.
P.T. Barnum in real life was a horrible con artist and grifter who would probably set fire to his own house to sell tickets for it. He abused and took advantage of whoever he could just to make a buck. While the one in here is a jerk (and isn't the good guy from The Greatest Showman movie thankfully), the author's note just says that she created her own version to fit the story. I wanted this book to go there, to make him the super awful villain but it never does and I'm so disappointed. Even though he was still an awful person, most of his jerky actions were held back by Levi and his wife anyway. It just would make SO much sense for this author to make a twisted ass story of this and I don't get why this was mainly a romance.
I will say I appreciate that Amelia invented feminism but SO much of every conversation with her was all the same kind of "you don't own me, I'm my own person" and it would just keep repeating while Levi would back her up every time. The entire plot was just talks of how to do the mermaid show and Amelia arguing with Barnum and falling in love with Levi. That's it, that's the story.
By the way mermaids would most likely reproduce like fish but go off about her swimming away before the cord cutting at birth I guess.
I wanted more, I didn't get it. I'm sad.
The premise of this book is pretty interesting: what if P.T. Barnum's feejee mermaid was real and a woman instead? But instead of being sinister and dark, this book was just kind of a slow moving and boring love story. What hurts more is that there are hints and moments that this book was going to go off the rails into being dark but then it just didn't. [b:Alice|23398606|Alice (The Chronicles of Alice, #1)|Christina Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531783537l/23398606._SY75_.jpg|42955198] was dark and horrifying, this just made me sleep.
P.T. Barnum in real life was a horrible con artist and grifter who would probably set fire to his own house to sell tickets for it. He abused and took advantage of whoever he could just to make a buck. While the one in here is a jerk (and isn't the good guy from The Greatest Showman movie thankfully), the author's note just says that she created her own version to fit the story. I wanted this book to go there, to make him the super awful villain but it never does and I'm so disappointed. Even though he was still an awful person, most of his jerky actions were held back by Levi and his wife anyway. It just would make SO much sense for this author to make a twisted ass story of this and I don't get why this was mainly a romance.
I will say I appreciate that Amelia invented feminism but SO much of every conversation with her was all the same kind of "you don't own me, I'm my own person" and it would just keep repeating while Levi would back her up every time. The entire plot was just talks of how to do the mermaid show and Amelia arguing with Barnum and falling in love with Levi. That's it, that's the story.
By the way mermaids would most likely reproduce like fish but go off about her swimming away before the cord cutting at birth I guess.
I wanted more, I didn't get it. I'm sad.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love Christinas writing style, too bad this book has no plot. It only got interesting in the last 100 pages. I think the "burning man" plot had much more potentional, it couldve been dragged on longer than, what, 10 pages?
Anyway. I loved the mc, Amelia. She was great. Also loved the ending :)
Anyway. I loved the mc, Amelia. She was great. Also loved the ending :)
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A