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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
A wonderful historical fiction centered around a magical mermaid and the illustrious P.T. Barnum. Centered around the strong female leading mermaid, Amelia, this story brings the reader into a slice of the early P.T. Barnum before his circus and during his fascination with peddling oddities. This is a quick but enjoyable read and Amelia is sure to enchant and inspire any head strong woman, and rightfully so.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
What a nice nice combination of classical fairytale and story of P.T. Barnum. This is exactly what I would await from retelling. Recommended! 80%
Although I thought the book started off slowly, it became brilliant over the chapters. It is a beautifully written book, with a unsetteling vision about how the world works. I definitely recommend it!
adventurous
emotional
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
In all honesty, I picked this book up as a palate-cleanser -- I had read of the author before, so felt in safe hands for some 'dark fairy tale' vibe. I got so much more.
The characters were so well constructed, gently developed at first but suddenly complex (in quite a natural way). The writing style perfectly balanced the lyricality of a fairy tale with the sudden realities of nineteenth century America, and the dark tones of the underbelly of humanity.
The characters were so well constructed, gently developed at first but suddenly complex (in quite a natural way). The writing style perfectly balanced the lyricality of a fairy tale with the sudden realities of nineteenth century America, and the dark tones of the underbelly of humanity.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Gah, my heart! I honestly can't get enough of Christina Henry's retellings! And this one might just be my favourite! THE MERMAID was a beautiful story of love, adventure, betrayal, sacrifice, trust, independence, and self-discovery. The story opens with a beautiful romance and leads to main character Amelia being convinced to join P.T. Barnum's circus. From there, she struggles with her identity in this new human world, the friends she begins to make, and the way she is seen as a truly alien being. The writing is gorgeous as ever, and the story is compelling, but it was the characters were the highlight. Barnum is a little more humane here than he would become later, Levi has a great tortured conscience, but it's Amelia who of course steals the show. She is AWESOME. She's strong, independent, unashamed, and never bowing to Barnum's demands. I was worried that the ending would be a heartbreaker, but it turns out to be the perfect ending to a truly amazing book. I cannot recommend it enough. This is the perfect summer read for anyone looking for a spellbinding, character driven story, sweeping romance, and a love for mermaids and magic. THE MERMAID is an incredible read, and should not be missed!
adventurous
tense
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
slow-paced