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natreadstheworld's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Honestly, I found this book a bit condescending and boring. That's not because of the age group - children's fiction is one of my favorite genres. I just don't find this one believable in many ways. When Emily Windsnap finally gets her mom to allow her swim lessons, she has no idea her entire life is about to change. A freak leg cramp in the pool leads to a world-rocking discovery: Emily is a mermaid! This discovery starts her off on an incredible journey where she meets a new friend, explores unexpected fantastical places, and stumbles on discoveries that challenges everything she thought she knew.
The world building here leaves much to be desired. The mermaid world is flat, a replica of our own world. Almost everything is an underwater version of things we find here in our world, instead of what could have been a rich and vivid underwater world. The characters are one-dimensional. Their behavior follows the plot script, as if they move only to fit the plot instead of being individual characters themselves. This results in odd, sometimes contradictory actions. Neptune in particular is evidence of this - the entire story paints him as a volatile merman who commands storms and controls islands and who is staunchly opposed to human-merpeople connections. So it's a bit disorienting when he flips a switch and suddenly changes his mind when an impassioned child (Emily) gives a speech about love. It's supposed to be cute and inspiring, but like everything else in the book, it falls flat.
The relationships between the characters are as odd and one-dimensional as the characters themselves.Meeting Emily's father was an unimpressive, anti-climatic scene. Emily's friendship with the other mermaid feels like a plot device. There are also several unanswered questions - some, like their end destination, are likely answered in the sequels. Others, like the shipwreck that gives Emily the first clues to start her on her journey, feel so much like a plot device that it's not certain it will get an answer at all. It makes a few scene appearances, gets a single one-line reference toward the end of the book, and then the story goes on without any further explanation, leaving a gaping plot hole that doesn't make sense, and feels forgotten.
In all, I felt like this story was without imagination, for all that it's supposed to be about a fantastical world.
The world building here leaves much to be desired. The mermaid world is flat, a replica of our own world. Almost everything is an underwater version of things we find here in our world, instead of what could have been a rich and vivid underwater world. The characters are one-dimensional. Their behavior follows the plot script, as if they move only to fit the plot instead of being individual characters themselves. This results in odd, sometimes contradictory actions.
The relationships between the characters are as odd and one-dimensional as the characters themselves.
In all, I felt like this story was without imagination, for all that it's supposed to be about a fantastical world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment
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