Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Skin of the Sea

This is a good book. It just wasn't my favorite. I'm mostly a romance reader, so even in a mythology packed fantasy book, I need at least some romance in it, and they're just wasn't in this book. The main character and the boy she saved are supposed to like each other, but I just didn't feel any romantic chemistry between them. Maybe that develops more in the second book, but I don't plan on reading that yet.

I did get quite emotional at some parts. Especially when it came to a particular death scene. I thought the writing was great, even if it wasn't for me. The ending was really good as well.

The ending is done well enough that you wouldn't necessarily need to read the second book. Yes it ends kind of open ended, with some questions left unanswered. But I don't necessarily consider it a cliffhanger. You could stop with this book and be fine in my opinion.

Overall this is a good book. I loved the mythology and the plotline. I wanted more romance, but if that's not your thing this is definitely for you. I'd probably still recommend this even if it wasn't entirely for me.

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sultrytartreviews's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I'll start of with the good in this book, I thought the writing was very depictive and and the storytelling was gripping. Literally all I knew about this book when I picked it up was that it was a YA with Black mermaids. So I was a little surprised with how heavy of a plot was woven in with the beginnings of the slave trade, seeing as I was mostly expecting a folktale retelling. There were some graphic depictions of abuse on page, but as a sensitive reader it did not dissuade me from continuing the book. I am a sucker for retellings, reimaginings of folktales and fairytales and I think on that front this book delivered. (Please be aware, I do not have intimate knowledge about the deities or folktales used here to declare if the representation is accurate to original stories or the cultures they come from.)

While I did enjoy the book, I will admit it was very difficult for me to get through and I took my time listening to the audio. I wasn't pulled to keep going or listening while I was doing errands/chores like I usually do with my audio books. I had to give more concentration to the story. Part of my disconnection was how action packed this book was. There was never a rest for the main characters and never any real moments of peace or joy for them to sit in, which made it harder to power through. I am a habitual romance reader and this also made believing the romance storyline kinda far fetched. It seemed unnecessary and simply placed into the plot. I would have rather had character development than a weak romance with no backing. While our FMC is a likeable and strong character, I didn't feel much development for her occurred. Lastly, the ending seemed rather abrupt and made the last long scenes feel aimless since they were put to rest in a few lines.

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abbythebookreviewer's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Skin of The Sea was an interesting read, a dark yet refreshing take on a mermaid plot. I found some of the prose to be repetitive, but still, it was well-written. This story is plot driven which leads a bit to be desired of the characters but I found them to be likable. The historical portion of the story was by far the most intriguing, the intertwining of African culture was a refreshing break from the more Westernized novels. The pacing of the story was a bit off in places, I found myself skimming at parts because the scenes held little to no purpose to the main plot, while I can appreciate a history lesson it felt forced in some areas. It's a quick read, with several points of high tension that left me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I would recommend this to young adult readers and lovers of historical fantasy.

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