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sycomode's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cam356's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
4.0
ren_the_hobbit's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
I loved this book! I need to go find the music it’s based off of so I can see the different forms of the story as they come together. Super cool concept and great writing!
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery
annabartonkova's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
tullock23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
andreea11's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
manadabomb's review against another edition
4.0
Yetu is the current historian of her people, and all of the memories she has to hold have become so painful that she only thinks about escaping them. Her people have forgotten the past and go about their days, relying on her to hold their entire history for them. Each year, on the day of the Remembering, she gives the memories back and is finally empty. At least for 3 days.
During this time, Yetu escapes and meets some humans in the shallows of the ocean. She finally realizes what it means to have a history, have a past, even if it’s painful. She needs to go back and save her people from the heavy burden she put upon them.
It’s interesting. After I finished this, I thought about my history. And there isn’t much that I know of. My history doesn’t weigh me down but I also recognize I don’t know enough. Close family is scarce and not a lot was brought through the generations, and I know there were secrets. I doubt I'll get to know much of my history and it will end with me.
During this time, Yetu escapes and meets some humans in the shallows of the ocean. She finally realizes what it means to have a history, have a past, even if it’s painful. She needs to go back and save her people from the heavy burden she put upon them.
It’s interesting. After I finished this, I thought about my history. And there isn’t much that I know of. My history doesn’t weigh me down but I also recognize I don’t know enough. Close family is scarce and not a lot was brought through the generations, and I know there were secrets. I doubt I'll get to know much of my history and it will end with me.
gabepants's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Death, Slavery, and Child death
linnlivesinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
this was a very interesting read and not at all like i
remembrance she gives
expected.
her people the memories and flees leaving for the
you get to read this story surface in hopes of
from different perspectives in time.
returning to herself.
but it all connects to Yetu who is our main character. she holds all the memories of her people (the mermaids) she's their historian, she has to remember their horrible past while everyone else gets to live without it.
the past being to painful for everyone to remember is removed from their minds and bestowed upon a historian who once a year shared these memories only for them to forget once it's over.
Yetu has had enough, the remembering is killin her, cast from memory to memory who are not hers, filled with pain and nobody who understands her. she's lost herself, and 5 no longer knows who she is. on the day of the remembrance she gives her people the memories and flees leaving for the surface in hopes of returning to herself.
the writing is so beautiful and compelling. but i just couldn't get pulled in, it was a very good read but i feel like it could have been done differently and been better.
remembrance she gives
expected.
her people the memories and flees leaving for the
you get to read this story surface in hopes of
from different perspectives in time.
returning to herself.
but it all connects to Yetu who is our main character. she holds all the memories of her people (the mermaids) she's their historian, she has to remember their horrible past while everyone else gets to live without it.
the past being to painful for everyone to remember is removed from their minds and bestowed upon a historian who once a year shared these memories only for them to forget once it's over.
Yetu has had enough, the remembering is killin her, cast from memory to memory who are not hers, filled with pain and nobody who understands her. she's lost herself, and 5 no longer knows who she is. on the day of the remembrance she gives her people the memories and flees leaving for the surface in hopes of returning to herself.
the writing is so beautiful and compelling. but i just couldn't get pulled in, it was a very good read but i feel like it could have been done differently and been better.
ameliabee33's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Afrofuterism, folklore, the power of memory and history, creates an intense environment for readers to immerse themselves in.
The wanjinru are the descendants of pregnant African slave women that were thrown overboard by the slave owners. The wanjinru have created their own history in the deep sea with their own culture and stories. They have made it so that their entire existence revolves around the History. Only one holds onto the History, but once a year they share the pain/love/horror/life of their people.
We follow Yetu, the Historian. She gets to remember the trauma of her people and be held captive by the memories of the past while everyone else gets to live in ignorance. She wants to escape the memories and responsibilities of the Historian. She blames her people for what she has had to endure. She flees. But will she return?
Switching between the memories of the History and Yetu's perspective I got a full look at the wanjinru's legacy. From the first interaction with a human, to a lover, to swimming with whales, all leading up to Yetu. Jumping between narratives felt intentional, because the History just comes to the Historian with no warning. No control. I found these segments very interesting.
A majority of the time Yetu's story was from a tidal pool where she stayed, trying to decide whether or not she would return. It felt prolonged by a few chapters, it felt like that is all she did - just sit in the pool. She met humans and conversed with them and learned their quirks and culture, but that was it. I just got kind of bored reading about it unfortunately.
I wish this book had been shorter believe it or not. It felt longer than necessary, like the point could have been made 50 pages ago. The most interesting parts to me were the ones without Yetu in it sometimes, which was sad because she was the main character! I want to give it a reread, because maybe I wasn't in tbe right headspsce, but as of right now I'm a bit disappointed.
The wanjinru are the descendants of pregnant African slave women that were thrown overboard by the slave owners. The wanjinru have created their own history in the deep sea with their own culture and stories. They have made it so that their entire existence revolves around the History. Only one holds onto the History, but once a year they share the pain/love/horror/life of their people.
We follow Yetu, the Historian. She gets to remember the trauma of her people and be held captive by the memories of the past while everyone else gets to live in ignorance. She wants to escape the memories and responsibilities of the Historian. She blames her people for what she has had to endure. She flees. But will she return?
Switching between the memories of the History and Yetu's perspective I got a full look at the wanjinru's legacy. From the first interaction with a human, to a lover, to swimming with whales, all leading up to Yetu. Jumping between narratives felt intentional, because the History just comes to the Historian with no warning. No control. I found these segments very interesting.
A majority of the time Yetu's story was from a tidal pool where she stayed, trying to decide whether or not she would return. It felt prolonged by a few chapters, it felt like that is all she did - just sit in the pool. She met humans and conversed with them and learned their quirks and culture, but that was it. I just got kind of bored reading about it unfortunately.
I wish this book had been shorter believe it or not. It felt longer than necessary, like the point could have been made 50 pages ago. The most interesting parts to me were the ones without Yetu in it sometimes, which was sad because she was the main character! I want to give it a reread, because maybe I wasn't in tbe right headspsce, but as of right now I'm a bit disappointed.