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sammymilfort's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Grief, and Religious bigotry
readingwithtemperance's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As someone born and raised in Florida I really enjoyed this book! All of the references, Florida Man jokes, mermaids, and manatees made me so happy.
This book covered a wide range of topics such as: disability (hip dysplasia), bodily autonomy, and immigration. I think the author handled each of these with so much care. I actually learned so much about hip dysplasia!
There were a few things about this book that I hated. Those things being the copious amounts of ableism and slut shaming. People really need to mind their own business.
The author challenged both of these when they came up though which I thoroughly appreciated!
I thought that the Mermaid Cove aspect was so cool! I loved hearing about the performances and all of the training it takes to be a mermaid.
Verónica and her sister had such a realistic dynamic. I loved their bickering and the way they kept secrets for eachother. Strict parents create sneaky kids!
This book covered a wide range of topics such as: disability (hip dysplasia), bodily autonomy, and immigration. I think the author handled each of these with so much care. I actually learned so much about hip dysplasia!
There were a few things about this book that I hated. Those things being the copious amounts of ableism and slut shaming. People really need to mind their own business.
The author challenged both of these when they came up though which I thoroughly appreciated!
I thought that the Mermaid Cove aspect was so cool! I loved hearing about the performances and all of the training it takes to be a mermaid.
Verónica and her sister had such a realistic dynamic. I loved their bickering and the way they kept secrets for eachother. Strict parents create sneaky kids!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Medical content
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Biphobia, Death, Racism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and War
bibliomich's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
Oh, this was an EASY five stars for me! What a phenomenal novel. I need to read more Natalia Sylvester now.
What I loved:
- The diversity. Sylvester has created a book that truly highlights intersectional diversity: ability, chronic pain, race, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health. And while all of these elements are present, none of them feel forced. She has created a truly diverse cast of characters.
- The representation of hip dysplasia and chronic pain.
- The way she addresses ableism. In recent times, I've noticed a lot of contemporary middle grade and YA authors using the word "lame" in their books (often by the protagonist, and rarely called out). I LOVE that Sylvester tackles this ableism in her book. We see the way language affects Verónica, and we hear her explain why it matters in her own words.
- The complicated family dynamics. I appreciated that Verónica's relationships with her parents and sister were complicated, nuanced, and fully explored. Verónica's parents were not perfect (esp. all the slut shaming), though they clearly cared about her. Additionally, Verónica was not a perfect daughter, though her behavior made total sense given her age, her wants and needs, and her feelings about her bodily autonomy. I loved the way we saw their relationships evolve over the course of the book, and the fact that it was never neat and tidy, but always a little messy. How refreshingly real.
- The love interest. Ahh, Alex was just so lovable (and again, a fully developed, very realistic character). I appreciated that he had his own challenges, particularly his struggles with mental health. I loved how he respected Verónica, and that he showed up when it mattered. I also enjoyed the way Alex provided Verónica with new perspectives when it came to her relationships with her parents.
What I loved:
- The diversity. Sylvester has created a book that truly highlights intersectional diversity: ability, chronic pain, race, sexuality and sexual orientation, gender identity, mental health. And while all of these elements are present, none of them feel forced. She has created a truly diverse cast of characters.
- The representation of hip dysplasia and chronic pain.
- The way she addresses ableism. In recent times, I've noticed a lot of contemporary middle grade and YA authors using the word "lame" in their books (often by the protagonist, and rarely called out). I LOVE that Sylvester tackles this ableism in her book. We see the way language affects Verónica, and we hear her explain why it matters in her own words.
- The complicated family dynamics. I appreciated that Verónica's relationships with her parents and sister were complicated, nuanced, and fully explored. Verónica's parents were not perfect (esp. all the slut shaming), though they clearly cared about her. Additionally, Verónica was not a perfect daughter, though her behavior made total sense given her age, her wants and needs, and her feelings about her bodily autonomy. I loved the way we saw their relationships evolve over the course of the book, and the fact that it was never neat and tidy, but always a little messy. How refreshingly real.
- The love interest. Ahh, Alex was just so lovable (and again, a fully developed, very realistic character). I appreciated that he had his own challenges, particularly his struggles with mental health. I loved how he respected Verónica, and that he showed up when it mattered. I also enjoyed the way Alex provided Verónica with new perspectives when it came to her relationships with her parents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Sexism and Medical content
Minor: Sexual assault and Deportation
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.5
this was so freaking good!! i loved verónica SO MUCH and i felt myself relating to her a bunch. this books does a great job at exploring disability, immigration, and bodily autonomy. i think natalia does a great job at showing how people, who say they love you and want what's best for you, will treat you when you're disabled with ableism. the discussion around verónica's parents and how they treat/view her hurt my soul, but i think it was an important part of her story because it's something many disabled people face and experience.
i also think natalia did a great job with her discussions around bodily autonomy in regards to medical procedures and having control over what is happening to your body. i think many times, disabled and neurodivergent teens are overruled by their parents who "know best", but in reality, those parents are NOT the ones living in their teenagers' bodies - and i think that natalia including this in the story was very powerful.
overall, i had the BEST time with this book. i liked the whole mermaid obsession verónica has and the mermaid show was SO cool!! (i want to see one now!) i liked the little romance subplot between verónica and her new neighbor, alex. i do with it had been a little more fleshed out - i feel like they had minimal on-page interactions and those that were there seemed very deep. i wanted just a little more cute moments sprinkled in throughout. regardless, this book was PHENOMENAL, and i cannot wait to have a physical copy.
disability rep: hip dysplasia (fmc), clinical depression/depressive episodes (love interest)
⚠️: ableism, medical content, body shaming, sexual assault, sexism, emotional abuse, racism, mental illness (depression), suicidal thoughts
i also think natalia did a great job with her discussions around bodily autonomy in regards to medical procedures and having control over what is happening to your body. i think many times, disabled and neurodivergent teens are overruled by their parents who "know best", but in reality, those parents are NOT the ones living in their teenagers' bodies - and i think that natalia including this in the story was very powerful.
overall, i had the BEST time with this book. i liked the whole mermaid obsession verónica has and the mermaid show was SO cool!! (i want to see one now!) i liked the little romance subplot between verónica and her new neighbor, alex. i do with it had been a little more fleshed out - i feel like they had minimal on-page interactions and those that were there seemed very deep. i wanted just a little more cute moments sprinkled in throughout. regardless, this book was PHENOMENAL, and i cannot wait to have a physical copy.
disability rep: hip dysplasia (fmc), clinical depression/depressive episodes (love interest)
⚠️: ableism, medical content, body shaming, sexual assault, sexism, emotional abuse, racism, mental illness (depression), suicidal thoughts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Medical content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
emily_mh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I have never highlighted a book like I have this one! The disability rep here spoke to me on another level. The story perfectly captured the relationship I have to my body; the disconnect, and how simultaneously my body is hugely familiar AND unfamiliar to me. I also appreciated how the book showed that ableism comes in part from disabled people “making” abled people uncomfortable, as we are “uncomfortable” reminders that humans are not meant to be “perfect”, are not designed to be, and that ALL bodies have needs. Furthermore, I loved how the story poked holes in how abled people want to “fix” us. This quote in particular spoke to that:
“And why should it matter, anyway, when so many things in nature - rivers and trees and shorelines and mountains - are free to be imperfect? No one calls a flower chueca as it bends its way toward the sky.”
There’s so much more glowing praise I could lavish on the disability rep here! It was so spot on, and I’ll be looking at the annotations I’ve made for years to come.
The key theme of the book is bodily autonomy, and how Verónica is trying to find and assert this as a disabled immigrant Latina girl. Each of her intersecting identities impact this challenge, and it is in her search that she develops so much as a character. I really loved this part of the story.
I also really liked the summery feel this novel had. It is brought out by the pools and sunbathing, sunshine and, of course, mermaids. We got so much detail regarding how being a mermaid performer works and I loved it! It gave me a whole new appreciation for that profession.
I did struggle with two things. The first is the romance between Verónica and Alex. I didn’t get their chemistry, especially as everything within their relationship seemed to move so quickly. On top of this, I just don’t think having a romance was necessary for this book. The same themes could have been explored without it, and it took time and space away from the development of these themes. The second thing I didn’t like was that Sylvester never really properly addressed Verónica’s belief that her younger sister Dani didn’t have problems, or that the ones that she did have were insignificant. I didn’t like this invalidation of Dani’s experience especially as, aside from being disabled, she would have been going through similar struggles to Verónica. I will say that I DID appreciate how Sylvester handled the glass-child narrative within this relationship, though!
Rep: Peruvian-American MC with hip dysplasia, Mexican-American LI with depression, Peruvian-American SCs, sapphic SC, Black sapphic SC, Japanese-American SC, Native American genderqueer SC
Rep: Peruvian-American MC with hip dysplasia, Mexican-American LI with depression, Peruvian-American SCs, sapphic SC, Black sapphic SC, Japanese-American SC, Native American genderqueer SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Cursing, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
NB: the graphic warning for sexual assault is not because the sexual assault occurs graphically on page, but because it is a prominent theme throughout the book. Minor: suicidal ideation, heternormativity, cisnormativitychronicacademia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
twistykris's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A great book that delves into an teenage immigrant's desire to be a mermaid while juggling the intricacies of her hip dysplasia diagnosis. The water is freedom that provides a (relative) relief from the pain, while also providing some relief from her overwhelming- but well-meaning- parents.
A very cute, emotional book that I absorbed in less than a day. I wish we got more of a growing relationship between Verónica and Alex- maybe it's me reading it as an adult, but I felt like they went into a relationship and fell in love VERY quickly and it felt.. unrealistic? Even as teenagers. I also wish we delved more into Verónica and Dani's relationship as sisters. There are brief moments of them arguing, but it felt sort of shallow. I think it would have been nice to see them bond more.
A very cute, emotional book that I absorbed in less than a day. I wish we got more of a growing relationship between Verónica and Alex- maybe it's me reading it as an adult, but I felt like they went into a relationship and fell in love VERY quickly and it felt.. unrealistic? Even as teenagers. I also wish we delved more into Verónica and Dani's relationship as sisters. There are brief moments of them arguing, but it felt sort of shallow. I think it would have been nice to see them bond more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Medical content
Moderate: Bullying and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism and Sexism
Content warnings excerpt from book: "There are part of Veró's story that involve instances of bullying, ableism, slut shaming, and lack of consent, both medical and sexual. Processing them looks different for all of us, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. There's only what feels right for you, when and how you decide."saf_185's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I didn’t want this book to end at all. I found Veronica’s relationships with her mom, dad and sister very relatable. There were so many lines in this book that just absolutely gutted me
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, and Sexism
archiveofrasa's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a YA story that delves into the immigrant experience and involving the intricacies of disabilities too? count me the fuck in. while I'm not an American immigrant and am not Latine, the experiences where very real and I could definitely understand the complexity. Verónica was a really interesting narrative to follow and it is always nice to read about a particular disability written by someone who has that disability. her strong interest in mermaids was really fun and unique (in my opinion) and intergrating her own culture's folklore into it was so nice !!! despite not being Latine, the way her parents act is very similar to how South Asians act and I similarly felt the same frustration she felt. also her experience of wanted to be treated normally and not singled out (negatively or positively) was really well done.
my main criticisms lie in my personal opinions and what more I wanted. I loved Alex but how their relationship developed was a little insta-lovey; wanted more development from them! Veró is also a little self-centred, which is very understandable considering everything she has been through, I just wish we got a little more room to discuss that with Dani and elaborate on the nuances of this situation. there was some really nice prose scattered around in the story that I ended up highlighting, but overall it did read very easily, fitting for YA, made me realise I'm expecting more from YA than I should 😭
my main criticisms lie in my personal opinions and what more I wanted. I loved Alex but how their relationship developed was a little insta-lovey; wanted more development from them! Veró is also a little self-centred, which is very understandable considering everything she has been through, I just wish we got a little more room to discuss that with Dani and elaborate on the nuances of this situation. there was some really nice prose scattered around in the story that I ended up highlighting, but overall it did read very easily, fitting for YA, made me realise I'm expecting more from YA than I should 😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Body shaming
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
there is a content warning at the beginning, please read through it before you read!