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kostrike11's review against another edition
4.0
review ♥
breathe and count back from ten- natalia sylvester
★ ★ ★ ★
•hip dysplasia
•latina representation
•mermaids
•swimming
•boy-next-door
Verónica is a Peruvian- American teen with dreams of finding herself. Throughout her life, Verónica has been in and out of surgeries to care for her hip dysplasia. The only activity that helps ease the pain and take her mind off the struggles of being a teenager is swimming. She lives in a town where mermaids are fantasized about, and children can believe in fairytales. When try-outs open for a new mermaid at the nearby theme park, Verónica knows she has to give it her all, despite the pressures from her parents.
I loved the disability representation in this novel. Verónica is not an object to be looked at and deserves nobody’s sympathy. She is just a girl who longs to be herself. The parental rules and struggles are also very relatable, and I adored the relationship with Dani, Verónica’s younger sister. This is a story about accepting yourself for who you are and learning how to advocate for your own body. I enjoyed every moment of it and the story was a perfect opening for summer reading.
breathe and count back from ten- natalia sylvester
★ ★ ★ ★
•hip dysplasia
•latina representation
•mermaids
•swimming
•boy-next-door
Verónica is a Peruvian- American teen with dreams of finding herself. Throughout her life, Verónica has been in and out of surgeries to care for her hip dysplasia. The only activity that helps ease the pain and take her mind off the struggles of being a teenager is swimming. She lives in a town where mermaids are fantasized about, and children can believe in fairytales. When try-outs open for a new mermaid at the nearby theme park, Verónica knows she has to give it her all, despite the pressures from her parents.
I loved the disability representation in this novel. Verónica is not an object to be looked at and deserves nobody’s sympathy. She is just a girl who longs to be herself. The parental rules and struggles are also very relatable, and I adored the relationship with Dani, Verónica’s younger sister. This is a story about accepting yourself for who you are and learning how to advocate for your own body. I enjoyed every moment of it and the story was a perfect opening for summer reading.
kacey7's review
5.0
Brilliant and profound in so many ways - I’m awestruck. I’m having a hard time encapsulating how incredible this book was in a review, because none of the words I say will do it justice.
This is my first book by Natalia Sylvester and wow the writing is flawless. Eloquent, lyrical, powerful. The switch between Spanish and English, and internal musings of Verónica were so perfect. This book tackles many deep topics. Disability, being an immigrant in America, having strict, traditional parents, poverty, medical struggles and bodily autonomy. It tells the story of a 17 year old Peruvian-American girl with hip dysplasia who dreams of being a mermaid. Yes, literally a mermaid, at an attraction called Mermaid Cove in the town she grew up in in Florida.
Overall the story is a simple one, but the beauty comes from the deeper story about an immigrant family trying to stay afloat in this often unfair country, and a disabled girl learning to love herself and her body.
“Here, it seems everyone gets to be whole but me. They get to be seen for who they are, not for what they aren’t. They get to be defined by the things they do instead of the things they don’t. Meanwhile, I get split into all these little pieces: Peruvian. Disabled. Immigrant. Fragmented as if I couldn’t possibly be everything all at once, and more.”
This is an Own Voices novel, so the author herself is Peruvian-American and has hip dysplasia. There is something always so deeply captivating with Own Voices novels - you can feel how real it is. The way Verónica described her relationship with her body - and the ways illness and disability have changed her - were so meaningful and striking, I could feel it in my soul. As a disabled woman myself, this was undeniably relatable in a way books rarely are. Illness and disability are not often at the forefront of novels, especially YA novels, but here it’s done so delicately, yet truthfully and without shame, that I can’t help but be in awe.
A stunning novel all around. I think everyone can gain something from this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is my first book by Natalia Sylvester and wow the writing is flawless. Eloquent, lyrical, powerful. The switch between Spanish and English, and internal musings of Verónica were so perfect. This book tackles many deep topics. Disability, being an immigrant in America, having strict, traditional parents, poverty, medical struggles and bodily autonomy. It tells the story of a 17 year old Peruvian-American girl with hip dysplasia who dreams of being a mermaid. Yes, literally a mermaid, at an attraction called Mermaid Cove in the town she grew up in in Florida.
Overall the story is a simple one, but the beauty comes from the deeper story about an immigrant family trying to stay afloat in this often unfair country, and a disabled girl learning to love herself and her body.
“Here, it seems everyone gets to be whole but me. They get to be seen for who they are, not for what they aren’t. They get to be defined by the things they do instead of the things they don’t. Meanwhile, I get split into all these little pieces: Peruvian. Disabled. Immigrant. Fragmented as if I couldn’t possibly be everything all at once, and more.”
This is an Own Voices novel, so the author herself is Peruvian-American and has hip dysplasia. There is something always so deeply captivating with Own Voices novels - you can feel how real it is. The way Verónica described her relationship with her body - and the ways illness and disability have changed her - were so meaningful and striking, I could feel it in my soul. As a disabled woman myself, this was undeniably relatable in a way books rarely are. Illness and disability are not often at the forefront of novels, especially YA novels, but here it’s done so delicately, yet truthfully and without shame, that I can’t help but be in awe.
A stunning novel all around. I think everyone can gain something from this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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
sallytiffany's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was well done. I liked the characters and how it explore pain and chronic illness. It was captivating but at times moved slowly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma
Moderate: Chronic illness and Sexual content
sknappy1's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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
may_in_books_'s review against another edition
5.0
4.75/5
Zdecydowanie dobra przygoda. Dobrze ukazany motyw niepełnosprawności i surowych rodziców
Trochę mi nie wystarczyło romansu, a bardzo na niego czekałam, ale i tak trafia to do polecajek
Zdecydowanie dobra przygoda. Dobrze ukazany motyw niepełnosprawności i surowych rodziców
Trochę mi nie wystarczyło romansu, a bardzo na niego czekałam, ale i tak trafia to do polecajek
thleen99's review
4.0
2023 Pura Belpré Honor Book & 2023 Schneider Family Honor Book - so I had to read it! Review to come.
nico12o's review
4.0
4,5⭐️
Ciesze sie ze moja mama od dziecka uczyła mnie że osoba niepełnosprawna jest takim samym czlowiekiem jak ja i że wcale nie wyglada dziwnie czy inaczej - ale nie wszystkie dzieci dostają taką lekcje i "wez wdech i policz do dziesięciu" to książka Potrzebna żeby uczyć o tym wszystkich.
Historia Verónici jest przepiękna ale tez boli, w końcu dostalismy książke która pokazuje ból operacji i co z tym się łączy. Wątek syren i Alex totalnie skradli mi serce <33
Żałuje że jak byłam młodsza nie było takich książek
Ciesze sie ze moja mama od dziecka uczyła mnie że osoba niepełnosprawna jest takim samym czlowiekiem jak ja i że wcale nie wyglada dziwnie czy inaczej - ale nie wszystkie dzieci dostają taką lekcje i "wez wdech i policz do dziesięciu" to książka Potrzebna żeby uczyć o tym wszystkich.
Historia Verónici jest przepiękna ale tez boli, w końcu dostalismy książke która pokazuje ból operacji i co z tym się łączy. Wątek syren i Alex totalnie skradli mi serce <33
Żałuje że jak byłam młodsza nie było takich książek
shgmclicious's review
This made me so interested in the Weeki Wachee Mermaids!! Also just...I have a close young relative with hip dysplasia, so the second I heard about this book I gave her my copy and that's why it took me so long to read myself, and I just thought it was a wonderful book about disability, a wonderful book about Latina immigrant identity, a wonderful book about sports....love it.