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lalanier's review against another edition
3.0
Leaning more towards a 3.5. This one didn't have quite the same horror factor as The Jumbies, but was a good continuation of the story and delved into a bit heavier themes while revisiting matters of the first. I loved the descriptions and imagery, especially that of the sea. The writing style kept the same overall vibes as before and engaging pacing, though I felt some things wrapped up a little too neatly for my tastes. However, I look forward to reading the final installment and still strongly hope this series gets adapted into film because, I mean c'mon?
readballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
books_plan_create's review
3.0
I liked book 2 much more than book 1, and now very excited for book 3! In addition to the jumbies, we are introduced to mermaids. I don't know if calling them mermaids is even the right word though. Women who died on a slave ship were turned into mermaids and saved. This had a lot of elements brought up in the Deep by Rivers Solomon, and I love that. I also want to re-read both books to see more of the crossover.
rknuttel's review
4.0
A great continuation of the Jumbie story! I loved that this one took place underwater - it definitely gives off some Little Mermaid vibes!
At first I was a little unimpressed - more disappearing children? Seemed like book one. BUT that thought quickly disappeared as I continued to read. (Listen, really - shoutout to the great audiobook narrator who helped me know how to pronounce Mama D’Leau and had great accents and singing.) I LOVED the underwater setting, the mermaids, the current, the bright colors. It was a super fun place to spend most of this story. My favorite part of this whole book is the connection between the mermaids and the slave ships. Baptiste beautifully connects what you expect to be pure fantasy (mermaids) to real history (the drowning of enslaved people during the journey from Ghana to the Caribbean). It was such a great tie in from fantasy to reality, and I love there idea that people who met extremely sad ends during that time are swimming around the sea as mermaids.
If I had one wish for this book, it would be that it ended after
At first I was a little unimpressed - more disappearing children? Seemed like book one. BUT that thought quickly disappeared as I continued to read. (Listen, really - shoutout to the great audiobook narrator who helped me know how to pronounce Mama D’Leau and had great accents and singing.) I LOVED the underwater setting, the mermaids, the current, the bright colors. It was a super fun place to spend most of this story. My favorite part of this whole book is the connection between the mermaids and the slave ships. Baptiste beautifully connects what you expect to be pure fantasy (mermaids) to real history (the drowning of enslaved people during the journey from Ghana to the Caribbean). It was such a great tie in from fantasy to reality, and I love there idea that people who met extremely sad ends during that time are swimming around the sea as mermaids.
If I had one wish for this book, it would be that it ended after
Spoiler
mermaid Corinne leads Severine off into the sea and then looses all of her memories. This was SUCH a brave move from Corinne, and I feel like it was solved too easily. It would have been a GREAT suspenseful ending, and i would have loved spending some time at the beginning of book 3 trying to solve the problem and then a big celebration when they get hey back. Basically, I would have liked to raise the stakes a little.tiffani_reads's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book more than the first one. It was more well developed and the story was more fleshed out. I love how this series progressed and how it ended. Very well done!
catladyreba's review
3.0
A strong sequel to The Jumbies, this book almost has too much going on. I am so glad Baptiste is writing these books. Hopefully they are opening up the rich world of the Caribbean to many young (and not-so young!) readers. Corinne is a great character, and her friends, Dru, Malik, and Bouki are wonderful companions.
This book is not all lightness and power of friendship, there are some dark issues that are raised, and not necessarily fully examined (mainly thinking about slavery). The Jumbies are also pretty creepy, and may just make you hide under the covers and look over your shoulder next time you are in the forest or ocean.
This book is not all lightness and power of friendship, there are some dark issues that are raised, and not necessarily fully examined (mainly thinking about slavery). The Jumbies are also pretty creepy, and may just make you hide under the covers and look over your shoulder next time you are in the forest or ocean.
seyfert's review
5.0
Better than the first and cannot wait for the third! Truly an engaging, meaningful story. This series is a breath of fresh air.