Reviews

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

2lax_cooper's review

hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sian_m's review against another edition

5.0

I absolutely loved this book!! I would read it again and listen to the audible book also. It’s beautifully written and had me gripped throughout. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. A magical story and does it hold truth? Quite possibly! :)

vlwelser's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

4.25

lottiemort's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

naomigre's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.25

summer_griffin's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

rballenger's review against another edition

3.0

Type of read: Commuter Read.

What made me pick it up: Knox County Library Read City USA All Together Now tour recommendation.

Overall rating: Whoa. The imagery that Roffey was able to weave throughout 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' was ridiculously intricate. This honestly may have been one of the most complex books I've read in a while. Not only was the writing style unique, but there was also a lot going on. I enjoyed the general storyline; however, I think there was a lot of additional details that almost muddied the waters a bit. I ended up wanting more information about characters that seemed to appear and disappear throughout the storyline. I feel like 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' is a book you could read multiple times and get something different from it every time. I'm rating it at only three stars because I feel like I almost need to read this one again, in a printed version, to get everything I want out of it. I love the idea of this book, to rate it higher, I would need to fall in love with the way this book is written and how it tells its story.

Reader's Note: Narrators Ben Onwukue and Vivienne Acheampong did an absolutely amazing job with 'The Mermaid of Black Conch.' There are strong accents, tones, and multiple points of view within this audiobook which could make it hard to follow at some parts, but they fabulously brought the story to life. That said, this is not a background book, you do very much need to pay attention. 'The Mermaid of Black Conch' has themes of sex and suicide.

nat008's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A story about a mermaid, who gets rescued by a man after American fishermen caught her. Set on a Carribean island in a small community, it slightly explores the legacy of slavery, but is a love story first and foremost. It also deals with jealousy and how woman can treat each other at their worst. The weaving together of folklore and "modern" day life was very enjoyable. I liked how the book was divided into two POVs - prose, divided in stanzas, by the mermaid, diary entries from present day David, and a third-person narrator from David's POV as well. I would've loved to read more from Aycayias perspective though. The diverse cast of characters was well fleshed out. I didn't enjoy how sexual some of it was, and the descriptions of what different men wanted to do once they saw the mermaid; it got a bit excessive in my opinion. It was also kind of weird how often Aycayias innocence and youthfulness were emphasised - she is an adult that's having sex after all, and has been alive for thousands of years now.
All in all an enjoyable book though.

motherofladybirds's review against another edition

3.0

American fishermen hook a mermaid in the Caribbean. Explores the legacy of slavery, how women treat each other and extended families, a bit of environmentalism thrown in. I thought it was an original portrayal of the mermaid legend from her perspective.

chloew94's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad slow-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? No

2.0