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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too short!!! This world is too amazing to only exist in such a brief text.
dark
emotional
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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a very lovely and immersive read! After reading the afterword it certainly adds to how interesting this take on Merfolk is. The wajinru are a species of half human, half sea creature, and their origins come from the pregnant enslaved women who were thrown overboard during the Atlantic Slave Trade. This was such an interesting idea, and makes the central theme of remembering history in the story all the more powerful. I loved that the author even included to lore into how the Wajinru learned language, tying them even closer to a real group of people and making this story a mythological tale.
The unique use of pronouns is what stuck out to me the most in this, writing-wise. The Wajinru being undefined by gender, as well as their sense of community to the point where they could be described as one entity, is heightened by all the uses of “we” in the book. They are all connected through the memories of their ancestors and that highlights the importance of knowing your roots and your people, keeping them and their memories alive because they are a part of you. Loved the message the resolution of the conflict between Yetu as the historian and the other Wajinru sends, again emphasizing that knowledge of one’s cultural history needs to be shared amongst the whole community, as they are one people with one identity. Sorry to turn this book-reporty, a terribly fun habit of mine.
I do feel Yetu felt a little distant as a character despite how much we were in her thoughts and emotions, so there were some slow moments when she went into her internal monologues for me. Yet I still thought her character development was done beautifully and felt her struggle with individuality vs cultural identity and responsibility could be very relatable to the rest of us two-legs. Her relationship with her amaba (mother) was also something I felt I could relate to, and I love how their relationship progressed towards the end. The connection and relationship she formed with oori was so powerful (and I was happy for the surprise wlw main love interest), how they both wanted what the other was trying to run away from, and sharing those feelings with each other made them appreciate what they have and also strengthen their feelings for each other. I want much more of their love story I’m not gonna lie 🫠.
Came here for a mermaid story and found instead a beautiful historical fiction fantasy with a really beautiful and poignant message, I really enjoyed it!
The unique use of pronouns is what stuck out to me the most in this, writing-wise. The Wajinru being undefined by gender, as well as their sense of community to the point where they could be described as one entity, is heightened by all the uses of “we” in the book. They are all connected through the memories of their ancestors and that highlights the importance of knowing your roots and your people, keeping them and their memories alive because they are a part of you. Loved the message the resolution of the conflict between Yetu as the historian and the other Wajinru sends, again emphasizing that knowledge of one’s cultural history needs to be shared amongst the whole community, as they are one people with one identity. Sorry to turn this book-reporty, a terribly fun habit of mine.
I do feel Yetu felt a little distant as a character despite how much we were in her thoughts and emotions, so there were some slow moments when she went into her internal monologues for me. Yet I still thought her character development was done beautifully and felt her struggle with individuality vs cultural identity and responsibility could be very relatable to the rest of us two-legs. Her relationship with her amaba (mother) was also something I felt I could relate to, and I love how their relationship progressed towards the end. The connection and relationship she formed with oori was so powerful (and I was happy for the surprise wlw main love interest), how they both wanted what the other was trying to run away from, and sharing those feelings with each other made them appreciate what they have and also strengthen their feelings for each other. I want much more of their love story I’m not gonna lie 🫠.
Came here for a mermaid story and found instead a beautiful historical fiction fantasy with a really beautiful and poignant message, I really enjoyed it!
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
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:
Complicated
I would like for this book to be longer.
Chapter 4!! Undoubtedly better in the context of the whole book, this could nevertheless stand alone as an insanely moving short story.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty interesting little novella. Cool worldbuilding and trans-species interactions, though maybe trans-species isn't the right word.
Solomon pulls history, trauma, and fantasy into a compelling little story of generational horror and healing. You can read parts of this as allegory, almost explicitly, but I think that's maybe too limiting of a reading.
But, yeah, this is definitely worth the two hours it takes to read, especially if you enjoyed Solomon's novel An Unkindness of Ghosts.
Solomon pulls history, trauma, and fantasy into a compelling little story of generational horror and healing. You can read parts of this as allegory, almost explicitly, but I think that's maybe too limiting of a reading.
But, yeah, this is definitely worth the two hours it takes to read, especially if you enjoyed Solomon's novel An Unkindness of Ghosts.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
An interesting story. I wish it could have been longer.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
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:
Complicated