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betweentheshelves's review
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
To start, I loved the artwork in this. Sheron does a great job with the mermaids, some of the ocean and beach scenes, and the overall character work. There are small details thrown in that bring the world to life, and the color work with the magic mermaid scenes was stunning.
Some of the writing felt a little awkward to me, but I think the book hit its stride by the end. There's a bit of an open ending, which makes me think that there will be more in the future. I appreciated the way that this explored abusive relationships, as Corinth goes through quite the emotional journey. The inclusion of ASL was also really cool, though I didn't understand what was happening until midway through the book.
All in all, I throughly enjoyed this take on mermaids and am looking forward to reading more from Sheron!
Some of the writing felt a little awkward to me, but I think the book hit its stride by the end. There's a bit of an open ending, which makes me think that there will be more in the future. I appreciated the way that this explored abusive relationships, as Corinth goes through quite the emotional journey. The inclusion of ASL was also really cool, though I didn't understand what was happening until midway through the book.
All in all, I throughly enjoyed this take on mermaids and am looking forward to reading more from Sheron!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Blood
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Bullying
saltylane's review
challenging
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? Yes
4.0
Lovely artwork within a unique retelling of The Little Mermaid. I like that it blended modern themes with the original literature’s premise. I like that there’s representation for those who use ASL, which isn’t something that’s prominent in any media. The character growth for the MC is strong and believable. The characters are pretty well-rounded. I am not too sure if I like the ending, though, and I’m hoping for a continuation of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Physical abuse and Injury/Injury detail
indeedithappens's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief, Xenophobia, Blood, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Bullying, and Sexism
ninebookishlives's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting and Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying
xangemthelibrarian's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
5.0
I think I've officially found my favorite retelling of The Little Mermaid!
I love everything about this story. The ASL representation, the positive body diversity, obviously the lovely LGBTQIAP+ romance plot, and our main girl Corinth finally realizing Seth is an abusive a-hole. There is so much here that makes for a rich story, and it is all so well-done with care, respect, and attention.
I love the character designs too. I lived vicariously through Corinth and her dreamy emo/goth girl aesthetic. Skylla is a beautiful mermaid. And I have to say, I'm glad the artist chose not to put breasts on the mermaids, since they are fish and not mammals. First time seeing that kind of design choice, since mermaids and sirens are always sexualized, and I'm living for the anatomically-correct(er) fantasy creatures!
Probably the one and only hang-up I have with this story is that the characters feel and look more like college-age kids or young adults than high schoolers to me. Seth literally looks like a full-grown adult towering over Corinth. I kept forgetting I was reading a story about teens rather than someone more my age. Also, because of the abusive relationship, it is harder for me to see this as a teen story, but I think that's because I don't see abusive relationships portrayed like this in YA literature very often. And you know what? I'm here for it! Teens are just as susceptible to falling into abusive relationships as adults are and they need to be able to see what a bad relationship looks like too so they can find help and escape the situation.
Overall, a very good graphic novel. I love the potential for the story to continue, and definitely look forward to seeing how Corinth and Skylla develop as people and as a couple.
I love everything about this story. The ASL representation, the positive body diversity, obviously the lovely LGBTQIAP+ romance plot, and our main girl Corinth finally realizing Seth is an abusive a-hole. There is so much here that makes for a rich story, and it is all so well-done with care, respect, and attention.
I love the character designs too. I lived vicariously through Corinth and her dreamy emo/goth girl aesthetic. Skylla is a beautiful mermaid. And I have to say, I'm glad the artist chose not to put breasts on the mermaids, since they are fish and not mammals. First time seeing that kind of design choice, since mermaids and sirens are always sexualized, and I'm living for the anatomically-correct(er) fantasy creatures!
Probably the one and only hang-up I have with this story is that the characters feel and look more like college-age kids or young adults than high schoolers to me. Seth literally looks like a full-grown adult towering over Corinth. I kept forgetting I was reading a story about teens rather than someone more my age. Also, because of the abusive relationship, it is harder for me to see this as a teen story, but I think that's because I don't see abusive relationships portrayed like this in YA literature very often. And you know what? I'm here for it! Teens are just as susceptible to falling into abusive relationships as adults are and they need to be able to see what a bad relationship looks like too so they can find help and escape the situation.
Overall, a very good graphic novel. I love the potential for the story to continue, and definitely look forward to seeing how Corinth and Skylla develop as people and as a couple.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
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