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julialozanoh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexism
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: War, Murder, Death of parent, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Sexual content
kirstenf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Alcohol, War, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fatphobia, Ableism, and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Drug use, and Pedophilia
danielle_n's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Death of parent, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Infidelity
Minor: Suicide, Fatphobia, Murder, and Lesbophobia
katievh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Body shaming
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
danajoy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Gore, and Violence
persphones's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
From the get go, you can see how patriarchal and sexist the mermaid society is. It might be a bit too on the nose, but still, it works and it's a good critique.
The instalove trope is obviously there - it's the little mermaid, guys - and while a bit annoying, you can see some underlying tones that things will go wrong in the future for our protagonist.
Gaia (our Ariel) is a young girl who is in love with a pretty dude she has never met. That said, it can be kind of annoying, but that is kind of the point of the story.
I liked the construction of the mermaid society, but I do think the writing could have been a bit better. Again, a bit too on the nose for me, all the plot twists a bit too obvious and the foreshadowings were not that subtle.
I did like the book - I like retellings, especially dark ones, and I love the little mermaid original story. This one is as brutal and painful (and gorey, if that's not something you're into!) as the original.
But I Think Elana K Arnold's dark retellings set a standard too high for me to truly love this book.
Some CW for the book are rape, gore, violence.
Graphic: Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, and Child abuse