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jlchabotte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism
zmeiat's review against another edition
- 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? No
2.75
Not to mention that there were many cool concepts in the story that were not explored enough. The mermaids daughters, for example - with their sinister presence only appear at the start of the book and peace out for the rest of it. We should also have gotten much more backstory of the protagonists and the world itself needed more context and structure.
Point is, and terribly sorry to say, this was to short of a book. Honestly still good, but the issues were to glaring.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Confinement
allyareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Please I implore you, take your time when reading this. The atmosphere, characters and actually all of the writing is handled with so much deliberate care. Even the most violent or gory scenes (i.e. most of the book) are written so beautifully and delicately. No doubt heavy on the purple prose, but I found once I was in I was in (I also read an Ebook version and we love a quick hold-down thesaurus check).
I’ve always hated the story of the Little Mermaid and this does a fantastic job of exploring the dark suspicions, the various myths and the cyclical nature of storytelling. Getting to hear the story from the monster/victim in their own truth was perfect.
I’m livid it was so short, even with the original short story attached. It may be controversial but I think I might have enjoyed reading the short story before.
But as someone who works as a bookseller, I know it will be divisive. I can tell some people will love this wholeheartedly and others are going to fucking hate it. So I can't recommend this to everyone.
If you don’t like books heavy on vibes, body horror and with big pretentious words, this ain’t your book.
Recommend to fans of tv series Hannibal, the dark elves from the Magicians, dark fairy tale retellings and the people who cheer on the monsters.
If anyone has any simliar books,
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape
serinalovesreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, and Child death
ctara2123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief and Fire/Fire injury
pryingblackbird's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail
carolinamoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
Highly recommend to shake you awake out of your reading slump whether or not you typically read horror. This was simply a well written story with delicious vocabulary words as well as acrid sentences. A terrifying pleasure to read.
(Content warning: harm to children)
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Gore
crisscrossedshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, and Cannibalism
ceruleanseas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Confinement, Miscarriage, Rape, and Pregnancy
archiebb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
My biggest grievance with this book involves a spoiler.
E.g., her being completely taken apart on the doc table but she is able to eat him entirely and then he still comes back and captures her and then she burns them all to ash. But then she can still salvage the bezoar that makes her plague doctor come back 400 years later. Like at that point I really didn't care.
Wouldn't re-read tbh!
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Torture, and Cannibalism