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emily_mh's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
This was a perfectly serviceable “filler” novel of Lumberjanes. The story wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it nicely tied the various plot threads together: a struggling mermaid friendship (because OF COURSE there are mermaids in the lake), Battle of the Mermaid Bands, Ripley and Bubbles’ upcoming performance, and some character development for April. I like that we got to see a vulnerable side to April here; she can come across as totally self-assured and confident, so it was nice to see another layer to her character.
I didn’t like the art style of this volume unfortunately. Carolyn Nowak’s issue covers were spectacular, but her work on the comic content itself felt rushed and lacking in comparison.
At one point it is implied that Harlow, the main merperson in the story, is the mermaid equivalent of a TERF. This view is not endorsed by the authors; it is treated as something that Harlow needs to change. But given the significance of this topic, I don’t think this should have been briefly mentioned in a panel near the end and then immediately moved on from. It needed proper page space, especially seeing as Harlow was a character we were supposed to root for!
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: fainting, volcano, adverse weather
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