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gladiolus17's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved the Black Conch English and Black Conch’s unique people. And I loved that Life came back for his son. At this point I was chest deep into this story and even this event had a mystical aspect of it.
The writing could be repetitive on a sentence level, but it was also mystical and ancient. I also liked the play with form as a whole.
Awesome book. (I can’t believe one of the top reviews on Goodreads described this as “gynocentric” in a derogatory way. Yuck)
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide
sillyduckie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Cursing, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Blood, Classism, Gun violence, Racism, Body horror, Colonisation, Violence, Xenophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, and Racial slurs
misty_kb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual assault
Moderate: Colonisation
Minor: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Suicide attempt
haddy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I felt really sorry for the mermaid but I didn’t really connect with many of the characters at all.
I thought it was a cool time to set it in (kind of) modern day as well.
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
tgbdscrapbook's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide attempt
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There are some ominous and creepy bits in this book, which meant it fit in well sandwiched between some of my other October reads. It definitely has some supernatural themes.. (duh, mermaid..?!) I think it's well worth checking out the Audiobook version, if only because it catches the accent of the place. Content is a bit violent and bloody, and occasionally sexual in nature, so probably for older readers.
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Racism, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Body horror, Grief, Bullying, Colonisation, Gore, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Ableism and Sexism
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
With a little queer rep and a Caribbean slang and color we are told the story of a mermaid, Aycayia, that has lived under the sea for a thousand years due to a curse put on her by jealous women, her only company an old turtle-woman, cursed alongside her, and the fish and sea creatures, that is until she meets the young Black fisherman, David, and because of him gets caught by American fishermen.
But, David, enthralled by the lure of the mermaid, feeling she’s his destiny saves her and tries to help her, with patience and love, and with the help of the crazy white lady with the deaf son, descendant of the owners of the whole town, because she too knows of broken love, knows what it is to be apart, what it is to have a bright son misunderstood by the town’s people, just like Aycayia.
The story seems hopeful as the mermaid becomes more human and love brews between her and David, but will the curse and the town really let them be?
The story is told with a few POV and in two timelines, present and past when David met Aycayia.
With themes such as the ones I mentioned, the love stories - yes because there’s also the love between the white lady and the Black man who left her pregnant with a deaf son - and a beautiful lyrical writing I really enjoyed this read, even if it was slow going in the beginning and didn’t introduce or develop the turtle-woman Aycayia speaks so much about.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual content and Racial slurs
Minor: Ableism and Pregnancy
tlaynejones's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Colonisation, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
jahoffie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault
ajsteele1699's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence