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icarusandthesun's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
i went into this book expecting another 'lost boy', another 'girl in red', another 'horseman' - just famous and innocent tales twisted into something evil and brutal -, something that, in hindsight, i probably should not have done. because in comparison to all these fun and exciting stories, the mermaid was excruciatingly mediocre.
i was wholly underwhelmed and this was exacerbated by the fact the first half of the book was plain boring. the exposition was long, the writing felt very sober and unenganging. it really felt like someone was telling you a fairy tale - lots of telling instead of showing, mostly just sentences of action, hardly of feelings - but instead of listening to it excitedly, i found myself wondering 'okay, and then what?'.
i do have to say though that i ended up really enjoying the second half of the book, after it finally found its tone and thankfully stuck to it.
the choppy writing style evolved into something more relaxed and loose and then solidified. it was also incredibly immersive, which is not at all unusual for henry's writing.
the book stayed rather uneventful (except for one or two 'shocking' happenings) until the end, but at least the writing really managed to carry you through it, like a good carriage on a rocky road.
the characters were fine. i didn't particularly like any of them, but i respected their strengths - amelia's bravery and self-sufficience, levi's kindness, charity's solidarity and support (even in the face of her unwilling husband).
and i liked the ending. it was sort of predictable (them having a child, moving to this far-off island, levi and amelia getting together in general, which i'm still not sure i like ), but that didn't particularly ruin anything for me.
so yeah. a fine read once you make it through the first half.
if you haven't read any christina henry books yet and ergo haven't been blessed (or cursed in this case) with the absolute exciting brilliance and brutality of her other books, then you might enjoy this. and if you have, just don't expect this one to be the same as her other masterpieces.
i was wholly underwhelmed and this was exacerbated by the fact the first half of the book was plain boring. the exposition was long, the writing felt very sober and unenganging. it really felt like someone was telling you a fairy tale - lots of telling instead of showing, mostly just sentences of action, hardly of feelings - but instead of listening to it excitedly, i found myself wondering 'okay, and then what?'.
i do have to say though that i ended up really enjoying the second half of the book, after it finally found its tone and thankfully stuck to it.
the choppy writing style evolved into something more relaxed and loose and then solidified. it was also incredibly immersive, which is not at all unusual for henry's writing.
the book stayed rather uneventful (except for one or two 'shocking' happenings) until the end, but at least the writing really managed to carry you through it, like a good carriage on a rocky road.
the characters were fine. i didn't particularly like any of them, but i respected their strengths - amelia's bravery and self-sufficience, levi's kindness, charity's solidarity and support (even in the face of her unwilling husband).
and i liked the ending. it was sort of predictable (
so yeah. a fine read once you make it through the first half.
if you haven't read any christina henry books yet and ergo haven't been blessed (or cursed in this case) with the absolute exciting brilliance and brutality of her other books, then you might enjoy this. and if you have, just don't expect this one to be the same as her other masterpieces.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Confinement, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Medical content, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Infertility, Animal cruelty, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Slavery, Blood, and Colonisation
amanda_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
āIād have to agree with Mr. Barnum. Some wonders can't be
explained," he said. ā (p.191)
I really enjoyed this book, I have heard of this author before for her Alice. Series and I liked the twist on history. I know very little about PT. Barnum what I know I know from TGS. I found this a wondrous tale, with heart and pulled many emotions out of me. It was mysterious and deep like the ocean. š§āāļø
I really enjoyed this book, I have heard of this author before for her Alice. Series and I liked the twist on history. I know very little about PT. Barnum what I know I know from TGS. I found this a wondrous tale, with heart and pulled many emotions out of me. It was mysterious and deep like the ocean. š§āāļø
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and Violence
kirareads02's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this one. So, I love Christina Henry and her work but this didn't feel the same as her other works. I didn't find any of the characters loveable or even likable (apart from Charity, who is a side character. Her growth throughout the story was very interesting), and the plot moved far too slowly, which I understand why. The slow plot allows you to feel like you are sharing the mermaids long journey of freedom, but it's just not to my taste.
The book took a huge turn for me when I started reading it as more of an essay on the male gaze and the expectations of women during the period and the modern age. If it wasn't for this then the rating I gave it would have been lower. As an essay it is more interesting to me.
The book took a huge turn for me when I started reading it as more of an essay on the male gaze and the expectations of women during the period and the modern age. If it wasn't for this then the rating I gave it would have been lower. As an essay it is more interesting to me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Sexism
Moderate: Death
Minor: Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Slavery
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