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A review by caityq
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book is a bit up and down for me.
I really like some aspects - the use of colloquial language in narration, most of the characters I found very compelling, and the location felt very real and visceral. The plot was simple and easy to follow, and some scenes were really good (I liked Life talking to the Americans particularly, and the friendship between Aycayia was very sweet).
There were some definite snags - the narrator changing perspectives, sometimes within the same section, I found disorientating and it felt a bit poorly executed. I also initially enjoyed the poems but then found it detracted from some scenes - particularly when it's not clear how they got written (underwater???) and how they fit into the storyline. I also didn't really like Priscilla - it felt like she was pretty 2D and there purely as a plot device. She either needed more time to be formed, or clearer motives (rather than just being bad).
Overall it was quite an interesting book with some good parts, but not enough for me to ever feel compelled to re-read, or recommend broadly to people.
I really like some aspects - the use of colloquial language in narration, most of the characters I found very compelling, and the location felt very real and visceral. The plot was simple and easy to follow, and some scenes were really good (I liked Life talking to the Americans particularly, and the friendship between Aycayia was very sweet).
There were some definite snags - the narrator changing perspectives, sometimes within the same section, I found disorientating and it felt a bit poorly executed. I also initially enjoyed the poems but then found it detracted from some scenes - particularly when it's not clear how they got written (underwater???) and how they fit into the storyline. I also didn't really like Priscilla - it felt like she was pretty 2D and there purely as a plot device. She either needed more time to be formed, or clearer motives (rather than just being bad).
Overall it was quite an interesting book with some good parts, but not enough for me to ever feel compelled to re-read, or recommend broadly to people.