A review by astoriareader
The Seas by Samantha Hunt

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • In a desolate, small town, the reader gets to know the narrator. Is the narrator actually a mermaid or out of her mind?
  • Unnamed narrator believes she is a mermaid. Her father, who walked into the sea & was never seen again, told her she was a mermaid.
  • She falls in love with an older man, Jude, who is a veteran. Jude suffers from PTSD & alcoholism.

MY THOUGHTS
  • Wow, this one blew me away.  
  • A short (roughly 200 pgs), bleak read.
  • Lyrical & poetic writing.
  • Themes: unrequited love, coping mechanisms, grief, obsessive love, inability to process trauma, abandonment by a parent.
  • Excellent character development. 
  • Told in 1st person POV.
  • Atmospheric and can easily visualize the setting.
  • Loved the author’s incorporation of words & the characters’ interest in language, definitions, and word choice.
  • Felt really connected to the narrator. Readers can really feel how isolated and alienated she feels.
  • I enjoyed the side characters, especially the grandfather.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️beautifully written + amazing story. only 200 pgs; super quick read.
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