A review by dannilmp
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Not a book I would have normally picked up, but chose for Storygraph's read around the world challenge 2023. A story about a mermaid and her encounter with humans on Black Conch. While there were elements of the story I found difficult to read, such as the mermaid's poetry or the way speech dialogue was written; I found these reflected both the mermaid's lack of understanding of language and the speech helped to immerse me into the setting of the story. 

While this was a relatively shorter book compared to those I usually read, I felt the pacing of this book to be quite slow and the pages seemed a lot more than what they were. I found myself only being able to read a chapter at a time before needing to take a break. However, there was a beautiful story to be told throughout these pages and one that certainly got me thinking and reflecting on human behaviour, specifically those negative emotions of jealousy and hatred. 

Not a book I would reread but it was certainly worth a read to broaden my horizons to the other types of literature out there. 
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