vangoghssunflowers 's review for:

The Seas by Samantha Hunt
4.0
dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
Very intriguing. This book had many elements I love: magical realism, unreliable narrator, and an insane female main character. The prose, simply put, is beautiful. Our main character, who spends the entire novel unnamed, fleshed out her emotions and understandings of the world in poetic manner. She discusses love, death, and grief in metaphors that rings true. 

I particularly enjoyed the fact we never know for certain whether or not she is a mermaid. I think the question left hanging in the air helps drive the point home. 

Overall, while I loved this story, it was difficult to grapple with the age gap between her and Jude—especially noting they met when she was 12. The difference between a 12 and 26 year old is staggering. The stories of them under the pier feel less whimsical and more shameful when that fact comes to light. Our main character is not a manic pixie dream girl, she is a child devastated by the death, namely suicide, of her father. She’s searching for that connection in Jude and he lets her. Even though he knows it’s wrong. Knows he shouldn’t. He lets her and his memories of the war consume him.


Still a fantastic read that has my brain wheeling!
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