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A review by chaptersofmads
Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan
2.0
Intention: modern, mythical Atlantis meets Chicago? (The city, not the musical.)
Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.
I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.
Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.
On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.
Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better.
Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.
I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.
Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.
On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.
Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better.