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A review by christinecc
The Mermaid in the Millpond by Lucy Strange
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A simultaneously creepy and heart-warming story about loss, friendship, and the desire to remain kind in an often unkind world.
Bess is a young girl scraping by at a Victorian workhouse (which, I'm sure you've heard, is not a great Victorian place to be). She keeps to herself and looks our for herself. But underneath her hardened exterior, Bess is intrigued by another girl, Dot. And the two of them, naturally, are intrigued by a much more puzzling thing: a mermaid in the deep, dark pond outside the workhouse.
I wasn't sure if this would make for a good holiday season read, but once I was finished I was glad to have requested the book in a cold, wintry month that suits the author's cold Victorian world. Author Lucy Strange doesn't pull her punches when depicting the cruelty inflicted on workhouse children, nor how they ended up there in the first place. But what I find especially impressive about this book is how genuine Strange's message of grief, regret, and hope feels by the end. If there's a little creepy gothic vibe at the start, it's all for the better.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys short historical fiction (gorgeously illustrated), character-centric stories, and a little hair-raising ambiance before that warm feeling of hope sets in.
Thank you to Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Bess is a young girl scraping by at a Victorian workhouse (which, I'm sure you've heard, is not a great Victorian place to be). She keeps to herself and looks our for herself. But underneath her hardened exterior, Bess is intrigued by another girl, Dot. And the two of them, naturally, are intrigued by a much more puzzling thing: a mermaid in the deep, dark pond outside the workhouse.
I wasn't sure if this would make for a good holiday season read, but once I was finished I was glad to have requested the book in a cold, wintry month that suits the author's cold Victorian world. Author Lucy Strange doesn't pull her punches when depicting the cruelty inflicted on workhouse children, nor how they ended up there in the first place. But what I find especially impressive about this book is how genuine Strange's message of grief, regret, and hope feels by the end. If there's a little creepy gothic vibe at the start, it's all for the better.
Recommended to anyone who enjoys short historical fiction (gorgeously illustrated), character-centric stories, and a little hair-raising ambiance before that warm feeling of hope sets in.
Thank you to Netgalley and Barrington Stoke for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.