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janeneal 's review for:
Plain Jane and the Mermaid
by Vera Brosgol
I love love LOVE Vera Brosgol's writing and art and I'm a big fan of the resurgence of mermaids in popular culture with such broad interpretations. As the author's note at the end details, it's really nice to see attention paid to how we internalize beauty in stories, especially for children.
I've always loved Disney Princesses and Barbie and Sailor Moon and overtly feminine protagonists and stories. While there are many positives from these franchises that tend to be undervalued because of their femininity, I love that Brosgol acknowledges the damage that can be done when only the heroines are beautiful and good (and she specifically calls out Disney). This is something I've been thinking about a lot, especially with having a son and now a girl on the way. How gender and beauty are presented, moralized, and largely made up in many ways, all the things that make Joanne Rowling so mad (may she choke).
The story also kind of gives Over the Garden Wall vibes, which I also love. It's not as frightening as Anya's Ghost was, but still had an eeriness to it, especially because you know there is more going on with mermaids than what either protagonist is aware of.
I've always loved Disney Princesses and Barbie and Sailor Moon and overtly feminine protagonists and stories. While there are many positives from these franchises that tend to be undervalued because of their femininity, I love that Brosgol acknowledges the damage that can be done when only the heroines are beautiful and good (and she specifically calls out Disney). This is something I've been thinking about a lot, especially with having a son and now a girl on the way. How gender and beauty are presented, moralized, and largely made up in many ways, all the things that make Joanne Rowling so mad (may she choke).
The story also kind of gives Over the Garden Wall vibes, which I also love. It's not as frightening as Anya's Ghost was, but still had an eeriness to it, especially because you know there is more going on with mermaids than what either protagonist is aware of.