A review by rtbrck
American Mermaid by Julia Langbein

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

I'll be honest, I hated this book until the last 1/4th of it, and then I decided it was mid. There were clearly no sensitivity readers in regards to explaining and handling asexuality. As a member of the ace community, I was appalled at how it was described, especially with her sister calling asexuality a "condition" that made Penelope "broken" and Penelope just accepting that and it never being revisited again. Instead of being a humorous jaunt through Penelope's trials and tribulations in Hollywood, it was just cringey and uncomfortable. The writing itself is hazy and muddled. The only reason this isn't getting a lower amount of stars is because I enjoyed Sylvia's story. But even on that note, I couldn't find the author's voice. Penelope's chapters felt sloppily and lazily written, while Sylvia's chapters felt more digestible. Overall a confusing and cringey book that came dangerous close to being a DNF.