perfictionistnicole's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
maiapova's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
if you like mermaids and necromancy i guess this is the book for you
not sure why we needed the priest's pov so much
why would you create a very interesting mermaid concept with lots of potential ... and then not set your main story in the ocean? what are all these humans doing here?
very weak and watery romance plot
there's this big thing about finding sanna's mother but then
not sure why we needed the priest's pov so much
why would you create a very interesting mermaid concept with lots of potential ... and then not set your main story in the ocean? what are all these humans doing here?
very weak and watery romance plot
there's this big thing about finding sanna's mother but then
Spoiler
when she finds out it's Olla the author does that annoying thing where a something really big is revealed but you don't see anyone's reaction when it should be really emotional and heartfelt, PLUS the reveal was very obvious. If Olla had had an important role, rather than just 'resident crazy bee lady' it would be more surprising that she is Sanna's mother.marikaris's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
sarahp85's review against another edition
3.0
Well written, like the idea of the book but it was long and... kind of boring?
I never truly got into it even though I love everything mermaids normally.
I never truly got into it even though I love everything mermaids normally.
soulstones's review against another edition
1.0
I really have nothing else to say other than this book is a complete and utter waste of my time. Basically, I am a The Little Mermaid enthusiast who is always in constant searching for books about mermaids, so when I saw this book, never in my life have I pressed the ‘add to-read shelf’ button so fast. But as you can see, I am thoroughly disappointed with what I found.
The synopsis was intriguing enough for me to be excited when I start the book, and the reviews that I’ve read about it were promising. Naturally, I had some expectations about it. Imagine the sense of betrayal that I felt when I realized this was nothing like what I expected. I’m surprised of how a 500 pages book could deliver.. absolutely nothing.
Or maybe not. I think I’m just immensely dissatisfied about it. The pacing is very draggy and there’s literally no depth to the characters, the conflict was so predictable and the worst thing of it all, is that the all the characters are lacking the most important thing ever: braincells. And that’s not all!! There’s also the way there’s no chemistry between the relationships, be it platonic or romantic. Literally.
The characters also have this trait of being *very* questionable. I won’t delve into the details to avoid spoilers, but their behaviors are all so weird and nothing clicks in place at all for me.
Short chapters are always a lifesaver for me, because it adds the illusion that I’m actually a fast reader. Though, this book has its own way of not making me feel like that at all. I felt even worse than reading a 800 pages book with only 50 chapters or so.
In conclusion, this book might be for you if… honestly, I don’t know. Don’t ask me about that. You just have to find out for yourself.
The synopsis was intriguing enough for me to be excited when I start the book, and the reviews that I’ve read about it were promising. Naturally, I had some expectations about it. Imagine the sense of betrayal that I felt when I realized this was nothing like what I expected. I’m surprised of how a 500 pages book could deliver.. absolutely nothing.
Or maybe not. I think I’m just immensely dissatisfied about it. The pacing is very draggy and there’s literally no depth to the characters, the conflict was so predictable and the worst thing of it all, is that the all the characters are lacking the most important thing ever: braincells. And that’s not all!! There’s also the way there’s no chemistry between the relationships, be it platonic or romantic. Literally.
The characters also have this trait of being *very* questionable. I won’t delve into the details to avoid spoilers, but their behaviors are all so weird and nothing clicks in place at all for me.
Short chapters are always a lifesaver for me, because it adds the illusion that I’m actually a fast reader. Though, this book has its own way of not making me feel like that at all. I felt even worse than reading a 800 pages book with only 50 chapters or so.
In conclusion, this book might be for you if… honestly, I don’t know. Don’t ask me about that. You just have to find out for yourself.
womanon's review against another edition
3.0
This was very enjoyable. The E-ARC I received was hard to read though. There were new paragraphs where there shouldn't be any, and the chapter headings were confusing. I am not sure how it was supposed to look. The thing that I disliked most about this book was the fact that there was a lack of conversation. I found my attention wandering quite often. I did like the story, though. It felt like a dark fairytale, and I absolutely loved that.
samflowerv6's review against another edition
okay I really wanted to like this but something about the writing is hard to follow. It just didn't work for me. The idea was really there, the possibility of this story being very unique. I think the thought was there but it did not do it for me. I could imagine myself picking this up later.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
sunshine169's review against another edition
2.0
I am an avid reader of mermaid stories. The Little Mermaid was my absolute favorite Disney movie as a child. I played out that VHS so much my parents had to buy a new one. That means that when I see a book about mermaids I am going to want to read it.
With all that said this was not my favorite. Mostly because I am not sure what was going on. The story lagged a lot and then you mix that with some confusing aspects and you get a disappointed Stephanie. I am just not really sure what happened. Sanna, our half mermaid half human, sets off with a goal of find her mother who is from the land. However, this was not a quest to find her mom like I had hoped. It ended up being a cluster of randomness and then all hell breaks loose.
Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
With all that said this was not my favorite. Mostly because I am not sure what was going on. The story lagged a lot and then you mix that with some confusing aspects and you get a disappointed Stephanie. I am just not really sure what happened. Sanna, our half mermaid half human, sets off with a goal of find her mother who is from the land. However, this was not a quest to find her mom like I had hoped. It ended up being a cluster of randomness and then all hell breaks loose.
Spoiler
At the end she finds her mother in a blink to just tie up the quest. It just felt really out of the blue with no satisfying finish. I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it was an actual adventure to find her mom.Thank you to Netgalley and Candlewick Press for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
melodie157's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok, but I wouldn’t recommend it to my friends. It was slow. But the cover is AMAZZINNGGG