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emberise's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Not entirely sure what I just read. Very eerie, very atmospheric, very disconnected. Magical realism rather than fantasy. A study in grief and depression. Kind of bleak and kind of hopeful at the same time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
umbranrealness's review
3.0
Very much enjoyed Mara and Pearl's story and a lot of the description in this book. I didn't connect as much with the other characters and the change/reveal of narrator felt quite sudden at the end.
coco_lolo's review against another edition
4.0
This book was weird and quiet and haunting in ways I didn't expect. The Gloaming explores themes like grief and first love and self-discovery, as well as the fact that our wishes and ideas of happiness are not static. While I wanted an actual mermaid or selkie to make an appearance, I can content myself with the more figurative role these mythical beings played.
deesoupdragon's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
cele3222's review
Tried to finish it but didn't manage
It was okay and I was engaged at the beginning
I guess I wanted more selkies and mermaids than she was offering
It was okay and I was engaged at the beginning
I guess I wanted more selkies and mermaids than she was offering
stitchkid's review
2.0
This was a quaint literary tale about two mermaid lovers and how they marvelled in the small magics of their world.
petmynozeoh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
extrey_extrey's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage
unnursvana's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't the old-fashioned world I was expecting, and there weren't any real mermaids there, which also disappointed me. The mermaid is used more as a symbol of freedom and such, a metaphor, which sure is a very interesting thing within the story and makes for an interesting character-study, but I don't particularly like magic realism or this sort of not-quite-fantasy-literary-fiction and rather just wanted to read about real mermaids.