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savage_book_review's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Ariel is now Queen of the Seas but remains voiceless, Ursula having won the day, killed Triton and married Prince Eric herself. But when a little bird tells her that her father might still be alive and in Ursula's clutches, Ariel must brave heading back into the Dry World to free him. Her wuest quickly becomes about more than saving one merman though, when she sees just what's happened to Eric and his kingdom at Ursula's tentacles...
I will admit, I think I've only seen the Little Mermaid once, and it was a very, very long time ago. It's not a Disney story that ever really inspired me (despite its links to Greek myth!), and Ariel just doesn't rank highly as a Disney Princess IMO. As a result, I appreciate that I don't have the best grasp of the story to understand what has been twisted, or the draw to the characters that would make this a must-read. So I can only really judge the book on its own merits.
I'm just not sure that any element of this story really hit the nail on the head. None of the characters felt like they related in any way to their screen counterparts; they've only aged five years (the blink of a eye in a mer lifespan), but Ariel doesn't have any real drive, Flounder and Sebastian aren't the light relief and Ursula is more of a bored and spiteful princess than the evil sea witch we know. I'd argue that the secondary human characters were the best drawn, but even then you aren't given a whole lot to play with. As a result, I didn't really care about their roles within the story or the jeopardy they faced.
The storyline itself was also pretty weak. Given the length of the book, I was expecting far more than a glorified treasure hunt. There is a severe lack of gripping moments, whether action, romance, darkness or otherwise. The story just plods along, not really doing very much to keep the reader's engagement, and at various points there were sudden shifts that seemed to come from no-where - I'm thinking Eric and Ursula's private dinner scene for one. These could have been far more integral to the story, and far more colourful to give the narrative tempo. The conclusion is lukewarm at best, with Ursula's comeuppance being quite pedestrian and the 'reveal' being fairly predictable.
I'm also not entirely sure how this qualifies as a 'twisted' tale. Yes, it's taken away the happily ever after from the film and it's not a happy story, but I was expecting something much darker. I appreciate it was never going to be one of Emily McIntire's Never After stories (the reveal of book 6's title and inspiration yesterday is what had me reaching for this book from my TBR pile), but even so it could have gotten away with more. This illustrates another issue; I could not tell you what age group this book is pitched at. It's clearly not meant for the same age group as the film, but equally there's nothing in here that really makes a grab for those who remember Disney fondly from their childhood, however long ago that might be. It feels like the brief might have been lost along the way with this one.
Another one for the book swap shelf at work, I think.
I will admit, I think I've only seen the Little Mermaid once, and it was a very, very long time ago. It's not a Disney story that ever really inspired me (despite its links to Greek myth!), and Ariel just doesn't rank highly as a Disney Princess IMO. As a result, I appreciate that I don't have the best grasp of the story to understand what has been twisted, or the draw to the characters that would make this a must-read. So I can only really judge the book on its own merits.
I'm just not sure that any element of this story really hit the nail on the head. None of the characters felt like they related in any way to their screen counterparts; they've only aged five years (the blink of a eye in a mer lifespan), but Ariel doesn't have any real drive, Flounder and Sebastian aren't the light relief and Ursula is more of a bored and spiteful princess than the evil sea witch we know. I'd argue that the secondary human characters were the best drawn, but even then you aren't given a whole lot to play with. As a result, I didn't really care about their roles within the story or the jeopardy they faced.
The storyline itself was also pretty weak. Given the length of the book, I was expecting far more than a glorified treasure hunt. There is a severe lack of gripping moments, whether action, romance, darkness or otherwise. The story just plods along, not really doing very much to keep the reader's engagement, and at various points there were sudden shifts that seemed to come from no-where - I'm thinking Eric and Ursula's private dinner scene for one. These could have been far more integral to the story, and far more colourful to give the narrative tempo. The conclusion is lukewarm at best, with Ursula's comeuppance being quite pedestrian and the 'reveal' being fairly predictable.
I'm also not entirely sure how this qualifies as a 'twisted' tale. Yes, it's taken away the happily ever after from the film and it's not a happy story, but I was expecting something much darker. I appreciate it was never going to be one of Emily McIntire's Never After stories (the reveal of book 6's title and inspiration yesterday is what had me reaching for this book from my TBR pile), but even so it could have gotten away with more. This illustrates another issue; I could not tell you what age group this book is pitched at. It's clearly not meant for the same age group as the film, but equally there's nothing in here that really makes a grab for those who remember Disney fondly from their childhood, however long ago that might be. It feels like the brief might have been lost along the way with this one.
Another one for the book swap shelf at work, I think.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
micaelamariem's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was a decent Disney retelling as far the series go. Not my favorite, but far from my least favorite of the bunch. I appreciated the political intrigue aspect—that’s something in fantasy that always keeps me interested. That being said, I have no idea how Ursula was making decisions as princess when the king and queen were still alive. I think that’s a big plot flaw that needed to be addressed. I also wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of “mad prince Eric” focusing on his operas. I know his “madness” was due to magic but I find it hard to believe everyone still loved him for his art anyway if he was meant to be ruling (but was he?? If his parents are alive?? Please explain.)
But I did like the thrill of trying to expand the empire, putting lives at risk, blackmail, finding Triton, and putting everything at stake. It got a little dark and I was here for it. Overall a three star read.
But I did like the thrill of trying to expand the empire, putting lives at risk, blackmail, finding Triton, and putting everything at stake. It got a little dark and I was here for it. Overall a three star read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
vixenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The premise for the twist is weak and out of character, but there was a demented charm to it. Plus it is the best interpretation of a villain in any “Twisted Tales” iteration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Fatphobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Blood, Alcohol, and War
Warnings for ship wrecks, verbal and emotional abuse of a child, the forced absence of a parent, political deliberation, and facing past mistakes.caitlin033's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Ableism
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