anxietygirl89's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
CORAL follows three different points-of-view: a girl who’s reluctantly addressing her suicidal feelings, a boy whose sister recently tried to commit suicide, and a mermaid whose sister seems to be succumbing to a deadly illness. At first I thought the mermaid sections would be a sort of direct retelling of Andersen’s fairy tale, and there are some similarities. But it’s a very re-imagined version of the story with a much broader look at heartbreak and depression how devastating they can be.
I feel like it took me a long time to get this book. It has three different points of view that eventually collide, and I kept trying to guess how they intersected. (Not the way I guessed.) Once they did, it was a little confusing for me to think back through the earlier part of the story and have it all make sense with the new information. Maybe just because it was a direction I didn’t expect? I’m not sure.
I really like the way the story shows how overpowering emotions and depression can be. I felt like it was easy to understand Brooke’s dark feelings, and the connection to the Little Mermaid fairy tale made sense in broad strokes.
Throughout CORAL, there’s a running theme where things aren’t what they seem. Merrick’s relationships with almost every other character surprise him. Brooke’s secrets change things, too. It created a layered feel to the story that I enjoyed. We aren’t always right about people– sometimes even the ones closest to us. So that rang true for me.
Overall, I thought CORAL was imaginative and a powerful exploration of emotions and depression. If you liked Sara Ella’s other books, I think you’ll like CORAL, too. Fans of the Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks will like the blend of mermaids and modern setting, too.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I feel like it took me a long time to get this book. It has three different points of view that eventually collide, and I kept trying to guess how they intersected. (Not the way I guessed.) Once they did, it was a little confusing for me to think back through the earlier part of the story and have it all make sense with the new information. Maybe just because it was a direction I didn’t expect? I’m not sure.
I really like the way the story shows how overpowering emotions and depression can be. I felt like it was easy to understand Brooke’s dark feelings, and the connection to the Little Mermaid fairy tale made sense in broad strokes.
Throughout CORAL, there’s a running theme where things aren’t what they seem. Merrick’s relationships with almost every other character surprise him. Brooke’s secrets change things, too. It created a layered feel to the story that I enjoyed. We aren’t always right about people– sometimes even the ones closest to us. So that rang true for me.
Overall, I thought CORAL was imaginative and a powerful exploration of emotions and depression. If you liked Sara Ella’s other books, I think you’ll like CORAL, too. Fans of the Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks will like the blend of mermaids and modern setting, too.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
tiffysbookadventures's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
This book was not what I expected at all but not in a bad way. I was a bit confused at the start but I’m so glad I continued on and figured out that things all connected. This book does deal with topics like depression and suicide quite heavily so take care when reading. That being said, I feel like these topics are written about in a realistic, sensitive and respectful manner.
kenne's review against another edition
This seems to be for a very specific audience, I'm not sure who that is but I know I'm not it. Maybe I would have enjoyed this fifteen years ago but in my thirties it couldn't be less interesting... Which is a shame because I liked the potential for the merfolk lore and world. It was literally everything else, that I had zero interest in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
karyleighjoy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
leftsockbestsock's review
The writing was a bit too self-indulgent for my taste. I rolled my eyes too often, I couldn't connect to the characters. While the premise is what drew me in, everything else pushed me away. I will not be going back to this.
josiahdegraaf's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good read, though it's admittedly more contemporary than speculative fiction (despite what the premise might seem to imply). As a work of contemporary fiction, I loved the themes Ella chose to tackle and thought the characters' complexity and depth were rather spot-on. The first time reading through the book, I found the plot a bit confusing due to a certain plot twist--but the second read clarified things in that regard. I appreciate Christian authors who are willing to deal with the sorts of hard topics that Ella does in this book.
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars (Good).
adalinemccormick's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Blood, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
booklitegal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
vaiomo's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this! Also appreciate the serious topic warnibg in the beginning and then the usual "in case you know someone" in the back. I think it's always a good thing.
The story was great, I would definitely read this again!
The story was great, I would definitely read this again!