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A review by drewanabri
The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan
4.0
This book is an absolutely fascinating take on selkie mythology. I enjoyed that the book really emphasizes just how creepy it is for a dude to basically imprison an anthropomorized animal as his wife, yet it also provides some redemption for the future part-seal offspring. The prose was absolutely beautiful, and the author did a great job of creating a misty, mysterious, seaside vibe.
I also appreciated that Lanagan improved a little on her technique of using multiple protagonist viewpoints. Things flow a little more smoothly, and each viewpoint feels like a helpful, insightful addition to the plot. All the viewpoints helped build a picture of the whole village and explore how things changed with the passage of time.
At the same time, this book didn't quite connect with me as much as Tender Morsels did. My main issue was the lack of characterization. Most of the guys are just sort of unrelentingly evil or weakminded, and the bad behavior of the wimps is essentially blamed on "well, they were bewitched by the hot seal chicks." Misskaella's complicated revenge plot isn't really examined in-depth either. It basically just boils down to her being mad because the village guys found other women more attractive, and she never really stops to examine how her actions are affecting the seals. For a book that tackles such complex subjects, the character studies seemed to be fairly bland and surface-level.
I also appreciated that Lanagan improved a little on her technique of using multiple protagonist viewpoints. Things flow a little more smoothly, and each viewpoint feels like a helpful, insightful addition to the plot. All the viewpoints helped build a picture of the whole village and explore how things changed with the passage of time.
At the same time, this book didn't quite connect with me as much as Tender Morsels did. My main issue was the lack of characterization. Most of the guys are just sort of unrelentingly evil or weakminded, and the bad behavior of the wimps is essentially blamed on "well, they were bewitched by the hot seal chicks." Misskaella's complicated revenge plot isn't really examined in-depth either. It basically just boils down to her being mad because the village guys found other women more attractive, and she never really stops to examine how her actions are affecting the seals. For a book that tackles such complex subjects, the character studies seemed to be fairly bland and surface-level.