A review by susanatwestofmars
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I had a lot of fun reading this, and it was one where I could turn my editor's brain off and just enjoy. I don't get to do that often; there are usually some early issues that keep the editorial commentary going.
I also didn't have a problem with the portrayal of Florian/Flora like a lot of readers did. To my eye, Flora was just still figuring it all out. That's something we do throughout our entire lives; why should this character be any different? Maybe the criticism is better turned on the readers who expect a fictional character to not only have it all worked out, but the way they want it to be, according to the rules they've set.
I do agree that the portion with the witch wasn't developed nearly fully enough. Xenobia, her witchcraft, the idea of stories -- especially because in the early going, Evelyn is horrified that Florian does not have access to stories. I'd have loved to see more development of the ideas of oral versus written stories; it was all right there to develop. (Ahh, but for a better developmental editor who could either have brought the idea of storytelling to the fore or else buried it better, but based on the author's comment about asking complex questions and making the plot simpler, I have a feeling this is as good as they were going to get this particular book at that particular moment in time.)
Just overall, this was a fun read. It was well written and the main story of piracy and what it takes to survive and what it means to love, and how that comes about and how there's hope in unlikely places... It made for a good read, and an author with potential that I would love to see her develop and grow into.
I also didn't have a problem with the portrayal of Florian/Flora like a lot of readers did. To my eye, Flora was just still figuring it all out. That's something we do throughout our entire lives; why should this character be any different? Maybe the criticism is better turned on the readers who expect a fictional character to not only have it all worked out, but the way they want it to be, according to the rules they've set.
I do agree that the portion with the witch wasn't developed nearly fully enough. Xenobia, her witchcraft, the idea of stories -- especially because in the early going, Evelyn is horrified that Florian does not have access to stories. I'd have loved to see more development of the ideas of oral versus written stories; it was all right there to develop. (Ahh, but for a better developmental editor who could either have brought the idea of storytelling to the fore or else buried it better, but based on the author's comment about asking complex questions and making the plot simpler, I have a feeling this is as good as they were going to get this particular book at that particular moment in time.)
Just overall, this was a fun read. It was well written and the main story of piracy and what it takes to survive and what it means to love, and how that comes about and how there's hope in unlikely places... It made for a good read, and an author with potential that I would love to see her develop and grow into.