Scan barcode
jkwel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Simply put, this was beautiful. I think trying to summarize or put it in a box would take away the magic i’m still feeling from, but I feel as though I could spend a long time analyzing this story and finding so many more important themes that samantha hunt lined this story with.
0hxneybee's review against another edition
I wanted to finish the book. I basically got 3/4th there but it was just too disconnected, miserable, and all over the place. I like an unreliable narrator but nothing in this book made sense. Which if that was the point, okay, but this book is just deepening my read slump. Also y’all a THIRTEEN YEAR AGE GAP?!?!
0/5 ⭐️
0/5 ⭐️
sachasme's review against another edition
4.0
4 ⭐️
"'I remember how the moon shines into the ocean and the pattern it makes on the sea floor.' She didn't say anything. 'I want to go back there,' he said, and the reason I remember that conversation is because my mother started crying when he said that and I had never heard her cry before."
I feel like I'm a bit too dumb to properly review this book. It was very outside of my comfort zone - I can't even remember if I ever read another magical realism book before. But this book did make an impression on me, and it made me think about it even after finishing.
The protagonist has no name, and I loved how well written it was, because I didn't even feel like it was missing. We follow the story through her eyes, and it's poetic, sad and actually a pity. She lives in such a weird environment, without goals, without real friends, with a problematic family and being problematic herself. Her way to cope with it is both her crush on Jude, who's way older, and her fantasies about being a mermaid.
For most of the book, I could say how delusional she was, but at the end, the lines blurred a bit for me, and even though it didn't change my mind about her, I really liked how it made me think a bit and made me understand why her fantasies could be such a relief for her.
"'I remember how the moon shines into the ocean and the pattern it makes on the sea floor.' She didn't say anything. 'I want to go back there,' he said, and the reason I remember that conversation is because my mother started crying when he said that and I had never heard her cry before."
I feel like I'm a bit too dumb to properly review this book. It was very outside of my comfort zone - I can't even remember if I ever read another magical realism book before. But this book did make an impression on me, and it made me think about it even after finishing.
The protagonist has no name, and I loved how well written it was, because I didn't even feel like it was missing. We follow the story through her eyes, and it's poetic, sad and actually a pity. She lives in such a weird environment, without goals, without real friends, with a problematic family and being problematic herself. Her way to cope with it is both her crush on Jude, who's way older, and her fantasies about being a mermaid.
For most of the book, I could say how delusional she was, but at the end, the lines blurred a bit for me, and even though it didn't change my mind about her, I really liked how it made me think a bit and made me understand why her fantasies could be such a relief for her.
deebury's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
surdzzz's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Alcoholism, and War
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicide
Minor: Rape
birdiesreads's review against another edition
4.0
I’m so confused, still not sure how I feel about this one, the narrator was so unreliable I almost hoped for a different perspective at the end to explain what actually happened but it was a really engaging and interesting read. Would re-read, more like 3.5ish stars, rounding up
hikikomorka's review against another edition
5.0
Dark and sad fairytale in a cruel seaside town. I love it.
leawber's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mrsjoc's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0