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astoriareader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- In a desolate, small town, the reader gets to know the narrator. Is the narrator actually a mermaid or out of her mind?
- Unnamed narrator believes she is a mermaid. Her father, who walked into the sea & was never seen again, told her she was a mermaid.
- She falls in love with an older man, Jude, who is a veteran. Jude suffers from PTSD & alcoholism.
- Wow, this one blew me away.
- A short (roughly 200 pgs), bleak read.
- Lyrical & poetic writing.
- Themes: unrequited love, coping mechanisms, grief, obsessive love, inability to process trauma, abandonment by a parent.
- Excellent character development.
- Told in 1st person POV.
- Atmospheric and can easily visualize the setting.
- Loved the author’s incorporation of words & the characters’ interest in language, definitions, and word choice.
- Felt really connected to the narrator. Readers can really feel how isolated and alienated she feels.
- I enjoyed the side characters, especially the grandfather.
Graphic: War, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Miscarriage
joe_dmh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: War and Alcoholism
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent
rileyhuntington's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, War, and Mental illness
martian_anthropologist's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual content and Mental illness
teresareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Death of parent
bi_n_large's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
jbellomy's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide