The Mermaid
Author: Christina HenryPublished: June 19th, 2018
Book Length: 336 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
From the author of Lost Boy comes a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and later finds herself in P.T. Barnum’s American Museum as the real Fiji mermaid. However, leaving the museum may be harder than leaving the sea ever was.
Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn’t bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return.
P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he’d heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket.
Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he’s determined to hold on to his mermaid.
Before I begin my review, I would like to thank the author and publisher of this novel, as well as Goodreads. I won an ARC copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway and was beyond excited.
First of all mermaids…need I say more?! I will get to the review before I go into fangirl mode about this tantalizing mermaid novel.
I enjoy the color and simplicity of the cover. The bright blues and purples contrast the background and the vines add some whimsy. The vibrant colors are what caught my eye initially. I was not a huge fan of the depicted mermaid tail, but overall I like the cover. I have seen another version of this cover as well:
I actually prefer this version of the cover. This depicts Amelia caught in a fisherman’s net. It shows her long claw-like fingers. The colors might not be as bright, but they contrast very well.
When I first heard about this, knowing Christina Henry writes retellings of fantasy stories, I imagined a retelling of the little mermaid. I was wrong, it is actually a fantasy novel about P.T. Barnum’s museum and the Figi mermaid. I was hooked as soon as I read the summary…pun intended. Sorry, I know that was a terrible joke but I could not resist the urge. But seriously…I was entangled in the story from the first page. Ok, now I am done with the sad jokes…
The story begins with Amelia, a mermaid, getting caught in the net of a fisherman. I must admit the romance between her and Jack seems so natural. It didn’t seem forced at all. I love the relationship these two characters develop. This is not the only romance in the book though, the second one has grown on me as well. I am not going to discuss that one because I do not want to give anything away. No spoilers here!
The characters in this book are developed incredibly well. You develop connections with many of them. I love that Amelia is not portrayed as the typical mermaid we have become accustomed to seeing in many fantasy stories. She is portrayed as more realistic. She is a headstrong and determined woman. I really enjoyed how she said she was not beautiful, but alien in her mermaid form. She also made it very clear that she belonged to nobody but the sea. She was a creature of the sea and nobody could change that. One of my favorite parts of the book is where she makes it very clear that a woman is never her husband’s property.
This is so true and I am happy to see more independent, married women these days. When you marry, you are not simply a piece of property but a partner in that relationship. You remain your own person with your own interests and desires.P.T. Barnum’s wife shows us the contrasting ways some women live their married lives. Never let someone change you or try to cage you…be like Amelia, be free.
“Freedom was far more intoxicating than safety could ever be.”
P.T. Barnum was portrayed in a way that I feel would be accurate. He was hostile and hungry for fame and money. Here, he goes to any length to ensure he has the best attraction…a mermaid.
Levi was a character that grew on me. In the beginning, I did not care for him. He seemed spineless, doing whatever his boss asked of him even if he felt is was wrong. Later in the story, he makes better choices and seems to have grown along the way.
I typically do not read many historical fiction novels, but could not put this one down. It does seem to bring to light many of the darker sides of our society, but not in a bad way. It forces the reader to be aware of what times were like then and how far we have come and continue to grow. I flew through the book as well, it was paced really well. In the end, this is an amazing, whimsical fantasy novel with fantastic characters. It is a standalone book which is nice as well, I seem to already have a never-ending TBR list. I urge you all to pick up this story and give it a chance.
Have you read this novel? Does it sound like something you would enjoy? Would you read a novel that brings to light the darker side of our society? Have you read other stories by this author? Let me know what you think below.