What to say... I'm really happy that I found this book and decided to read it.
I enjoyed it every bit of this story. AND THE ENDING.... THANK YOU. *clapping*

2.1 ⭐️

Perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed it!! I loved the near philosophical aspects of a mermaid exploring the human world with all its “quirks” according to her perspective. Both incredibly enjoyable and surprisingly insightful.

What can I say another great book by this amazing author. This time it’s about a fisherman who lives on the cold rocky coast of Maine who is full of loneliness until one evening finds a women caught in his net. They form a life together and as time rolls on the women’s story changes when the fisherman grows old and she thinks she wants to see more of the world. To do this she meets PT Barnum who has been looking for a mermaid. This is a captivating lyrical story seen through Amelia’s eyes and how being different can make you realise how small minded people really are. I don’t want to give anything away just read this tale of the sad and lonely mermaid and people she meets along the way. Thank you Christina Henry as always for taking me on a wonderful journey of the power of storytelling.

This was not what I expected (I didn't read the summary, somehow I expected some dark take on the little mermaid), but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less. I really loved the story, and especially the bigger questions underneath (what makes humanity, etc). Amelia was a wonderful feministic character who was questioning the position of women in her society. I loved how losing a first love doesn't necessarily mean losing love altogether. Getting a take on Barnum was nice too.

Out of Christina Henry's books that I've read so far, this was by far her worst (or the one I disliked most, same difference). It didn't have the dark fairy-tale-esque atmosphere of Alice or Lost Boy, nor the charisma of The Girl in Red. The pacing was off and way too slow to be engaging, and the ending was pretty weak.
2 stars

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did! Heartfelt and warm without being a love fest, I recommend this book if you want a quick read with heart!

2.5

I admit "The Mermaid" by Christina Henry caught me by surprise, because I was expecting it to be kind of a fairy-tale retelling, whereas this was a completely original story, with practically nothing in common with the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Little Mermaid".
Still, it was thoroughly enjoyable: the clever plot, the excellent writing style, the unforgettable characters, the unpredictable twist of the ending...
My favourite quotes are:

"I don't belong to any man--not to Jack, not to Barnum, not to you. I only belong to myself. But belonging to myself doesn't mean I don't love you or that I don't want to stand beside you."

and:

"I want to be your partner, not your possession."

I think this novel should be used in schools, to teach girls and boys the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationship--it offers excellent depictions of both.
And it's also a gripping story, very well-written and with an impressive amount of research that's gone into it.
I'll definitely be re-reading it, and I'll also make sure I get a hold of the author's other novels.