i went into this book expecting another 'lost boy', another 'girl in red', another 'horseman' - just famous and innocent tales twisted into something evil and brutal -, something that, in hindsight, i probably should not have done. because in comparison to all these fun and exciting stories, the mermaid was excruciatingly mediocre.

i was wholly underwhelmed and this was exacerbated by the fact the first half of the book was plain boring. the exposition was long, the writing felt very sober and unenganging. it really felt like someone was telling you a fairy tale - lots of telling instead of showing, mostly just sentences of action, hardly of feelings - but instead of listening to it excitedly, i found myself wondering 'okay, and then what?'.

i do have to say though that i ended up really enjoying the second half of the book, after it finally found its tone and thankfully stuck to it.
the choppy writing style evolved into something more relaxed and loose and then solidified. it was also incredibly immersive, which is not at all unusual for henry's writing.
the book stayed rather uneventful (except for one or two 'shocking' happenings) until the end, but at least the writing really managed to carry you through it, like a good carriage on a rocky road. 

the characters were fine. i didn't particularly like any of them, but i respected their strengths - amelia's bravery and self-sufficience, levi's kindness, charity's solidarity and support (even in the face of her unwilling husband).

and i liked the ending. it was sort of predictable (

them having a child, moving to this far-off island, levi and amelia getting together in general, which i'm still not sure i like

), but that didn't particularly ruin anything for me.

so yeah. a fine read once you make it through the first half.
if you haven't read any christina henry books yet and ergo haven't been blessed (or cursed in this case) with the absolute exciting brilliance and brutality of her other books, then you might enjoy this. and if you have, just don't expect this one to be the same as her other masterpieces.

The mermaid is the second book I have read by Christina Henry. I have to say that I like her as an author and I would love to read more books written by her. I personally preferred the ghost tree over the mermaid but I have to be honest and admit that mermaids aren’t my favorite magical beings 😅. But i still liked the mermaid and here are my reasons why:  

Plot 
The little mermaid meets P.T.Barnum. This book is about Amelia, a mermaid who fell in love with a fisherman and who became a widow when she lost her fisherman to the sea. After years of waiting for his return, she meets Levi, a young man sent by P.T.Barnum  to recruit her for Barnum’s museum. When she decides to join the museum to earn some money,
She finds herself gradually getting more stuck in his elaborate plans. 

Characters
I loved most of the characters. Amelia is a strong headed woman and I really liked reading about her. She fights for what she beliefs is right and she doesn’t get trampled by the man surrounding her. 

Levi is a young men with a lot to learn. He is sweet and caring but I feel
Like he does it because of the wrong reasons. I sometimes felt like he was annoying. 

Writing 
Christina Henry is a marvelous writer, who has her own way with words. It’s medium/fast paced and it is easy to read. 

Storytelling
I did like the story but I felt like some elements didn’t get the pages and love they deserved. The last part of the book was in my opinion disappointing. I felt like it was written to fast.  

I would recommend this book to mermaid lovers. 

I have mixed feelings about this one. So, I love Christina Henry and her work but this didn't feel the same as her other works. I didn't find any of the characters loveable or even likable (apart from Charity, who is a side character. Her growth throughout the story was very interesting), and the plot moved far too slowly, which I understand why. The slow plot allows you to feel like you are sharing the mermaids long journey of freedom, but it's just not to my taste. 

The book took a huge turn for me when I started reading it as more of an essay on the male gaze and the expectations of women during the period and the modern age. If it wasn't for this then the rating I gave it would have been lower. As an essay it is more interesting to me.