I feel a bit bad about rating this so low. It did what it set out to do incredibly well: re-imagining The Little Mermaid in a West African mythos. The recognizable components -- rescuing a Love Interest from drowning; a mermaid who can take human form because of the assistance of a sea witch; discomfort in walking, with pain in the feet -- were recognizable, but seamlessly integrated into an entirely different world. The plot was tight, with the Love Interest's goals aligning coincidentally with the mermaid's goals; and the eventual resolution of the love story was handled in a satisfying and unpredictable way. (Although I see it's book 1 of a series, so I expect that resolution is going to be walked back in favour of a more predictable ending, alas.)

But. But but but but. This book is firmly YA. It is aimed at a YA readership, and for that reason, although I recognize the skill at this beautiful reimagining of a familiar tale in a new context, I found myself getting awfully bored and restless at times. THat's not the book's fault. It's a good book that does what it does well. But it wasn't for me.