I went into The Mermaid expecting a twisted fairy-tale genre, and it was possibly this misconception that left me feeling very slightly disappointed. Instead this book is more historical fiction mixed with magical realism, and it's a good one. There are elements of gothic fairy tale about it, but it wasn't quite what I expected.

I liked the basis in the history of PT Barnum and the Feejee Mermaid, which gave Henry reign to imagine how Barnum might behave when faced with a truly magical creature. He's incredibly unsympathetic in this version (so far removed from Hugh Jackman vibes) and it was really interesting reading his constant clashes with Amelia; who stands up for herself in a way that would have been so uncommon for other women at the time.

There's a thinly veiled feminist vein running through this story, as well as an outsider's perspective on the pervasive arrogance of missionary Christianity in the 19th century. That was all really interesting, especially when even the sympathetic characters would describe remote cultures as "savages" in need of saving.

It's an enjoyable story, with dark undertones and good fairy tale-esque moments. I'm certainly interested to try some of Henry's other books.(and research more about PT Barnum's hoaxes), but I'm not sure this was the most memorable for me.