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A review by pagesbywrigley
The Mermaid by Christina Henry
5.0
For as much as I read, I can confidently say that I have never read a book quite like this. Not only is it historical fiction about mermaids, but it is also a bit about P.T. Barnum and the Fiji "Feejee" Mermaid retelling.
For those who don't know who P.T. Barnum is, he was a founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, you know, the guy The Greatest Showman is based on. The legendary P.T. Barnum in this version of events is a lot more corrupt than the movie musical one. I honestly was just tolerant towards his character. He wasn't a greatly written character, but he wasn't a poorly written one either.
I was more into the book for Amelia. She was a strong female character who had many beautifully crafted insights on humans and their world. Her story is about grief, freedom/independence, and autonomy.
As you may have been able to guess from my short description of Amelia, this story has a lot of social commentary for the Victorian Era. I'd say around 95% of the comments made in the book still hold up about today's society. Because there is loads of social commentary, that may turn people away from the book because they don't want something so in your face. I can assure you that it may be obvious the author or character is critiquing a worldly or American issue, it is not being forced down your throat every other line.
A few short things I liked are: fast pacing, easily mixing fairytale and history, depictions of grief after suddenly losing a loved one, each character POV had a unique voice.
I feel like I've said it already, but I'll say it again, this book was absolutely beautiful. No matter what was being said, Christina Henry made it sound gorgeous:
"He knew then, without any other proof, that she was a mermaid, a real mermaid, and far from wanting her in Barnum’s tank, he wanted her to return to the ocean or to her cottage on the rocks or just go anywhere but there, for Barnum would take all of her magic and twist it out of her until the enchantment was gone, and Levi was afraid for her, so afraid."
"Freedom was far more intoxicating than safety could ever be.”
“The ocean has a rhythm, but it has no heart.”
“Women who did what they liked instead of what other people wished were often accused of witchcraft, because only a witch would be so defiant, or so it was thought.”
For those who don't know who P.T. Barnum is, he was a founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, you know, the guy The Greatest Showman is based on. The legendary P.T. Barnum in this version of events is a lot more corrupt than the movie musical one. I honestly was just tolerant towards his character. He wasn't a greatly written character, but he wasn't a poorly written one either.
I was more into the book for Amelia. She was a strong female character who had many beautifully crafted insights on humans and their world. Her story is about grief, freedom/independence, and autonomy.
As you may have been able to guess from my short description of Amelia, this story has a lot of social commentary for the Victorian Era. I'd say around 95% of the comments made in the book still hold up about today's society. Because there is loads of social commentary, that may turn people away from the book because they don't want something so in your face. I can assure you that it may be obvious the author or character is critiquing a worldly or American issue, it is not being forced down your throat every other line.
A few short things I liked are: fast pacing, easily mixing fairytale and history, depictions of grief after suddenly losing a loved one, each character POV had a unique voice.
I feel like I've said it already, but I'll say it again, this book was absolutely beautiful. No matter what was being said, Christina Henry made it sound gorgeous:
"He knew then, without any other proof, that she was a mermaid, a real mermaid, and far from wanting her in Barnum’s tank, he wanted her to return to the ocean or to her cottage on the rocks or just go anywhere but there, for Barnum would take all of her magic and twist it out of her until the enchantment was gone, and Levi was afraid for her, so afraid."
"Freedom was far more intoxicating than safety could ever be.”
“The ocean has a rhythm, but it has no heart.”
“Women who did what they liked instead of what other people wished were often accused of witchcraft, because only a witch would be so defiant, or so it was thought.”