Monday, August 4, 2014

Today I review Mermaid by Kate O'Connor and tell you that this is a book I really like

I recently had the pleasure of reading the novella, Mermaid, by Kate O'Connor. My review, much like this work, is short. The "TL;DR" version is that I absolutely loved it. But the longer version is that as a story, there were (what I thought) "echoes of Ariel" from the well-known Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, but with a much darker and definitely sadder outcome.

I also want to admit that I was at first skeptical. I mean...mermaids as a subject (at least for me) are inherently uninteresting. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I don't really like fish all that much. But whatever the reason happens to be, the fact is that Mermaid is my first go at reading a story of this kind, and Ms. O'Connor did several things right.

First, I was impressed at how grounded in science the mermaid biology was. Second, I loved the world that O'Connor created envisioning underwater farms being cared for by living drones who had sentience, but were not accepted by their human overlords as anything outside of corporate property. There is much to admire in the way the tale unfolds as the world is rich in lore and possibilities, even if the star of this particular story is unable to continue beyond its pages.

And that's why, ladies and gentlemen, if you are looking for a read that's filled with depth and imagination, I highly recommend you grab a copy today.

Have a great Monday
Mark it "To Read" on Goodreads by going HERE.

11 comments:

  1. Mermaid stories aren't my thing either, although I do like fish. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. Ooooo, sounds like a good one. And if you read the original Little Mermaid by Andersen, it too is dark and has a sad ending.

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  3. I like fish...to eat. Not to do that other thing with them, which would just be gross. One thing I know is it can't be worse than "The Mermaid That Came Between Them" which I count as the worst book I've ever read.

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  4. Huh. I've never read a mermaid novel, but I have looked into some of the fun witness accounts of a "real mermaid." Lol.

    I do remember seeing Splash and thinking it was funny. But that was a LONG time ago.

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  5. i do like my fantasy that's grounded in science and biology

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  6. Wow, Michael! I'm shocked! If a mermaid tale (no pun intended) was a good read for you (Yes, I wouldn't think you'd like it either), then it must be good! Wonderful for Kate!

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  7. Added it to my TBR. I think the science and biology part you mentioned would be pretty good. I might have to read it with an order of sashimi.

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  8. Haven't read anything Sci-Fi in a while. You make it sound intriguing.

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  9. When I was a little girl I of course had typical mermaid fantasies, so now as an adult combining those with science should make Kate's book a fun read for me.

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  10. You don't like mermaids? Clearly you didn't see the NatGeo mermaid hysteria a couple of years ago. It was very entertaining! I was enthralled.

    Thanks for the review, I'll keep this book in mind.

    Jai

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  11. Isn't it great when a story surprises you? I guess that's why we should read outside our comfort zones. We might find a story that we love that we might not otherwise have found. Thanks for pointing this one out.

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