[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on 7/3/18]

"Barnum knew, better than anyone, that human tendency to want to believe, to want see the extraordinary."

Told in third-person narration in three alternating perspectives, The Mermaid is an enchanting piece of historical fiction that looks into P.T. Barnum's Feejee Mermaid Hoax of the 1840s. The world Henry crafted is one where the mermaid - Amelia Douglas - was real, and a willing participant in the exhibitions in order to earn money and see the world of humans.

Amelia is a restless mermaid that wants to explore the world, leaving her world behind to explore the unknown. I really enjoyed the "simple magic" of transforming from mermaid to human; it made sense, wasn't overly complicated, and seemed plausible.

This book is more complex than one might think at the surface. It is more than a mermaid falling in love and leaving her world under the sea behind, more than wanting to believe in the extraordinary, and more than a piece of historical fiction on P.T. Barnum, more than a love story. It is a feminist tale of a strong woman thrust into a world that she was enchanted with and learning the harsh realities of that world.

I appreciated the juxtaposition that Henry created by challenging the problematic aspects of the time period through Amelia's eyes. As an outsider, Amelia struggles with the disillusionment of seeing the reality of humanity: through the treatment/expectations of women in the period and in how people view her as less than human. We all know that I enjoy strong female characters, and I absolutely adored how Amelia was unwavering in her own beliefs.

I struggled a bit with Barnum's point of view; I didn't connect with it. I know it was there to provide insight into the character, and how all he really cared about was money and success, but that was abundantly clear through the other perspectives. For me it was a bit jarring and disengaged me from the story. I was left wanting a bit of worldbuilding - I would have loved a some description of the life Amelia left behind and what being a mermaid among her people is like.

"Freedom was far more intoxicating than safety could ever be."

I enjoyed the cast of characters and their varying reactions to seeing a real mermaid, reflecting on the various reactions people would encounter when seeing something they thought was untrue. But Henry adds another layer of complexity on that, because each character has to reconcile this new knowledge with the woman they had come to know personally.

I will admit that there is something about the writing style that I cannot place that isn't to my liking beyond Barnum's POV, but I was so captivated by the plot that I didn't mind the writing style too much. This was a 5 star plot for me, but the writing style wasn't for me personally.

The Mermaid is an engaging, fast-paced read that has a bit of everything: supernatural and magical elements, a bit of romance that supplements rather than centers on the story, and complex characters that cannot be easily categorized. This is mostly a character driven story that doesn't delve much into describing the physical world. Recommended for fans of mythological creatures and historical fiction; who doesn't love a good mermaid story?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Henry has been on my list of authors to read for a very long time. I've always wanted to pick up one of her books, so I was excited at the thought of getting my hands on this book. The writing itself was a little odd thought. The general story was fantastic and I really did enjoy reading it. However the first chapter was a little hard to get into because of the switch in characters point of view. I think however after a couple chapters, you just get used to the way the writing is and the voice of this book, until you're just speeding through it.

I liked this book and thought it was well done. I do have to say that this book was a little different than I expected. That isn't a bad thing since I like being surprised by the books that I am reading. I loved Christina Henry's previous book, Lost Boy, so I was really excited to see what she would do with this mermaid tale. I found the book to be incredibly well written and quite entertaining.

One of the reasons that this book may have surprised me a bit is due to the fact that my mermaid knowledge is quite limited. I have watched the Disney movie more times than I can count but that is really my total mermaid experience. I did see a few similarities between this book and the Disney film but only at the very start of the story.

I liked Amelia and thought her view of the world was quite refreshing. While women around her concerned themselves with the opinions of others and propriety, Amelia cared little about how others saw her. She did not want to see anyone come to harm and really had a very kind heart. I loved her relationship with P.T. Barnum's young daughter, Caroline, and wife, Charity. Levi and Barnum were both great characters as well. Barnum always had dollar signs in his eyes and didn't always do the right thing but I was impressed that he would back down in certain situations. Levi wanted to protect Amelia and it was quite obvious how much he cared for her.

As I mentioned this book wasn't quite what I thought it would be. Based on my experience reading Lost Boy, I expected a much darker story. As I read, I kept thinking about all the evil things that could potentially happen but I just couldn't guess the turns this book would make since it went in a completely different direction than I thought it would. In some ways the story made me sad. It is terrible the way that human beings will treat each other not to mention animals in our care. I also think it would have been very hard to be a woman during this period of time.

I would recommend this book to others. It was a nice combination of fantasy and historical fiction seen through the eyes of a mermaid that is often more human than those around her. I look forward to reading more from Christina Henry very soon.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

A enchanting tale of love and longing, greed and obsession. A must read for anyone that enjoys a spin on fairy-tales.

What can I say about The Mermaid? After reading Lost Boy, I had really high expectations, and, sadly, they weren't met. This isn't to say that I didn't find some enjoyment within the story, but it was not a 5 star read for me.

I really wanted to love this one. I loved bits and pieces of it, but as a whole, it just didn't satisfy me. I loved Amelia and her strength. I loved Caroline and her childish innocence, and I loved how Christina Henry highlighted the problems of the time period where women were treated like property and not given the power and respect they deserved, but that was the extent of my love for the story.

The writing felt off. Chapter one was super hard to read because it switched back and forth from the fisherman and Amelia without enough clarity, and there was a lot of repetition. There was quite a bit of redundancy throughout the whole story, and it just didn't feel unique. Barnum's character was very un-enjoyable because of his greed and attitude toward. The love interest felt under-developed and really superficial, and there just wasn't much that kept me excited.

A lot of the story felt rushed too. Especially the ending. There were a couple time jumps that just felt out of place, and I was left wanting to know more about how things resolved in the end, and what happened with the main characters.

Overall I was left wanting. Yes it had a mermaid, which is a huge love of mine, but there wasn't enough revolving around the mermaid to make me love it. I felt like the mermaid could have been anything or anyone placed in the story. There wasn't enough magic to make me rave about it. It was worth a read, but I wouldn't rate it higher than 2.5 to 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Mermaid is yet another beautiful novel from one of my favorite authors. After first hearing about it, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I, like many other readers, immediately thought we would be getting a retelling of The Little Mermaid in typical Christina Henry fashion. It surprised me to see that this novel would be a historical fiction tale with fantasy mixed in—but, whatever the story, I was here for it. Going in, I knew I would enjoy it, but it surpassed all of my expectations. It is a different style of story than Henry’s most recent works, but it retains all of the raw emotion, vivid backdrops and memorable characters, and that undercurrent of magic that becomes almost tangible.

In this novel, we watch the life of a mermaid named Amelia unfold—as she finds her freedom and her place in the human world. This journey begins when a fisherman accidently catches her in his net. He could not bear to keep her, so he set her free. But Amelia does not forget glimpsing the deep loneliness in his eyes. She realizes she could not stand letting him remain alone, so she found her escape from life in the ocean and transformed into a woman. And so the pair led a beautiful and happy married life together, until the fisherman was lost at sea.

Meanwhile, P.T. Barnum is looking for his next big exhibit to astound the public with, and he is determined to have it feature a mermaid. When he hears tales of a supposed mermaid living on a cliff by the sea, he is eager to find her. In his eyes, she is the exhibit that will ensure his riches and success. Though he agrees to Amelia’s terms—that she should be free to leave whenever she wishes—he doesn’t intend to keep his promise. There is no way he is going to let his most valuable treasure walk away.

I absolutely adored that this tale was based on historical events—events which I knew very little about prior to reading this. Being able to research P.T. Barnum and his American Museum on the side made my experience with the novel even more enthralling. The way that Henry so fluidly weaves magic into the lives that were real, the places that existed, is beyond brilliant and incredibly enchanting. I have never read a novel quite like this one, and Henry has the perfect style and voice to truly bring something like this to life.

I could talk for ages about Henry’s writing style in itself. Her words flow seamlessly, taking the reader over the pages with ease and leaving them not wanting to let go. The way she builds the settings so vividly and creates the tone and atmosphere with such strength pulls you right in—the sounds, the smells, the intensity of the emotion travel along with you. Her words transfer you into an entirely new place, one that is unique, yet comfortably familiar. I always feel so invested in her characters’ lives, and like I am such a part of their world. And this is how a bit of extra magic is created for us as readers.

There are important messages threaded throughout the events of the narrative as well. Amelia is a strong woman, and she is determined to be independent, no matter what anyone else says. From the very first time we meet her, she is searching for her freedom, and once she has it, she keeps it and holds her own. She doesn’t care what people think or about conforming to the pressures that society puts on women—it is unfamiliar to her, and she will not let her mind be changed by it. Due to being brought up and learning to be a woman under much different circumstances, Amelia has a remarkable insight into the importance of unapologetically being yourself and living the life that is healthiest for you.

As I said before, this novel was everything I wanted and so much more. The multi-dimensional narrative is a joy to get lost in. It is bitter and sweet, heartwarming and heartbreaking, aching with loneliness, longing, and love. This is a beautifully crafted work that will have you spellbound. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for everyone, but especially for those who love to get swept up in a fantastical yet thought-provoking tale.

*Full review to be added to Goodreads and Amazon upon release!*

The Mermaid is a quiet but powerful story, telling the tale of a beautiful mermaid who eventually journeys into the world of humans and discovers both positive and negative aspects about humans and herself.

There is a strong fairytale-like quality to Henry's writing that is reminiscent to her other books (Lost Boy, Red Queen, etc.) as well to traditional fairy tales as well. The opening chapters of The Mermaid completely drew me into the story and are probably what kept me so intrigued with our protagonist Amelia's journey. The story itself is on the slower side and there aren't really any intense, major events that occur, but instead minor events that work together to create a full, comprehensive story.

I really liked the process of how Amelia changed from mermaid to human, and I thought it was clever how it was worked into and pulled in the show and museum as well. I think one thing that really made this book particularly compelling was how realistic and plausible this entire situation was presented. It really felt like I was just reading a historical fiction book about a mermaid that made her way to New York and had a brief stint at Barnum's museum. It was beautiful and so fascinating to see how Henry incorporated a realistic world with strong magic and mythological elements.

Amelia is truly a beautiful and inspirational figure. Her confidence is contagious and I loved that she never once wavered in her wishes, but stood firm and stood up to the men and the world around her. She did not cow before anyone. Despite this, I will admit that I did find myself annoyed by her on more than occasion. One reason was her disdain for humans. I understand, to an extent, how horrible human life was compared to the mermaid, and I did like that way in Henry showed the hypocrisy and silliness of so many aspects of how humans lived in that time period (and now). However, I felt that Amelia went overboard in her hatred and it started to feel like she was simply judging people for being different and doing things differently than she was used to. I would have expected her to be just a bit more open-minded, but instead she seemed to hate everything humans did, and it was frustrating to watch her refusal to accept anything. Similarly, once agreeing to work with Barnum, she complained about every idea he came up with. While I understand that a lot of Barnum's ideas were harmful or not humane, she is the one who agreed to come and work for Barnum, and at some point you usually just have to suck it up and do what you agreed to do. She had a problem with every aspect of any idea, and even when she finally agreed to something that she wanted, she still complained. On the whole, Amelia is a great character, but there were just aspects of her personality that rubbed me the wrong way and frustrated me.

Levi Lyman is P.T. Barnum's partner is a gentle character that basically acts as Amelia's 'guardian' throughout most of this book. His goal is to make sure that Amelia is treated with respect and dignity, and although his actions were a bit overmuch at times, it was nice to see someone with pure intentions in this book, especially compared to Barnum and the rest of the public depicted in this story. Barnum, for instance, was an incredibly unlikable character in this book, but I do understand why Henry enforced his avaricious side in order to fit the narrative and make this a more interesting and conflict-driven story. The relationships between Levi, Barnum, Amelia, and Barnum's wife, Charity, were often multi-faceted and left the reader with much to ponder and explore.

Despite the many positive aspects of this book, I did have a few minor issues with the plot where I felt there were small holes or things that could have been dealt with in a simpler manner, but these were only small things that did not interrupt the narrative too much. I feel as though some of these minor issues were glossed over and ignored in order to the story itself on the simpler side in order to focus more on the characters, their development, and their relationships to one another, which is something that I do understand and part of what makes me not want to dwell too much on those more negative aspects. I still really enjoyed this book and everything Henry created.

Hauntingly lovely and beautifully told this other worldly novel tells a fairy tale that you want to believe. Fans of The Greatest Showman and The Shape of Water movies will find amermaid story that "wets" their appetites.

Having watched The Greatest Showman, you can say that my excitement for the circus and P.T. Barnum type stories are drawing me in. Yet, to be honest, it was not all about P.T. Barnum that drew me to this book but the mermaid aspect as well. It has been a long while since I have read a mermaid story.

Instantly, I was transported back in time and within the pages of this story. Reading how Amelia came to make her way upon land was a very touching story. I mourned with her when her first human husband disappeared and she held hope for him every night by the sea.

Mr. Barnum is the bad guy in this story. Yet, at the same time it was not hard to understand his drive to be a showman. Plus, I think we are all intrigued by things that we can't explain including the mystical. I myself still am a fan of unicorns. The love story between Amelia and Levi was nice.

If you are looking for a gorgeous story filled with love, new chances, character development all wrapped up in a historical fiction, than, look no further then, The Mermaid by Christina Henry. I absolutely loved this book and look forward to reading more like this from Ms. Henry.

I found this to be a refreshing take in an overdone genre, i.e. mermaid fiction, which is so popular right now, especially with YA women. However, this story was extremely well written, compelling, and contained a sympathetic heroine without being maudlin or dwelling on the joys of the ocean in nauseating detail like some other stories have done. I found it eminently readable. I'll definitely recommend it to others. The historical element was very well handled as well. I did feel that Amelia could have been a bit more alien and that the love story between her and the male character was rushed and not as well written as the rest, also there were some grammar and mistakes that really annoyed (including calling the character Amanda at one point instead of Amelia) which is why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. Also, the magical healing element was a bit of a cop out I felt.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley/Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed my first Christina Henry book. I'd had my eye on her Lost Boy book and her Chronicles of Alice for a while now, but hadn't had a chance to get to them (we all know how big Mount TBR can get!). When The Mermaid popped up in my Berkley newsletter, I sprang at the chance!

It's a fun tale, but my favorite part of it all was the fact that we get to see humanity through the eyes of the non-human, the titular mermaid. And honestly, while there are some shining lights in the darkness, I tend to agree with Amelia that there is so much darkness in humanity - mostly because of an abundance of apathy towards our fellow man and our fellow creatures. We should be better caretakers and stewards of the world we're in.

Anyways, Amelia was a really cool and relatable character and a lot of fun to read. I'd say pick it up, grab a comfy reading space, and settle in for an afternoon of magic and entertainment. Just be prepared - this isn't The Greatest Showman. This one sticks more along the lines of how the real PT Barnum was.

"The Mermaid" is a fantasy/romance set mainly in 1842 in New York City. The story was initially told like a fairy tale narrative. A mermaid falls in love with a fisherman in a remote village in America, but once her husband dies, she's left mourning him and angry at the ocean that took him from her. She hasn't aged, and rumors about her reach the ears of P. T. Barnum. At this point, the author started showing scenes and developing characters.

While Amelia looked like a human when not in her mermaid form, she didn't accept various human notions of proper behavior. She stood up for herself when dealing with Barnum and didn't feel she needed a protector. But her assertiveness and her desire for others to accept her ideas of right and wrong also made for conflict. Amelia increasingly chafed against the 1842 white male attitude towards women, slaves, savages, and God, and she wanted Levi to agree that those attitudes were wrong.

Levi, Barnum's assistant, fell in love with Amelia and worked to protect her against those who would treat her like an animal or condemn her as the Devil's creature. Even knowing she's not human, he still expected her to conform to human standards in some ways and didn't always understand her attitudes or feelings. The suspense came from the potential danger to Amelia from religious people, greedy people, and those who viewed her as an animal or fraud. Frankly, though, that danger didn't fully materialize until nearly the end.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting story, but realize it's more about choices and attitudes than suspense.

Once there was a fisherman ...
Christina Henry's new novel, THE MERMAID (Berkley) is a fantasy about a mermaid who is able to turn into a human and walk and talk among people. She considers herself first a mermaid, a woman of the sea. If that sounds preposterous, trust me I totally believed in Amelia Douglas and her wise ways, shortly into the novel until the ending.

"It was her eyes. Those eyes were not human. and they never would be, no matter how long she lived among them."
 
Henry creates a fictional P.T. Barnum character, who wants a mermaid in his NYC museum. There are rumors there is such a woman-mermaid living in Maine. P.T. sends his assistant, Liam Lyman to make her an offer she can't refuse. That is, if the rumors are true. Liam travels north begrudgingly, but quickly becomes a believer. But Amelia is not ready to talk about leaving Maine. She's mourning the death of her fishermen, husband who she lived with as a human. She sends him back to NYC and continues to live in a small cottage above the ocean. But after some time, she sees NYC as a way to make money and then travel the world.
 
Liam recognizes her and takes her to P.T. who immediately doubts she's a mermaid. Everyone in the family except daughter, Caroline doesn't believe. But once she proves herself to P.T. an act is created, complete with a tank full of salt water. The act shocks and amuses NYC. Suddenly there are reporters, fans, but also a disbelieving "Christian group" who believe she is evil.
 
"It is not a comforting thing to realize that many people think the world a better place without you in it."
 
There have been myths of mermaids in different cultures all over the world forever. Henry does a brilliant job marrying history with fantasy. The book is also used to explore feminism and how the reality and boundaries of being human aren't easily defined. THE MERMAID delivers readers a profound message, without being preachy.

Christina Henry always has a unique take on my favorite childhood stories. This book followed the story of the little mermaid, but what happened many years after she came to shore. Amelia is living a sad life when Levi finds her on a remote island. He convinces her to join PT Barnam in his strange endeavors. Of course, ignorance and prejudice take their tole and the whole story is turned on its tale. I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to lovers of retellings.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book is a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy, and fairy tales. It's a magical and enjoyable read.

Honestly probably closer to 4.5 stars -- Christina Henry with another hit! She's definitely found her niche and I'm so excited and sad that I won't get another new book from her for another year and a half at least, since I got this early! Henry knows how to spin fairytales and folk lore, and the Mermaid was a quick read that sucked me in and that I fell in love with! The Mermaid follows Amelia on her quest to find herself and achieve all of her goals. I would love a prequel or a sequel to this book in the future so I can continue immersing myself in her life! I definitely recommend it for all my mermaid fanatic friends, or those that just love fantasy and the 1800's (because that was a very interesting aspect to tie in with everything else!).

This was a really unique take on a story we have seen and read time and time again. I really love what Christina Henry did with it and PT Barnum!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of “The Mermaid” by Christina Henry. This book is exactly what I have been looking for. An edgy retelling of “The Little Mermaid”. This retelling feels like the retellings that kept coming out during the 80’s and 90’s which I loved. They were gritty and very grown up. This book is perfectly gritty and a wonderful addition to the world of retellings.

A wonderful historical fiction centered around a magical mermaid and the illustrious P.T. Barnum. Centered around the strong female leading mermaid, Amelia, this story brings the reader into a slice of the early P.T. Barnum before his circus and during his fascination with peddling oddities. This is a quick but enjoyable read and Amelia is sure to enchant and inspire any head strong woman, and rightfully so.

Another great book by Christina Henry, I really enjoyed this book! Based loosely on P.T. Barnum and his mermaid sideshow, this story courses through history, a familiar Splash story, and a retelling of the classic mermaid myth that is hauntingly beautiful. Our stories lead is Amelia, the gray eyed, magical creature you can enjoy from the very beginning. Rumors of a mermaid spread until one day she is approached by Levi Lyman, an emissary for P. T. Barnum to go on exhibit in his museum. A real live mermaid was bound to make him money and to make him famous. Amelia goes along with the plan as a lark, planning to leave when she grows tired of the charade, but Barnum won’t give up his premier attraction so easily. I can honestly say the biggest regret I have for this story is the short time in the sea with Amelia. While I enjoy the story overall, I really wish we had more time in the ocean with other mermaids and see her interactions there. I feel like this might have been a missed opportunity for the readers to feel the same pining and longing for the ocean Amelia feels and misses so much. The pace of the narrative is as refreshing and as normal there is Henry’s own brand of original storytelling. Overall I think this is another strong book.