I don't even know where to begin with Coral. I didn't see this book coming, and it hit me hard.
I had heard it was loosely based off of The Little Mermaid, so I was a little skeptical, but it was SO MUCH MORE than a retelling of anything. I've never read anything like it.
It is definitely not a book for the light-hearted, as it faces serious mental health issues, something that's not always portrayed correctly in pop culture.
I will warn that it was confusing at some points until you started piecing together the puzzle, but it definitely keeps you on your feet (or fins).

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley.
I just cannot rave enough about this book! The first thing I did when I got to work this morning was order a copy for our collection! First and foremost, I absolutely love and appreciate the tackling of the issue of mental health, even thought the author explains she didn't intend this book go that way. Very tastefully done and I really feel that a lot of teen girl who are suffering from anxiety and depression will find that this book resonates with them.
Now, on to the other stuff I loved! I totally loved the nods to BOTH versions of The Little Mermaid (Disney's and Andersen's), but it really pulled more from Andersen's. I really loved that as I think it gets lost in the popularity of Disney's. Another thing I thought was expertly done was the weaving of the characters' stories together and the plot twist of who Coral and Brooke were in relation to each other. (Don't want to give away spoilers!) Other twists and turns were also very well done.
The characters were so well developed and well-written that you truly cared about what happened with them. I love it when I care so much about the characters that I'm laughing and crying along with them. That's how I know I've got a great book in my hands.

I wish I had looked closer at what this book was about before I requested it.

I love retellings of classic fairy tales, and I have been especially fond of The Little Mermaid for as long as I can remember. I found the premise very interesting, the way Sara Ella reworked the concepts of emotions and disease, but I ended up not finishing it because I found the topic of suicide too triggering. I struggled with suicidal ideation as a teenager and still wrestle with anxiety and depression. This simply was not the right time for me to read this story.

I do however respect the author for daring to address the topic of mental illness. I’ve noticed lately more authors advocating for mental health and awareness of mental illness, and I believe it’s a very good way to begin to destigmatize what has been historically a shameful reality for so many.

I REALLY appreciated the author’s note at the beginning, providing a content warning. I wish more authors would do the same when their stories contain potentially triggering subject matter.

When I first went into this I thought it was just a little mermaid retelling. The multiple POVS threw me off at first, and I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about it. My first thought was great how do these stories fit together, are they not going to really matter.

We have our three main characters:
Coral who is a mermaid
Brooke who is working on her mental health.
Merrick who wants to get away from his father.
At first Merrick was my least favorite out of the bunch, because all I could think was why was he here? All I wanted was more Coral and her adventures, because it was the most interesting for me. The more the story progressed I was more fascinated with Brooke and how she was just trying to get through the day.

In the end I ended up loving every single character (well besides the dads) and I could feel the struggle they were all going through. Sara did such great work on describing the emotions, and how much that these characters just wanted a different life. Will definitely be buying a physical copy when this comes out.

a very cool book! i didn’t expect to like this one as much as i did. very interested to see where sara ella goes next!

Just look at that cover. It isn’t hard to imagine why I wanted to read Coral by Sara Ella. Between the cover and finding out it has a fairy tale twist, I just could not pass it up. However, if you struggle with depression, mental illness and have certain triggers. You may want to avoid my review.

WARNING! MENTAL HEALTH TRIGGERS!

Coral is a mermaid and her father is the King. She has two sisters, Jordan and The Crown Princess. Emotions are for humans, not merpeople. The Crown Princess is struggling. Her father doesn’t seem to understand. Coral is the only one who shows any empathy towards The Crown Princess. She has a disease and Coral is showing signs of it as well. On land, Brooke is admitted into a mental health group therapy facility. No matter if those around her try to reach out she still feels alone. Then there is Merrick. He comes from a wealthy family, but they also are torn apart by mental illness. After is mom leaves, he goes to find her, and along the way meets a mesmerizing girl named Coral.

I am so torn. I really wanted to love this book. However, I want to give a HUGE thank you to the author. I love that she took a popular fairy tale and used it to bring awareness to mental health, depression, anxiety, and suicide. The fact that mental health is the sole focus of this book is amazing.

That being said. The book is hard to read. Not the themes. The points of view transitions of Coral, Brooke, and Merrick are so rough. There were many times where I thought I had to re-read the book because I was so confused. There are a few moments where I didn’t even know that the characters changed points of view. That brings me to the characters. We don’t ever get detail about the characters. They are all defined by their mental illness or how it has affected those around them. We don’t really get to know them outside of their internal struggles. This makes the story feel like it has a lack of depth.

This may seem silly. And it may just be me. But personally, I was not a fan of the description. Specifically in the Mer World. (Is that what we call it?) She talks about the seaweed bedsheets or eel gel. I know this is a young adult book, but this felt like something that would have been in a children’s book. Instead of immersing me in this world, it actually made me tune out. Plus, when Coral comes to the surface, she just seems to blend right in like it is second nature. It just didn’t seem believable.

Overall, I really applaud the author for trying to bring a story that we love and bring awareness to mental health. The story just needs a little work. So I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you.

I won’t lie when I say that I requested to review Coral through Netgalley only because of that gorgeous cover. It kind of drew me in and when I found out that Coral had mental health rep in its full essence – and me being a sucker for such books – I was ecstatic to have read this beautiful gem of a book months prior to its release.

Coral is a loose retelling of the Little Mermaid, weaving in it two stories above and under the water. Coral is a mermaid who’s always been different from her sisters, plagued by the ‘disease’ of emotions. Above the see, there is Brooke who is reeling under anxiety and depression, finding her solace in the cool and calming ocean waves. And then there is Merrick, who wants nothing but to escape his controlling father and save his sister from the brink of death. Then their worlds collide and it is a story worth telling.

I did not expect much from Coral at the beginning, having only a vague idea of the original fairy tale. And at the beginning too, I was a bit confused with certain terms that the author used – what was the ‘disease’ that was being talked about? What was the Red Tide? I was curious and confused and totally intrigued.

The story is difficult to get into in the initial stages, I'll agree. It has a fantasy setting and keeps changing between the modern and underwater setting. The POVs also keep changing, but these changes are very smooth and well done. There is a smooth thread that connects the three characters in a pool of fate. .

What I absolutely loved is that little and big climax that Sara Ella put upon us!!! My god, I absolutely loved it. So much. It was just shocking and unexpected and just so well done. I was a bit confused but rereading it gave me the perfect picture of what the author was trying to tell. And show in her story. Ahhh!!! Hats off to that cleverness.

Coral is a beautifully written book with a plot so deep and heavy that it takes some time to get through it. It is an important story that takes on the topic of mental health in the right sense. I loved the mental health portrayal in the story and commend the author for being so gentle with it in her book. And so accurate. She could convey the emotions so well through the use of fictional imagery and kept me guessing the truth of the whole story till the end.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC courtesy of Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I am grateful for the opportunity to review an ARC for my readers, but this will not influence my final rating. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and based solely on the book. 

Coral, Coral, Coral. I was confused after the first five pages of this book, which is never a good sign. As I'm well-known to do, I pushed through especially because I wanted to see how mental health was discussed in a book about mermaids. I'm a die-hard fan of mental health books, we all know this. And thank you YA and your vocal fandoms for demanding more mental health discussions in books and more characters with mental illness. A beautiful culmination of this demand for diversity is not just the typical contemporary novel exploring a protagonist's battle with depression, but fantasy and scifi and horror books that star empowered heroes who just so happen to have depression.*

*this being one general of many great specific examples
In Coral, titular character Coral is a mermaid who fears showing symptoms of the Disease, an illness that starts with showing emotions (something mermaids cannot do) and ends with Red Tide. 

 Though a little heavy-handed, Sara Ella makes observant commentary on mental health stigma through her extended metaphor of "the Disease." Mermaids are shamed for showing emotions, and told to use the words "I'm fine" until, Coral is reassured, they will believe they really are. Those who suffer from the Disease are ignored and erased from society as undesirables. I was a bit saddened at the fact that in this world, mermen cannot have the Disease, which gave the impression men cannot suffer from anxiety/depression like women do. 

 Coral's underwater world was rich with its own culture. I think this became an asset as well as a drawback to the book. I was invested in figuring out what Red Tide was, in how mer-people manage emotions, etc. But this was only one third of a three-narrative story. The world-building suffered to the point that I didn't understand certain passages. Later on, I was plain confused. The fantastic elements of Coral's world did not merge comfortably with Merrick and Brooke's realistic universes. 

Brooke and Merrick carried the other two POVs in this book. One thing that threw me off from the start was that only Brooke's chapters were in first person. I very rarely see this in books (I can't name one off the top of my head, to be honest) and I don't personally find it enjoyable. 

 Brooke was antagonistic and frustrating at the beginning. I understood why, since she's in a treatment program and she's distrustful of others. But I also didn't know her. And this made her tough to care for. Why was she in the center? Where was her family? The author withheld this basic information for a long time because it would give away the plot twist ... which I still guessed easily. Once I got more info about Brooke, I warmed up to her and became invested in her journey. 

 I seesaw on mental health treatment plans in books. I'm either "this doctor is too mean!" or "this doctor is way too nice!" In reality, there's no perfect plan so whatever, my thoughts are all subjective anyway. I did think Brooke landed in an idealistic treatment facility, where she was given space when she wanted space and the exact food she wanted, and she even got strings pulled to get into university. But. Sometimes you need a mental health book where things go right for a change. I'm not mad at this. Sara Ella did a great job at showing that there are people out there who want to help, and hear what you need. There does need to be a trigger warning on this book (which there is) for suicide and suicidal idealization because both are very present. 

I almost don't know what to say about Merrick. He gets his moment of limelight near the end of the book, but until then, he does more work moving other characters' stories along. Sometimes I skimmed his chapters, just looking for scenes with his younger sister Amaya. Her story is a sad reality today. 

My biggest wish for this book would have been to make Coral's story its own book, and then Brooke and Merrick and Amaya's another. The mermaid world was unique and creative, but fell flat when Coral journeyed into the human world and suddenly started using cell phones and going to high school and attending group therapy. It felt rushed, and almost like a school assignment, not a mythical being come to life. (Which, okay, I know, but still.) And Brooke/Merrick/Amaya's world would have been all the richer with the focus on loss, and suicide/mental health instead of the confusion about where mermaids fit in. 

rating: Merida, two stars. I had trouble finishing this book. For the above reasons, I think a separation of the fantasy and contemporary would have made this book more enjoyable for me. The attempts to hide details to keep the "big reveal" a secret was also very frustrating. 
representation: main character with synesthesia (I think), main character with depression/anxiety
content warnings: death of a principle character, death of a side character, suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal idealization, child suicide, kidnapping, anxious thoughts, parent abandonment 
read this if you: like books with mental health topics, like books with different approaches to mental health

I really enjoyed the book!I would like to thank the publisher for giving me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of fairy tale adaptations and I'm always looking for good stories that deal with mental illness, but this book was lacking some magic ingredient for me.

I was put off very early on by the writing style of Coral's perspective - it felt juvenile and full of cliches. Of the three main characters, I only initially felt a connection with Brooke, who finds herself in a group-therapy home. Coral and Merrick's chapters consistently had me skimming through the boring parts...which for me was all of it. Ultimately, I found myself so distracted by issues with the writing and what I felt were unbelievable actions, that I was never able to just sink in and enjoy the story or the characters.

I bowed out of this book around 40% and genuinely don't care to know how any of the threads end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. This book didn’t stand out for me in the mermaid genre book category. I wasn’t fond of the writing and the plot just didn’t interest me.

I vividly recall asking my dad for the VHS copy of "The Little Mermaid" as a child- begging to see it because all my friends had seen it. The Disney copy was too expensive and for whatever reason, he just did not want to buy it... so one day he FINALLY got me "The Little Mermaid"... and it was the 1975 Japanese Hans Christian Andersen version. It made me bawl every time I watched it (although the first time the crying was because it wasn't the REAL movie haha)... but I've come to really love it. Also, for those of you that need a good cry, the movie can be found on Youtube.

The original Little Mermaid has a special place in my heart, and I was SO happy to receive my ARC copy of "Coral" by Sara Ellen. As others have noted in their reviews, the book starts with a trigger warning about suicide and depression. I was worried that by combining a fairy tale with depression would romanticize mental illness, but Sara Ellen talks about these topics in a 'real' way- the day to day struggles are authentic, and the interactions between the characters were often well-paced and interesting.

I generally enjoy multiple-perspective stories and this case is no exception. I felt that the convergence of fairy tale to reality was well done. My issue was with the secondary characters- almost all of the characters that didn't get their own perspective (Maya, Hope, Nikki, Grim) were very two-dimensional and known for their base character traits. Maya and Hope were really only characterized as young and suicidal. Not enough backstory to really understand her motivation- I wish I knew more about how she got where she was. Nikki was hot and understanding, and Grim was goofy and caring. For as many times as we saw them appear in the story, their characters were never made into much more than that.

I really enjoyed Coral. It was beautiful, sad, and yet hopeful. This book is worth a re-read for all of its wonderful quotes. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I’m not entirely sure how to sum up this book. Coral is about mermaids and mental health. It’s about a mermaid named Coral who feels lost and different from her sisters in a society where blending in is key. The story about Coral also intertwines with a story about Brooke, who lives at a group therapy home and struggles with mental health.

As I went through Coral, I found myself really enjoying it and eager to get back to it when I had to leave to attend to something, but once I finished it I was left with a feeling of confusion and just… feeling lost about the characters and the plot and how everything ended up, simply because of the dual plots. (spoiler below: highlight to read)

(spoiler: and how the mermaid world never actually existed and simply was an allegory and Coral and Brooke were the same people the whole time)

Overall, I guess I’d say I enjoyed the overall story, but there were a lotttt of elements that made me go “what??? is going on???” and that interfered with my enjoyment of it. 3 stars.

Going with a five star rating for this. I was impressed from start to finish. This was such a beautiful read. As someone who has suffered with both depression and suicide I could relate and connect with the emotions and feelings within this story. If you go into this thinking this a Disney channel Little Mermaid retelling then stop. This beyond Disney channel feels. I'm not familiar with the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson, but I've heard it's not as cute and frilly as Disney makes it out to be.

This book pulls no punches in talking about depression and how it's a real thing that people can't just "get over." I loved how real each character felts. You had adults, teens and children all dealing with different aspects of depression and suicide.

The Little Mermaid aspects were definitely present concerning the feelings of being trapped, an overbearing father and crazy sisters. Coral, our version of Ariel, is dealing with the aftermath of her sister being Diseased. Mermaids are afraid of the Disease called emotions and feelings. Coral battles with her own ideas while trying to save her sister before the Red Tide takes her. Coral is a strong character that tries hard to deal with her problems while uncovering secrets of her family. I enjoyed her wittiness as well.

Merrick is a Prince raised to be like his father, but he despises his father. He's hilarious with his retorts. Merrick dealt with his only family issues and didn't handle them the best. I enjoyed seeing his heart when he came across Coral. I loved seeing him become a better person as the story moved on.

Brooke was an interesting character. She seemed very pessimistic and eager to let go of life, but as the story progressed her inner beauty began to shine and she became a bit more "alive." She had a knack for writing which helped her overcome some difficulties she faced.

Amaya was such a darling!!! It killed me towards the end because I was not expecting that. Nikki was annoying at first -- too flirtatious for my liking, but I began to like her when she started telling Merrick off and revealing that she's more than just a body, but a smart girl with dreams and desires to be great in the world.

I enjoyed the way Coral, Merrick and Brooke all melded together towards the end. It was all confusing, but as the story progressed things began to flow and make sense. The way this book tackled depression, mental illness and suicide gutted me in a beautiful way.

I definitely enjoyed this story and how real it was. A fairy-tale retelling that will blow your mind and shatter you with every turn on the page. Definitely enjoyed this and will definitely re-read for sure.

As I read this book I knew that I could not write a true review as a lot of my heart was with this topic of this book as I have depression myself. I wrote the following piece for my blog post about the book however:

This review however will be entirely personal. There is absolutely no way I could talk about this book without sharing about myself or how it impacted me. It would never get across what kind of book this truly is. Coral is not a little mermaid retelling with a bit of mental health. Coral is all about Mental Health. Everything else is secondary.

As such I want to start with the trigger warnings for Coral: Depression / Hospilization / Downplaying Depression / Suicidal Thoughts / Attempted Suicide / Succeeded Suicide / Suicide in Teens / Suicide by Drowning / Finding Someone Who Committed Suicide / Suicide in Middle School Children / Parental Abandonment / Disassociation / Anxiety / Cutting / Possible PTSD

The book focuses on three characters, Coral who is a mermaid, Brooke who has been hospitalized for depression and Merrick who is trying to protect his little sister from her own depression. As the book continues you start seeing how their stories come together. You start to wonder what is real and what is not.

Most of you will know by now that I am depressed. As such I think when I say that Coral has been one of the hardest reads for me this year and even in the last few years, will say enough. While my situation is very different for I am an adult, I still found a lot of myself back in this book. It was confronting. It was painful. It was honest. It was real.

This book ripped out my heart, stomped on it, broke it into little pieces, ducktaped them back together, put it back. This repeated multiple times. I can't give you an honest answer about the writing or the flow of the book because this book hit me in places that I try to hide.

Not even my own depression hit me but that our main character finds 2 people who committed suicide (one succeeded and one attempted). My father found his own mother after committing suicide. I know first hand what that does to a person. It made me wonder what kind of person he could have been had he gotten the help he needed (this was at the end of the sixties).

The author did write a note on the content. However it was not detailed and I think that is needed.

Having said all that, I rated the book 5 stars because of what it did to me. I think the book has a great way and representation of depression. There is a realness to it but that doesn't mean that at the end of it there isn't a hopeful note. This hopeful note doesn't mean the depression is 'cured'. That is just not the reality for many of us. But it ends on an up instead of a down. I think that is important too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to @netgalley and @thomasnelson for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved—yet tragic—tale, “The Little Mermaid,” Coral explores mental health from multiple perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost…Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters in a society where blending in is key…Above the sea, Brooke has nothing left to give. Depression and anxiety have left her feeling isolated. Forgotten…Merrick may be San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more than to escape his controlling father. When his younger sister’s suicide attempt sends Merrick to his breaking point, escape becomes the only option…When their worlds collide, all three will do whatever it takes to survive…” - Sara Ella

The concept behind Coral is incredibly powerful and offers a unique approach to both mental illness awareness & fairytale retellings. The disease that Coral has, which causes the mermaids to see colors and have emotions, is actually depression. The “Red Tide” that comes after diseased mermaids is actually suicide. The three main characters, Coral, Brooke, and Merrick all experience raw character development. Fighting dark thoughts, tragic histories, and overcoming some of their worst nightmares, to finally experience some “normal” lives. It was hard to feel any connections, but I strongly feel that’s because I’ve never experienced what they went through.

The organization of the story was formatted in a difficult way, making the storyline and character plots hard to follow. There are a few POVs, each bringing along different stories altogether. I would finally get into the story, and begin to understand what was happening, and then BOOM it was a new POV. I think the book would be easier to understand if each POV had more chapters grouped together. Until about halfway through the novel, I wasn’t even sure why so many different plots where occuring, and even after finishing the story, I’m still not entirely sure I understand the connections.

The way each characters’ stories entwined, I believe that the character of Coral is a story within a story, and a way for Brooke to grief her sister’s death.

I’m planning on posting a in-depth review on my blog a bit after the release date, because I want to discuss my theories and thoughts without spoiling the whole book. I will post the link to my bio when that time comes for anyone interested. I may also plan a reread to try and better piece together everything that occurred.

There's nothing particularly wrong with this; it's a clever way to look at The Little Mermaid. There's nothing particularly amazing about it either. I wasn't driven to finish it to find out what would happen, and it took me a minute each time the POV switched to remember what this person's story was. It's a good, not great, read, I'm afraid.

While Coral was a gripping story it was also an incredibly difficult read. The trigger warnings are fully accurate and much needed for this one. I was excited to pick this one up after enjoying The Unblemished series by this author, but I wasn't expecting anywhere near the amount of dark content it contained. I was fully sucked into the story but it was to a level that I would say was too much. It takes the reader down a very dark tunnel into the world of severe depression and mental health issues including suicide. I heavily relied on my tissue box through a lot of it. If you know me at all you probably know that I am not a fluffy reader, but after finishing this one I was desperately clinging to something as fluffy as I could get my hands on to help bring me up from the emotional low that I was left with. Considering this was published by Thomas Nelson I was expecting a faith element that would give hope despite the darkness but I didn't see faith mentioned at all and that greatly saddened me. Especially with how deep this novel went emotionally, faith had the perfect opportunity to lead/point the reader to Christ and yet it missed the mark. I appreciate the author's hope to share awareness of mental health and emotional trauma and believe that she was able to create a story that will undoubtedly help develop empathy in a powerful way. I just can't stress enough though that the trigger warnings are nothing to ignore or take lightly.

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

This story is told through three perspectives over different timelines. Coral the little mermaid, Brooke a young woman residing at a therapy home and Merrick, a young rich boy from a broken family.

The separate stories and timelines are woven together in a clever and mysterious way, you know from the start they will cross paths and eventually they overlap to form a full picture.

Coral centres heavily around mental health, specifically depression, anxiety and suicide are all carefully handled and written with insight and clarity. The additional aspects of love, friendship and hope balance out the novel beautifully, making it a really heartfelt experience.

Instantly the comparison between what the merpeople call The Disease and the human affliction of depression is clear to see.
I felt the Mer-King's attitude towards his eldest daughters emotional states was a clear reflection of the less empathetic side of our own society.

The scenes of anxiety and panic are so accurately described I could feel my own pulse racing along with them, the writing is hauntingly beautiful in a way that made my soul ache.

I also loved the little inventive touches in the mermaids colloquialisms. Sara reinvented everyday phrases with a thematic touch;
'Three shark fins distance'
'Her insides turned to jellyfish'
'Couldn't carry it's weight in goldfish'
They add an extra flourish and give the mermaid's tale it's own whimsical voice I really enjoyed.

I'd recommend this book to teen audiences and above. You can really feel the love and care poured into the creation of this book. A real treasure.

I tried reading this. I really wanted to enjoy it. The premise is brilliant! It's just too flowery, too overwritten for my taste. Other readers will love it, I'm sure, and I think it'll sell well. It's just not for me, sadly.