What a weird little book. I did not know what to expect going in and it was the most pleasant and odd surprise.

First, I think the book-within-a-book is so, so well done. I was almost more intrigued by the book within the story than the overall plot - but they were still so well intertwined and played off each other that I was captivated. Our main character publishes a book, and the story surrounds her life and the journey of that book being optioned for a movie.

There is also just something for everyone in this debut novel - you get scifi and fantasy, a family drama, general fiction, some coming of age, etc. It was just so, so unique and I'm glad I went in mostly blind - otherwise I'm not sure I would have picked it up based on just the synopsis. But it is just so smart and offbeat - it's humorous and dark - and I loved it.

I appreciated this book more than I enjoyed it. I would still recommend it to readers looking for an inventive satire enlivened with wit and absurdism.

I ended up DNFing this one pretty close to the beginning still, because I guess I just didn’t vibe with the narrative style and wasn’t happy with the way some things happened in the story. Putting 3 stars as my rating only because I didn’t get far enough in to actually give it a rating.

This was such an original story with a fresh perspective. I love books within books and this book had a lot of really clever humor. I think the first half was stronger, but overall this was a delightful read.

This was a really interesting debut! I had a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the premise - quirky, unique, and different than what I expected! i also love the cover

Oohhhh this book is just ok. I don't always love books within books, but I did like this concept. We have the book "American Mermaid" and then we have the author of the book, moving to LA to help write and shape the script of the book which is about to become a movie.

You know I love my LA/Hollywood plots so the book started strong for me, but faltered about halfway through. It just couldn't keep my attention and I often didn't know what was going on! I did enjoy the actual book within a book though, about a mermaid who was made to be human as a baby and recently, in her 20s, discovers she is actually a mermaid and her adopted father has some evil plans for her.

I almost wish we could have just had one story or another at the end of the day. Like I said, I liked it at first but then it got muddled and I didn't love all the switching back and forth. I also felt like it was trying to be funny but that just didn't work for me either! Bummed as I was really excited about this one last year.

Julia Langbein’s American Mermaid is the story of English teacher Penelope Schleeman and the novel she’s written. I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of thought-provoking book.

This is a well written book. It has some fine lines, a few well-conceived set pieces, a fair share of perceptive and insightful observations, and occasionally a lean and edgy narrative drive. The premise is enticing, and I can see the book's appeal, regarding both style and content. That said, try as I might I found neither the characters, nor their situations, nor the overall narrative and its execution engaging enough to arouse or hold my curiosity and attention. As a consequence, it doesn't seem fair to write much more of a review, apart from encouraging inquisitive readers to give the book a try.

This book attempted to cross genres and ended up a bizarre mess! I listened to it and maybe it would’ve felt more connected if I had read it, but this one was a huge letdown for me.

I enjoyed parts of this novel. I really enjoyed the concept and the metaness of the novel and certain scenes do stick with me. I also love a protagonist who loses their way and spirals out. I do think this novel lost some in the execution. The parts of the made up novel were often times more interesting and thought out in comparison to the story framing the novel. I did expect the novel to be funnier than it was. Some jokes felt tired and like material that has been well tread.

Book to film- could never be easy for an author. I did enjoy this book. It felt like a behind the scenes look of getting a movie made with good characters and well interwoven stories.

Unfortunately this one did not work for me and I ended up DNFing about half way through. Initially, I was really interested in the story inside the story (American Mermaid) but I could not really connect with the character that wrote the book or the topics of discussion. I love this cover and really wanted to like this one but it just wasn't in my wheelhouse.

Thank you so much for the review copy1!

I enjoyed this one!
I wasn’t sure what to expect when getting into it, but I found it to be a light and refreshing read.

Thank you Double Day and NetGalley for the ARC of American Mermaid. All opinions in this review are my own.

A burnt out teacher writes the next best-selling book and moves to LA to make it into a movie. The movie executives want to make significant changes to the book which the author doesn't agree with. She also complains a lot about how expensive things are even though she admits to having money now.

I read 50 pages and I am stopping. I just don't think this writing style is for me and reading about how the movie version of the book is going to make drastic changes is painful. I think I would have rather read the book that the main character wrote than the main character's experience.

American Mermaid is a book within a book. There’s the story American Mermaid and then there’s the story about the author of American Mermaid trying to turn her book into a movie without selling it’s soul.
What I liked:
-Ace rep-the mermaid in the story is stated to be asexual and it’s implied that the author in the story is as well without really being ready to label it.
-Penelope’s attempts to stay true to her story
-the ridiculousness she encounters meeting different “Hollywood” types.

What I didn’t love:
-it took me a little while to get into the story with the back and forth between the two stories.

I wanted to like American Mermaid but found the characters unbelievable (especially the main character) and difficult to relate to. Although the writing was ok I’m not sure I would recommend this one.

**Thanks to NetGally and the publisher for an electronic ARC and the opportunity to provide feedback about this book.

I wanted to like American Mermaid by Julia Langbein. The narrative of the “book within the book” was almost more compelling than the main narrative, but the blending of the two at the end was too much. Thanks to Doubleday and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

Penelope Schleeman, a perpetually cash-strapped high school teacher from Connecticut, experiences profound astonishment when her tender debut novel, "American Mermaid," garners unexpected success. The book tells the story of Sylvia, a wheelchair-bound scientist who unveils a hidden secret: her withered legs conceal the remnants of a powerful tail. The novel soars to bestseller status and Penelope is drawn into the world of Hollywood when she's enticed to LA with the promise of easy money. Her mission: to co-write the "American Mermaid" screenplay for a major studio, alongside two mediocre male writers.

Under the studio's mounting pressure, Penelope finds herself compelled to transform "American Mermaid" from the tale of a resolute androgynous eco-warrior into a teenage sex symbol donning a clamshell bra. This disconcerting alteration coincides with a series of bizarre occurrences. Threats materialize in the screenplay draft, and seductive siren calls tempt individuals into peril. When Penelope's screenwriting collaborators attempt to eliminate Sylvia entirely in an inauthentic but cinematic climax, the off-screen situation takes a distressing turn.

Sylvia is an intriguing character, and I relished the trajectory of her character within Penny's novel. The parallel storytelling between the two narratives, however, could be demanding, mainly because Penny's novel excerpts are detailed and sometimes overshadow her own storyline. This debut work is undoubtedly an impressive one that will cater to a broad readership. While there's much to admire, personally, I found myself more drawn to the concept and premise of the book than the book itself.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I saw the word Mermaid and I KNEW I needed to read it! What can I say, I'm easily intrigued. It was a book about a novel the FMC wrote. A book within a book y'all!!! Penelope wrote a book about Sylvia who is wheelchair bound because she is unable to use her legs. Her legs aren't legs but a tail! As Penelope is turning her book into film changes are being made to her book and weird things start happening. She is convinced she has basically brought Sylvia to life.

It sounds like a thriller but it isn't. I would classify it is traditional fiction. I felt like I could relate to Penelope even though I am not a writer or prior teacher. The author did a great job writing her character. When Sylvia found out who she really was and started getting confidence and strength in herself it was pretty awesome!

As I always say I NEVER READ THE SYNOPSIS. It is sooo much better to go in to books blind IMO. I enjoyed every minute of this book and am so glad I had the chance to read it early!! Thank you to @doubleday & AUTHOR for an eARC copy of this book.

review will be posted to IG in the next week or two.