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

I am a middle school librarian, and I am always looking for books that "skew" older because, you know, "middle schoolers aren't babies, Mrs. Gordon.) The Sea in You is a great option, even though it's not likely to get banned. (Which is sometimes how my kids rate books as in banned = worth reading. I'm in Florida, btw.) But I digress.

I always love a fairy tale retelling, and The Sea in You does a great job modernizing The Little Mermaid in a graphic novel format. It also doesn't shy from addressing various issues from feeling alone and/or different, abusive relationship, deafness, empowerment, etc. I also enjoyed how sign language was used for communication between Corinth and Skylla.

My rating oscillates between a 3.5 and 4 stars, because I am convinced the students will LOVE this, but I had a little trouble losing myself in the novel.

5/5⭐️

This book was so good! The graphics were amazingly beautiful, the story was heartwarming and it’s the sapphic Little Mermaid retelling I never knew I needed. A combination of The Girl from the Sea and Mooncakes, this graphic novel is a must read for fairytale lovers, queer people and graphic novel connoisseurs.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

**Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great YA addition to queer lit--especially mythology and retellings. The mermaid lore is very interesting and I think a lot of younger audiences are going to love it. My only hang up is that I would recommend letting individuals know of the toxic relationship and that it might be triggering. A great read though!

This contemporary, queer retelling of The Little Mermaid sounded right up my alley, and I did enjoy a great many things about it. I've never seen a graphic novel more successfully integrate ASL before, the art was quite lovely, and the relationship between Corinthe and Skylla was achingly beautiful. While I appreciated that abusive relationships and abusive partners are unfortunately things that people encounter, I found Seth so disagreeable from the moment he appeared that it was hard for me to understand how Corinthe had gotten mixed up with him at all until some backstory was revealed later. That aspect made it somewhat difficult for me to fully engage. However, overall I did really enjoy reading it, and it gripped me from beginning to end. (Read it in one sitting!)

Enjoyed the reworking of The Little Mermaid to include themes of mental health, toxic relationships, and new love. Sparked my interest to explore creator's other work.

Corinth was just hanging out on the beach, alone as usual, when she met a mermaid. This weird encounter somehow morphs into a friendship. But between her jealous, abusive boyfriend, and her worried parents, things get even more complicated and the mermaid has her own problems to take care of.

The Sea in You was an interesting graphic novel. Some things in it I truly didn't expect, others were pretty conventional. Overall, it was a good read, with a cute romance though I felt like it went pretty fast on that front, I would have liked a slower burn I guess. I also enjoyed the relationship between Corinth and her parents. I love how the author included sign language and how it was portrayed. I also really liked the illustrations. Overall, it was a good book, I would have liked to be warned about the abusive relationship cause that was a lot but it was well-written.
Basically, it wasn't perfect and I wish it'd been more layered on some fronts but I still really liked it and will be reading whatever comes next.

Corinth is a sweet-natured goth girl, who just wants to make a friend. Cleaning up along the beach one day, she hears a strange sound beckoning her into the ocean. About to drown and possibly be eaten, Corinth is saved by the same mermaid who tried to eat her a moment earlier. Corinth and her new mermaid friend, Skylla, quickly form an unbreakable bond. Teaching Skylla how to to speak ASL and all about the wonders of the human world suddenly makes Corinth realize how toxic her relationship is with her boyfriend. Constantly gaslighting her and belittling her passions, Corinth's boyfriend has her second guessing all of her actions. Watching Corinth break down and being able to do nothing, Skylla chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice to help the person she cares for most.
With bright colorful characters and a cute retelling of The Little Mermaid with a lgbt romance. A warning for those who are triggered by abuse, as this is a recurring theme in the volume between Corinth and her boyfriend. I was bothered by the abrupt ending at first, but later found out that there will be a book two.

Corinth is cleaning up the beach when she stumbles across a mermaid named Skyla. Skyla and Corinth form a strong friendship in this reimagining of The Little Mermaid.
This story is absolutely delicious. I am absolutely in love with Corinth and Skyla! The ending hinted at a possible second book and I cannot wait. Corinth is a wonderful, kind person, which helps break the stereotype that people who are goth looking are cold and distant. Not only does she break that mold, but she has a wonderful family that speaks ASL (YAY for disability representation!). She finds herself in relationships that readers can relate to. Skyla comes along to tell readers what a healthy relationship should be. Disguised as a story filled with mermaids and magic, The Sea in You holds a valuable lesson on love, friendship, and self-worth.
This book will make a wonderful addition to my library. The kids will be so excited to discover the story, the gorgeous illustration style, and the lesson within.

The Sea in You by Jessi Sheron is a unique reimagining of the Little Mermaid story. I found the artwork to be vivid and thoroughly detailed, with bright colors and engaging facial expressions. The story itself is fairly straight-forward, it sticks close to the original Little Mermaid story, with a few deviations.

This was absolutely precious. The artwork is stunning (especially the mermaids' character designs, and Skylla in human form—the sparkles! the shimmer! the colors!) and the characters, aside from Seth, are so lovable. Corinth is a little goth delight and I loved her so much. I'm a total sucker for the "inhuman character learns how to act human" trope, so I got a kick out of Corinth teaching Skylla things, but most of all, I absolutely cherished watching the relationship bloom between these two. I need more!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: sapphic romance; Corinth's mom is deaf; Skylla is mute as a human; multiple characters use American Sign Language (with some panels even teaching specific signs, such as finger-spelling Corinth's name); BIPOC side characters

This was everything! I loved this so much! The art was gorgeous and plot was everything I wanted. I love sirens falling in love with humans tropes and this was an amazing variation of that! The relationship between the main characters was absolutely amazing as it had such a strong friendship base. I could sit here and gush about this for ages. Just trust me and do yourself a favor and make read this!

I think I've officially found my favorite retelling of The Little Mermaid!

I love everything about this story. The ASL representation, the positive body diversity, obviously the lovely LGBTQIAP+ romance plot, and our main girl Corinth finally realizing Seth is an abusive a-hole. There is so much here that makes for a rich story, and it is all so well-done with care, respect, and attention.

I love the character designs too. I lived vicariously through Corinth and her dreamy emo/goth girl aesthetic. Skylla is a beautiful mermaid. And I have to say, I'm glad the artist chose not to put breasts on the mermaids, since they are fish and not mammals. First time seeing that kind of design choice, since mermaids and sirens are always sexualized, and I'm living for the anatomically-correct(er) fantasy creatures!

Probably the one and only hang-up I have with this story is that the characters feel and look more like college-age kids or young adults than high schoolers to me. Seth literally looks like a full-grown adult towering over Corinth. I kept forgetting I was reading a story about teens rather than someone more my age. Also, because of the abusive relationship, it is harder for me to see this as a teen story, but I think that's because I don't see abusive relationships portrayed like this in YA literature very often. And you know what? I'm here for it! Teens are just as susceptible to falling into abusive relationships as adults are and they need to be able to see what a bad relationship looks like too so they can find help and escape the situation.

Overall, a very good graphic novel. I love the potential for the story to continue, and definitely look forward to seeing how Corinth and Skylla develop as people and as a couple.

This story, this artwork, it is an absolutely amazing ride and I cannot wait to get it added to my library's shelves!

This is an amazing graphic novel about being a teenager, standing up to emotionally abusive and manipulative partners, and young (sapphic) love. It's got gorgeous art, it's got ferocious mermaids, and it's got a semi-cliffhanger ending that means I *need* a sequel! Loved it, can't wait til it's out in the world!

I wasn’t very interested in this work. Maybe it was younger than I typically read. But it was just so on the nose. The abusive boyfriend wasn’t subtle at all and neither was the main hide-the-siren plotline. It just felt so predictable.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Letter Better Publishing Services for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Forget everything you know about The Little Mermaid. Well, not all of it. Because this book is about a mermaid. Who is very much gay and is very much in love with a goth girl.

The Sea in You by Jessi Sheron is a YA queer graphic novel that falls Corinth as she desperately tries to clean the beach near her house. But everything goes awry when she is lured into the depths and finds herself being dragged under by a beautiful mermaid who wants nothing more than to eat her. But on a whim, she lets Corinth go, thus starting a beautiful friendship (though soon to be romance).

What drew me into this book, was the art style. As Sheron has a way of portraying Skylla as both powerful and beautiful at the same time. While Corinth was dauting in her own gothic way. Sheron has a way with creating a beautifully haunting story that will forever live in my mind.

Be careful what you bargain for.

The Sea in You is a thoroughly modern reimagining of the classic Little Mermaid story in all the best ways. The art is wonderful, the character's feel real in their designs, and the underwater scenes in particular are beautifully illustrated. While no means incomplete on its own, the story ends with a clear hook for a sequel that I can't wait to read someday.

I loved this book, it definitely had me wondering what would happen next the whole time! I loved the new mermaid lore tied in with the old ones. It was such a refreshing take! Also queer, which was a huge bonus! <3

Corinth was trying to clean up the beach when she met a mermaid and began a very strange friendship. I absolutely loved this book! One of my favorite reads this year. The art is adorable and the story drew me in instantly. I was not aware that this was a webcomic until after I had finished it, but even if you have read the comic online I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to get my hands on the physical copy! There is a very toxic relationship in the book, but it is handled with sensitivity.

5 stars

Creative Team:
Writer and Artist: Jessi Sheron
Letterer: Joamette Gil