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.

A fairy tale story destined to stay with you long after you read it. I love the way that Henry incorporates the things we associate with fantasy into the real world so seamlessly. There are moments in this story that will break your heart, but for the most part it is simply a sweet love story.

A lovely charming tale of a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and adventure with P. T. Barnum's museum. Christina Henry has a knack for these kind of stories, sort of revisionist fairy tales, but they are always fun and a great joy to read and this one is no exception.

This is a marvelous retelling of the mermaid myth, featuring none other than master showman P.T. Barnum. Amelia gave up her life as a mermaid when she fell in love with the fisherman who caught her in his net. Once Amelia took human shape, the two were married until the day the fisherman put out to sea and never returned. Barnum had heard rumors of the mermaid and wanted her to become part of his collection of oddities. A real love mermaid was bound to make him money and to make him famous. Amelia goes along with the plan as a lark, something to do, planning to leave when she grows tired of the charade, but Barnum won’t give up his premier attraction so easily. Combining P.T. Barnum’s actual claim to have real mermaid with the age-old myth of a mermaid giving up her tail and life at sea for love, Henry breathes new life and excitement into her story