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

Coral follows three different teenagers whose lives have been impacted by trauma. Coral, a mermaid, watched her sister suffer from the Red Tide. Brooke just moved into Fathoms Ranch, a rehabilitation center. And Merrick’s sister recently attempted suicide. Their lives gradually intertwine, bringing light to the important topic of mental health in young adult literature.

The writing in Coral is beautiful. With the use of so many, short, yet incredibly descriptive sentences, it reads more like poetry than prose. I thought this was incredibly powerful for Coral’s point of view as it fits perfectly with the fairy tale genre.

Despite the beautiful writing, I did struggle with the plot and pacing of the book, especially with character development and clarity. There are three points of view and while the storylines do come together, it felt very disjointed. I had a really hard time connecting to any of the characters for most of the beginning of the book and I think this was because there were so many separate things going on at that point.

Overall, I do think Coral is an extremely important novel. Readers need to know that this book addresses some pretty hard-hitting topics like suicide, but that it is handled in such a realistic way that it brings more attention to a topic that is usually avoided.

This book is gorgeous! After reading the description, I was extremely excited to read this. This title does have a trigger warning as it discusses many difficult topics within mental health. I love that the author took a fairy tale idea and applied real life experiences with it to bring awareness to a topic that many don’t like discussing.

Although I liked this book, I didn’t love it. It was very difficult for me to switch between characters. I would get into each section and then it would switch to another character. This may be a personal preference as I don’t typically care for books that change view points so much.

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

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was very excited going into this book because I love the original story of The Little Mermaid and love fairytale re-tellings so this sounded like a great story. The cover immediately drew me in and the synopsis sounded great.

Let me first start off by saying my pros for this book. I loved all of the characters for their own individual reasons, they were all well developed and I loved how each chapter was told from a different character’s perspective.

I also loved the storyline of this book, it immediately intrigued me and the author has a whimsical, lyrical way of writing that I really enjoyed. It is a little harder to read but I found by slowing down my reading speed I was able to fully understand everything and appreciate the story more.

Now we get to my cons; I didn’t really understand this story. Quite a few times while reading this book I had to second guess myself and almost had to reread large chunks of it due to how confused I was. What you originally think is three main characters in this book is actually only two but if you’re not paying close attention to what’s going on, you really don’t understand how two of the characters are the same.

Another problem I had was how much this story jumped ahead without really giving you any warning. All of a sudden we’re months ahead in the story without finding out the details or why it skipped ahead so far. That was another thing that really threw me off when reading and I thought I had missed something.

I know the author tried to make it all a big plot twist at the end but I feel it fell a little short. I might just be too used to reading thriller novels but it was a very anticlimactic plot twist for me.

The only other con about this book for me was I felt like it could have been shorter. There was a lot of information thrown in that I didn’t feel was entirely necessary.

This still was a pretty good book overall and I commend the author for writing about the touchy subjects she did and bringing light to so many illnesses but this just wasn’t a great book for me. The cover is very deceiving as it doesn’t deal much with underwater sea life so I feel like that will throw a lot of readers off.

This was a bit of a disappointment as the premise sound really good and i thought i would enjoy it as much as i have done other mermaid books. There were a few too many characters for me to follow and there was not enough to tell them apart for me. I would read more by that author as i liked the writing style for the most part.

This is a dark fantasy in the truest sense of the genre.- combining the depths of humanity with the imaginative fantastical elements. I enjoyed the world building, character development and heart sickening feelings this book evoked. Not for everyone, as the warnings suggest. All in all, I found the book interesting and thoughtful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an ARC of this book! Release date - November 12, 2019

I think this was a beautiful book. It’s pretty unusual to find a YA book that solely focuses on mental illness and suicide despite the fact that it’s more and more common in the world today. I think Sara Ella came up with a truly clever and unique storyline. I absolutely LOVED the concept. While the beginning is a bit disjointed, with the three perspectives that didn’t seem to have anything to do with each other, once I realized what was really going on I had to just stop and marvel at the beautiful cleverness of it.

However I found it hard to rate this one. I loved the concept and storyline enough to pretty much give this 5 stars. But I don’t know if it was because I had an ARC or if the writing style really wasn’t up to par, but I found it very YA and choppy. I’m actually interested enough to check out a finished version, because if it’s just because I had an early version or not-finished-editing ARC, I’d definitely up my rating to 4 stars.

Truly a sad and beautiful concept. Definitely glad I gave this book a shot.

Let me say that without the author's trigger warning for this novel, I would have been taken off guard even more. I have been on a mermaid binge trying to find at least one book that I actually like and can follow. Coral was not an exception. I really thought this novel was being sold as a mermaid piece, but that light quickly dies after the first few chapters. Note to anyone wanting to read: this novel is a great read for those who enjoy more realistic fiction instead of fantasy. While this fact did factor into my review, the main reason for my low starred review was the writing itself. I was hoping for more setting and world-building but instead was left with trivial dialogue just for the sake of dialogue. For example, on one page a character checks out another character's body then admonishes himself for sounding a sexist. This was unnecessary and seemed more like a ploy for the reader to like the character rather than any character building. That being said, this novel does develop a good conversation about mental health and mental health stigmas. Even though the whole changing POVs (especially with characters that are not even real) is confusing, parts of this text would be great to use in a classroom when discussing mental health.

Who doesn't love the Mermaid Universe? I went into this knowing nothing more than that. This book tackles a lot: suicide, self-harm, emotional abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and consent issues.
This book isn't the Ariel retelling that I thought it would be. At least, I was happy to see most of these topics handled very well. The portrayal of mental illness treatment centers, for example, was completely accurate.
For Coral (a merperson), her society treats all emotions as diseases, and she and her sister struggle against those beliefs. Merrick's sister attempts suicide/his mother leaves home, and while he is searching for his Mom, he finds Coral. Brooke is a human with depression that is in therapy. The chapters alternate somewhat, and the original Little Mermaid story is loosely included in the plot as well.
This is a heavy book, as all the characters are brought together by one mental illness or another. I think the plot is executed well, but it won't be a re-read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to review. All opinions are my own in this review
I want to start off by thanking the author and publisher for a clear trigger warning page before this story begins. The trigger warning is for suicide, self-harm, emotional abuse, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, and unwanted advances.
With that trigger warning in place, I was able to pace myself with this story, and take my time ensuring that my mental health was still in check throughout the read. This book obviously deals with some heavy topics, and can lead the reader to feel some discomfort whilst reading it.
But all in all, I thought this book was wonderful. I think it is important, and will save lives. It's not perfect. There are some things within the plot that could have been ironed out a bit more. These characters did genuinely feel real to me. I felt their pain and heartache as I read. If you were hoping for a fluffy read, this is far from it.
The journey these characters go on I found to be relatable in a way that was accessible. I felt part of their story, and I think that was the important part to me.
I'm trying so hard not to spoil things, because I think the less you know about the plot, the more you can enjoy. Yes, please pay attention to those triggers. If you can handle it, please give this book a try.

This book is so beautiful and haunting. It's told from three different perspectives: Merrick, a rich boy trying to do what's best for his baby sister; Brooke, a girl who feels she has nothing at all to live for; and Coral, a mermaid with synesthesia who becomes human to exact revenge on the human who broke her sister's heart.

I applaud Ella on her use of trigger warnings, as the book openly discusses anxiety, depression, treatment centers, and suicide. But it's never for shock value. It all serves a purpose in the story. I especially adored the parts that paid homage to The Little Mermaid, both the original version and the Disney one.

I highly recommend this story!

I received a complimentary copy of Coral by Sara Ella from Thomas Nelson through Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Coral will be released tomorrow on November 12th.

First, I'd like to make it clear that this book is much more about mental illness than it is about mermaids. Coral deals heavily with the subjects of depression and suicide. This could be triggering for some people, so I wanted to specify that first in case anyone just looks at the cover and thinks it's a fun mermaid adventure. It's not.
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This book follows three characters: Brooke, a girl who has just entered a care facility for those suffering from mental illness, Merrick, the son of a wealthy businessman with a complicated family, and Coral, a mermaid princess who fears she has the same "disease" as her older sister.
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In Coral, Sara Ella uses the story of The Little Mermaid to address topics surrounding suicide and depression. I love fairytale retellings and I admire the idea of using one to address mental illness, but I found Coral difficult to read. The three characters and their stories are all connected, but the timelines don't match up throughout the story, which made the story feel stilted and confusing to piece together. Ella leaves a lot of things vague in order to keep the reader guessing and allow for "surprise twists" later in the book, but rather than making me want to read more to unravel the story, the vagueness just left me frustrated. The characters often felt one-dimensional to me and it was hard to relate to them or grow to like them. I loved the idea of this book, but I was left feeling disappointed. I found the second half more enjoyable and straightforward than the first, but this book still didn't sing for me.

Trigger warnings for suicide, attempted suicide, death, abandonment, anxiety, and depression.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the EARC.

I expected this to be more of a little mermaid story set in modern day and that is so not what this was. This follows 3 characters all experiencing suicide and depression in different ways. We have Coral, a mermaid princess, who’s sister is struggling with emotions, her people believe that emotions are only for humans and not for merpeople they see emotions as a disease. Coral is very close to her older sister and seems to also be suffering from emotions as well. We also have Brooke who lives in the human world and is suffering from depression and enters into therapy. And we have Merrick and he comes from a rich family. His sister suffers from depression and has attempted suicide and as this happens his mother vanishes and as Merrick goes searching for her he comes across Coral.

I have to say that this felt very rushed and the time jumps did not help. I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters I tried I really did and I almost could with coral but towards the middle I just couldn’t care at all. I really felt very confused towards the middle because I thought this was going to be a fantasy retelling of the little mermaid but then realized in the middle towards the end what the author was doing and by that point it was to late and I wasn’t enjoying it. I feel really bad because I do really appreciate what the author was doing but this just didn’t do it for me.

I was expecting this book was a fantasy retelling but it was much more than that. It took me a week to read this because the story was raw, heartbreaking and full of emotions. But it was written beautifully. I really loved it and author's note was amazing too.

All I can say about this book it is that I didn't expect it coming. I thought would be a cute retelling of The little mermaid or just another fantasy. I never was so wrong! The story is not a fantasy, it is the cruel reality.
The main key of the book is mental health. The author is trying to show the world what means to have a mental health problem by calling it a disease. Because this is the truth. By reading this book you would understand that having a mental illness is not something minor, it is not something that can disappear because you say so.
I really enjoyed the book even if at the beginning I was a little confused why there were 3 stories and why 2 of them were written in the 3rd person. But you will understand why in the middle of the book.
Coral is a heartbreaking book. I cried, I smile and again I cried. Maybe this book is not the book I want to read. But it is the book you need to read.
Thank you JustRead and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't like this at all. It was boring and I couldn't keep my concentration. It was very different than I expected. The mental health rep was very well done but I didn't like the story

This one's writing and ending were REALLY confusing. I really liked Coral and her story but the other two MCs were MEH. I ate this arc up like Halloween candy but it's ultimately forgettable.

I believe the mental health descriptions are accurate and believable, but I'd definitely not push this book on everyone due to the content.
I expected it to be more a little mermaid re-telling than what it was.
I didn't get the changes between the character's viewpoints and this part was poorly executed.
It felt too long and drawn out for me, but kudos again to the author for tackling such a topic.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions about this book are my own.

Wow! This book was much deeper than I expected. I came into this only knowing that’s it a YA retelling of The Little Mermaid. Sign. Me. Up. What I didn’t know is how in depth it would be, and how mental illness would be the main subject, weaved into all of the character’s lives. This book is extremely triggering at points, with self-harm and suicide being events at the forefront. But reading how the characters respond, hurt and heal was very realistic and I think this book would be really helpful to those who maybe don’t understand mental health issues. The overlying messages of you are not nothing and you are not alone are also extremely important.

honestly didn't expect this book to be about mental illness or how well it showed it and it was pleasant surprise to see the theme in the book. I like how it shows mental illness in a different way compared to other books and it explains it really well for those who haven't experienced it. I like how it was 3 stories intertwined with each other and while it was confusing to start with once you got into the book things became clearer. I loved the character of Brooke and how she struggled with finding her place above the water. It was a great reimagined tale of The Little Mermaid and it's definitely not your typical fairy tale.

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).