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.

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

Edited review is now up on my blog: https://loveyoshelf.wordpress.com/2019/11/01/review-coral-by-sara-ella/

If you're thinking about buying/reading this book, please read the trigger warning at the beginning and take it seriously.

"Your truth and my truth are very different things."

Coral is charmingly contemporary and a great blend of the retelling of a classic such as The Little Mermaid and references to modern pop culture - I was especially amused by the nod to Joanna Gaines' line at Target, as well as the Gilmore Girls reference. There are small nods to the Disney adaptation as well, such as guessing each other's names (I'm 99% sure Prince Eric guesses Ariel's name is Katie, too). The minor characters add heart to the story, and provide much needed hope in the lives of the protagonists. There is genuine humor and wit interspersed throughout the novel, providing what could be a needed break from all of the heavier emotions and topics.

"That's the first step toward healing. Knowing that we don't have all the answers all the time. Understanding there isn't always a why and sometimes we feel the way we feel because we do. And that's okay."

The twist involving two of the narrators was easy to pick up on early in the book, but that's okay, because as a reader it's always fun for me to watch the puzzle pieces click into place. Once I figured out the initial twist, other parts of the story began falling into place, and I found myself reading a little faster to confirm my suspicions. The twist and multiple timelines can be a little confusing, but it helps that Ella uses first person, present tense speech for Brooke and third person, past tense writing for Coral and Merrick. The romance is a little rushed, but not to the point where it's unbelievable, considering how similar the characters' experiences are. The romance also isn't the central focus of the story, which I really appreciate. The small things truly make up the characters and allow them to shine, including the ways in which Merrick takes note of other peoples' mental health and tries his best to accommodate each person's individual needs.

"You are fine. You'd be fine if you'd only choose to be."

On a more serious note, Coral is about finding and embracing your humanity and all of the feelings - good and bad - that come along with it. As someone who struggles with anxiety in a traditional Asian household, the words King Jonah says to Coral about her emotions are all too familiar. People who struggle with mental health and people who find it difficult to understand those who struggle with mental health alike have a lot to gain from this novel. There were so many little moments where the narrators experienced subtle signs of anxiety that I could relate to all too well and it was really refreshing to see that portrayed and acknowledged in a book for teens who might be going through the same thing. Ella doesn't shy away from the reality of peoples' struggles with mental health, including the on-going recovery process and what can happen after. Towards the end of the book, I was blinking away tears at work, and the conversations and revelations that happen are so so necessary for those who are affected by mental illness, those who are watching loved ones be affected, and those who are unaffected and don't understand. Coral talks about the guilt people can feel and how to overcome it, and is truly powerful.

"Maybe humanity isn't completely lost after all."

I loved Coral, and I can't wait to buy a copy once it hits shelves.

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.

Wow, this book is a really hard one to review because its a very character driven story, and more than that – its a story about characters that struggle with a lot of mental health issues. This is going to be an odd review – I can’t talk too much about the plot without giving away major spoilers, so its more of a quick character analysis.

The story focuses on a few characters that come together in unexpected ways; there’s the mermaid Coral who moves with her grandmother because she began experiencing the “Red Tide”, Brooke and her young friend Hope, who are staying at a treatment center, and Merrick, who is desperately holding himself together despite his parents and his sisters suicide attempts.

I was extremely confused as to how these characters relate to each other at first, something just didn’t add up correctly and I felt like I was missing something major. Maybe there was a chapter that got left out of my copy, or maybe i have a really old edition – but no, it all comes together eventually and once it does, every tiny detail makes sense, any my heart broke.

Coral is a mermaid turned human – which is kind of confusing until you “get it”, but her story is a sad one. Unwanted, dismissed from the family that is supposed to love her unconditionally, you just want to pick up the little mermaid and tell her how much she means to you.

Brooke and Hope were by far my favorite characters – Brooke struggled with being in yet another treatment center, balked at therapy, and preferred to keep her pain inside her. I saw a lot of myself in Brooke, and although i know everyones struggles with mental health are different, i could relate too and understand Brooke’s in a way that i dont usually get too. Then there’s her friend, the wonderful, heartbreaking, Hope. An eleven year old girl with pain beyond her years, Hope, for me, was the central character. She helps tie the different elements of the story together, and is always happy to be there for the people that need her – even though internally she struggles more than any of them.

Finally, there’s Merrick. I would have been happier if Merrick was just left out of the story completely, but i do understand his importance and the role he plays. Starting out as a love interest of Corals, Merrick devlops into a central character – but i still wasn’t a fan. His relationship with his father and the decisions he makes in regards to his parents, are that of a spoiled brat. He’s consistently whining about “being told what to do”, you’re still a child Merrick, of course you get told what to do. He also makes a lot of poor decisions in regards to his sister Amaya, and although they all come with good intentions, they’re once again, the decisions of a spoiled whiny child.

The pacing of this story is s-l-o-w. There’s not too much of a plot at all actually, its more about the internal struggles and daily lives of the core group. So if you like lots of action and plot twists in stories, this may not be the one for you. But if you don’t mind character driven stories, or books that get very very real about mental health, than i highly recommend this book. It’s such a beautiful story and i was almost in tears when I finished it.

I received an ARC of this one courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas Nelson.

Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded disease--Emotions.

First, a warning. It appears at the beginning of the book and as the author’s review on Goodreads. If you are triggered by loss, suicide, or mental health discussion or issues in books please skip this one.

What I Didn’t Like:
-This one is billed as a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I didn’t see it that way.
-The storyline was hard to follow. Even after finishing it, when I should be able to go back and piece it all together, I feel like I’m still a little confused. There are details that seem out of place.
-The ending. Without spoiling anything I can just say I didn’t love this ending. Anything more than that would be a huge spoiler. Email me after you read it and we can vent about it.


What I Did Like:
-The cover is absolutely gorgeous.
-The betrayal of mental illness results in some moments that are beautiful in their acceptance and understanding. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but this takes a hard look at mental health and does a decent job of it.
-Brooke. She’s raw and real. She’s the most well written character in this book and I wanted more chapters of hers. I connected with her in a deep way.

Who Should Read This One:
-If you are looking for a book that explores mental health, I recommend this one. I wouldn’t say it’s a five star book if you were looking for a Little Mermaid book, ignore that selling point. Instead, if you want a book that takes a deeper look at the suffering that is depression and consequences that can have, pick this one up.

My Rating: 3 stars. If it was remarketed correctly so you knew exactly what you were getting into, it could be better.

For Full Review (including what I didn’t like): https://youtu.be/J_P6KzL-THc

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I love fairy tales. I love Hans Christian Anderson. I love books that deal with mental health issues. This had everything that I could possibly want from a fairytale retelling. But unfortunately the timeline and overall cohesion of the story was lacking for me and I found myself skimming over some portions of the story hoping that it would catch my interest more than it did. It wasn't a bad book by any means, it just didn't hit the mark for me personally.

I feel it necessary to reiterate the trigger warning that Ms. Ella released with this book as there is mention of self-harm, suicide, abuse, as well as various mental health issues. Having read this warning before diving in I wasn’t sure what to expect but what I found was a story that is incomparable to anything I have ever read before.  Three stories are weaved together to tell a tale of loss and the repercussions of difficult choices from both the afflicted and their caretakers.

First we meet our mermaid, Coral, who is burdened with trying to appease a family she no longer feels a part of while trying to care for a sister whose secrets may lead to a troubling end.  As her sister’s secrets are revealed Coral must face the unsettling reality that those secrets may not be her sister’s alone.

Brooke is living the aftermath of one of her worst fears coming to fruition. The overwhelming circumstances lead her to be justifiably resistant to any help from those charged with her care.  A few unexpected friends allow her the opportunity to discover herself and what’s important.

Merrick is a slave to his name.  With a rich and powerful father comes great responsibilities, that he has no interest in. The ennui he feels towards his privileged life takes a drastic turn when someone close to him almost loses a battle he didn’t know was being fought.  He must now accept responsibility he’s not prepared for to be the hero his family needs.

The issues that are dealt with in this book are very real despite the whimsical namesake heroine.  I challenge anyone to finish this book without a new awareness of those around them. Though the timelines of each story can seem a bit confusing, the end result is an awe inspiring revelation that made me gasp as all of the pieces fell together before my eyes.  If this is what happens when a fairy tale falls into Sara Ella’s hands than then I look forward to seeing what else she has in store for us.

If you had asked me at the start of 2019 which book release I was most looking forward to, I wouldn't have had to even hesitate before answering with this one. I've spent years looking for a little mermaid retelling that would finally do my favorite fairy tale justice, and I was convinced that Sara Ella would be the author to deliver it. After finishing Coral, I have to admit I'm feeling a little underwhelmed and disappointed. While it definitely had its positive aspects, it was not the story I was expecting, and this review is a little bittersweet to write.

What I Did Like:

Let's start with the positive.

I first and foremost have to applaud Sara Ella for tackling the controversial subject of mental illness in her little mermaid retelling. With more and more people struggling with these illnesses every single day, it's amazing when authors choose to try and represent this throughout their stories. As someone who struggles myself, I appreciated this. I admired the fact that she wrote about many different characters who struggle, and highlighted the fact that the way it affects each person is different from how it affects someone else. This is not a story that sugar coats what those struggling go through, and that was something I wholeheartedly appreciated and agreed with.

I love when authors are readers themselves, and this point is definitely obvious throughout the reading of Coral. The author incorporates many passages from the original story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. And she also adds many passages from beloved young adult authors like Veronica Roth and John Green. I enjoyed how these passages always blended in perfectly with each portion of the story they were included in, and it showcased Sara Ella's true love of the young adult literary world.

I can't not talk about the writing in my positive part of the review. It is truly beautiful, and I found myself highlighting so many passages that spoke to me. I really enjoyed her writing style, and found that it kept me invested into the story even during the parts I wasn't necessarily enjoying. Along the same lines, I loved the way that each character mentioned is written raw and realistic; and how it literally felt that the reader could feel the emotions coming from each and every character throughout the story. The story is told from three differing viewpoints (Coral; the little mermaid, Brooke; a human girl who's been admitted into a treatment facility, and Merrick; a human boy who's struggling with his sister's illness and his father's harsh treatment of the family.) and I appreciated that each POV is written distinctly different. I never got confused reading one over the other as it was always quite easy to tell who's POV you were currently reading.

Now unfortunately I need to dive into the negative:

What I Didn't Like:

I really struggled with the timeline throughout the entire story. It feels choppy and not executed properly, and that the story jumps large time periods all over the place that really doesn't make much sense to the reader. For the first three quarters of the book, this was simply annoying and frustrating. However, when the big reveals happen in the last quarter of the book, it left me completely confused and I had no idea what was happening or where the author was going with her story. This would have been confusing enough if the story was told from only one point of view. However, with the fact that it was told from three POV's and that the story could jump weeks between changing from one POV to the next, it got extremely confusing.

I commented already on the fact that I loved how Sara Ella was willing to tackle the topic of mental illness under the positives about this story. However, this did also have a negative side to it that I have to include as well. While it's amazing that more and more authors are choosing to represent the struggles that mental illness brings with it, this isn't always done in a positive light. Throughout Coral, mental illness is mainly represented as dark and depressing with very little light show shown throughout. I appreciate that the darker side of it was represented, but I feel like this could have been balanced a little bit better. Most of the characters seemed to let their illnesses define them, and I just wanted to see a little bit more represented of not letting your illness define you. I definitely have to advise a trigger warning on this title; for anyone who struggles with reading about depression, darker sides of mental illness, and suicide.

Finally, I can't express enough how much I didn't enjoy the direction the ending went in. I was disappointed that the actual under the sea parts ended up being such a small portion of the story, and I ended up feeling a little cheated on the fact that this wasn't a true little mermaid retelling in certain parts of the story. When all the plot twists and turns were finally revealed, I felt it didn't add up, and that certain components of the story are never truly explained to the reader, or resolved by the end of the story. I enjoy stories about unreliable narrators, as it makes you think twice about what you're reading and accepting at face value. However, certain parts of this story didn't add up for me, and I was left feeling disappointed and confused when I did finally finish reading it.

Final Rating: 3/5

If not for the muddled timeline, and the confusion that surrounds when the story finally unwraps, this would have probably been a higher rated title for me. However, these inconsistencies really annoyed me, and affected my enjoyment of the story.

I'm still glad I picked this one up, as I did really enjoy components of it. I will also still be recommending it, I will just be forewarning everyone to go in knowing what to expect, as it was definitely not what I was expecting.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

Coral has always been different, standing out from her mermaid sisters where blending in is key. Above the sea, Brooke is overcome with depression and anxiety, but is trying a group therapy home that promises a second chance at life. Merrick is San Francisco’s golden boy, but he wants nothing more to escape his controlling father.

Ok. I really and truly wanted to fall in love with this book. And there are aspects of it that moved me and resounded with my past that I was able to connect with. It may be hard for me to really pinpoint my feelings on this book, but I’ll try my best.

This story was a new twist on the original Hans Christian Anderson’s ‘Little Mermaid’. There were parallels of the youngest mermaid sister wanting something more and ending up on land as a human, but that’s really where the similarities end. I had no issues with that, but it may be good to know going in so you’re not expecting a full ‘Little Mermaid’ retelling. This book is about depression and suicide (and is a bit difficult to read at times) so PLEASE be cautious when reading if you’ve had close experiences with these things.

There were three perspectives in this book. The three perspectives confused me a little, but I thought it would all make sense when they converged at the end. Yet I finished the book and I’m still a bit confused about the timeline and how/when the characters joined. And looking at reviews, I’m not the only one.

If it had not been for the confusing timeline/perspectives, I would’ve given this book 4 stars because I really loved the message and the candidness the author used to approach mental health. But the muddled, vague aspects of it kept me from fully enjoying the book, as I was too bewildered at times to connect with the characters. Despite my hold-ups, I do appreciate the author tactfully handling such a difficult topic.

This book took me on the ultimate journey. I’ll be honest, I found the three perspectives hard to follow at first, and I really had to take my time to fully grasp the depths of this story (though this could have completely been entirely on my part due to my mental health not being in the best of places during my reading experience). I found the characters to be hard hitting when it came to expressing their feelings (especially Brooke’s!) and the writing style was so well done. I’m beyond interested in reading more of the author’s work and can’t thank NetGalley enough for allowing me to read this arc!

While Coral by Sara Ella attempts to use a fairy tale retelling to discuss mental health, it never quite finds cohesion between the two. For one, Coral is a confusing book. The story is told from three points of view, and it takes most of the book for any connection between the three to become clear. The way the three points of view come together eventually is well done, but it just takes too long to get there. 

In addition, this is supposed to be a retelling of "The Little Mermaid," but it has almost nothing in common with "The Little Mermaid "aside from Coral being a mermaid and there being a sea witch. It's more along the lines of an "inspired" story, but I never thought the fairy tale aspects mattered once I reached a certain part of the book. The story could have worked just fine without the retelling element. 

The highlight, however, of the story is how Sara Ella handles suicide and mental health. She doesn't shy away from discussing it with raw, deep feelings. At times, this book came across a lot darker than I expected, but it also hinges on a lot of hope for those who are survivors of suicide or attempts. While reading, though, I never quite understood who the target audience was supposed to be. Yes, we need books that address mental illness and suicide and help people, but this book seems like it might do more harm for someone with suicidal thoughts than good.

While some aspects were a bit predictable and "The Little Mermaid" retelling angle didn't pull through for me, Coral has the potential to be a powerful story in the right hands.

To be honest, I mostly skimmed "Coral" by Sara Ella. While the plot on depression and suicide is a very important topic and the author was very well intentioned, the way it was inserted into the story came off preachy and trite. I wouldn't say the novel was problematic in how it handled the topic, like say "13 Reasons Why," it just didn't make for an enjoyable read. And my problem also was not that it was depressing. If anything, the story insisted on remaining light-hearted and inspiring through even the most depressing of scenes. I think to really get at the heart of suicide and depression, there needed to be more willingness to go to that dark place and bring the reader out—but also not in a melodramatic or sentimental way, but in a way that's nuanced and sincere. In the end, this story just didn't capture my attention and the tone was one I just couldn't enjoy. I'm sure this will be the right book for someone else who may well need it, but it wasn't for me.