Sarah is 11, and the prospect of leaving elementary school for the wilds of middle/high school is daunting. In addition to the overwhelm, she feels like a fish out of water, a fraud, hiding behind a mask and going through the motions. She wishes she wasn't here.

Sarah is bipolar. She doesn't recieve her diagnosis until later in the book, so the first portion focuses on her feelings and behaviour as she struggles to be "normal". Told in first person narrative, this reads like a diary of a troubled child,battling an undiagnised condition and the reactions of the people around her, and, ultimately, hospitalisation and the treatment of her condition. The narrative is broken up with verses and poems reflecting the feelings of the main character as she journeys through this challenging period of her life.

As a parent of a child with a neurodivergent diagnosis, this book broke my heart a little.

A must read for tweens/YA readers who are battling their own mental health crises. It gets better - just hang in there one more day.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

Mermaid tears by Susan L.Read was a fabulous coming of age story that revolves around her learning about dealing with her mental health. We see the struggles of understanding her symptoms, and the confusion of not having a diagnosis for what is taking place within her life. This causes havoc on Sarah's ability to make friends, keep up with her school work and find enjoyment in the things she used to love. What I really liked about this was that it dealt with mental health in a way that exposes the reader to Sarah’s perspective. Reading from her point of view is powerful for older middle graders. I honestly wish this book was around years ago, but it is going to be such a powerful tool for readers today. Exposure to the ins and outs through Sarah's inner dialogue as she navigates all of the things that young people are facing while also trying to understand herself and her brain. I cannot wait to share this with fellow teachers and youth. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a heartfelt book that dealt with sensitive topics and gave a good message in a poetic way. The plot was based on a middle-schooler, Sarah who has bipolar disorder. We see how she seeks help and her journey is reflected very well. The symbolism of mermaid tears throughout the story was done very well and the messages reflected were very inspiring! Overall this was a beautiful book that I would recommend to every middle-grade reader.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free e-arc!

This book explores some heavy topics in relation to mental illness and it’s possible consequences - if not recognized and treated in a timely manner. Though I found this book difficult to get into, mostly because the writing style did not reflect my personal preferences (I found it to be a bit wordy with a lot of inner-monologue about things that I don’t feel added to the story), I still could not put it down.

Sarah is a sixth grader who is struggling with feeling different. She is doing things she can’t explain and lashing out at her family and friends, which is causing her to feel isolated in her home and at school. When Sarah decides to disclose her feelings to a teacher, including her disregard for her own life, a plan is formulated by her educators, medical professionals, and her family to help her with her journey to wellness.

I think this book is a very important read, especially for anyone who has or works with kids. I have read many books that focus on mental illness, but never had I read one about a middle schooler. It is interesting (and sad) to think about how many kids there may be, just like Sarah, who do not receive the help they need - maybe because their actions get them labelled as attention-seeking and/or troublesome or … they follow through on their suicidal thoughts because talking to an adult doesn’t seem optional. This story really opened my eyes and will stick with me my whole life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Even when I tried for the 1st chapter, it's already so so sad. angsty sad...I feel it too. It messes my mental health and I can't go happily to school...the struggle just so so damn ugly...I feel what our MC feels here.

Received copy of the book #Mermaid Tears from #NetGalley for a unbiased review.

I book deals with several issues that many teen face today. These include the feelings of loss and isolation. Feeling there is no place for them with their family, peer group or school. The book spends a lot of time on the main character's withdrawal and frustration with her life.

The book also deals with mental illness and how it impacts more than just the one person who is ill. The illness impacts their family, and others.

The book is hopeful in the way mental health is addressed. The view is it takes work but things can get better if you have a support system.

Because of the subject matter I would suggest the book for a middle school child or older.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel. The free copy did not affect my review.

Mermaid Tears is a good book about a girl thinking that the world would be better without her in it. Sarah tries her hardest to fit in and do well at school. However, her efforts do not reflect on her grades or friendships. She starts acting out in ways that she never has before and doesn't feel in control of herself. All she wants to be is normal, and she feels that she is not. Sarah finally reaches her breaking point and confides in her teacher, who gets her professional help with her suicidal thoughts.

This was a good book about an important topic. I enjoyed it, however I wish that her diagnosis was a bit earlier in the book, instead of it being about how she feels before. I hope it helps other people in Sarah's situation.

Ages 11+

Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an Arc of this book
Mermaid Tears is a beautiful story about a young girl who suddenly starts to feel different, without knowing the reason behind it or how she can solve it. It's beautifully, sometimes poetically written & perfect to teach a younger audience about mental health problems and invisible disabilities, but will also be a good and even educational read for (young) adults.
I have absolutely 0 issues with this book, hence why I rated it 5 stars obviously.
It's a nice writing style that gets you in the story immediately, with an interesting & kind main character, who just tries her best to please everyone while everyone gives her the feeling she's not good enough.
I had heard about bpd before, but seeing it trough a kids eyes is more real and touching. Highly recommend this to anyone who wants to get out of a slump, loves contemporaries but without romance (me!) or wants to educate themselves further on important topics.

I did not enjoy this. This felt like I was reading a fanfiction off of fanfic.net. Just wasn't fun. I read this 2 hours and very much contemplated DNFing it. Maybe a younger audience will enjoy it, but I felt it as telling and not showing if that makes sense. Not for me.

I find the writing style a tad bit choppy and the topics slightly scattered, this may be my personal style of writing but I found this difficult to enjoy the writing thoroughly. I liked the themes throughout the book, especially the mask theme towards the beginning.

I like the idea and what it attempted, but while reading this book it was mostly tell and not show. There were several sections I read that I thought would make good examples for students on what telling looks like instead of showing. I think the first person could use a lot of work or a third person switch would make it a lot better.

The book and the story has potential enough — while I do feel for the main character at times (again: AT TIMES) I just found the book to drag a lot and some parts just ... disappointing. I do care for the MC's struggle of fearing of everyone else being disappointed by her (and yes the irony of this is not lost on me) and is one of the very few parts of the book I sincerely felt sympathetic too.

Personally, I dnf’d this book. I didn’t really enjoy any of the characters and the plot was- it didn’t really have any problems to solve. Sure, she randomly started screaming and crying one night at camp and her parents are disappointed in her but there isn’t a clear way to fix any of those because she quit camp and her parents are irritated but not that mad with her. However, I did enjoy the writing style and if the plot was different, might have really loved this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mermaid Tears shares the story of Sarah, a young girl who wishes she could be "normal." Sarah often does things she can't explain, and she constantly feels like a disappointment to her parents and her teachers. Sarah's desire to swim away from life (like a mermaid) is poignant and will likely resonate with young readers. I am glad that the author had Sarah reach out to the trusted adults in her life so that she could start feeling better. At times, Sarah's family feels a bit generic and the timeline from her eventual diagnosis to recovery is condensed. The overall message of loving yourself and the emphasis on mental health make this a strong title that should be shared.

5th grader Sarah finds it hard to be normal. She’s been labeled immature, disruptive, inconsistent, and doesn’t work well with others. Each year she’s told this year will be a fresh start. It never is. Her parents think she can do better and Sarah tries but finds it hard. When the family goes to a Cape Cod for a week, Sarah wishes she could be a mermaid quiet and content and swim away from everything. When 7th grade comes along, Sarah has had it and finally talks to a teacher one day who gets her help. With the family now involved, Sarah ends up staying in the psychiatric ward for a few weeks to help her with her bipolar disorder. With therapy, she realizes there is no such thing as normal and to focus on the positive and that she has found some coping strategies that will help her.