This didn't hold my attention but I am really picky about mermaid books so my opinion is biased. Anything that has been done a ton I am picky about because I am a bit tired of the topic. Mermaids have been overdone with me so this book didn't catch my attention enough to out do the others I have read.

My second DNF from NetGalley.

I love mermaid stories and was excited to read one that’s not the typical Western take on mermaids and the cover was incredibly interesting to me. But I personally have a hard time with reading books that are written entirely in a character’s accent (like when someone writes out how a Scottish accent sounds for example). I can usually get by it when it’s in dialogue but the POV of the book was written this way and I couldn’t get myself to keep going.

I am still giving it two stars for the premise, the cover, and the fact that I think I would have liked this if the specific way it was written hadn’t been so confusing for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

This is a tough book to review for me because I did like it, but I didn't love it and there were some things about it that were just downright terrible. On the small island of Black Conch, in 1976, a mermaid is caught by two white fisherman. One of the villagers, mesmerized by the mermaid, frees her and brings her to his home. There, the mermaid undergoes some changes and some of her history is revealed.

I really enjoyed the elements of Caribbean culture and atmosphere. I thought these were really well done and enhanced by the language. I also enjoyed the overall theme of how women treat each other and love.

I did not enjoy the pace. It moved much too slow and felt very repetitive in parts. I also felt like some of the characters weren't developed quite enough and I didn't really understand their motivations.

The crude language and near constant sexual references also bothered me. It's just not my style.

Overall, I will recommend this book, but it definitely is not my favorite read ever.

Built on mythology of the Caribbean, The Mermaid of Black Conch doesn't disappoint. Written in semi-epistolary fashion, and partially in verse, the story follows the capture of a mermaid and the man who saves her from the evil fisherman. It is interesting to see how the mermaid, named Aycayia, adapts to everyday life on Black Conch, and falls in love with the man who saved her (David, a lonely fisherman). This is definitely a love story, and not necessarily a happy one.

Set on a fictional island in the Caribbean young man must rescue the mermaid he has fallen for when she is caught by fishermen.