Basically, this book had me at "mermaid," though to be honest the mermaid part is only half of this story (it serves as a book within the book.) Overall, I appreciated the way the author juggled the two halves, even if it didn't always stick the landing for me personally, (sometimes the tonal shifts between the two were jarring.)

The book within the book is called "American Mermaid" and it is thought provoking, something you might want to read on its own (you kinda get the gist of it here, though.) But don't become too attached to that story, the other half of this book concerns the author's adventures in getting American Mermaid made into a movie. THAT part of this book is entirely different in tone. Often snarky and fun, with some interesting things to say about the Hollywood machine.

This book soars when these two halves of the story rub against each other, (like when the story within the story mentions the atomic bomb, then quickly switches to a chapter where screenwriters talk about needing to cut it from the movie cause it's a bummer.) There are parallels and connections between the two halves of the story throughout the book, which I dug, but also references to one story bleeding into the other, (which I dug less.)

Toward the end, this book starts getting a little crazy (the Hollywood part) and I wasn't necessarily feeling those narrative choices. But there's no denying that this is an intriguing story and a cool idea with some great quotes, (a favorite... "Do not go to war with women in a state of becoming. Their dark arts are deep and indomitable."

Hell yeah. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What in the what did I just read? This book is a unique and wild ride...

This book is about a teacher who writes a sucessful novel and then moves to L.A. to get it optioned off for a movie. This follows her on her journey as it get's written into a script, the interesting people she meets along the way, and her questionable mental health.

I enjoyed the story in the story aspect of this book. Getting to actually read American Mermaid while reading American Mermaid was fun and I kind of wish that would have been the book instead. I found both parts of the story interesting, however the book felt....wordy? I'm not sure how to describe it, but it felt challanging to read at times. I'm so conflicted because I found myself actually laughing at Penny and wanting to see what happens with her, but a lot of it felt too much. Like the party with the rats.

I do know that I will be reading Julia Langbein's next work. I enjoyed the writing and she is very funny.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this in exchange for a review. American Mermaid comes out in March 21st 2023!

'American Mermaid' may be a silly title for a book, but don't judge this book by its title. From the first chapter, the darkly comedic tone hooks you right into the central character and her journey from school teacher to successful author, and then to Hollywood screenwriter(ish). Having worked as a film director and writer, the softly-satirical world of filmmaking into which Penny is thrust felt all too real. As the book moves between the "real" world and excerpts of Penny's novel, sometimes blurring the lines between 'fact' and fiction, I found the book lost steam. Maybe it's just that I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, so the excerpts weren't as compelling. But in any event, with this ambitious debut, Langbein proves she's going to be a literary force, should it find its audience.

American Mermaid by Julia Langbein is a fun, smart read! It's told in alternating stories, one being a novel within a novel, the other being the "real-life" story of the novelist. The novel within is a feminist fantasy about a mermaid found and adopted by a wealthy American family. The mermaid character's defining characteristics are being intellectually brilliant and asexual. The novel echoes the life of the author, a messy, under-achieving, cynical high school English teacher, who embarks on a hilarious sojurn in Hollywood after selling the movie rights to her novel. The contemporary story is a funny satire of Hollywood and the "girl boss" mythos. The novel within is intriguing if somewhat clunky. I recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining read with a feminist edge.

Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 4
Enjoyment: First half = 5 // Latter = 3
Buyable/Re-readable?: Not for me.

3.5 ⭐ This book will NOT be for everyone.

As I didn't read the full synopsis, the book wasn't what I thought it would be, and therefore, I at first didn’t know the excerpt hinted at the fiction bleeding into reality - I wonder how differently this would have read for me, had I known going in, heh. It was fun at first; I like the whole book-within-a-book method, but there came a point where the humor dropped off and the 'wtf-ery' kicked in.

Example: Part III - Drowning - I flat out do not understand why the main character did what she did here. It pulled me out of book rather alarmingly, leaving me feeling disconnected, weird, etc I never figured out the motive for getting with these kids and the scenes afterward. And honestly it was at Part III that the book began to lose me. I was bewildered enough about the ending to contact another reviewer of the book, but they didn't even remember the ending ("which probably says something"), so. Alas. And was she asexual or not, because representation would have been cool.

That the author is a stand-up comedian makes loads of sense, as the first half or more was utterly hilarious. I'd giggle or laugh aloud and often want to share those parts with my husband. I learnt some new words and new peoples! We get first person POV from the main character and third person for the book excerpts.

Petty small thing - I don't care for the name choices. I felt that they were too bland for mermaids, however, they were also neat, using typically male given ones for female characters, and kind of neat they take names of sperm fathers? but...isn't that also playing into the patriarchy and aren't we fighting that same thing in this novel?

To be somewhat lazy, these fellow readers sum it up fairly well -

Natalie - “This is a complex and unusual novel.” Very much so.
Amy - “Truthfully, there's so much in this book, I feel I should read it a few more times to really digest all the ins and outs of it thoroughly.” Y U U P, same.
Jenn - “At times the writing was a little wordy but seeing that the main character is a writer, it makes sense.” - Agreed, sometimes too Big Brain for me.
Jennifer - “I'm sure that someone will read this and make literary connections that I missed or something to do with gender identity and the relationship between Penny and Sylvia. But for me, I was reading this for the story and not for it to be a major social commentary.” Right, went into it expecting one thing, came out wonder wtf did I just read? Heh.

Ok in all honesty, I chose this book because of the title and cover! I don’t know what I expected, but I did enjoy it! Different style, but worth a read!

Best thing about this book; that gives you a chance to connect with two unique, unconventional characters at the same time! And you get lost into a brilliant combination of different genres including drama, fantasy, mystery, women’s fiction! The execution is smart, unusual and surprising! The characters are vivid, multidimensional!

There’s nothing ordinary about this book! Just jump in without thinking any further and embrace the entire installment, get ready to be surprised!

Penelope’s peaceful life in Connecticut changed after her diagnose. She has to fight against big C just like her mother recently did but she doesn’t have enough funds to support herself. For years with the support of her teaching job she putted a roof over her head and paid her bills on time but her savings weren’t much enough to cover her health bills which made her question the life choices she’s made.

As her lowest point writing helped her to heal her wounds. She’s created her mermaid character Sylvia: half human/ half mermaid by the creation of scientists. Penelope channels her inner strength to that character! Sylvia is tougher woman who can fight for her own happiness!

Penelope cannot believe in her luck when the publishers decide to give her book a chance and later the book turns into a bestseller which picks the interest of movie producers for the adaptation.

Penelope decides to leave her peaceful life and teaching job behind to move to LA to work with male screenwriters for the adaptation of her own book. Of course she also feels like a fish out of the water, when she starts engaging with Lala Land people by attending special Hollywood parties.

Her adjustment problems are only the beginning of the bigger issue she has to deal! Her co-screenwriters want to turn Sylvia into a sex symbol, a seducing wild creature. She loses the control of the script’s direction and unexplainable things start to occur that also changes the entire direction of her life! Could Sylvia come to life to avenge her for ruining her characterization? Could her worst nightmare become true?

I’m not gonna make more comments. I don’t want to ruin your sacred reading experience! As I told you before just dive into this book! It’s an underrated secret gem! You don’t want to miss it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

What an interesting read. I did enjoy it but feel pretty middle of the road about it as a whole. I’m not sure what my exact hang up is with the story, maybe it’s just a me a problem, haha! Overall though it was a good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

American Mermaid is definitely one of the more unique books that I have read this year. The story of Penny, a teacher turned author who writes a book about a mermaid named Sylvia. The book follows Penny, as she moves to LA to help adapt her book into a movie. The book follows Penny in her new adventure in So Cal., but also shows gives you excerpts into Penny's novel. And the two worlds seem to blend in Penny's mind. And the intertwined stories really seem to work.

American Mermaid is part humor, part women's fiction and there is even some parts eco-warrior.
I found the writing smart and even a bit snarky, but the character of Penny was relatable. At times the writing was a little wordy but seeing that the main character is a writer, it makes a sense.

If you are looking for a book that is a little break from the norm, check this one out.

I was drawn to the premise of this book - schoolteacher writes bestselling novel and is then invited to help turn it into a movie. But the constant switching back and forth between the book-within-a book (which was intriguing, but also quite weird) and the actual story was difficult to follow and I had a hard time engaging with the story as it kept flipping around.

That said, I admire the chances the author took with this structure. It’s bold and inventive and not something I’ve seen done before in quite that way. So I recommend giving it a try.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

I found that, at the start, I wasn't really absorbed in this book and in the story of Penny. Her voice was a bit jarring and hard to really follow, but the book within the book kept me intrigued enough to keep going. Once Penny's voice and life in Hollywood settled down a bit, I found myself wanting to know more about how things would evolve. I will say that the teaser for the book was a bit misleading, because the actual mystery took well over half the book to really materialize and then, when it did, it was kind of secondary to everything else. I'm sure that someone will read this and make literary connections that I missed or something to do with gender identity and the relationship between Penny and Sylvia. But for me, I was reading this for the story and not for it to be a major social commentary.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. Like Fangirl, the part that I really wanted more of was the actual story of Sylvia the American Mermaid. While Penny was interesting, I kept waiting for the next instalment of the mermaid discovering herself.

All in all, an interesting read. Definitely some Little Mermaid elements but not to the focus of the story at all.

Boy, this novel was a chore to get through. The best parts were the excerpt chapters about the novel, "American Mermaid". The present day chapters were so outrageous and pretentious. I wanted to like Penny but she was such a weird and airheaded character. It was hard to believe she was a former schoolteacher. Everyone that speaks in this novel sounded so shallow. I used to live in California and people who live don't talk like that. I'm actually pretty shocked by the glowing reviews. This book was so disjointed. The chapters with Sylvia were the best. This story was trying too hard to be shocking. It's a mixed bag for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Doubleday for the digital ARC.

Penelope writes a best seller, America Mermaid. She quits her teaching job to go to Hollywood and help turn the novel into a movie. Facing pressure to turn her main character into a teen sex object, she begins to notice strange things happening; like the mermaid is mad.

I love books about books and this one is so intriguing and unique. It did take some time to get into. First I was way more into the book excerpts than the real story. Somewhere about halfway through, that switched for me! My favorite thing about this book was that it was serious and deep, but also had some majorly funny and witty moments. I love when humor sneaks up on you in books like that! I did love the ending but I have a nagging feeling a few things went over my head so I’ll need to reread at some point!

“Do not go to war with women in the state of becoming. Their dark arts are deep and indomitable.”

American Mermaid comes out 3/21.

Oh my! I have tried several times, but I just don’t care for this book. I am constantly trying to figure out what the hell is going on. Not for me. I will not be posting on Goodreads or Amazon.

I really had a difficult time getting into this book within a book format. Yes, it was interesting and different, but I felt like every time I was getting to the meat of the story we switched storylines. I found the main character not very likeable which didn’t help. I was often embarrassed for her, the author certainly succeeded in making me relate to her character. I just didn’t really want to get to know her any better. I’m certain some will really enjoy this book, but it wasn’t for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This was weird and wild and nothing at all like what I’d expected. I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it. I felt like the main story unraveled at parts and honestly just wanted to read the book within the book.

AMERICAN MERMAID is both hugely entertaining and remarkably insightful. The author has done a marvelous job of weaving societal commentary with a carefully-designed plot, and the combination makes for an entertaining narrative. I found this one to be smart and feminist -- and surprisingly funny in a clever sort of way. A very unique hook that is executed flawlessly.

3.5 stars. What did I just read? This was definitely different and one of the most unique books I’ve read in awhile. The idea of a teacher writing a best seller and then getting her book made into a movie was super interesting. I love reading about behind the scenes stuff like that. The main character’s thoughts could be tricky to follow but she was also really funny. Then I started feeling so embarrassed for her and I wanted her tojuststopactinglikethatyoureembarrassingyourself! It was an odd yet intriguing the way the author wove the two stories together. It’s a book that won’t be for everyone but certainly entertained me!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. Book comes out in March 2023!

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CLEVER USES OF THE BOOK WITHIN A BOOK LITERARY DEVICE THAT I’VE READ!!

It’s hard to even put this debut novel in a certain genre – it’s a combination of real life, fantasy, family, late life coming-of-age, with some dystopian or fantasy thrown in!! Have I confused you yet??

This was a 5* read which just got a little bogged down in parts and veered into the unbelievable realm at times but it’s fiction so I was along for the ride..

This is one of those books that you really would be best off if you went into blind!!

That said, I will briefly tell you that it’s a story of a high school teacher, Penelope, who leads a pretty quiet life in Connecticut. She loves her job but is tired of trying to make ends meet on her salary. There are some personal things that she needs to do that will require lots of money, which she doesn’t have!

Shs has a book which she has been working on and finally submitted it – it’s published!! She shocked and happy!! She doesn’t know what to expect.

The story she has written, “American Mermaid” is about a mermaid, Sylvia, made human by scientists who found her. The book covers her from when she is found as a baby to her as an adult. Sylvia is a strong woman who decides what she must do to be happy.

When the novel is published she is shocked that it does so well, in fact it goes viral!!

Enter big Hollywood and an agent who talks Penelope into coming to Hollywood. She sells the rights to her book, works with two screenwriters on the project. She has entered a world that is profoundly foreign to her!! No one is who they promise to be!

When the screenwriters start to turn her warrior mermaid/human into a sexy teenager, Penelope pushes back. But she sold the rights so she can easily be pushed out of the picture.

This is truly one of the most unique books I have read this year. This would have been a 5 if not for some choppy changes from the present time to the book – the evil plot that transpires in the American Mermaid is also mind boggling and you have to believe that someone could be so very evil!!

I can highly recommend this novel which teeters between a 4 and a 5. I can promise you this is like no other Mermaid book you have ever read and it is a highly entertaining read!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this title.

This one started out really intriguing to me, but unfortunately I found myself so irritated by the Hollywood nonsense, exemplified by the back and forth with the two screenwriters, that I kept losing the underlying threads of story that I found so engaging in the beginning. I understand that is the point, but I was expecting more of a send-up from the blurb and instead found a journey through the inanity of pop culture and fame that, well incredibly pointed and spot on in my opinion, was difficult for me to engage with as a novel-length story.

I hate saying it again, because I feel like I've said it about every other book I've picked up for the last month, but this one wasn't for me...