A truly unique read, Julia Langbein captures Penelope’s voice in both her journey in the glamorous Hollywood as well as Sylvia, the character from her book, perfectly. Langbein used the “novel in a novel” method where the readers could experience reading excerpts from the story the main character authored.
Penelope, a high school English teacher, wrote a surprisingly instant bestselling novel that is destined to become a movie. We navigate through Penelope’s ups and downs within a competitive “male-led” Hollywood. In addition to Penelope’s journey, the reader is also given the opportunity to read excerpts from the hit novel, where we get to know Sylvia and what she represents.
Langbein hit the mark on feminism, climate responsibility, and the ins and outs of competitive Hollywood. Penelope’s parts were humorous and the situations she got herself into were hilarious. Penelope goes to great lengths to protect the character she’s created. The further we read, we question if this character truly is a figment of Penelope’s imagination or if there’s a Sylvia among us.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book.

This is an interesting novel in which elements of science fiction, feminism and climate responsibility are combined. Honestly, I have never read anything quite like this. The catalyst is a novel written by the struggling teacher, Penelope, which is sold to Hollywood.

The author brilliantly combines the new novel, screen adaptation and the actual book. This is a complex and unusual novel. As a debut author, I admire the extraordinary style Langbein has utilized in this novel. Of course, I admire the feminist aspects as well as the emphasis on the neglect of our planet.

Yes, this is a winner. It is totally original and very engaging.

Thank you Netgalley.

An engaging read. Langbein’s mermaid tale is smart, funny, and feminist — three of my favorite characteristics in fiction, especially when they occur together. It is cynical and hopeful in *almost* equal measure.

It’s the story of high school English teacher called Penelope who surprised herself with a first novel so successful she’s offered a contract to write the movie script when she sells the rights to a Hollywood movie producer. Penelope is naïve to the ways of Hollywood, which provides opportunities for much of the novel’s cynicism and social critique. The device of the book-within-the-book is a little gimmicky but effectively highlights the similarities of Penelope’s story and the mermaid’s tale.

Thanks to #NetGalley for ARC in exchange for honest review.

Penelope Schleeman is your typical teacher, intelligent, caring and poor. She has a Cinderella moment when her book American Mermaid, becomes a bestseller. She’s able to quit her teaching job to head to Hollywood to oversee her book turned into a movie. It seems like a dream come true, but it turns out that Hollywood wants to turn her feminist warrior mermaid into a teenage sexpot – and then things get weird. A timely novel about the real power that women have, even if the world doesn’t always want us to know it, or show it