The story was screaming and beating me up, and I enjoyed every step of the process

the author did a great job of showing how Ren slowly loses her mind due to the pressure she's under and the events that lead up to the climax of the book. i feel like you really get into Ren's head and it's kinda terrifying to read bc of how calm and logical she sounds when she's talking about

sewing her legs together

. i felt like it was a little slow at first but halfway through it starts to really pull you in and i couldn't put it down until i finished. i think this book was so disturbing but also really well written. 

Despite how off-putting the main character can be, this book is a fascinating read about what it takes to truly follow your ambitions, and how toxic the communities harbouring your chances to reaching your goals can be. 

I picked up this novel at a local horror-centric bookstore, intrigued by the synopsis and excited to dive in 😉 🧜‍♀️ 

First off, I wouldn’t label this as horror. Apart from one descriptive body horror scene, the rest doesn’t fit the genre. Ren’s fixation on mermaids and how the story will eventually stitch 🪡 🧵 together is revealed early on, yet I still enjoyed the final chapters and how it concluded.

The author tackles various challenging topics—generational trauma, racism, body autonomy, sexual assault, misogyny, sapphic exploration, athletic pressure, and abandonment. However, the coming-of-age story sometimes felt contrived.

I wanted to fully immerse in Ren’s delusional narration and her primal urge to escape inferior human confines to become her true self. However, the descriptions often felt overly wordy, losing the impact simplicity could have delivered.

Cathy’s heartbreak was palpable as she struggled to realize and then accept that Ren was too consumed by her pursuit of authenticity to be present in their budding relationship. Her letters to Ren were particularly moving.

Overall, it’s a commendable debut that often reminded me of the movie Tusk and Charlene Elsby’s novel The Devil Thinks I’m Pretty—but with far less horror.

Also, I noticed that my copy has a clear defect in the cover graphic which will now haunt me for the rest of time. 😭

Biggest waste of $20 and I want it out of my house immediately.