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. 😭