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popthebutterfly 's review for:
Breakwater
by Catherine Jones Payne
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 13+ (slight sexual conduct, mer-swearing, and some light violence)
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
A red tide is rising.
As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she'd ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean's fragile peace.
Can the city's divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves? - Amazon.com
Under the sea! Under the sea! Seriously, why can’t I read a book with mermaids in it without thinking about The Little Mermaid? So I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light hearted mermaid book, but I was so wrong. This book is probably on par with Undertow by Michael Buckley. It uses mer people to discuss heavy topics such as racism and prejudice. It also discusses slavery and it shows people that the choices they make effect everyone around them, not just themselves. Honestly, this and Undertow together would make a perfect combination for teaching young readers about how harmful their words and actions and their prejudices can be to others. That being said, this book is way more political than some people like in their books but it really fits in well and doesn’t detract from the story at all. The plot was developed amazingly well and the pacing was phenomenal. The writing is also very well done and funny! The writer commonly inserts phrases like “whale in the room” for “elephant in the room” and it really makes the world building complete.
However, I did feel like the characters fell flat and weren’t developed properly. I felt that there could have been many places where the characters had room to grow or their background to be expanded upon, but it just didn’t happen. I also felt that the book gave room for a sequel, but one hasn’t been spoken of yet. I think the world building could definitely continue into a second book and the story could continue.
Verdict: If you like mermaid tales/political thrillers/books that look at social dilemmas then this book is for you! It’s an amazingly well written look at racism and prejudice through the lens of mermaids and it could teach others about what effect their words and actions have on others.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 13+ (slight sexual conduct, mer-swearing, and some light violence)
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
A red tide is rising.
As the daughter of one of the mer-king’s trusted advisors, seventeen-year-old Jade has great responsibilities. When her fiancé murders a naiad, plunging the underwater city of Thessalonike into uproar, tensions surge between the mer and the naiads. Jade learns too late that the choices she makes ripple further than she'd ever imagined. And as she fights against the tide of anger in a city that lives for scandal, she discovers danger lurking in every canal, imperiling her family and shattering the ocean's fragile peace.
Can the city's divisions be mended before the upwelling of hate rips apart everything Jade loves? - Amazon.com
Under the sea! Under the sea! Seriously, why can’t I read a book with mermaids in it without thinking about The Little Mermaid? So I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light hearted mermaid book, but I was so wrong. This book is probably on par with Undertow by Michael Buckley. It uses mer people to discuss heavy topics such as racism and prejudice. It also discusses slavery and it shows people that the choices they make effect everyone around them, not just themselves. Honestly, this and Undertow together would make a perfect combination for teaching young readers about how harmful their words and actions and their prejudices can be to others. That being said, this book is way more political than some people like in their books but it really fits in well and doesn’t detract from the story at all. The plot was developed amazingly well and the pacing was phenomenal. The writing is also very well done and funny! The writer commonly inserts phrases like “whale in the room” for “elephant in the room” and it really makes the world building complete.
However, I did feel like the characters fell flat and weren’t developed properly. I felt that there could have been many places where the characters had room to grow or their background to be expanded upon, but it just didn’t happen. I also felt that the book gave room for a sequel, but one hasn’t been spoken of yet. I think the world building could definitely continue into a second book and the story could continue.
Verdict: If you like mermaid tales/political thrillers/books that look at social dilemmas then this book is for you! It’s an amazingly well written look at racism and prejudice through the lens of mermaids and it could teach others about what effect their words and actions have on others.