4.5 stars

Part of Your World is now my favorite novel in the Twisted Tales series, with Reflection coming in as a close second. I was a bit wary going in, as The Little Mermaid was my favorite Disney movie growing up and Braswell’s previous contributions to the series have been of varying quality. What I think made this one stand out is the fact that, instead of changing something that happened during the original movie, Braswell changed the ending and focused on what happened next.

Set five years after Ariel’s battle with Ursula in a world where the sea witch won and married Eric, leaving Ariel the voiceless new queen of Atlantica, the story was a fun, wild ride. Admittedly, I found the first few chapters dull, and I wasn’t instantly hooked on the idea of it being told through multiple perspectives. I wanted to get to Ariel’s chapters, to the action, the “good stuff”. But once I got close to and surpassed the hundred page mark, I was convinced that multiple POVs was a good idea and didn’t want to stop reading. Every narrator hooked me. Every chapter increased my interest or had me asking more questions.

I truly believe the characters in this novel had so much more depth and better development arcs than they ever did in the Disney movie. It was fascinating, to me, to see Ariel’s progression from the innocent, impulsive, naïve girl I knew and loved to this considerate, matured, powerful queen. She didn’t want the role, but accepted it gracefully upon returning to Atlantica and being made queen as punishment by her six older sisters. Five years of ruling mute made Ariel more resilient and self-aware, and now I only love her more.

I also appreciated that Braswell wrote Eric in a way that gave him a personality beyond just being a Disney prince™️. He believed in his people and he fought for what he believed in. Sometimes he was snarky, and anytime he was around Ariel, he was a complete dork. Book Eric > movie Eric.

That also applies to his butler, Grimsby. My memory of him is a bit fuzzy, but if I remember correctly, young Liv wasn’t a huge fan. Here, though, his softer side was much more apparent, and it fleshed him out. As for the other side characters, I loved seeing Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle again, with their endearing, slightly over-exaggerated personalities. Braswell also introduced a couple of new side characters — Argent, a sweet older woman; Jona, a fierce young seagull; Vareet, a timid little maid. Each one contributed to the story in ways I didn’t expect, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ultimately cared for them.

Ariel’s sisters were still the shallow girls we see in the movie, and hardly played a role in the story. Their eagerness to take advantage of royalty’s perks without ever actually helping rule the kingdom grated on my nerves, and the only one to even remotely develop was Attina, the oldest. She occasionally offered advice on various matters, and did side with Ariel in the very end. Despite these details, I wasn’t impressed with Attina or any of the other sisters. But who cares about them when the youngest is the real star here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I liked the way Braswell balanced time spent in Atlantica vs Tirulia, Eric’s coastal kingdom. In the movie, there isn’t much time to focus on either culture. Here, as the story progresses, through Ariel’s musings about how her home under the sea is close-minded and old-fashioned, her telling Eric about it and in return learning about the land above, we learn about both worlds. It was very well-done.

My favorite part of the novel, though, was Ariel and Eric’s relationship. There was so much tension and just the right amount of angst; I loved it so much. I understand why the romance had to be drawn out. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise and might seem rushed. But here I was anyway, in all my hopeless romantic glory, ridiculously eager for them to kiss. Sebastian said it first: “KISS DA GIRL”. I wholeheartedly agree. I’m shameless.

So why not a full five star rating? Well, much like with Reflection, I would’ve loved to see the ending expanded upon, even a little more. Ariel and Eric finally get their happily ever after, and then it’s over. Ariel wanted more and now I do, too. But this isn’t just me being desperate. I truly think the story could’ve been further enriched by an additional chapter or two of Ariel exploring her new responsibilities, in water and on land. Braswell even teased the possibility of Eric becoming mer for a short period of time, to discover Ariel’s homeland. When that turned out to only be a tease, I was more than a little displeased. Petition for there to be a sequel specifically about Eric exploring Atlantica, and bringing Ariel up to Tirulia with him when his mer time is up. Make it fun and silly and soft, please, thank you.

Despite that, I was mostly satisfied with the ending. The final battle with Ursula and the intensity of tying up other loose ends was completely engrossing. In the last hundred pages, I felt all sorts of emotions and, even as the clock hit one a.m. and beyond, I couldn’t make myself stop. I had to know what happened. The route Braswell chose isn’t at all what I expected, so props to her for that.

Ultimately, Part of Your World was an incredibly fun, unique read. I believe it really stood out from other installments in the Twisted Tales series, and it’s definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf. This was such a nostalgic read, and now I’m supremely tempted to go watch the Disney movie for the first time in who knows how many years. And while I’m skeptical about the idea of a live-action version, I’m excited to see how Halle Bailey portrays this classic character.

CW: blood