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monetp 's review for:
Poor Unfortunate Soul
by Serena Valentino
"Flotsam! Jetsam! I want you to keep an extra-close watch on this pretty little daughter of his. She may be the key to Triton’s undoing…." ~ [b:Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch|27416133|Poor Unfortunate Soul A Tale of the Sea Witch|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457203717l/27416133._SX50_.jpg|47465201]
3.5 stars
Ursula's backstory is definitely more vivid and developed compared to the Evil Queen's in [b:Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen|6124802|Fairest of All A Tale of the Wicked Queen|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360570756l/6124802._SX50_.jpg|6303264]. Ursula's relationship with Triton is so complex and interesting; I can totally see him being a controlling, patriarchal ruler. I actually admire what Ursula did with her life: she becomes a businesswoman and goes after everything she wants. Honestly, if it wasn't for her deadly contracts, I would've called her a heroine. There is just enough balance between Ursula's backstory and Ariel's adventure. The only issue I have with this series is that, even though all the worldbuilding is fascinating, there are SO. MANY. CHARACTERS. It's easy to keep track of the classic heroes and villains, such as Ursula and Ariel in this book, but then there are the Odd Sisters, the Nanny, the princes, Princess Tulip, etc. Plus, the Nanny ends up having another name! Since all the characters appear in multiple books, I have to keep Googling all their backstories and motivations. I think it's an unnecessary complication for a middle-grade book series.
Final thoughts:
- I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves reading fairytale retellings. If you're someone who loves anti-heroes and villains in Disney movies, these books are great reads! There are just enough pages for you to become invested in the story.
- This is one of those series where it's important to read the books in order. I accidentally started out of order and I'm still confused.
3.5 stars
Ursula's backstory is definitely more vivid and developed compared to the Evil Queen's in [b:Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen|6124802|Fairest of All A Tale of the Wicked Queen|Serena Valentino|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360570756l/6124802._SX50_.jpg|6303264]. Ursula's relationship with Triton is so complex and interesting; I can totally see him being a controlling, patriarchal ruler. I actually admire what Ursula did with her life: she becomes a businesswoman and goes after everything she wants. Honestly, if it wasn't for her deadly contracts, I would've called her a heroine. There is just enough balance between Ursula's backstory and Ariel's adventure. The only issue I have with this series is that, even though all the worldbuilding is fascinating, there are SO. MANY. CHARACTERS. It's easy to keep track of the classic heroes and villains, such as Ursula and Ariel in this book, but then there are the Odd Sisters, the Nanny, the princes, Princess Tulip, etc. Plus, the Nanny ends up having another name! Since all the characters appear in multiple books, I have to keep Googling all their backstories and motivations. I think it's an unnecessary complication for a middle-grade book series.
Final thoughts:
- I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves reading fairytale retellings. If you're someone who loves anti-heroes and villains in Disney movies, these books are great reads! There are just enough pages for you to become invested in the story.
- This is one of those series where it's important to read the books in order. I accidentally started out of order and I'm still confused.