I was shocked, after reading such good reviews of this book, to find it so problematic. The portrayal of mental illness, trauma, and suicidal ideation was both morally and factually wrong. Perhaps the author meant well, but Eleanor's point of view seemed gimicky - successfully so, given the attention this book has received. I am very disappointed. This book damages the community of people dealing with these issues. Also, the gendered nature of the vulnerabilities of the characters was an additional annoyance.

I feel inclined to write a review of this book because it was so weird and I am still trying to figure out my feelings about it. At first I thought it was kind of trashy romance and the main character’s obsession with love and sex seemed annoying in a deeply gendered way. But as the story progressed, I was drawn in to her deep insights and self exploration; so much that it had me examining my own life. Every scene seemed to fluctuate from explicit and downright gross to beautiful and highly intellectual... if you can get past the merman sex, I recommend reading.