Book Review: Sea Witch

[Vanessa Tilley]

Book: Sea Witch
Author: Sarah Henning
Series: Sea Witch (first book in the series)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Retellings


Thoughts:
Sea Witch is a fascinating retelling of The Little Mermaid full of mythical creatures, magic, a little romance, and an interesting twist.

Sea Witch focuses on our heroine Evelyn, Evie, as she and her friend, the Prince Niklas, deal with the loss of their best friend Anna in a drowning accident. One day, a mysterious stranger appears on the island and it is up to Evie to help the stranger or the results could be devastating.

I appreciate that Sarah actually followed the Hans Christian Anderson version of the story and not the Disney version. It was nice to see the mention of Annemette's legs feeling like she was constantly being stabbed since it is very different from having a tail. I also liked that Sarah including the idea that mermaids have no souls and that if they are not successful finding true love they are turned into seafoam.

Evie is the character I most related to. She is a very loyal friend who won't let anyone mess with friends or family. She is also a bit of an outcast since she is a witch but also because she is poor and yet is the best friend of the Prince Niklas Due to this, she has to constantly deal with the townspeople talking about her either behind her back or whispering just loud enough for her to hear. At one point, a very rude boy even goes so far as to throw a stick at Evie to make sure she doesn't win a race between herself and a prince. Even with so many people against her, Evie is still strong enough to handle it and not let them get to her too much. The novel is full of well developed characters that Sarah brings to life.

I really enjoyed that Sarah was able to take a well known story and still make it her own with a twist here and there. I was shocked to discover that Annemette was not only the real Anna but that all she wanted the whole time was revenge. Definitely not like the sweet mermaid Ariel we see in the Disney movies. My heart also broke for Evie when Iker turned out to be such a jerk and had no qualms about sending guards to catch Evie when he learned she was a witch. Very heartbreaking moments.

I enjoy the author's writing style and how great her descriptions and character development is. I appreciate that the chapters aren't extremely long and that the plot moves along nicely. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter and couldn't put it down until I finished.

I highly recommend the Sea Witch for any fan of fairy tale retellings, especially The Little Mermaid, or a fantasy and/or mermaid fan.