When We Believed in Mermaids

by Barbara O'Neal

[lindsey]

I may be in the minority in my opinion of this book, but I didn't enjoy it at all. I think the premise was good, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.

I realize that you have to suspend your beliefs at times while reading. It comes second nature to most long-time readers, but I found it really hard to stay in the story this time. I was constantly thinking, "That is so unlikely." Nothing was impossible, but just so unlikely.

And I found all of the characters unlikable, to be honest. I couldn't connect with any of them - not a single one - and that made it hard for me to care about how the story ended. I almost gave up multiple times, but I managed to struggle through, which is the only reason I gave the book two stars instead of one.

While the author's writing isn't bad, it's a bit too flowery for my taste, and all of the talk of Art Deco, which was completely irrelevant to the story, felt like just another way to bulk up the word count.

I also felt like there were too many unnecessary plot points being juggled, and instead of focusing on one major plot point and really making it shine, she tried to focus on several, with the result that none lived up to the mark. For example, the story of Sapphire House and its previous owners could have made a good book on its own, but its usage in this book wasn't needed and just caused the story to drag.

Though I wouldn't feel right recommending this to anyone, it wasn't terrible, and I do believe that there are some readers who will enjoy it. If you're interested in reading about two estranged sisters who had a terrible childhood try to reconcile, and you don't mind flowery language, you may enjoy this book.