A modern retelling of The Little Mermaid... Coral by Sara Ella (Review & #Giveaway) @The_FFBC



This one has been on my list for some time. Read what I thought and enter to win a copy below...

Coral
By Sara Ella
YA Contemporary, Fantasy, Retellings, Fairy Tales
Hardcover, Audiobook & ebook, 384 Pages
November 12th 2019 by Thomas Nelson

Summary

Multiple award-winning young adult author Sara Ella reimagines The Little Mermaid in a powerful and unexpected way.

Sixteen-year-old mermaid Coral has always been different, standing out from her stoic sisters in a society where blending in is key. Worse yet, she fears she has been afflicted with the dreaded Disease. Said to be carried by humans, the Disease imposes emotions on its victims, causing them to commit unspeakable acts. The growing illness inside her, while terrifying, fascinates her very core. Where others see danger, Coral sees life. Could it be the colorless merfolk who are truly ill?

Above the sea, seventeen-year-old Brooke Jordan has nothing left to give. A homeless girl abandoned and forgotten, the only thing Brooke can rely on is the ocean. Her aching feet find refuge within the cool and comforting waves, while her broken heart grows harder with each passing day. When Brooke's and Coral’s worlds collide, everything alters in an instant. From learning to stand alone, to discovering the strength it takes to rely on another, the girls find that living requires taking that first painful breath. Each must make sacrifices, and when it comes to finding true love? Let’s just say the boys in their lives must learn to swim if they’re ever going to survive the storms.

Battling the odds against them, the girls will do whatever it takes to survive. But what must end for love and life to finally begin?

Taking a new twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale, this modern-day story explores mental health from several perspectives, questioning what it means to be human in a world where humanity often seems lost.

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My Review

CORAL is a story about a girl who is struggling to understand her world and find herself in it. She has faced emotional abuse and death and is trying to dig herself out of a black hole to find the desire to live again. It's an emotional story, but also sweet.

The characters in this story were each unique and likable. I liked Coral from the beginning. I also really liked Merrick, Maya, Nigel or "Grim," and Jake. The story itself has plenty of twists and turns. It also has heartbreak in so many different forms: loss, abuse, suicide, abandonment, bullying. Then there is hope. Hope brought by a loving grandmother, by friends (even when Brooke doesn't want to let them in), family, and even in a sweet romance. The relationship between "Hope" and Brooke, and the romance with Merrick were my favorite parts of this story.

There were a few things that didn't quite work for me in this book. I thought the transitions in the story felt a little abrupt. I don't like it when I can't trust the narrator and this was one of those types of stories. Not all is at it seems and isn't explained until almost the end. There were several things I figured out early on, but I couldn't always trust the story because things were presented inconsistently. For some readers this may not be an issue for them, but for me it was a bit jarring. I also felt some of the counseling parts were a little too much and should have been weaved through the story better instead of feeling like I was sitting through a counseling session.

In the end, was it what I wished for? Overall, this is an enjoyable story. It's also a difficult one as these characters wade through depression and face some pretty tough things in their lives. It's a story that I think many teens could benefit from and give them a perspective on those who suffer from depression or have their own issues to work through. In this way, it is a poignant tale and a unique reimagining of The Little Mermaid.

Content: Some emotional abuse, bullying, references to suicide, and innuendo.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the Fantastic Flying Book Club, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Once upon a time, Sara Ella dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a Disney castle. Today, she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses, raising her little prince to be a king, and conquering realms of her own imaginings. Oh, and her husband is definitely more swoon-worthy than any Prince Charming.

Sara’s UNBLEMISHED trilogy has received high praise and multiple awards, but none as rewarding as the love and support she receives from her readers every day. Her new story CORAL, a reimagining of THE LITTLE MERMAID, releases in the fall of 2019.

When she’s not on deadline, Sara Ella can most often be found fangirling on Twitter, Instagram, or her YouTube channel. She may or may not be obsessed with #Bookstagram, and she has a serious condition known as “Coffee Snob-itis.” She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away.”


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Have you read this one yet? Is it on your list to read? What did you think of my review?

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