If you’re expecting to read a book similar to Disney’s version of Little Mermaid you are going to be very surprised with this rendition. The publisher’s description says it is a “dark reimagining” and that is an accurate statement. Author Louise O’Neill does a great job of developing the characters and connecting their lives through backstories. She also shows exceptional talent in building suspense in this story. Many of the details are true to the original so it was recognizable, but O’Neill also took many liberties to make it her own. Expect the unexpected. I believe this book was meant for a YA audience but I don’t recommend it for anyone under 18. Those who appreciate a book with a feminism theme will likely enjoy The Surface Breaks.
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Scholastic

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  11 religious exclamations; 2 mild obscenities; 3 derogatory names; 2 anatomical terms; 12 f-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  Many (57) brief incidents including characters wanting to hurt or kill others; character worried that others want to hurt him/her; character would rather die than experience something; pain described as violent simile; character wants to kill babies to prevent someone else from hurting them; character threatened with a weapon; character told to kill another; references to shipwrecks; references to war including death; references to people eating sea creatures and fish; reference to starving children; references to suicide; character sees babies’ skulls; babies taken from their mothers; story about people eating babies; references to father abusing daughter; character hurts self to stop sexual desire; reference to murder; second-hand report of character beating another; character bites lip; adult character hurts teenage character; character’s tongue cut out; character drinks something that causes a lot of pain; character’s feet bleed many times and begin to decay; father slapped daughter; character has dreams about characters getting hurt or killed; characters’ tails are cut a few times; shipwreck killed people; murders; suicide; character imagines killing and eating heart; attempted rape. 

Sex/Nudity:  Many (40) brief incidents including kissing; holding hands; arm around; dancing; touching hair, face, hand and waist; flirting; character is naked in a (non-sexual) dream; character is naked for a dressmaker; reference to fish mating; character looking at another sexually; adult character staring at a teenage girl’s chest; innuendo; reference to sexual desires; character tells another that men like women whose legs are easy to spread; character wants another to touch her; girl wearing dress falls and dress flips up; characters swimming in underwear; homosexual kissing; character called slut; implied sex; character masturbating a few times; female character is topless in front of another female; female character is naked in front of male characters; adult male character touches teenage female character all over and attempted rape. 

Mature Subject Matter:

Attempted rape of adult to minor; murder including babies; suicide; war; female oppression; abuse; mutilation of body parts. 

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Adults smoking cigarettes and cigars; minor drinking a substance for pain several times; characters, including minors and adults, drinking at dinner and parties.