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Hello, fellow readers! My library finally got a copy of Sea Witch. I was on the waiting list for almost a full month before I finally got the book. It was worth the wait though, and I devoured it!
Goodreads Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.71
My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.5
Page Count: 368 pages
Genre(s): YA fantasy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Published: July 31, 2018
Plot
Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.
Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.
A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.
But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.
Review
The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite Disney movies as a kid, so when I heard about this Sea Witch, I was so excited to have a villain backstory. There is not much substance to the story, and if you are expecting a happy ending, then you clearly have not been paying attention to your fairy tales.
I was disappointed at first that there was a love triangle (rectangle?), but I will admit I was totally invested in the love story by the end. But basically, the entire story revolves around this trio of friends, the prince’s cousin, who is also a prince, and a mysterious stranger. I don’t feel like it is a spoiler to tell you the stranger is a mermaid. And of course, the mermaid has to find her true love by the end of three days or she will die.
Final Thoughts
I thought the book was captivating and it reeled me in quickly. Sea Witch is a quick, easy read perfect for pulling you out of a reading slump. It was a fun backstory on one of my favorite villains. The story dragged a bit in certain parts, but by the last 100 pages, things were really picking up. I was entertained the entire time though, so this book gets 4.5 stars from me!
Thank you so much for reading my review! What are some of your favorite fairy tale retellings/backstories?
Fabulous review Allison
Thank you! 🙂