Fathomless by Jackson Pearce - Ashley's Review

My Pre-Reading
Paul's Pre-Reading
Paul's Review

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I have been looking forward to reading Fathomless since I first heard that Jackson Pearce was using "The Little Mermaid" as the inspiration for her third book in the "Fairytale Retellings" series. I loved her takes on "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Hansel and Gretel," and this was no exception. I've always enjoyed Disney's take on "The Little Mermaid," and although I hadn't heard the original fairy tale until more recently, I think the darker spin on it makes it even more interesting. I loved how she took the idea of mermaids and made them all her own, and how she subtly tied Fathomless to Sisters Red and Sweetly.

I've always been interested in meeting the Reynolds girls, and I'm so glad we finally got to learn more about them and their place in the story. I thought that Celia was the most interesting of the three, and I'm very glad that one of the perspectives in this book was hers. Although her situation reminded me a little bit of Rosie March and her struggle with her sister, I think it was done very well and the story wasn't too much like the sibling relationship in Sisters Red. I also liked the each sister could see the past, present, or future and that each learns to control her powers in different ways.

Lo was probably my favorite character in this book because I have no idea if I should like her or hate her. It's sometimes hard to tell if her intentions are good or bad, and if she as actually a creature to be feared. She's such a dynamic, round character, and I really enjoyed reading the sections from her perspective.

The way Pearce writes this book is also really interesting, and I don't think I've ever read anything like it. I've heard it described as being from "2.5 perspectives," and I agree with that. I don't want to give anything away with that, but if you've read the other two books in the series, it will make perfect sense.

Although I kind of knew where this story was going, after having read Sweetly, I thought that the background and the explanation of the "mermaids" was very well done. Especially when it's revealed to the main characters how they are formed and what they later become. The pacing was excellent, and I never felt like the story dragged or had too many erroneous details.

If you've read the rest of Pearce's Fairytale Retellings, you should definitely pick up Fathomless. If you haven't, this book can be read as a standalone, but you won't get as much out of it (so go read Sisters Red and Sweetly)! I would give this a 5/5 and definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of either Jackson Pearce or twists on classic fairy tales.


--Ashley

Paul's September Book: Fathomless (Ashley's Pre-Reading)

Title: Fathomless
Author: Jackson Pearce
Year Published: 2012

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Synopsis: FATHOMLESS is a companion book to SISTERS RED and SWEETLY, and is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid.

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets, and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, Jane can see the present—therefore essentially read minds—and all Celia can do is see the past.

Lo doesn’t know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea—an undine, a nymph, a mermaid; all terms too pretty for the soulless creature she knows she’s becoming. The other ocean girls, her “sisters,” tell her there’s only one way for her to earn her soul and humanity back—convince a mortal to love her, and steal his.

Lo thinks a soul is within her grasp when she saves a guitarist, Jude, from drowning. When Celia intervenes, she accidentally reads Lo’s past, calling out Lo’s long-forgotten human name. The two forge a friendship, meeting by the shore to remember Lo’s old life, to talk, to share secrets they’d never tell their “real” sisters.

Yet remembering makes Lo more desperate than ever for a soul– and despite Jude’s blossoming romance with Celia, she can’t resist longing for his. Straddling the line between humanity and darkness, Lo struggles to find her place on either side, while Celia wonders just what she and her power have unleashed. But the sister you choose can be more powerful than those you’re born with– in a fight against Lo’s sisters and the waves themselves, Jude and Celia risk their lives to save Lo from her own darkness. But is a soulless, wanting existence better than none at all?

Why?: I've read both Sisters Red and Sweetly (my reviews are here and here), and loved both of them. I love the world Pearce has created, and I love how the books are connected in very subtle ways. Plus, I love the Little Mermaid story, and I'm interested to see how Pearce takes it back to the original fairy tale.

Expectations: I expect a dark retelling of The Little Mermaid, complete with a little bit of magic. And definitely some conflict with the Fenris. I also expect the Reynolds family to be a huge part of this book, and the missing younger sister from Sweetly to be pretty important.

Judging a book by its cover: I'm not really as in love with this cover as I was with the ones for Sisters Red and Sweetly. I do think it's still a very pretty cover though, and it would definitely catch my eye if it were on a shelf in a bookstore. I just wish it looked like the original hardcovers of the first two books in this set.


--Ashley