Published: Jul 31, 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
Format: Audiobook, 8.5 hours, Narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown

“Perhaps fantasies are only meant to come true for a moment.”

★★★ (3.2 / 5 stars) This was a very enjoyable story. I loved the interwoven retelling of The Little Mermaid and the added depth we got with Evie, Anna, and the other characters. There are third-person flashbacks thrown in throughout, too, and I feel like they really elevated the story and characters.

The author's writing felt fluid and pleasant to read, and the dialogue felt natural (which can be hit-or-miss for me sometimes). Plus, the narrator for the audiobook edition was fantastic. All-around a great book. I’m only giving it three stars because it’s pretty short and the ending left a little something to be desired. But, I would recommend for anyone who wants a magical, nautical mermaid story.

!! WARNING !! There are spoilers ahead!

summary.

Pitched as Wicked meets The Little Mermaid, Sarah Henning's Sea Witch is the story of a young witch girl in Denmark who, alongside her best friend the prince, lost her dear friend Anna when they were only 12. Now 16, constantly teased by the higher born, and head-over-heels for the prince's cousin Iker, Evie practices her witch magic in secret to keep from being found out and punished. But then, a mermaid appears one day who looks the spitting image of Anna and is determined to make Prince Niklas give her a true love's kiss that will turn her permanently human. As Evie bonds with the young girl and tries to help her on her quest for Nik's affections, she also confronts the truth of her past, her nature, and her own friends' feelings.

highlights.

• "4 Years Before" flashbacks

• Food Fight! (in chapter 15)

• Evie's log race and Nik's rock-carrying

• Make-out sessions with Iker in the bushes​

rants.

• Mermaid-Anna thinks to herself, "Wow, what would be more painful for Evie than having her father die? Oh! I know! If the boy she likes cheats on her!" I'm sorry, what???? Does not compute...

• Why did Nik's cousin turn on her so suddenly?? I feel like this idea of witch skepticism in the world was really forced on us as readers, but I really only saw that hatred throughout the book from the Queen and a few annoying nobles. So when literally e v e r y o n e turns on Evie at the end, it came out of nowhere!

• For the entire last chapter/epilogue, I could not help but roll my eyes. I loved the woven-in retelling of The Little Mermaid but Come. On. There was literally no build-up to this whole magical octopus thing. And then she gives the voice...to a tree...that has Anna's soul...? What...??

OK, rant over. I'll definitely still be picking up the sequel to see how the story continues!