I read Sweetly last year (read my review here) by Jackson Pearce, which was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel - and AWESOME. Though Fathomless is technically a stand-alone title, it has threads of continuity with Sweetly as well as with the author’s first fairytale retelling Sisters Red, which I haven’t gotten the chance to read yet but will be ASAP. Because of this thread of continuity I do recommend starting with Sisters Red, then Sweetly, and then getting to Fathomless.
But here’s some info on Fathomless:
Lo doesn’t remember who she is. Her name is one she’s chosen because she has no memory of her real one, or the life she had as a human. Before she was a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid… It’s all a hazy blur. One thing she does know is that she and her sister sea creatures are becoming something not beautiful… something monstrous.
Celia is a triplet. She and her sisters have only ever had each other, but she’s always felt like the outsider of the three. Yet their special abilities bind them together deeply. Anne can see the future, Jane the present, and Celia the past. Frustrated, Celia feels her power lacks the ability of change or purpose. Until she meets Lo, who doesn’t know her past.
It’s when a handsome musician named Jude falls off a pier into the ocean that their paths meet. Celia and Lo work together to rescue him, to save his life. A friendship of sorts develops between the two, but the mysterious danger of what Lo is becoming strains that…
I don’t want to give any more than that, in fact I wish I could have said even less! But I suppose y’all need to have some idea what Fathomless is about!
I have to say, Fathomless has a creepy cool beginning that definitely sets a darker tone than Disney’s The Little Mermaid. It’s hypnotic with a summery feel. The supernatural powers presented here almost poetically convene in this twisted, mesmeric new mermaid tale.
Jackson Pearce’s expertly crafted story made me deeply curious about Lo’s past and what caused all these girls to become “ocean girls”. The parallels to the Disney movie are delightful, perfectly subtle and warped. The differences really kept it unpredictable and fresh!
I was truly fascinated and entranced by Fathomless! Right up to the last shocking, compelling second of the book I was completely captivated. Very refreshing, very memorable!
I can’t help but home Jackson Pearce continues to release these new fairytale retellings because she does them with a punch of power, suspense, and surprise that really makes me a happy bibliophile!
*I received a review copy of Fathomless from Hachette Book Group. Their generosity in no way influenced, nor sought to influence, my opinion of the novel.
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