REVIEW: The Mermaid of Black Conch (Monique Roffey)

Book: The Mermaid of Black Conch

Author: Monique Roffey

Premise: Near the island of Black Conch, fisherman David attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected - Aycayia, a young woman cursed to live as a mermaid. When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changing - and they cannot escape the curse for ever.

I adored this book. It's a simple premise: man falls for a mermaid, she becomes human then she turns back. But the language, the side plots and the magical realism enrich this book. There's a real sense of female empowerment as well. David respects Aycayia and waits for her to say she's ready and let's her come to him. I love that she's not your typical fairytale mermaid but has dreads, is covered in tattoos and actually looks like she's lived in the sea!

There's a mix of writing style throughout. We have a separate narrator that speaks in standard English with a hint of Trini dialect. There's David's journals which are all written in Trini dialect. Then there's Aycayia's point of view, that's structured more like a poem, with no punctuation and sentences flowing across different lines. And these three styles work beautifully together. I also liked the detail that the conversations in sign language don't have speech marks. Just a magical read!