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