By Caitlin Hollywood Published: Aug 8, 2022
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/9/9/129906351/published/th.jpg?1665701335)
Skin of the Sea, by Natasha Bowen, is a beautiful and fantastic story about African mythology, specifically black mermaids, Mami Wata, Yemoja, and so much more. Natasha Bowen is a Nigerian-Welsh author; she shared that when she was younger, Bowen had an obsession with The Little Mermaid, but she couldn’t get past the fact that none of the mermaids looked like her. Going further, not many characters in movies or books were anything other than white. So Natasha Bowen has made it her mission to write stories where black children can see themselves. Especially now, in 2022, we have learned that representation matters.
Skin of the Sea is a best-selling young-adult novel about a young girl named Simi. Simi prayed to the gods once; now, she serves them. Mami Wata, mermaids, collect the souls of those who died at sea. But one day, everything took a turn; Simi decided to risk absolutely everything for a beautiful living boy. When a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi chooses to follow what she believes is right, and she saves his life, going against her decree. This book is inspired by the classic novel The Little Mermaid, but this rendition has many dark twists and turns. Overall, I think this book is terrific. Books have always been a mental outlet for me; if life got too tricky, I was able to escape by reading. Books mean a lot to me, and I’m sure other people feel the same way; that is why it is essential to implement political and social challenges into books.
I only rated this book a 3/5 on Goodreads because I had difficulty understanding the storyline until the end. However, everything fell into place when I reached the end. I had never heard of this book before I signed up for a book subscription; for my birthday in December, I received a subscription to Once Upon A Book Club. Every month they send a new box with a y/a book and a bunch of page-related goodies. Skin of the Sea was my first read from this subscription. Although I rated this book a 3/5, I would still highly recommend it. I might have to reread this story in the future; Skin of the Sea seemed like a perfect read, especially for someone obsessed with mythology.
Skin of the Sea is a best-selling young-adult novel about a young girl named Simi. Simi prayed to the gods once; now, she serves them. Mami Wata, mermaids, collect the souls of those who died at sea. But one day, everything took a turn; Simi decided to risk absolutely everything for a beautiful living boy. When a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi chooses to follow what she believes is right, and she saves his life, going against her decree. This book is inspired by the classic novel The Little Mermaid, but this rendition has many dark twists and turns. Overall, I think this book is terrific. Books have always been a mental outlet for me; if life got too tricky, I was able to escape by reading. Books mean a lot to me, and I’m sure other people feel the same way; that is why it is essential to implement political and social challenges into books.
I only rated this book a 3/5 on Goodreads because I had difficulty understanding the storyline until the end. However, everything fell into place when I reached the end. I had never heard of this book before I signed up for a book subscription; for my birthday in December, I received a subscription to Once Upon A Book Club. Every month they send a new box with a y/a book and a bunch of page-related goodies. Skin of the Sea was my first read from this subscription. Although I rated this book a 3/5, I would still highly recommend it. I might have to reread this story in the future; Skin of the Sea seemed like a perfect read, especially for someone obsessed with mythology.