More like I wanted to Leave this World

Pros

The idea sounded good at first and the beginning chapters hooked me in. I think the excitement about a Little Mermaid twisted tale put me under its spell which unfortunately broke way too early.

Cons

We’ve got a lot to talk about in this department unfortunately. When I initially heard that there would be a Little Mermaid Twisted Tale book I immediately became excited. I’ve always loved the original fairytale and the Disney movie of The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately after the beginning chapters, the more I read the more things were either repetitive or didn’t make sense and the characters were so out of character that I sometimes forgot “Oh yeah Ariel and Eric did say this or that.” While some people think Ariel became more developed I disagreed. I mean Ariel critiqued herself all the time and thought, “You are queen!” or “Queens don’t do that!” I know Ariel feels responsible for what happened to her father but what happened to her optimistic attitude? Also her sisters were annoying they forced her into a role that she really wasn’t equipped for and hated all because they felt she was responsible for what happened to their father. It made no sense to me that they were forcing her to rule when she didn’t have her voice and felt she messed up so badly.  If Ariel’s sisters felt she messed up so badly then they could have taken over and banished Ariel if they felt that much anger towards her.

Goodness gracious the amount of things that didn’t make sense continues. Ursula defeated Triton and had her revenge on him and Ariel. What does she do now? It’s obvious she takes over Atlantica. Nope! Ursula as Vanessa becomes a warmonger on land.  Ursula as Vanessa was just a princess why did she have that much power when Eric and his parents the King and Queen were alive? I honestly felt like once Ursula got what she wanted with her magic and the trident she could have easily taken over Atlantica. The climax and the ending was weak.

Overall

Unfortunately other than A Whole New World and Once Upon a Dream, Liz Braswell just hasn’t been writing good Twisted Tale books and it makes me happy other writers are taking over the series. The Little Mermaid Twisted Tale had so many opportunities to be better than what it was.  I think a better plot would have been, “What if Ursula took over Atlantica?” Maybe Ariel and her sisters, Sebastian and Flounder along with help from Scuttle and Eric have to figure out a way to dethrone Ursula and rescue Triton and somehow get Ariel and Eric back together. Or what if Ursula kills Triton and imprisons Ariel’s sisters and Ariel and her friends and Eric have to figure out a way to dethrone her? Or what if Ursula wasn’t dead? It had many opportunities to make this really great. Instead it makes a reader not want to be a part of this world.