cbr16bingo Liberate: (Jane tries to liberate herself from the bonds of being a woman; the mermaids try to liberate themselves from ageing)
Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol was on my radar for some time, but I never found a copy and reading time at the same time. I’m not sure what I expected, or honestly to like it as much as I did. I thought it would be cute, funny, not WOW but also not mediocre. And while there are no real surprises in this somewhat reverse “Beauty and the Beast” story, that does not mean it is not a good read.
The idea is about beauty, aging, expectations and how we as a society and individuals treat others while internalizing the negatives and false and/or impossible expectations we are “supposed” to act on. We realize early on that the “beautiful people” are anything but inside, but that does not mean they cannot hopefully change. The concept of “love/beauty is only skin deep” is not new, but done with some fun twists and a couple jokes. The illustrations are cute, bubbly, and silly at times. Folktale influences, well, influence, the story (I’m getting vibes of course B&B, but Alice in Wonderland, Greek myths, and even The Little Mermaid). Overall, things are fun, clever, cute, a little spooky (TEETH! THERE ARE TEETH!), but a delight.
When we learn of Jane, we see she could not be more plain. Even her name is plain. And that is anything but what her family is. Though, they are not nice people. We start with the death of her parents, knowing there is not a male heir, and Jane desperate for any solution to keep her home. Even if it means getting married to her horrible cousin. Yet, she rather marry the “pretty boy, low stationed fisherman’s son.” Side story, we see another woman who has eyes for Mr. Pretty Boy. And when Jane gets tangled up in that mess, well, she gets in deep…. Like under the sea deep!
The overall message is an important one, it is not overly preachy, but is not shy about hitting you with a point or two either. As said, there are some folktales and mythology tossed into the mix (you might see it or not; or think of something other than what I was thinking). I like the overall feeling and how things work out (even if it’s a smidgen cliche). Perfect for ages ten to thirteen, but I think younger could be okay with it, but there is fantasy action and the mermaids don’t worry about the sharks, the sharks worry about them.