Sea Change by Susan Fletcher

 It's been quite awhile since I've picked up a fairy tale retelling. Remember when there were quite a few of them hitting the market? Now, that I think about it, it's really been quiet on that front. Well, it's time to change that with today's read, which is based on the Little Mermaid. I believe it takes a sci-fi twist with gene editing and hangs in the dystopian direction. But that's all I know, so let's open it up and see what this tale holds.

SEA CHANGE

by Susan Fletcher

Amulet Books

YA Fairy Tale Retelling

352 pages

COMING...

JUNE 3rd!!!

An original and timely new YA novel from acclaimed author Susan Fletcher, set in a near-future where rogue gene editing has changed humanity—loosely based on The Little Mermaid

A girl torn between two worlds . . .

Turtle is scavenging a drowned town when she saves a stranger’s life. There’s something special about Kai—an attraction she’s never felt before. She would do anything to see him again.

But Turtle can never truly be with Kai, because Kai is Normal, and Turtle is one of the Mer, kids whose genes were illegally hacked before birth and who now have working gills as well as lungs. Turtle lives on an old cruise ship with the other Mer in order to be close to the water she needs to survive.

Yet she sneaks away and lies to her friends to spend more time on land with Kai. And the pull of the shore grows even stronger when Turtle reconnects with her sisters and learns that her father, who has been in prison for having her genes modified, has escaped and may be hiding out nearby.

When scientists come up with a way for the Mer to surrender their gills and live as Normals, Turtle faces a terrible choice. Turtle loves her life with her Mer friends, but she desperately misses her family. And then there’s Kai . . .

Should she give up her Mer community and their way of life, along with the joy of living freely under the sea? Or give up the guy she’s falling for . . . and any hope of reconnecting with her family?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Set in a dystopian reality, this read strongly ties to the Little Mermaid while creating a world of its own.

Thanks to gene mutations before her birth, Turtle had to leave her family as a child and live with the Mers, individuals who illegally were changed to have lungs and gills. Since the Normals look down on those like her, Turtle is forced to scavenge in those areas, where civilization has been flooded and remains underwater, to survive. When she saves a Normal, she grows increasingly curious to learn more about him and soon is doing everything she can to spend time with him. Her friends want her best but aren't all for this pursuit, especially thanks to their very differing worlds. But there's more trouble as her own family's past reveals secrets that could harm her more. In the end, she needs to choose where she belongs, and who she wants to be.

This book slides right into the same plot line as the Little Mermaid, but in the direction of the original and not the Disney version. While the world and circumstances are very different from the original fairy tale, Turtle faces many of the same basis problems. The parallels are obvious and will delight fans of the original story. Still, the characters and surroundings give the tale a very original setting and create a more scifi atmosphere which draws in. So, the foundations which made the original fairy tale are still very present and stay true to the tradition.

Unlike the original fairy tale, Turtle is pulled between two worlds, which really shouldn't exist in the first place and do each make up a part of her. So, her desire to be a part of both is understandable. It's also no problem to sympathize with her as she attempts to juggle her feelings and desires, especially when the circumstances change around her. Her wish to stay true to her Mer friends is endearing, while her desire to reconnect with her siblings is very understandable. And through all of this, she also wants to follow her heart on the romance end. While the balance remains an impossible battle, her struggle makes her easy to cheer for the entire way through. 

While the links to the original tale are clear, the author makes sure to weave in several aspects, which cause food for thought and hit upon modern issues. First, there's an environmental side as rising tides have placed earlier areas of dry land under water. Then, there's the entire argument surrounding gene mutation and the moral questions surrounding it's use and dangers. Both of these build the backbone for the world and struggles, and are fairly well based. There is a bit of lack of depth in the world building, but this is more on the details surrounding the society, history, and such. All in all, though, it flows nicely to create an enjoyable read and the logic doesn't offer large hiccups, either.

This is a lovely read for those, who enjoy fairy tale retellings, and want to take a slightly different twist without losing footing of the original tale. The characters are easy to enjoy, the plot is quick-paced, and the themes do lead to some thought. In other words, it's worth taking a look at.