Another Little Mermaid book? You bet. For some reason, I’ve been on a kick for retellings of The Little Mermaid. Part of Your World by Liz Braswell did not disappoint. Just like Hexed, it was fun to read a familiar story with a huge twist.
It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world — and a prince — she never imagined she would see again.
I’ve always been on the side of villains so it was interesting to see this version of what happens if they win. Ursula as Vanessa was one of my favorite villains and I’m not sure if that’s because of her incredible voice — Ariel’s voice — or because she really looks like me.
One of the reasons retellings like this are so fun to read is because we already know the plot of the story. We know Ariel, Eric, Ursula and Triton. We know their relationships, their struggles, their desires. But when you twist just one outcome, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re looking at these characters through a completely different lens.
For example, Eric isn’t just the charming prince anymore. He’s a man living under a villain’s control. His mentality has shifted and in many ways he’s lost himself.
And then there’s Ariel, who might be the most interesting character in this version. She’s not the naive teenager who dreams of being “part of your world.” She’s older, a queen still without her voice and haunted by her youthful mistake.
Throughout the story, you see the shell around both characters begin to crack. Slowly, they revert back to the bubbly, hopeful characters that felt so familiar in the classic movie.
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