Parents' Guide to

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Epic romantic fantasy adventure is poetic and violent.

Book Maggie Tokuda-Hall Fantasy 2020
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

MelissaHolub
MelissaHolub Adult
June 30, 2020
age 13+

Excellent read; excellent message

This YA book has some great characters, strong female leads, complexity of ideas and characters, good pacing and writing, and important themes such as abuses of power when greed overtakes and the need to integrate ones strengths, vulnerabilities and foibles to be a whole person. Finally, the natural weaving in of non-binary gender realities- without gender identity being the focus of the book- is extremely refreshing and even ground breaking. There is a good deal of alcohol consumption, given that there are many pirates on board. But alcohol Use is by no means condoned.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

THE MERMAID, THE WITCH, AND THE SEA tells of child orphan Flora and her brother Alfie, who know they won't survive another cold winter on the streets. So they beg their way onto the crew of the Dove, where they know life will be hard, but at least they'll eat. And they're not wrong. To keep herself safe from the worst of the crew members, Flora proves her mettle as a man and becomes Florian. One day the newly boarding passengers include Evelyn, a young noblewoman on her way to an arranged marriage. Florian is assigned to guard Evelyn, and they strike up a friendship that deepens over the course of the long voyage. Little do they imagine how their love will change their fates, or how the help of a mermaid, a witch, and even the sea herself will be needed before they'll be free to live and love to the fullest.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

This debut novel by Maggie Tokuda-Hall is epic, poetic, beautiful, romantic, adventurous, ruthless, dangerous, even murderous. Definitely not for kids. Tokuda-Hall's solid, rhythmic, sometimes lyrical writing lifts The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea beyond a rip-snorting, piratical adventure into a moving story about change, love, loss, recovery, and more. Teens especially will relate to Flora and Evelyn as they navigate all kinds of transitions, both physical and spiritual, from child to adult, from naivete to knowing, from innocent to guilty, from girl to man.

The intriguing, well-paced story keeps the pages turning. So does the colorful cast of characters, both good and bad, as they navigate a rich, vast, and vividly imagined world. Violence and adult themes make it best for high schoolers and up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. How much is too much? Do you react differently to reading about violence than you do to watching it in videos, games, or other media?

  • What are Flora/Florian's and Evelyn's character strengths and weaknesses? Are they positive role models? Did you like them?

  • Why is it important to have diverse representation in books and other media? Why is it important to have a broad understanding of all kinds of people?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate