the surface breaks – as told by zaheerah

B O O K S

During the month of September, I read 5 books.

” I Wish You All The Best is quiet but satisfying. A story about a nonbinary teen by a nonbinary author; this is a story that celebrates life amidst terrifying circumstances and is a shining example of what future contemporary YA literature has to offer. “

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

“I adored the Ten Thousand Doors of January. A charming and magical adventure about a girl who persevers in the face of resistance. A story I didn’t know I needed, but I will appreciate for a long time.”

Piecing Me Together

“Piecing Me Together is a standout novel about a teen’s journey of awareness and self-empowerment through art. Readers will find Jade’s story thoughtful as she navigates the world as a Black girl. The microaggressions she faces in her everyday life is powerfully nuanced and incredibly realistic.”

The Surface Breaks

“The Surface Breaks is an interesting retelling of The Little Mermaid O’Neill has used the original tale brilliantly and adding her own flair and originality. I especially loved the added backstory to their mother. If you’re looking for a fairy tale with a touch of darkness and empowerment, this one is definitely for you.”

Defy Me (Shatter Me #5)

Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything. A full review to come!

M U S I C

P O S T S

A feature section to highlight my favourite posts from my fellow bloggers that were posted this month.

My Take on The Year’s Most Popular YA Debuts So Far – I really like the idea of reacting to popular books. I was considering doing this but I’ve only read like five of them this year. 😂
6 Ways to Use Pinterest to Drive Traffic to your Book Blog – I’m really bad at using other sites to bring traffic to my blog, but I was interested to see how Pinterest could be used to help your blog!
FIVE TIPS ON HOW TO READ EVEN WHEN YOU’RE IN HELL (AKA WHEN YOU’RE BUSY)
AUGVOCACY2019 (EXTENDED): #OWNVOICES BOOKS & CROSS-CULTURAL IMMERSION
This one’s all the way from July, but I completely forgot to share it here. A while ago, Saajid (From Books Are my Social Life) reached out if I wanted to partake in a booktube video, and I strangely said yes! I don’t have time to do booktube which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so I jumped at the chance when this offer came around. Check it out here for mine and a whole lot of other cool people’s recommendations of books with Muslim characters! Also, I apologise for my lack of energy, I had just submitted my final piece of essay for second year of uni when I filmed my part. I used one of the computer rooms at like 8am film because I didn’t feel comfortable filming at home, and I’d then have to explain what I was doing to my family 😂😂

That’s it for this month! Tell me what went on in YOUR life this month! What sort of things was important for you this month? New obsessions? New TV shows? Or book? Any new song recs (I’m always open to new music!)? Best books you read this month?

Beneath the sea, Muirgen patiently counts down the days to her fifteenth birthday where she can finally see the world above hers, but only for a quick moment as her controlling father urges her to keep her head down below. On what should be her first and only visit, she is drawn to a human boy and decides that she too wants to be a part of his world. But doing so risks her place in the sea, but this little mermaid will do anything to find her place.

The Surface Breaks is an O’Neill novel for a YA audience, and she has done a brilliant job with it. Often described as a “feminist retelling” of The Little Mermaid, and it definitely does fit the description. Muirgen and her sisters live under the controlling thumb of their father, the Sea King. Angered by the loss of their mother years ago, his controlling behaviour and treatment of his daughters as mere property has them competing for his attention.

When Muirgen is enthralled by the human world, she finds herself asking for the help of the Sea Witch, an enigma of a character, a guardian of the Rusalkas — underwater creatures who were once human women that were abused. The merfolk despised them for their unruly behaviour but the Sea Witch assures they are but themselves which highlight a key theme to the novel: women who reclaimed what had been taken from them and unapologetically raise their voices when they’ve been told to stay quiet.

If I had to think of any flaw, it would be the depiction of the world and setting. I didn’t really find myself falling for the merfolk’s kingdom and the human world too felt underdeveloped. But the effect is minuscule and doesn’t affect my overall opinion of the book. The strength of the book is in the characters and journey of Muirgen.

Overall, The Surface Breaks is an interesting retelling of The Little Mermaid O’Neill has used the original tale brilliantly and adding her own flair and originality. I especially loved the added backstory to their mother. If you’re looking for a fairy tale with a touch of darkness and empowerment, this one is definitely for you.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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