Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Ripples & Waves:  A Queer Retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid

AUTHOR:  L.A. Witt

NARRATOR:  Michael Ferraiuolo

PUBLISHER:  Author’s Republic

LENGTH:  6 hours and 31 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  December 16, 2019

BLURB:

Colin Everroad should be dead, but after his lobster boat founders during a violent storm off the Maine coast, he wakes up on a beach. He’s cold, but unscathed…with strange memories of a face he can’t conjure and a voice he doesn’t recognize.

No one can explain it, but a friend suggests Colin was saved by one of the mer. Except the mer don’t exist. Do they? But…that face. That voice. Someone was in the water with him. Someone saved him. If not a mer, then who? And whoever it was, Colin wants to see his face.

Lir broke protocol by rescuing a land person, but he couldn’t just let the man drown. When he disobediently resurfaces to see his beautiful land man, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s forbidden to leave the depths again.

One clandestine visit turns into more. Soon, Colin and Lir are meeting at the shore as often as possible, and the connection between them deepens. The only problem is that neither can live in the other’s world. Or can they?

Then Lir finds a way for them to be together, but only for a little while…and at a cost. As time grows short, they have to choose: does Lir return to the sea and never see Colin again or stay forever with the man he loves in a world that will never love them?

Ripples & Waves is a modern, queer retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”.

REVIEW:

Colin really should be dead.  Turns out that during the storm, a merman prince saved him – which he DEFINITELY was not supposed to do 😉  But he just couldn’t help himself because when he went to the surface to enjoy the storm, he just could not let Colin drown.  He also broke another rule by giving the “landman” the information to call him 🙂

Colin’s life is not great. His family are kind of homophobic assholes.  His parents are all about their money and reputation – at the expense of the happiness of one of their children it would seem.  Every since Colin came out, he’s pretty much been persona non grata with his parents.  Luckily he has a found family in his employers at the lobster restaurant where he works.  And it was their boat that he was out on when he got caught in the storm – although there is a lot more to that story than meets the eye 🙁  When Colin’s employer shares with him the way he can call the merman who saved him, Colin figures he has nothing to lose.  He’s lonely and depressed.

When Colin calls Lir, he’s surprised when the beautiful merman appears.  Lir is really not supposed to be “fraternizing” with land people.  It’s dangerous- and not just for him, but for his entire race.  Colin and Lir develop a friendship though as they continue to meet and talk.  But they really want to be together.  Lir has to keep dodging his family who are not amused at his continuing to sneak off and meet up with Colin.  But Lir really really wants to be able to spend time with Colin and the only way to do that is become a land man.  And there is only one person he knows who can help him.  But of course that wish comes at a cost.

Colin is excited to spend time with Lir, but he’s also aware of the dangers.  And when his mother shows her true colors to Lir, Colin cannot ask Lir to make the sacrifice to live in a world that doesn’t accept them.  But maybe there is another way?

So this retelling of The Little Mermaid is quite different to the original and even  the Disney version.  Thankfully it’s a bit better ending for the two protagonists 😀  I loved Lir and his family.  I really wanted more bad things to happen to the homophobes who caused Colin so much trouble.  I also thought Colin was nicer to his family than they deserved – well at least some of them.  Overall I really liked the way Lir and Colin became friends.  Michael Ferraiuolo’s narration was superb!  Colin’s annoying parents, Lir’s protective parents and sibling, the sea witch and all the rest really came alive in this audiobook.  Loved that this ending was LOT happier than I expected 🙂  Recommended for fans of mermen and happy endings!

RATING:

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