Review - Fathomless

by Jackson Pearce
publisher: Little, Brown & Co. BFYR
date of publication: September 4, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 304
source: from the publisher for review

From Goodreads:

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Ever since I read the very first of Jackson Pearce's fairy tale re-tellings, Sisters Red, I have been a big fan of her characters, settings, and her approach to the werewolf concept.  At the end of Sweetly, I was dying to find out what would happen next.  The ending of Sweetly hinted at so many great story elements that I was eager to continue on into the next part of the story.  When Fathomless arrived at my door, I was happy about the prospect of finally continuing that journey.  What I expected and what I found, however, did not exactly mesh this time around, and I found myself left with feelings equaling much less than enthusiasm.

At first the Reynolds twins prove to be an intriguing set of characters due to their abilities and their dynamic as triplets.  When the full extend of Celia's differences come to light, there is more interest and the potential for an engrossing narrative.  However, I found myself struggling to fully connect with Celia.  I wouldn't necessarily say that she strikes me as a push-over, but neither does she exhibit much by way of personal strengths.  Even her struggles with her untruths didn't provide as much development as I would have hoped.  I found Lo, the other MC, to be far more intriguing as she struggled to maintain her grasp on humanity and to uncover the truth behind her past.  With Lo, you know you are faced with a wonderfully dynamic character, thus leaving her chapters amongst my favorites throughout the entirety of the book.

As was hinted in Sweetly, the concept behind Fathomless was everything I hoped it would be.  The mermaids Lo lives amongst are such an alien group even given their human shape.  They may not have fish tails, but they are still very obviously not human.  Everything from their behavior to bluish skin hints at their lack of any shreds of humanity.  With the exception of Lo and a few others, none know who they once were, nor do they care.  It all made for an exceptional approach to the concept of mermaids and one I was very glad to see.

Though Fathomless didn't ring my bell as much as Sisters Red and Sweetly, there was still much to enjoy about the book.  When it comes to Lo and the nature of mermaids, there is so much to discover and ponder.  If you enjoy fairy tale adaptations and re-tellings, Fathomless is very much worth your time.  Even though I didn't enjoy this particular set of Reynolds siblings as much as those that appeared in the previous books, they did lend a continuity that made for a nice touch to the series overall.  If you are looking for a mermaid story with a darker slant, Fathomless just may be the book you are looking for.

Buy Fathomless at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This digital review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.