For the young person grappling with feeling utterly out of place and fighting for their right to exist, this dark fairy tale explores themes of identity, survival, and belonging.
A parent might reach for this book when their older teen is navigating intense feelings of not belonging, or feels caught between two worlds or cultures. Mermaid Moon is a dark, literary fairy tale about Sanna, a mermaid who sacrifices her voice for legs to find the human mother who abandoned her. On land, she discovers a rigidly pious society built on a terrible secret. This is a story for mature teens (15 and up) ready to explore complex themes of identity, religious fanaticism, and moral ambiguity. It's a powerful choice for a reader who appreciates lush, atmospheric fantasy and is ready for a story that doesn't offer easy answers.
Deals with abandonment, religious persecution, and profound alienation.
Moral AmbiguityIntense
Characters frequently make difficult choices with no clear right or wrong answer.
Romantic ContentModerate
Includes romantic and sexual situations, though not explicitly detailed.
Sensitive Topics
The story directly confronts religious persecution and othering through the community's fanatical beliefs. Violence is sometimes graphic (self-harm, torture, murder). The approach is secular, exploring belief as a system of control. The resolution is bittersweet and realistic, not a simple happy ending.
Ideal Reader
A mature teen (16-18) who loves lush, literary fantasy and dark fairy tales (e.g., Juliet Marillier). They appreciate morally ambiguous characters, slower character-driven plots, and are grappling with their own complex identity or feelings of being an outsider.
Parent Prep
Parents should preview for mature content: body horror, torture, discussions of sexuality, and religious fanaticism. This is a dark reimagining, not a Disney story, and reading it cold may be jarring. The teen expresses feeling like a complete outsider, saying, "No one gets me," or "I don't belong anywhere," perhaps related to a mixed cultural heritage.
Age Experience
A younger teen (15) might focus on the adventure and romance. An older teen (17-18) will better grasp the social commentary on intolerance, moral ambiguity, and the critique of power structures.
What Makes It Special
This is not a romance-driven mermaid story. It is a slow-burn, atmospheric fantasy focused on Sanna's brutal journey of self-discovery, religious zealotry, and the monstrous feminine.
Read plot summary
Sanna, a young mermaid, travels to land to find her human mother. She discovers a pious, intolerant community ruled by the tyrannical Baron von Mensh, whose power is tied to a dark secret involving the sea. Sanna must navigate court politics and dangerous beliefs to uncover the truth about her past and her mother's fate.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Sanna must give up her voice to go on land. Why do you think stories about mermaids so often involve a sacrifice of voice? What does Sanna gain and lose by making this choice?
2
The people of Skagen worship their saint, but their devotion leads to cruelty and intolerance. How does the book explore the difference between faith and fanaticism?
3
Sanna feels she is neither fully mermaid nor fully human. How does her hybrid identity become a source of strength by the end of the book, instead of just a source of pain?
4
The Baron von Mensh is a villain, but his motivations are complex. Did you feel any sympathy for him, particularly in his relationship with his son? Why or why not?
