From the Bookshelf of PopSugar Reading Challenge en Español…

The Mermaid of Black Conch

Monique Roffey,

Ben Onwukwe (Narrator)

Start date: September 14, 2023

Finish date: September 19, 2023

Discussion: 2023 Reto Básico

Why we're reading this: Sirenas y el Caribe.
[close] Sirenas y el Caribe.

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Showing 2 of 39 topics — 1,463 comments total

2023 Reto Básico

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40. Un libro de un autor/a con las mismas iniciales que tú.
By Iloveplacebo · 50 posts · 122 views

last updated Feb 21, 2024 07:03AM

4. Un libro de un autor/a primerizo.
By Iloveplacebo · 36 posts · 147 views

last updated Dec 30, 2023 06:14PM

What Members Thought

Sep 19, 2023 Paloma rated it liked it

Shelves: not-my-cup-of-tea, audiobooks, reviewed-reseñados, caribbean-caribe, realismo-mágico-magical-realism, fantasy, reading-challenge-2023, popsugar-2023

Review in English | Reseña en Español

The Mermaid of Black Conch combines historical fiction with magical realism. The book is the story of a woman who was turned into a mermaid centuries ago and is captured by a group of Americans in the late 1970s. With the help of a man that falls in love with her, she escapes and starts turning again into a woman. But happiness will be short-lived: envy, ambition, greed and hatred will separate the two lovers again.

I think the story was ok but I did not comp Review in English | Reseña en Español

The Mermaid of Black Conch combines historical fiction with magical realism. The book is the story of a woman who was turned into a mermaid centuries ago and is captured by a group of Americans in the late 1970s. With the help of a man that falls in love with her, she escapes and starts turning again into a woman. But happiness will be short-lived: envy, ambition, greed and hatred will separate the two lovers again.

I think the story was ok but I did not completly vibe with it: some descriptions were too long and explicit, and in a way, I could not truly feel immersed in the book even though it combines two of my favorite genres. However, I think it is more of a "me" thing because lately, I am more drawn to non-fiction and autobiographical stories from Latin American authors. Hence, I am being cautious with this review: the book was not memorable for me, but I do not think is bad. Maybe a bit more background on the myth of mermaids in the Caribbean would have increased my interest but, who knows? Now, more than ever, I think there are books we don't read at the right time.

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Este libro combina los géneros de novela histórica y realismo mágico y narra la historia de una mujer que siglos atrás fue convertida en sirena y condenada a vivir en el mar, alejada de su familia y de los seres humanos. En la década de 1970, cerca de la isla de Trinidad, un pescador la descubre y, hechizado, empieza a intepretar música para ella, de tal manera que su hechizo hace que la mujer se acerque más. Y en ese momento, un grupo de estadounidenses la captura y pretende venderla para obtener dinero. Sin embargo, el pescador la rescata y la lleva a vivir con él, y la sirena empieza a transformarse de nuevo en mujer. Sin embargo, esto durará poco y ella, inevitablemente, volverá al mar.

La historia no es mala pero he de reconocer que no me encantó ni me pareció un libro memorable. Para ser justa, creo que debo reiterar que, de nuevo, siento que últimamente ya no estoy disfrutando tanto de la ficción literaria (salvo unas pocas excepciones que de hecho, tienden a ser literatura latinoamericana) y me inclino más por la no ficción o textos autobiográficos. Por otra parte, creo que me hubiera gustado más si la autora hubiera explorado más la mitología de seres como las sirenas en el Caribe (algo de lo que, por ejemplo, nunca había escuchado a hablar). Como mencioné, no es una mala historia pero creo sin duda que, a veces el momento que encontramos ciertos libros no es el correcto. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

May 21, 2021 Zoe marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 09, 2022 Andrea Lujano marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Aug 24, 2025 vicky. marked it as maybe-to-read · review of another edition

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