An odd little book. It has a very spritely art style that I enjoy and a neat sliceoflife framing with a twist: the inclusion of a mystical beach that may or may not have mermaids off the shore. What outwardly may appear like a fantastical fantasy story is actually a down to earth telling of a girls life as she moves to a sleepy beachside town. https://i.ur.com/tOeFWUE.jpg An important thing to note is that if youre expecting anything more than a sliceoflife narrative youre going to be disappointed. Similar to other slice0flife stories it may at times seem a bit objectiveless as it just kind of follows the protagonist Tokiko and her daily struggles. Shes the new kid she receives some bullying she deals with new friends dumb boys liars and other odd circumstances in her life. This is on top of her own awkward family situation such as living with her single dad because her mother ran off from the family without another word yet also didnt actuate a divorce. Friendships bud and then falter relationships sway and ebb all like the ocean that dominates the town. The reason I detail all that is to temper expectations. If youre here for fantasy weirdness and mermaids thats not the focus here. Its a character driven narrative first so if you dont like sixth graders being silly and living their life you might be let down. https://i.ur.com/IUfvwzs.png HOWEVER lets address the mermaid in the room. Because that fantasy weirdness IS there and it is built in this extremely slowburn mystery. Our main character has a strange trauma at this particular towns beach in their past. And theres someone who she has seen in her past maybe even in her dreams that looks just like the odd untalkative boy in her class. Theres a man who lives by the beach who seems to more than he lets on and why are all the adults so cagey around the kids always beating around the bush? What is the weird festival thats approaching before summer break and just what is behind that long dark scary tunnel? And why just why is the town so closely related to mermaids? https://i.ur.com/hc5uQAm.jpg Fun right? That mystery hook is just loads of fun in this really childish nostalgic way. Lots of little questions peppered around the narrative that make you really want to know the answers. But being a story based around realism with all these funky fantastical elements how much of this truly is a fantasy and how much is truly a reality? Thats the heart of these more mystical moments in the text and because its all intermingled with the sliceoflife moments its kind of like solving the mystery out of order. The question becomes: is the mystery any good? And... eh is the best answer I have for you. I feel like the ending wrapped up very suddenly as if the author realized they were coming up to their deadline and quickly tied all the plot threads together. And especially with a story that does feature some personal traumas for the characters I feel like it kinda surfed by those serious moments which were resolved quickly not really allowing enough time to process and grieve what was just learned. https://i.ur.com/O6WQgxQ.png At the same time you can tell the author really put their soul into this. It feels very intimate and even though Tokiko isnt exactly a lively person more introverted simple and kind in her demeanor you really get attached to her life and want to see her do her best. And better than the resolutions is the buildup of the mystery. The times where the kids are exploring the fantasymystery elements is really fun and not only feels like the Scooby Doo gang solving a mystery but also leaves some endearing suspense and intrigue on exactly what is happening in this strange little town. https://i.ur.com/aFuWYG5.jpg Is this the best book ever? No not by a longshot. But I would be lying to say I wasnt intrigued the entire time both to see our kids learn live and grow and also learn more about strange mermaids and ancient town legends. Its all good stuff and even though it was hastily resolved in the end it WAS resolved and it leaves you feeling calm and hopeful. Can one really ask more than to experience a nice story? Because thats what youll find here: calm quiet moments lapping away like waves on a beach.