First published 2018
Gaia lives trapped beneath the waves near the Irish coast, ruled by her domineering father. When she finally swims to the surface for the first time, she spots a human boy and becomes fascinated by his world above the water. His carefree existence calls to her, stirring dreams of escape from her underwater prison. But crossing between worlds demands terrible sacrifices. Gaia must decide what she will give up to claim her freedom and discover her own voice. Louise O'Neill takes Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale and transforms it through a feminist perspective, wielding sharp prose and dark themes. This retelling burns with anger and defiance, exploring the costs of breaking free from control.
Genres: literary-fiction, feminist-theory, fantasy, young-adult, 21st-century, fairy-tale-retellings
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Ireland
Period: 21st-century
257 pages · Kindle Edition · Scholastic Fiction
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, sexism