“Sometimes the only way to save yourself is to save someone else…” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: mills, ponds, cold labor, dormitories, tuberculosis, theaters, broken teeth, stolen potatoes, weir, escape attempts and cotton.

History and myth entwine in this atmospheric tale of freedom and friendship from bestselling author Lucy Strange, and acclaimed illustrator Pam Smy.

Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel– a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison, with no way out. Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water. But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape?

Oh how I love Pam Smy! I first read “Thornhill” from her and I loved it, so I was excited to pick up this book as soon as I saw her name as the illustrator for this book.
I would describe this short book as a darker middle grade story. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a graphic novel, since there’s more text than images. The story is very nice, but on the sadder side. It follows an 11 year old girl named Bess who just started working at a cotton mill, and then her way to freedom along with Dot and the mermaid who is stuck in the pond.
Unlike what I was thinking by reading the title, the mermaid is not the focus of the story, but the young girls that are working at the cotton mill, Bess and Dot. This book portrays child labor during the Victorian age, and it was very sad to read about the beatings and exploitation the children went through. And yes, there are some descriptions about abuse but it’s not too graphic, don’t worry. Even though the mermaid is not the focus of the book, I still believe it plays a big role in the story as it also symbolizes the freedom they desired. Also, don’t think of this mermaid as the typical nice mermaid, this one behaved more like a siren – wilder and more animalistic.
It’s a beautiful book that presents a story about friendship, freedom, kindness and being vulnerable when you’re hurt. I finished the book rooting for the girls and hoping they made it to the new town and had a better life!