If this lie had been revealed earlier, I probably would have given this five stars. After that, the novel became a page turner. However, my boredom ended instantly when one of the characters was revealed to be lying.

Evie spends too long trying to help her friend without encountering serious, unique challenges. The reason I didn’t give Sea Witch five stars is because I became a little bored in the middle. Through friendship, betrayal, and determination, she becomes the sea witch. Readers get to watch a normal teenage girl grow and transform. Her complex character makes her relatable and enduring. She is the daughter of a lowly fisherman and the best friend of the prince, making the rest of her society resent her. She is a witch in a society where magic is feared and its wielders are sentenced to death. However, just because the romance is sweet doesn’t mean it’s missing the longing and overwhelming nature of teen love.Įvie is more than a teen girl with a crush, though. This is not a steamy romance, nor does it have any gory violence or abuse. Evie, the main character and sea witch, not only pursues her own interest, but does her best to make sure everyone else is happy as well. There are two main courting couples falling in love for the first time. If you enjoy sweet teen romances, you’ll like Sea Witch. In particular, Henning addresses why merperople might want to fall in love with humans.

The novel also brings back some of the original mermaid mythology that has been lost in recent versions of the creatures. Sea Witch makes readers think differently about the magic of love with twists on love’s first kiss and how love motivates people. If you do too, this is the novel for you. I love fairy tale retellings with a twist. In that way, the book is a top notch origin story.

However, like Disney’s Maleficent, readers will find themselves rooting for this female villain. Sea Witch by Sarah Henning is the story of how a young girl, desperate to protect those she loves and find a place in her society, becomes the villain in “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale.

The sea witch sarah henning