3.5/5

For fans of: The Little Mermaid, mermaids, West African mythology, West African folklore

Synopsis: Simidele does not remember her life before becoming Mami Wata, but she knows she was well loved before it all ended horrifically at sea. Now, she roams the Atlantic guiding the lost souls of her people violently taken from their homes but thrown to the sea. When a boy is thrown but still alive, Simi’s choice to save him rather than let him die has repercussions not only for the boy, but the very existence of all Mami Wata.

Review: Skin of the Sea is a solid YA that refreshingly mixes up mermaid influences with West African mythology in a fun, but surprisingly gory adventure. Having very little knowledge in West African mythology, I had a blast learning about all new creatures, settings, and mythology. The character of Simidele is highly focused, wants nothing more than to fulfill her purpose, but cannot stop the nagging reminders of her human life and the slowly burning desire for just a bit more in her life. The plot was well-paced and kept me interested, especially towards the last third of the book. So why 3.5? The tropes were too heavy-handed for me, primarily keeping vital information from the protagonist by her mentor that would have avoided quite a bit of the central conflict. The secondary characters were also not as fully fleshed out or memorable. The characterization of the gods and especially the villain were also not consistent and honestly, a bit confusing. Overall, I enjoyed the story as a different take on mermaid stories, but I will not be continuing with the series.