| Title | : | Plain Jane and the Mermaid |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250314852 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250314857 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published May 7, 2024 |
Jane is incredibly plain. Everyone says so: her parents, the villagers, and her horrible cousin who kicks her out of her own house. Determined to get some semblance of independence, Jane prepares to propose to the princely Peter, who might just say yes to get away from his father. It’s a good plan!
Or it would’ve been, if he wasn’t kidnapped by a mermaid.
With her last shot at happiness lost in the deep blue sea, Jane must venture to the underwater world to rescue her maybe-fiancé. But the depths of the ocean hold beautiful mysteries and dangerous creatures. What good can a plain Jane do?
From Vera Brosgol, the author of Anya's Ghost and Be Prepared, comes an instant classic that flips every fairy tale you know, and shows one girl's crusade for the only thing that matters—her own independence.
Plain Jane and the Mermaid Reviews
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If I were a mermaid I too would only eat the sexiest fishermen.
Dive into Vera Brosgol’s underwater adventure full of magic and maritime menace where the toxic beauty standards are just as dangerous as the toxic sea creatures. Plain Jane and the Mermaid is as eye-catching as it is engaging, being a rollicking YA graphic novel full of high-stakes action and hilarity as Jane must set off to rescue the boy of her dreams from the carnivorous mermaids who have stolen him away. Riding a fast-paced narrative current and filled with quirky characters both friend and foe, Plain Jane and the Mermaid is also a heartfelt critique of patriarchal society and stigmas to address issues of body image and self-worth. Will Jane rescue Peter before he becomes a mermaid’s feast or are the secrets of the deep too fierce to face?
This is such a fun aquatic adventure from the artist and author who brought us the spooky
Anya’s Ghost. Plain Jane and the Mermaid brings us to a drab, Victorian-era town where recently orphaned Jane has discovered her wealthy parent’s estate will be transferred to her uncle as women cannot own property. Jane feels pretty drab herself, always mocked for her looks and weight-shamed by her mother. But when her plans to marry Peter, the bumbling but beautiful boy she has always loved who just might agree in order to leave his hated job for a life of luxury, is thwarted by a mermaid, she finds herself equipped with magic and three days to bring him back. This is a wild, comedic ride where Jane’s is not only fighting emotional battles, but now deep sea scaries:
And a whole lot of toxic masculinity:
Learn some chill, Downton Abbey Plankton…
The cast here is excellent, such as Mr. Whiskers—a begrudgingly helpful seal…or is he?—and the mermaids themselves which all have fairly complex emotions and storylines that culminate to make this story greater than the sum of its parts. It’s also just gorgeous to look at and I’ve long been a big fan of Brosgol’s lovely artwork. It’s all very bold and beautiful and the character designs convery a LOT of personality. Honestly, I’d love to see this as a film with this exact art style.
‘Authors often write the books we wish we had as kids,’ Brosgol writes in the afterword, ‘and little me would have really loved this one.’ She discusses how she found it important to depict a heroine who was thought of as ‘ordinary’ and not particularly much to look at as it would have been ‘a great antidote to all the Disney heroines I was ingesting.’ That the art feels vaguely Disney adjacent is also plausibly pointed towards subversion. Its rather moving to read her thoughts on why this is so important to her for the story to address troubling beauty standards and the ways society often conflates beauty with goodness and worth.‘We need to be careful which stories we tell. Think of all the fairy tales where the heroes are handsome and the villains are ugly. So much misery comes from clinging to something as flimsy and subjective as beauty, but that’s often our shorthand for good and evil.’
We also see how fleeting physical beauty can be. It connects quite effectively to the criticisms of patriarchy as well, and how women are expected to conform to beauty standards to be thought of as valuable but even then they are objectified and denied real social agency. ‘'Beauty is not good capital,’ writes
Tressie McMillan Cottom in her book
Thick: And Other Essays:‘It constrains those who identify as women against their will…it can never be fully satisfied. It is not useful for human flourishing. Beauty is, like all capital, merely valuable.'
I found it well done how with Peter, even having the beauty Jane seeks, he is still not respected because he’s seen as incapable. When he is seen to be valued solely on his looks by the mermaids, however, it isn’t the positive social capital he hopes for but a death sentence. With Jane we see how her smarts and determination make her much more than looks could ever achieve, and I love how empowering this book can be.
‘Someone somewhere made up all these stupid rules and we’re all just going along with them! Even if it makes us miserable! Well, I don’t want to be miserable. I’m sorry.
Actually, no I’m not.’
There is so much to love here and I’ve barely scratched the surface on all the little plot threads and character arcs. Charming and cinematic, Plain Jane and the Mermaids is a joyful graphic novel that is easily appropriate for middle grade readers but just as delightful for adults. Filled with sharp social critiques and flowing through a zany adventure plot, Plain Jane and the Mermaids is a real winner.
4.5/5
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***SPOILERS HIDDEN***
Recognizing that it’s natural to fear what we can’t see, Vera Brosgol wanted to create a folktale that takes place mostly in murky, watery depth. Her newest graphic novel, Plain Jane and the Mermaid, is a creative and adventurous underwater fantasy with lots of complications and a pleasing, heartwarming twist that will have readers flipping back to connect some dots. The heroine is Jane of the title, an ordinary girl with unremarkable looks in a world that prizes beauty. When the boy she wants to marry is kidnapped by an evil mermaid, Jane rescues him in a reverse of the damsel-in-distress-saved-by-prince trope.
Brosgol is talented at capturing minute facial expressions, and her careful drawings have meaning. She channeled modern beauty standards to show rail-thin mermaids with Instagram Face, and a slim boy with a strong jaw and smooth complexion. By contrast, Jane’s attire is mostly brown, and she’s short and heavy-set, with acne and a dowdy hair style. This is an enchanting read but sometimes angering and heartbreaking, as when Jane’s (attractive) parents mistreat her because she isn’t beautiful and thin.
Brosgol deserves praise for going a bit further with the added mythology of selkies and a water demon, and her book has a moral that will speak to female readers, who are unfortunately part of the story that’s not fantasy—the part that tells girls and women that their appearance is what’s most valuable about them. Readers ages nine and older would be the target audience. Plain Jane and the Mermaid may be too scary for very young readers: The mermaids, , make The Little Mermaid’s Ursula seem cuddly, and some panels depict close-ups of angry faces dominated by huge mouths that display rows of shark-like teeth. -
What a creative & beautiful way to share a wonderful message to young girls about body image! This will definitely be going on a favorites shelf, along with the rest of Vera’s books. 🩵
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An underwater folk story that feels like you're watching a movie, with a hint of that studio ghibli charm.
Jane's parents have passed on without a male heir, meaning Jane is about to lose her house and her fortune if she can't find someone to marry. But who would want to marry ugly, fat Jane?
When Jane decides to ask the prettiest boy in town to marry her, he gets snatched by a mermaid and dragged deep under, and it's up to Jane to rescue him. Follows is an underwater adventure stuffed with tricky water gods, beautiful fishy creatures, and a snarky seal that's more than he seems.
Vera Bosgol has such a great art style, after reading so many of her other books, her style has become familiar and comforting to me. She has the ability to make you feel like you're watching an animated movie. The story touches on societal views of beauty and its tie to worth, as well as how others see us versus how we see ourselves.
Thank you to First Second for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. -
4.5 stars and debating if I should give it 5. If you are a fan of
Vera Brosgol's previous work, like fantasty graphic novels, or enjoy fairy tales with strong female characters, this is for you. I thought this story about Jane who sets out to find her prince had it all.
Disney-like scenes - yes
Poor little rich girl - yes
Handsome boy - yes
Magic - yes
Strong message - yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this title. -
I'm biased because I colored this book, but I still loved reading it, and so did my kids! :D
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This original fairytale opens with teenage Jane mourning the recent death of her parents, after she already lost her younger brother to the sea as a child. Because there's no male heir, Jane's horrible cousin will be kicking her out of the house in a week. The only option she can see is marrying within the week so that she can access her dowry. So Jane walks down to the fishing village below her manor and proposes to a beautiful but shallow fisherman's son. He accepts- then is immediately lured under the waves by a mermaid. Jane runs into the town asking for help but only an old woman with witchy vibes is willing to aid her. The crone gives Jane a potion so she can breathe underwater, a stone which will allow her to walk on the bottom of the ocean, and a shawl to keep her warm in the depths. So armed, Jane walks into the sea after the boy who feels like her only hope. Under the waves she encounters allies and enemies, learns the true power of her own will, and realizes she might have more choices than she's realized.
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"Can I speak to you, in private? It's about, er... business.
So... Private swamp business?"
The deep dark ocean is what terrifies me the most in life. There's something about the unexplored parts of any large body of water that really freaks me out. The ocean only gets to meet my feet and ankles now. Vera and I have that same fear.
Brosgol's charm meets the heart of Studio Ghibli for an underwater adventure with a lot of moxie and compassion. Be prepared to be swept off of your feet and to meet your new best friend.
The art style was great and oh-so cute. It really stands out and can definitely hold its own. The story was heartwarming and charming, and there were several moments that genuinely made me burst into laughter. It's not often that a story can be heartwarming and funny at the same time. I really loved it. -
This graphic fable includes so many of my favorite elements including mermaids, selkies, and wise crones, all beautifully illustrated and with a really great message at its heart.
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I've been reading a lot lately (mainly graphic novels and audiobooks), but I didn't find anything recently that really wowed me.
Plain Jane and the Mermaid was absolutely it.
I adore stories about nontraditional heroines. Jane doesn't have the beauty her society respects - and she's a girl, to boot, meaning she won't inherit her parent's land. Not without getting married, that is. However, when Jane's prospective husband is kidnapped by a mermaid, she'll need to unlock all her hidden potential and unacknowledged strengths to save both Peter and herself. And maybe, along the way, she'll decide what she really wants out of life.
The art style in here was fantastic - I love long, detailed pages bursting with color. The character arcs all around were beautiful, I adored every character, and the themes of judging someone by their looks - positively or negatively - were brilliant. I wanted a little more detail at the ending - just a tad - but I'm not complaining. This was such a fantastic read in every way!
5/5 stars! -
My 1000th book logged on Goodreads!!
I really liked this one. Some expected and unexpected story beats with a sweet message. -
Heck yeah, breaking harmful stereotypes all over the place. I love it
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This was fine and cute and whatever. Nothing really made me super excited to keep going but nothing made me want to stop. Great attempt at body image and beauty, but I just felt like it didn’t hit the mark the way it wanted to? Maybe I’m overthinking?
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Welcome Back!
It’s nearly the end of another week and we are almost in the midst of the holiday season, where everything becomes incredibly busy. However, I am determined to continue my reading despite how busy the holiday season might become. So this week, I decided to pick up a graphic novel E-ARC on my lunch break. (Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I was able to finish this graphic novel in one lunch period, so it was the perfect pick! Without further ado, let’s jump in!
SPOILERS AHEAD
Jane used to live in a big manor home with her parents. But her parents have recently passed and now her uncle is kicking her out of the only home she has ever known. Her parents did not have a male heir so the house and all the funds must go to her uncle unless she marries someone in the week before he takes possession of the home. Jane is very upset by this news but decides to do something about it. She is going to try to get one of the guys in town to marry her. She approaches the guy with her idea however, he is pulled underwater by a girl. Soon Jane finds herself on an underwater adventure that may just help her recover something or someone from her past.
I enjoyed my time with this graphic novel. The art in this graphic novel had great colors and strong linework. The story was very interesting and took some unexpected turns (especially with Jane and her family). I thought the underwater world in this book was vast and incredible (I would have loved to spend even more time in it). I think my favorite character from the underwater was the seal! I can not wait for everyone else to be able to read this graphic novel, it comes out on May 7th, 2024!
Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars
***Thank you so much again to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. -
5 stars
I love Vera Brosgol's work AND mermaids, so my expectations were bordering on unreasonably high coming into this read; those expectations were easily exceeded!
This graphic novel is magical in every sense. Right at the start, readers learn that Jane's parents have recently passed, and she is now in a difficult situation. She takes immediate and industrious action to improve her lot, but a mermaid goes full Grimms' nixie on her mark. This changes everything! What ensues is a captivating journey of self-love, acceptance, underwater magic, connection, and future potential.
In addition to stunning illustrations and an exciting plot, Jane is such a likeable character, and she's not alone in that. The cast of human and magical characters leave the reader wanting more - versus wanting - and they are all remarkably well drawn (pun intended) considering their relatively minor roles in many cases. My favorite part of this one is the messaging. It's powerful, relatable, and important but without feeling didactic.
I'll be excited to recommend this to my students (and everyone else) not just because it's a beautiful graphic novel but also because it's incredibly moving and an absolutely joyous mashup of fairy tales and lore. This is a TREAT.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and First Second for this exceptional arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. -
This book was cute but kind of all over the place! I didn’t expect a water demon, a mean seal that’s actually a selkie, and so much other random stuff throughout. I was a little nervous about the direction it was going at first, but I liked the message overall. Jane learns that appearance isn’t what matters most, despite what she’s been socially conditioned to believe. She gains confidence in herself, has an epic journey, and figures her shit out without needing to be beautiful or find a man.
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An imaginative, cheeky fable about the perils of beauty standards. Charming and insightful without being too preachy. I rarely see selkies and mermaids in the same stories, and so this was a treat!
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A great YA graphic novel from the author of Anya's Ghost that is a bit like a Little Mermaid reimagining and features a less than beautiful female protagonist who braves the sea to rescue the guy she wants to marry in order to save her inheritance. Lots of adventure, action and important feminist messages in this book that's perfect for fans of Tidesong by Wendy Xu.
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LOVED this. 2024 is going to be such a good year for middle grade graphic novels! Vera Brosgol is one of my favorite GN/picture book artists working today, and this was everything I could've wanted it to be--a little spooky, gorgeously colored, and surprisingly detailed and rich for the format/length. I can't wait to see a physical copy when it comes out!
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I love love LOVE Vera Brosgol's writing and art and I'm a big fan of the resurgence of mermaids in popular culture with such broad interpretations. As the author's note at the end details, it's really nice to see attention paid to how we internalize beauty in stories, especially for children.
I've always loved Disney Princesses and Barbie and Sailor Moon and overtly feminine protagonists and stories. While there are many positives from these franchises that tend to be undervalued because of their femininity, I love that Brosgol acknowledges the damage that can be done when only the heroines are beautiful and good (and she specifically calls out Disney). This is something I've been thinking about a lot, especially with having a son and now a girl on the way. How gender and beauty are presented, moralized, and largely made up in many ways, all the things that make Joanne Rowling so mad (may she choke).
The story also kind of gives Over the Garden Wall vibes, which I also love. It's not as frightening as Anya's Ghost was, but still had an eeriness to it, especially because you know there is more going on with mermaids than what either protagonist is aware of. -
Delightful.
Jane is the daughter of the wealthiest family in town. While no exact location is mentioned, it is a place and time where girls cannot own or inherit property. Jane's parents have been killed and she is the only living child. Since she is a girl, this means her loathsome cousin will inherit everything and kick her out with nothing.
Her parents have raised her to believe she is worthless - overweight, unattractive, plain and unremarkable. Jane is, in fact, amazingly creative and resourceful. She has long loved the town's most handsome boy (at least in her opinion) - Peter. Peter is indeed handsome but also rather vain. And his father is a fisherman so - a bit stinky. Jane professes her love to Peter and offers him a deal - if he will marry her, she will be able to inherit the home and she will provide him with a life of leisure. While Peter is pondering this offer, he is lured into a swamp and then the water by a mermaid. Jane, of course, can't let this stop her so with the help of the village crone and a bit of magic, she goes after Peter. And learns just how lovable she is!
I really enjoyed this! The illustrations and coloring were amazing. And I just loved rooting for Jane on her quest to rescue Peter - while also rescuing herself. -
I received a galley of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has content warnings for grief, abuse, and fatphobia.
I fear I just might not be the right target demographic for this. It just fell completely flat to me. It was extremely simple, extremely surface level, and repetetive. I did really like art, and the concept was decent as well, but the execution was just lacking for me. -
Brosgol is a contemporary master of the medium and I feel so fortunate to be alive while she is putting out new work.
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"humans are bad. Remember?"
this is a really cute and creative way to have multiple talks about body positivity in a fantasy story that caught me by surprise multiple times with just it's plot alone. The art style really fits the tone of the novel as well with such vibrant colors. A super quick, but meaningful time -
Just so cute. Great plot, good message, and beautifully illustrated.
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5⭐️!!
I loved this SO much! Brosgol’s folkloric story follows Jane, a young woman whose life has been defined by society’s definition of beautiful, especially in the ways that she does not meet the standard. Jane’s adventure teaches us that beauty is more than appearance, it is love, perseverance, strength, empathy, and tenacity!!
Buy this book so you can read it 100 times. -
Rating: 3.5 stars
A very charming story that comments on the standard of beauty. Although the plot was a little disjointed and some of the characters kind of felt flat for me, I did like the journey Jane went through in order to discover herself. She endured so much bullying in regard to her appearance and weight, so I really appreciated her development as she gained more confidence and started loving herself for who she is. -
Vera Brosgol’s art in “Plain Jane and the Mermaid” is well-rounded. The characters are cute (especially Jane’s design), and the buildings are solid. Alex Longstreth’s colors are also very satisfying. Many of the underwater scenes were beautiful, playful, charming, and engaging.
When I saw the cover I thought (hoped) this would be a story about a romance or friendship between a plain girl and a beautiful mermaid. Alas—spoilers—it’s not either of those things. It’s a rival/enemy type relationship resolved, in the end, by the death/destruction of the offending party, which is fairly boring to me.
The characters as a whole felt pretty flat. Maybe an acceptable level of development for a graphic novel aimed at younger readers, but having read plenty of comics in the same genre that had better fleshed out characters with more interesting interactions, I was a little bored and disappointed. The most interesting developments were, as so often happens, at the very end of the book…
- when the remaining mermaids choose to grow old (and turn human?)
- the developing friendship / romance between the selkie character and the main character. (Do we even learn “Mr. Whiskers”’s actual name? Is the point that they don’t have names like humans do?)
- The re-adoption of Jamie, Jane’s younger brother and his assimilation to life in the town
I would have happily read an entire chapter or story about the mermaid sister who loves woodcarving and is now an old crone, for instance. How many stories have you read with a plot like that? (I don’t know I’ve ever read anything about a female woodcarver, for example. Closest might be that one character from Vinland Saga.)
I also felt like Brosgol wanting to turn the Disney narrative of “heroines are beautiful and villains are ugly” on its head is admirable and necessary, but the way it was done here was deeply unsatisfying. I want to see a deeper exploration of the villain, and a resolution that isn’t simply her death. The scene with the mirrors was interesting and could have gone somewhere, I think.
The fact that the resolution to the male centered society is also just reclaiming the younger brother as rightful heir is also frustrating. I assume there would have been more development there if there was time.
So, all in all, though the art is pretty, it’s not a book I’d buy to put on my shelf. I’ll keep my eye out for future work from this author to see how they develop.
Art: ★★★★⭐︎
Plot: ★★★⭐︎⭐︎
Characters: ★★⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎ -
Jane is a disappointment to her parents. She is no great beauty, and her parents think she is going to be an old maid. But she has a crush on a fisherman, who she sneaks cakes to every day.
When her parents die, she is forced from her home, unless she marries, so she tries to go ask Peter, the cute boy, if he would marry her. But before she gets a chance, he is captured by a mermaid to be her groom.
Thus begins the story where the mermaids are evil and the plain girl has to do what she can to save a boy who really doesn’t care about her, in a world that doesn’t care about her either.
Great adventure. Startling journey of the protagonist. It is never simple. She can’t just walk up and save the boy. There are things to learn and problems to overcome, and as in any good fairy tale, you must save those people you meet along the way, because it is the right thing to do, and they might help you in the end.
I thought I was just going to sit down and read some of this book, but I gobbled it down in one huge gulp, I did so want to know what was going to happen next. And like the other books the author has written, she twists things and offers story angles that you wouldn’t have guessed were coming.
This book is out now, and it deserves all the stars, and all the praise that I hope it is getting. -
I don't want to go into the details of this marvelous book too much. It has four plot threads and all of them tie up wonderfully. Observant readers will see where things are going and it's so satisfying when they do.
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