Review: far too short
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 20, 2012
One flaw of this book is the bookcover. The model sitting on the sand (which should be black, not grey) is gorgeous but does not fit with the description of Peter. The other looks like the result of a photoshop nightmare.Jokes aside this short story is a great romance with one flaw: it is too short.Inspired by "The Little Mermaid" -both Andersen's and Disney's versions- it is set in an unspecified fantasy world.The two lovers belong to wholly different worlds and it is heart-wrenching to see them growing to love each other despite the limitations they have to submit to: the sea elf cannot leave the water and he cannot even come too close to the shore while the man can swim but not for long. The way the communicate with each other, the way they make love is moving.Too much is left unsaid, though. I understand this is a legitimate choice to prevent the story from becoming sappy but to avoid that risk things have turned hurried.We never understand what Cuke is: he calls himself "papa" but he appears more like a hermaphrodite. He and Peter fall in love a little too quickly and the pregnancy comes too quickly. The ending, though perfectly consistent does not realease any tension. The two lovers still cannot talk to each other, they still cannot sleep in each other's arms: where is a well meaning sea witch when one needs her?