Maybe 4.5; There were parts of this that demand serious suspension of disbelief, but at the same time, it did seem like an accurate depiction of the inside of a former teacher's head as she tries to make meaning of her world. I thought the alternating between the "real" and fictional stories worked well (though the fictional story is very over the top), and lines made me laugh out loud or pause at their profundity.

Oh my, wow, talk about a book to end your reading slump.

I occasionally felt a few minutes of boredom in the middle (and I’ve read The Tale of Two Cities!), but those are absolutely worth pushing through and have no impact on the value of this generationally fantastic novel. I only mention here to encourage you not to stop, it won’t be long by a measure of mere minutes!

Just you need to 100% absolutely read this book, full stop, and then we have to go to a wine bar and talk about it so we can be best friends forever. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Fun, hilarious, and full of surprises!

JULIA LANGBEIN, a sketch and standup comedian for many years, holds a doctorate in Art History and is the author of a non-fiction book about comic art criticism (Laugh Lines, Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2022). She wrote the viral comedy blog The Bruni Digest (2003-7), which reviewed New York Times critic Frank Bruni’s restaurant reviews every week and has since written about food, art, and travel for Gourmet, Eater, Salon, Frieze, and other publications. A native of Chicago, she lives outside of Paris with her family.

Penelope Schleeman quits her job as a teacher and moves from Connecticut to LA to co-write the screenplay of her novel, American Mermaid. But her dreams quickly fade when the two screenwriters she’s been paired with to adapt the novel try to scrap the elements that mean the most to her. Meanwhile, she’s advised by her agent to attend Hollywood parties and rub shoulders with creative types to broaden her connections in the industry. Her story is interlaced between chapters of her novel in which Sylvia Granger, an androgynous eco-warrior mermaid, is wheelchair-bound after her adoptive parents split her tail as a baby in order to keep her true identity a secret from her. When she attempts to commit suicide by diving into the ocean, her legs fuse together revealing she has special mermaid powers and propels her on a revenge mission against her father for perpetuating a lie.

This book was a fun change compared to the gritty thrillers I usually read. The idea of a vengeful mermaid taking on her fictitious father and a team of Hollywood executives for trying to kill her on the page made me laugh. I liked that Penelope (or Penny), the protagonist, is a writer and finds success when the movie rights to her book are sold. I also enjoy stories set in Hollywood and it was entertaining to learn about the industry parties and strange introductions she made—including the eccentric fictional screenwriter, Dick Babbot, who eventually ends up being hired to bring ‘fresh eyes’ to the script following the attack of her two screenwriting colleagues by her main character. Langbein’s writing is whip-smart and hilarious, creating a strong feminist narrator in Penny as she navigates toxic corporate culture. A scene I can’t shake is when she goes swimming and ends up being dragged out to sea by a riptide before being rescued by a lifeguard and pulled back to shore. Later on, she considers that maybe it was the work of Sylvia, as a warning for Penelope to protect her story from being butchered.

I always enjoy novels about writers, revenge, and quirky characters. The chapters between Penny and the industry bros were hilarious, especially the text messages in which they discuss the script vs the novel. Some of the comments exchanged were vile and cringe-worthy, but they breathed life into the characters revealing an uglier side to Hollywood that not everyone is aware of. Penny’s novel and its main character, Sylvia, mirrored her own life in parts but I still felt it lacked in connecting the two. I would have liked a deeper understanding of Penny’s background and family, especially details of her own strained relationship with her father. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the book including the ending, when Penny’s success as a screenwriter is revealed.

3/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
For readers who enjoy a book within a book, compelling characters, and hilarious dialogue.