Plain Jane and the Mermaid
by Vera Brosgol; illus. by the author
Middle School, High School    First Second    368 pp.
5/24    9781250314864    $22.99
Paper ed.  9781250314857    $14.99

A funny and fast-paced feminist adventure masterfully told through the comics medium. This alternate-Victorian-era fantasy opens after Jane’s parents’ death. Since women can’t own property, the family estate and fortune will pass to Jane’s odious male cousin—who gives her a week to pack her bags and leave. Unless she can secure a dowry via marriage, she will be penniless as well as homeless. Jane, along with everyone in her seaside village, buys into the dominant and oppressive standards of beauty; she’s realistic about the fact that her appearance leaves her with few marriage prospects. While she may be considered plain, Jane is exceedingly clever: she proposes marriage to Peter, a gorgeous fisherman forced into the trade by his toxic father. “We both have problems, and this would solve them.” But those plans are thwarted after Peter is kidnapped by a man-eating mermaid, and Jane embarks on an epic undersea journey to rescue him. Along the way, she meets folkloric creatures (selkies, crones, a water demon, etc.) and gains knowledge and the confidence to challenge societal norms. Brosgol’s (Be Prepared, rev. 5/18; Anya’s Ghost, rev. 7/11) magical story is full of quirky and indelible characters; smart surprises and plot twists; and laugh-out-loud dialogue. Stellar world-building and cinematic cartooning effectively pace the narrative, building suspense and emphasizing moments of horror. Textured colorwork adds further depth to plot and setting, and an author’s note invites readers to interrogate the worlds (both real and fictional) with which they come into contact.

From the May/June 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.