When We Believed in Mermaids: A Novel

Loved it! We'll written characters, good pace and unexpected twists.

“When We Believed in Mermaids an emotionally-charged story that explores the complexity of relationships, forgiveness and love opens when Kit Bianci journeys to Auckland, New Zealand to find her sister Josie Bianci thought dead for fifteen years. In her search, memories of the past surface not only reawakening the trauma of her childhood; their closeness to the lost teenage boy who adopted their family; but also of the love between the sisters until an incident changed Josie. With vivid description of Santa Cruz’s beaches where the sisters learned to surf to picturesque New Zealand where after fifteen years the sisters reunite the plot ignites with an emotional mix of grief, loss and anger. Well-written and flowing from the first page to the last, the story is told from both Kit and Josie’s perspectives as they each remember their lack of parental guidance; Dylan’s love and conscience care; the aftermath of a violent earthquake; and a train explosion that changed a life. Yet intertwined with the lies, grief and sadness in the sisters’ past there is a well of love between Josie (aka Mari Edwards)and her husband Simon as well the sparks that fly with Kit’s and Javier’s romance. Bringing the story to life are compelling and complex personalities like the clever and grounded doctor, Kit Bianci; beautiful, vulnerable Josie Bianci who pretended to die to be able to live again; the caring but broken Dylan; the talented and empathetic Javier; and the wealthy, loving Simon. I thoroughly enjoyed “When We Believed in Mermaids” a novel you can’t put down until finished.

To be fair, I've only read 70 pages of it before giving up. I usually don't, rather, I get intrigued in various sorts of stories fictional or not but this one never got me zoned. I would say a lot of the writing style got me off-put. It repeats so much of the same thing for the sake of sounding dramatic, rather than purposeful or telling a story. The thought-to-be-dead-but-alive sister, Josie, gets the credit of being both smart and doomed. But up to 70 pages, there's no evidence of her being intelligent. Nor doomed. And there was no evidence of strong sisterly love between Kit and Josie; we get fragments of childhood memories of the sisters but it's merely a description of events than Kit feeling emotions toward her family or her sister. All we know is things have changed. Perhaps tragically, but again, there really isn't much that Kit seems to feel. She only remembers. And all I thought was , "so?" Since the first 70 pages were mostly a poor build-up, the story progresses with the speed of a snail running up the walls of my house on a rainy day. And it was just as tiresome as watching the snail all day. Again, well, some people might find snail-watching entertaining, which is just fine, so I have nothing against people who find this entertaining. So in summary, the characters aren't well-drawn at all (honestly, I can't imagine any of their faces, what they might be wearing, how they might walk, how they might sound) and quite easily forgotten, overly dramatic without much substance to give a true impact on readers, while the story just doesn't develop and it's like reading a day-to-day diary of someone you just don't know and thus uninterested in. I've given it and additional star as I guess it's not fair to judge it completely after 70 pages of it, but then again, I just couldn't stand the superficial and writing of what seems to be wanna-be expert writer, unnecessarily describing furniture and the interior of a house in extensive detail with random New Zealand fun-facts here and there, that adds nothing to the story or the characters. I would recommend this if you would just read anything at all, but if you expect to get gripped with every page you go through, expect some substance and meaning with every paragraph(which I think IS the point of writing/reading a book) then this probably isn't for you.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal is an emotional and immersive novel that explores the complexities of family relationships, long-buried secrets, and personal healing. From the very first page, I was drawn in by O’Neal’s lyrical writing and the depth of the characters. The story follows two sisters whose lives have taken very different paths, and the mystery of a long-lost sibling brings them together in unexpected ways. O’Neal does an excellent job of balancing the past and present, slowly unraveling the secrets that have shaped the characters’ lives. The way the author handles the themes of grief, forgiveness, and reconnection makes the novel resonate on an emotional level. One of the highlights of this book is its vivid settings—whether in the sun-soaked beaches of New Zealand or the flashbacks to California, O’Neal’s descriptions are lush and transportive, adding to the overall atmosphere of the story. The plot moves at a steady pace, allowing the characters’ development to take center stage, which made their journeys feel authentic and relatable. For readers who enjoy stories about family dynamics, emotional growth, and a touch of mystery, When We Believed in Mermaids is a wonderful choice. It’s a poignant, heartwarming novel that leaves a lasting impression.

Love this book!!! Bought it at the recommendation of a friend. She was right! Perfect read for anyone, but especially someone who has sisters.