Gina’s Review: Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino

Poor Unfortunate Soul
written by Serena Valentino
published by Disney Press, 2016

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book: Yes, although I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. The cover of the book is gorgeous, and I had high hopes of seeing Ursula in her full villainous glory. What I got was a more in-depth look, but not enough to make me fall in love with her more.

The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney classic. I wanted to be a mermaid from the moment I saw it. I still have a deep affection for all things mermaid, so I really love Ursula. I thought she was such a great villain, and I loved how strong of a woman she was and how she could belt out “Poor Unfortunate Souls” without caring about anything. She strutted her bad self around the ocean floor and I wanted to see that same magic in the book. Although I did love some of the back story and how she became an enemy to King Triton, there was no real one-on-one time with her as a character. She was always just interacting, and the story got muddled when other characters jumped into the storyline. I just wish it had been more Ursula-centered.

GOLDEN LINES

“Hate—true hate—wasn’t just conjured; it was birthed. It had to come from within so it might become its own entity and slither into the hearts of its enemies to choke them. If this was a truly worthy cause, if their hate could be harnessed, then there was nothing the witches couldn’t destroy. Then the sisters thought of her.”

 

Would I recommend it: If you love The Little Mermaid check it out, but there are other books in the series that are better.

 

About the book – from Goodreads: The third novel in Serena Valentino’s (Fairest of All, Beast Within) “VILLAINS” trilogy, featuring the story of the Little Mermaid from the perspective of the sea witch Ursula.