A Rousing and Engaging Modern Fairytale
The character Arthur Braxton blooms when he is treated with tenderness. Love is the key, and first love is always special, but to a boy like Arthur, it is also a rare commodity. Swept into an imaginative world covered in green tile and mosaic, shined upon through colored glass mermaids, Arthur finally learns what it is to be happy. He finally learns to swim in this life, but like all great tragedies, he was not meant for this world.
A rousing story engaged with convincing characters, and real life mindsets. The sad truths of abuse and neglect, and the blind eye attitude towards it, are illustrated in this story. The destructive certainties of bullying and the vulnerability of fitting in are also mingled into the story and examined through Arthur’s POV. Arthur finds a world of magical spirits, only seen to the chosen few, who dare to hear the song.
Dark shadows underscore his future, a modern day Hans Christian Anderson type story. Unlike the very last ending of the Little Mermaid Tale, where children were scared into behaving, Arthur in the end is accepted for who he is, an imperfect boy who just wanted to find love. Bravo Caroline Smailes!
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