The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (2015)

"Leave that, okay? That book is hard to find." And stolen.
She drops it on the couch and it falls open to a picture of a man leaning against a tree by a river. I remember the story. The man is seduced by a water spirit, Rusalka, I think. Half-souled spirits of children and virgin women who died unbaptized. Every culture has water spirits, mermaids, selkies, nixies. In America we don't name them. - Simon Watson

For a first time novel, the author is very ambitious and it almost pays off. From how the page edges are specifically designed to personally doing the illustrations sprinkled throughout the book, and all the research into circus's and the history of 'mermaids', Swyler takes control over an unique story riddled with curses and magic. The only slight weakness, and its not exactly a deal breaker, is that despite the narrator is male, you can feel its written by a woman. There were a few times, it took me out of the story, while being in the main character, Simon's head, that seemed like a woman was indeed speaking.

(*Blogger Note: Please understand and respect that I have no problem of a female author writing a male character. I believe Caroline Kepnes did an AMAZING job depicting the voice of 'Joe' in her novels 'YOU' and 'Hidden Bodies'. My reviews of those books on this blog site as well.)

Funny enough this book haunted me for 4 years before I finally ended up buying and reading it. I recall the first time seeing it in a bookstore window (remember those?) and both cover and title intrigued me. The second time was maybe a year or more later when it was in paperback and on the Bestseller Sale's table. I remember distinctly picking it up, turning it over, and seeing a small mermaid image on the back. That, alone, should have had me running to the cashier paying full price! ( Being a mermaid fan and studying their mythology!) It wouldn't be until I was on one of my random Facebook groups that, once Again, the book was brought up and came in my direction. I buckled down and decided to buy it. Maybe I was in a reading rut and open to a new theme.

I will say, as I read it, I thought it could make for a fun Netflix, Hulu, HBO, miniseries, since they are doing that now.  Of course, nothing is as good as the book, but its better to do it over multiple episodes than cramming it into a 2 hour film, am I right?

I felt this book was a little bit 'Harry Potter' for adults. It touches on circus life, tarot cards, a curse, and a brush with Mermaid mythology. Who else has ever loved or been transfixed on a book. Isn't that why we are here?
BONUS: Make sure you get this version of the book including the short story, 'The Mermaid Girl' which is a prequel to the novel.

"She cleared the spread with one hand, using her fingernails to pick them up. Her father had said that her mother felt a spark in them when she held them, that they bit down with kitten teeth. Paulina never felt it. She blamed it on the sequins, on the mermaid tail, and on her father's having been the sort of man who cried every time he had a beer, every time they left a town, and for the entire month of July. She tapped the cards against the floor and offered them to her daughter. "Careful now." - The Mermaid Girl