What do you think?
Rate this book
Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale Graphic Novel
What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula? Discover a new side of The Little Mermaid inthis darkly romantic reimagining of the classic Disney film—now available as a graphic novel!
Five years ago, Ariel defied her father, King Triton, and traded her voice for the chance to meet Prince Eric. But when Ursula attacked and defeated Ariel, the sea witch took the little mermaid’s voice, her prince, and her father’s life. Now, Ariel rules as the silent queen of Atlantica, while Ursula, disguised as a beautiful human woman, runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land.
But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world—and a prince—she never imagined she would see again.
On land, Ariel learns thatUrsula has been making the most of her role as plotting, scheming, and waging outright war with neighboring kingdoms. And after Ursula catches wind of Ariel’s resurfacing, she threatens to obliterate both land and sea. Will Ariel be able to overthrow the murderous villain bent on destroying her home—along with the world she once longed to be a part of?
In this adaptation of one of the most popular books in the New York Times best-sellingTwisted Tale series, brilliantly adapted by Stephanie Kate Strohm, illustrator duo Kelly and Nichole Matthews breathe new life into this story of power, love, and a mermaid’s quest to reclaim her voice.
Five years ago, Ariel defied her father, King Triton, and traded her voice for the chance to meet Prince Eric. But when Ursula attacked and defeated Ariel, the sea witch took the little mermaid’s voice, her prince, and her father’s life. Now, Ariel rules as the silent queen of Atlantica, while Ursula, disguised as a beautiful human woman, runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land.
But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world—and a prince—she never imagined she would see again.
On land, Ariel learns thatUrsula has been making the most of her role as plotting, scheming, and waging outright war with neighboring kingdoms. And after Ursula catches wind of Ariel’s resurfacing, she threatens to obliterate both land and sea. Will Ariel be able to overthrow the murderous villain bent on destroying her home—along with the world she once longed to be a part of?
In this adaptation of one of the most popular books in the New York Times best-sellingTwisted Tale series, brilliantly adapted by Stephanie Kate Strohm, illustrator duo Kelly and Nichole Matthews breathe new life into this story of power, love, and a mermaid’s quest to reclaim her voice.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 2023
52 people are currently reading
3140 people want to read
About the author
Liz Braswell
55books6,154followersAfter the sort of introverted childhood you would expect from a writer, Liz earned a degree in Egyptology at Brown University and then promptly spent the next ten years producing video games. Finally she caved into fate and wrote Snow and Rx under the name Tracy Lynn, followed by The Nine Lives of Chloe King series under her real name, because by then the assassins hunting her were all dead. She also has short stories in Geektastic and Who Done It and a new series of reimagined fairy tales coming out, starting with A Whole New World—a retelling of Aladdin.
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected].
She lives in Brooklyn with a husband, two children, a cat, a part-time dog, three fish and five coffee trees she insists will start producing beans any day. You can email her at [email protected].
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
December 9, 2022
Well illustrated, but the story is very scattered.
August 27, 2023
� "In a world that makes such wonderful things? Anything can happen."
The Little Mermaid (Disney's version) has always been one of my least favourite fairytales because it's just so shallow and superficial. This graphic novel, however, is the sequel that Ariel and Eric (and females everywhere) deserve.
I love how Ariel is depicted as a strong queen who actually considers the consequences of her actions on other people here. Eric is also so much more fleshed out with some good lines, attitude and a personality. Julia is a wonderful and unexpected addition, as is Attina.
Some scene transitions could have been smoother but overall, this was an enjoyable read with beautiful and vibrant artwork. Giving it 4 stars for the strong women theme that is so lacking in the original animated film.
� "Sometimes helping others isn't about you at all. Sometimes it's about the people who want to help."
The Little Mermaid (Disney's version) has always been one of my least favourite fairytales because it's just so shallow and superficial. This graphic novel, however, is the sequel that Ariel and Eric (and females everywhere) deserve.
I love how Ariel is depicted as a strong queen who actually considers the consequences of her actions on other people here. Eric is also so much more fleshed out with some good lines, attitude and a personality. Julia is a wonderful and unexpected addition, as is Attina.
Some scene transitions could have been smoother but overall, this was an enjoyable read with beautiful and vibrant artwork. Giving it 4 stars for the strong women theme that is so lacking in the original animated film.
� "Sometimes helping others isn't about you at all. Sometimes it's about the people who want to help."
August 16, 2023
3/5 stars.
It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it was just mid.
I know, that's informal. This entire view is informal.
WHY WAS EVERYTHING SO RUSHED? WHY DID NO ONE HAVE A CONSISTENT PERSONALITY? WHY DID ERIC HAVE TWELVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES DEPENDING ON EACH PAGE????????
Yes, I know this is a graphic novel. That answers all those questions right there. But, pray tell... HOW DID THE FISH KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE?
Save yourself time, money, and smarts by not picking this up ever. Okay, thanks.
It wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it was just mid.
I know, that's informal. This entire view is informal.
WHY WAS EVERYTHING SO RUSHED? WHY DID NO ONE HAVE A CONSISTENT PERSONALITY? WHY DID ERIC HAVE TWELVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES DEPENDING ON EACH PAGE????????
Yes, I know this is a graphic novel. That answers all those questions right there. But, pray tell... HOW DID THE FISH KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE?
Save yourself time, money, and smarts by not picking this up ever. Okay, thanks.
October 29, 2023
This is the graphic adaptation of the novel by Liz Braswell. It was interesting to see her take on reinventing a Disney classic. I know that my students are going to be psyched that this series in now coming out in graphic format, but I think I might try the chapter book for the next in the series.
February 15, 2024
I’m trying to read through all the Twisted Tales series, so I wanted to jump at the opportunity to read their first graphic novel. It was extremely quick. I read it in a day. However, it does jump around a lot. I think I would have enjoyed reading the actually book (story) first and then reading the graphic novel.
November 3, 2023
Great adaptation of a great book. Also Ariel was super hot in this book. That is all.
September 4, 2023
This was really incredible. I read Twisted Tales: Part of Your World a few years ago and absolutely loved it, but I think I loved this even more. It was seeing it all laid out in front of me in color that made it an even more enjoyable experience.
In this version of the story, Ariel doesn’t win the fight by killing Ursula. Ursula marries Eric and becomes Princess. This story brings us 6 years in the future when Vanessa is slowly using her new Kingdom to take over the surrounding land and start an all-out war.
Ariel has taken over her father’s rule as Queen of Atlantia. When she returned to the sea defeated, having lost her love, her voice, and now her father to the Sea Witch, her sisters push her into his role as a sort of punishment and so that they can continue their vapid existence.
Eric is still trapped within the spell that Ursula put him under, but little bits of his memory have worked their way out into the opera he wrote. He’s just glorified arm candy now� known as “Mad Prince Eric.� When Scuttle takes his great grand-gull to see the opera, he realizes that King Triton is still alive, living as one of Ursula’s trapped sea-polyps.
This new found knowledge brings on a new adventure for Ariel and her friends: find her father, save their people, and maybe find true happiness once and for all.
After seeing the new movie, I’d love to see Disney turn this book into a movie, but with the new cast portraying these characters. Obviously a few changes would have to be made, because the sisters are completely different. But I think it could be as epic as these stories are.
In this version of the story, Ariel doesn’t win the fight by killing Ursula. Ursula marries Eric and becomes Princess. This story brings us 6 years in the future when Vanessa is slowly using her new Kingdom to take over the surrounding land and start an all-out war.
Ariel has taken over her father’s rule as Queen of Atlantia. When she returned to the sea defeated, having lost her love, her voice, and now her father to the Sea Witch, her sisters push her into his role as a sort of punishment and so that they can continue their vapid existence.
Eric is still trapped within the spell that Ursula put him under, but little bits of his memory have worked their way out into the opera he wrote. He’s just glorified arm candy now� known as “Mad Prince Eric.� When Scuttle takes his great grand-gull to see the opera, he realizes that King Triton is still alive, living as one of Ursula’s trapped sea-polyps.
This new found knowledge brings on a new adventure for Ariel and her friends: find her father, save their people, and maybe find true happiness once and for all.
After seeing the new movie, I’d love to see Disney turn this book into a movie, but with the new cast portraying these characters. Obviously a few changes would have to be made, because the sisters are completely different. But I think it could be as epic as these stories are.
August 21, 2023
I'm a sucker for disney and I certainly should have fully read the Twisted Tale first. I know I will because I really enjoyed the graphic novel aspect, but would love to read more into the story!
November 27, 2023
2,5 stars
The illustration part is very well executed I think, but the story wasn’t really doing it for me although it had it’s moments. Haven’t read the full length novel (yet. Do have it in my collection), and I’m curious to know the differences between that and this graphic novel; How much it’ll hopefully add story wise, in addition to having read the graphic novel now. Maybe if you’ve read that one first, this graphic novel will be a bit more ‘gripping� and a better addition to the collection.
The illustration part is very well executed I think, but the story wasn’t really doing it for me although it had it’s moments. Haven’t read the full length novel (yet. Do have it in my collection), and I’m curious to know the differences between that and this graphic novel; How much it’ll hopefully add story wise, in addition to having read the graphic novel now. Maybe if you’ve read that one first, this graphic novel will be a bit more ‘gripping� and a better addition to the collection.
May 13, 2025
3.75 �
The plot was really super solid and exciting, and for the first quarter of the book, I honestly expected to give it a very high rating. This story deviates from the finale of the original Disney film in a timeline where Ursula wins, Triton remains a gross polyp, Eric is brainwashed by Vanessa/Ursula and Ariel is forced back to sea and disowned by her sisters and forces to become Queen. Small details, like Ariel communicating through sign language and having new abilities that come with the mantle/trident were well thought out and I was really digging this new, poised Ariel. However, halfway through the book the dialogue started to feel a bit rushed and at times it felt like they were glossing over some more significant details. Although I enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation, I do have a feeling the actual novel may have a slightly higher rating, but that is merely due to the ability to tell a more detailed story over a 400+ page novel as opposed to a 160 page graphic novel. The art was clean and colorful and the depictions of these classic characters were similar enough to know this was definitely sanctioned by Disney, but just different enough to appreciate the artistry of the new take. I would love to see Disney convert more of their Twisted Tales into graphic novels!
The plot was really super solid and exciting, and for the first quarter of the book, I honestly expected to give it a very high rating. This story deviates from the finale of the original Disney film in a timeline where Ursula wins, Triton remains a gross polyp, Eric is brainwashed by Vanessa/Ursula and Ariel is forced back to sea and disowned by her sisters and forces to become Queen. Small details, like Ariel communicating through sign language and having new abilities that come with the mantle/trident were well thought out and I was really digging this new, poised Ariel. However, halfway through the book the dialogue started to feel a bit rushed and at times it felt like they were glossing over some more significant details. Although I enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation, I do have a feeling the actual novel may have a slightly higher rating, but that is merely due to the ability to tell a more detailed story over a 400+ page novel as opposed to a 160 page graphic novel. The art was clean and colorful and the depictions of these classic characters were similar enough to know this was definitely sanctioned by Disney, but just different enough to appreciate the artistry of the new take. I would love to see Disney convert more of their Twisted Tales into graphic novels!
November 17, 2024
i li la loved it ❤️ dit boek was zo leuk, de illustraties mooi en het verhaal creatief. en ofcccc disney vibes �
December 30, 2024
Quick read, awesome Christmas gift from my aunt 💛
Liked the “twist� of the original narrative, and the art style as great. Some parts did feel a teensy bit rushed but was a nice relaxing read to try and finish my reading goal lol.
�4 STARS�
Liked the “twist� of the original narrative, and the art style as great. Some parts did feel a teensy bit rushed but was a nice relaxing read to try and finish my reading goal lol.
�4 STARS�
July 18, 2024
3 'under the sea' stars.
i picked this up on a whim because if there is one thing i have always been about it is mermaids. i haven't read the book and i have been meaning to read the twisted tale books for awhile! this was a nice introduction to how they work i think. i enjoyed reading it and having it in a graphic novel format was really elevating the entire experience. ariel was so done most of this and you know what FAIR. she had a lot to be DONE WITH. i wish there had been a little more with all of her sisters to give them the cinderella treatment. i would love to see more with all of them!
i loved the art style and the coloring. it felt very contrasting from the sea to the land. very nice touches with them all as well.
ursula stays being iconic and those are just the facts.
all in all, glad i picked this one up and i will get to the books at some point! this made me want to read them more.
i picked this up on a whim because if there is one thing i have always been about it is mermaids. i haven't read the book and i have been meaning to read the twisted tale books for awhile! this was a nice introduction to how they work i think. i enjoyed reading it and having it in a graphic novel format was really elevating the entire experience. ariel was so done most of this and you know what FAIR. she had a lot to be DONE WITH. i wish there had been a little more with all of her sisters to give them the cinderella treatment. i would love to see more with all of them!
i loved the art style and the coloring. it felt very contrasting from the sea to the land. very nice touches with them all as well.
ursula stays being iconic and those are just the facts.
all in all, glad i picked this one up and i will get to the books at some point! this made me want to read them more.
April 29, 2024
In a world where Ursula came out on top, we see what happened after King Triton traded his life to save Ariel. While Ursula went on to marry Prince Eric and become Princess Vanessa, Ariel became the queen of Atlantica. Miserable and still missing her voice, Ariel has been paying the price for her deal with Ursula every single day since her father sacrificed himself for her. Everything changes when a certain seagull's grandchild comes with a message� rumor is that Titan is still alive.
I’ve always been a huge Little Mermaid fan, so of course I had to pick up this book and see Liz Braswell’s take on Ariel’s story! First off, the artwork is absolutely stunning and truly brings the story to life. While I haven’t read the book this graphic novel is based on, I do plan on checking it out, and it appears that this graphic novel adaptation does it justice.
We get to see how much Ariel has matured years after her initial story, now with a sad ending. We also get to see how she comes through as Queen and saves her dad, gets the love of her life back, and defends her kingdom against Ursula along the way. It was also interesting to see how her sisters are both angry with her and support her. True sibling powers right there!
I will say that I found the ending anticlimactic of sorts. I also wish there was more of a discussion on how Ariel skipped reading the terms and conditions of the agreement she made with Ursula vs going the Ursula fully tricked her route. Sure, Ursula did trick her in some ways, but the first mistake Ariel made was signing a contract without reading the terms and conditions beforehand. That was her own fault even if Ursula in this story prefers to make deals with naïve folks.
All in all, I did enjoy the story, and I’ll have to check out the book it’s based on next. While I found the ending to be anticlimactic and was iffy on how Ariel still wasn’t taking full responsibility for signing a contract without reading it, the story itself is pretty good. I’m excited to see what kind of details and storylines didn’t make it into the graphic novel when I check out the novel! It’ll be exciting to see if we see more of Ariel’s sisters than we saw here as well.
I’ve always been a huge Little Mermaid fan, so of course I had to pick up this book and see Liz Braswell’s take on Ariel’s story! First off, the artwork is absolutely stunning and truly brings the story to life. While I haven’t read the book this graphic novel is based on, I do plan on checking it out, and it appears that this graphic novel adaptation does it justice.
We get to see how much Ariel has matured years after her initial story, now with a sad ending. We also get to see how she comes through as Queen and saves her dad, gets the love of her life back, and defends her kingdom against Ursula along the way. It was also interesting to see how her sisters are both angry with her and support her. True sibling powers right there!
I will say that I found the ending anticlimactic of sorts. I also wish there was more of a discussion on how Ariel skipped reading the terms and conditions of the agreement she made with Ursula vs going the Ursula fully tricked her route. Sure, Ursula did trick her in some ways, but the first mistake Ariel made was signing a contract without reading the terms and conditions beforehand. That was her own fault even if Ursula in this story prefers to make deals with naïve folks.
All in all, I did enjoy the story, and I’ll have to check out the book it’s based on next. While I found the ending to be anticlimactic and was iffy on how Ariel still wasn’t taking full responsibility for signing a contract without reading it, the story itself is pretty good. I’m excited to see what kind of details and storylines didn’t make it into the graphic novel when I check out the novel! It’ll be exciting to see if we see more of Ariel’s sisters than we saw here as well.
January 5, 2024
Don't really care for Twisted Tale as a series since it's essentially corporately approved fanfiction that will have no bearing on canon, but I found the graphic novel version and thought I should give it a try.
A fascinating lil what-if but like I said, FANFIC TROPES ABOUND!
Gone is our hopeful, curious, & flighty little mermaid since Ursula didn't seize Triton's crown & trident for herself, happy to have him captive & Prince Eric still under her hypnosis, and in her place is an Ariel who has experienced the burden of that crown & doesn't let herself have time for love or any of her other pleasures.
That changes when the whammy'd Eric still somehow remembers what happened, makes a play about it, and news reaches our reluctant redheaded ruler. So she goes back to the surface world to investigate, and in the process learns of the subtle coup that "Vanessa" has been doing & how she's made herself a warmongering nuisance to neighboring countries.
Suffice to say, saving her father, her human lover, and two worlds shoots right to the top of her To-Do list.
What's most intriguing is that in this version, Ariel never got her voice back from Ursula, and she's had to communicate via sign language for 5 years! While the comic does its best to illustrate part of the process, and the word balloons are slightly different, it amounts to nothing as she DOES get her voice back fairly early on. The artstyle is a bit lacking too since there's almost no attempt to replicate the Disney style, opting for a Learn-to-Draw-Manga style instead. Imaginatively impaired as I am, I appreciate there being pictures at all, but I was honestly hoping for something a little more like the Disney Adventures magazine I grew up reading; they had comics that looked like it came straight from the artists who worked on the film or TV series!
Regardless, I like the story, I like the relationship continuing to grow between Ariel & Eric, and I love the ending being open ended as to how these two changed people will continue that relationship.
A fascinating lil what-if but like I said, FANFIC TROPES ABOUND!
Gone is our hopeful, curious, & flighty little mermaid since Ursula didn't seize Triton's crown & trident for herself, happy to have him captive & Prince Eric still under her hypnosis, and in her place is an Ariel who has experienced the burden of that crown & doesn't let herself have time for love or any of her other pleasures.
That changes when the whammy'd Eric still somehow remembers what happened, makes a play about it, and news reaches our reluctant redheaded ruler. So she goes back to the surface world to investigate, and in the process learns of the subtle coup that "Vanessa" has been doing & how she's made herself a warmongering nuisance to neighboring countries.
Suffice to say, saving her father, her human lover, and two worlds shoots right to the top of her To-Do list.
What's most intriguing is that in this version, Ariel never got her voice back from Ursula, and she's had to communicate via sign language for 5 years! While the comic does its best to illustrate part of the process, and the word balloons are slightly different, it amounts to nothing as she DOES get her voice back fairly early on. The artstyle is a bit lacking too since there's almost no attempt to replicate the Disney style, opting for a Learn-to-Draw-Manga style instead. Imaginatively impaired as I am, I appreciate there being pictures at all, but I was honestly hoping for something a little more like the Disney Adventures magazine I grew up reading; they had comics that looked like it came straight from the artists who worked on the film or TV series!
Regardless, I like the story, I like the relationship continuing to grow between Ariel & Eric, and I love the ending being open ended as to how these two changed people will continue that relationship.
June 11, 2024
I don't know what I expected, but I didn't like Eric at all, and I hated how he tried to use misogyny as a way to defeat Vanessa. I don't think Eric and Ariel had any chemistry. Ariel herself was pretty bland. And I don't love this art style--I feel like mermaids deserve more maximalist glory. Not my fave.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2024
2.5 stars
Was Ariel ever one of my favorite Disney princesses?
I take that back as I get older.
Ang pabebe ni atey. Char.
The story was just alright. Even though Ariel is "queen of the sea" here, I don't really see much of a character development for her.
I like the illustrations best though. Really good!
Was Ariel ever one of my favorite Disney princesses?
I take that back as I get older.
Ang pabebe ni atey. Char.
The story was just alright. Even though Ariel is "queen of the sea" here, I don't really see much of a character development for her.
I like the illustrations best though. Really good!
October 1, 2023
Eric and Ariel 5 years later 🥹🫶🏻
March 18, 2024
I think that the Twisted Tale Disney books present interesting alternatives to what could have happened with some of the different stories. Part of Your World presents the idea of what could have happened if Vanessa/Ursula had married Prince Eric. I thought the story was interesting and I loved the graphic novel format. Sometimes graphic novels lose key parts of the story when they're adapted from novels, but I don't think that was the case with this book. I hope that this book will encourage middle school and teen readers to try the Twisted Tale novels!
April 2, 2025
I love little mermaid 🫶
The art was really cool! It was very fast paced which was nice to distract me from things, but it jumped around a lot in the story. I can tell it was missing a lot from the original story, although I understand that’s what you’re gonna get when a 450 page book is shrunk into 160 pages. Still a really cool concept!! 🧜♀️🐙�
The art was really cool! It was very fast paced which was nice to distract me from things, but it jumped around a lot in the story. I can tell it was missing a lot from the original story, although I understand that’s what you’re gonna get when a 450 page book is shrunk into 160 pages. Still a really cool concept!! 🧜♀️🐙�
July 27, 2024
The idea of the story was interesting, but it failed in its execution. The illustrations were better than I was expecting. The illustrations that showed Ariel doing sign language were incorrect, but you could chalk that up to Ariel using merpeople sign language.
December 18, 2024
Read this as I was sitting in the taxi and finished it in my abrupt hotel room so it helped distract me
It makes me want to rewatch the movies
I do like her new look and seeing more of Eric's personality
It makes me want to rewatch the movies
I do like her new look and seeing more of Eric's personality
June 24, 2023
I loved this graphic novel adaptation of this Twisted Tale! This was such a fun, quick read and I loved how the art style really brought the story to life.
August 27, 2023
Maybe 3.5 stars -- it got better as I read, but felt a little disjointed in parts. The art was ok.
September 24, 2023
The art was truly fantastic. I hope these artists return for the rest of the series.
February 22, 2024
Ariel is all grown up and royally epic in this version, I love it.
March 7, 2024
The illustrations for this were beautiful, but the story was kind of a mess. I’m sure there are plenty of tweens who will love it though.
June 11, 2024
It was really great, i highly recommend it. Personally, I think this should have been made into a movie, a sequel to the original
September 18, 2024
Carino dai!
November 30, 2024
I liked the premise and the plot, but the writing was lacking for me. I haven't read any of the twisted tales books so I'm not sure how this compares.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.