A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow

Welcome Back, Booklovers! There's a new Caribbean-inspired MG on the market and this one features a dark mermaid. I received an arc of A Comb of Wishes from HarperCollins Children in exchange for an honest review.

This story is set on the Caribbean island of St. Rita where Kela lives with her father. It's been three months since her mother passed away in a care accident and it feels like she and her father are just going through the motions. They used to go on weekly diving excursions but she no longer has the urge. Her best friend Lissy wants to know why Kela has pushed her away.

One day while collecting sea glass near a coral reserve, Kela discovers a mysterious box. She secrets sneaks it into her bag and discovers an ancient comb inside. The owner of the comb appears to her through a portal through her mirror and reveals herself as the mermaid Ophidia. Ophidia wants her comb back and offers Kela a wish in exchange for it's return. There's only one thing Kela wishes for. But magic comes at a price and what happens when Kela doesn't hold up her end of the bargain?

Fan of The Jumbies and Josephine Against the Sea will enjoy this story. While it has similar vibes at the start being Caribbean set and incorporating local folklore, A Comb of Wishes focuses more on the grief of losing a parent as the loss Kela is experiencing is more recent. And unlike those stories Kela's relationship with her father is strained as they both try to navigate the loss they've experienced. Much of the focus is her coming to terms with the grief and realizing she doesn't need to push her loved ones away. 

It also includes themes of environmental protection and cultural preservation. Not only is importance stressed on protecting the local beaches and reefs but Kela also makes jewelry out of sea glass but never shells as they help stabilize the beach and local ecosystems. Her mother's job was to document and preserve history around the islands and Lissy's grandmother is a storyteller.

Magic is sprinkled in alongside local lore of seafolk that has been passed orally for generations. There are some creepy moments with the mermaid Ophidia who has a distain for humans after a previous encounter. I like how Lisa Stringfellow managed to tie in bits of history while crafting a tale of a grief stricken girl and a 300 year old vengeful mermaid.