Mermaid Core Aesthetic

Let’s explore the Mermaid Core Aesthetic! Mermaids were everywhere in the Y2K era, and then returned in the 2020s to make a new splash. This post will look at YA mermaid books and how they’ve been updated from the 2000s to the 2020s!

First off, did you take my quiz and find out your 2000s Movie Aesthetic? I recommend it, but you can love ALL the aesthetics and switch them up, Taylor Swift style!

The Mermaid Core Aesthetic is just one of the aesthetics that the quiz might have paired you with, and this post will discuss the 2000s books and movies that inspired it!

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The Mermaid Core Aesthetic from the 2000s to the 2020s

Mermaids have undergone transformations in popular culture from the early 2000s to the 2020s.

Early 2000s Mermaid Core Aesthetic

In the early 2000s, mermaids were typically depicted as white and conforming to traditional beauty standards. Many depictions were based on traditional European fairy tales and happily ever after endings.

YA mermaid literature definitely included the typical Y2K paranormal romance stories.

But mermaids in YA have also been portrayed in a more complex and empowered way, including with feminist themes. The Lies Beneath Series (2012-2013) by Anne Greenwood Brown was gender-flipped, featuring a human boy falling in love with a vengeful female mermaid.

2020s YA mermaid stories have included more diverse and inclusive representations and been inspired by mythology and folklore beyond Western traditions.

The Vicious Deep series by Zoraida Cordova (2012) also had a male protagonist.

The Skin of the Sea series (2021-2022) by Natasha Bowen was based on African mythology and depicts the slave trade in the 1400s.

Growing concerns about the earth’s environmental future led to depictions of mermaids as guardians or protectors of the oceans.

Here’s a brand new mermaid title:

The Sirens by Emilia Hart (2025)

For a full list of YA Mermaid Fiction over the years, you can check out my post on my sister site, Jen Ryland Reviews.