*Feature Friday ARC Review is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them.*
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: January 26, 2016
Pages: 336
Source: ARCThe Story:
From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a captivating stand-alone fantasy romance.
Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?
The Siren was previously self-published; this brand-new edition has been completely rewritten and redesigned.
My Review:
Kiera Cass managed my Automatic Read List with The Selection . . . So, there was no doubt I was dying to get my greedy hands on The Siren (the rewrite of Cass' first novel, same title). *Thanks again, Grace!*
Tag Line:
A girl with a secret. the boy of her dreams. An Ocean between them.
Opening Line:
It's funny what you hold on to, the things you remember when everything ends.
Plot:
The premise of The Siren had me from the start. I have never read a story about sirens so, when I found out Cass was republishing her young adult siren romance I could not resist. Most of us know the story of the mythical creatures. . . beautiful but deadly, sirens sings their lovely songs which lead men to their watery graves. Cass takes the general concept of that myth and adds a twist. What if a reluctantish siren fell in love with a kind, human guy? And we have Khalen and Akinli.
The pacing of The Siren was a bit slow for my taste. And the plot a bit uneventful. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy the overall concept of the plot but there was definitely room for improvement. And did I spot plot holes? One moment Khalen is separated from Akinli and the next, he is under the weight of his parents' death and somehow she knew all along.
Anywho, I appreciated the way Cass personified the Ocean as a possessive mother, because, at first, I could not understand how the girls were so okay with sending thousands of people to their death. That one peeved me. But getting to know the Ocean, and Her connection to the girls, made me understand their seemingly nonchalant attitude -- or, rather, their not-so-enthusiastically appalled reactions -- about feeding Her all people. Having the Ocean presented in a misunderstood, caring entity made for intriguing. As for the romance between Khalen and Akinli, there was not much -- only tidbits here and there. And what a pity that was. I could feel their connection to each other but not as strong as I wanted.
“We'll figure this out, I promised. I won't let you sink.
I stared into his tired eyes, still seeing the beauty in him. Whatever happened, I'd met my person, the one my soul connected to, despite age and distance and impossibility. I stared at the photo as if he and I were settling down for a nap, side by side, and I swore I could hear Akinli's voice saying Hurry” – page 284
As I have mentioned in my other reviews of Kiera Cass' works, her writing was easy and enjoyable. That remains in The Siren. Having that, I did enjoy the story and recommend it to anyone seeking a quick, light mythical read.Character Breakdown:
The overall character dynamic was easy flowing. However, none of the characters particularly struck me.
Khalen - Obedient, thoughtful and selfless, Khalen reminded me of myself. Not a rule-breaker, we tend to do what we need to in order to make it through . . . except the rare instance when it comes to matters of the heart -- then our rebellious streak shines bright. And our capacity to sacrifice for those we love.
Akinli - Akinli's character hits the feels with his kindness, easygoing self. Not once did I question his feelings for Khalen, despite her being a Siren.
"My heart was completely gone, his in an instant. He wasn't sure what was wrong with me and wanted me to stay anyway. He didn't know what danger I was in but was ready to fight it for me." - Khalen on Akinli, page 192
Kiera Cass graduated from Radford University with a degree in History. She grew up in South Carolina and currently lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with her family. In her spare time, Kiera enjoys reading, dancing, making videos, and eating unhealthy amounts of cake. You can learn more about Kiera at kieracass.com, follow her on twitter via @kieracass, and see her silly videos at YouTube.com/user/kieracass.
***Check out Kiera Cass' website for more information about her and The Siren: HERE
Happy Reading!
