Sirens: The End of the World has a Sound.

by Braden Cawthon

A apocalyptic horror debut from Braden Cawthon!
Joel Walker wakes up to a world suddenly and frighteningly changed. In the wake of a massive power outage, an otherworldly siren begins to blare, changing all that listen to it for too long in frightening ways. Desperate to find his mother and little sister, Joel will have to survive in a world that is coming apart at its seams.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Mystery, Dystopia, Audiobook, Apocalyptic

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Elle Hill (Sasha’s version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I hated it. I was promised a dystopian thriller, and went in with such high hopes. My one regret is I cannot go back in time and convince myself not to read this book.
I could pick this book apart for ever, but I’ll keep it reasonably short.
First off, and one of my biggest problems was that we had, and this is exact, SIX PAGES of writing before the inciting incident. Now I get it I get it, the book was only 215 pages, you can’t give us 50 pages of character building before you introduce the story. I’d be okay with like 10 or 15, but six? Really??
Also, from the get go, I was absolutely indifferent towards Joel. He, unlike the reviews I read, was such a two dimensional character. He had no past, the only character development was he kinda disliked his mom, but it never really explained why.
Honestly, most of the characters were pretty boring. ESPECIALLY Emily. We know literally nothing about her and it made her so boring, even though she was introduced like she was the token love interest. Their relationship was so absolutely draining, and I almost jumped for joy when someone else came into the story. Just for them to kill him off like five pages later. That scene was also the literal only scene that gave me even a taste of the horror I was promised at the beginning.
The only interesting character in the whole book was Kayla, and I’ll give you some reasons. First off, she was the only real part of Joel’s past that we saw like at all. It gave Joel some of the personality he was sorely lacking. She also had a past, talking about her brother and family. It made her quickly become the best character in my eyes, and so obviously they just went and killed her off. Bc obviously.
Also the fact that it set it up like some higher power just for it to be Matthias was sooo disappointing. And it was set up so well, like how they were hearing things differently was great. That was the only thing that seemed well thought out.
But, here’s my absolute BIGGEST problem: the entire book, ENTIRE BOOK, they were like we gotta figure this out/beat this, and then he just gives in bc his ghost sister bats her eyelashes at him? Heck no. Not in a million years with I root for a character with the backbone of a chocolate eclair. Not happening.
Overall the characters were just hard to root for and connect with, the plot was mundane, and the ending ruined it to the point of this low low rating.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the advanced copy.

I am torn on how I feel about Braden Cawthon's 'Sirens'. At first I though that maybe it was a story based on Siren Head (a clever and creepy monster invented by Trevor Henderson, who just released a very good middle grade horror novel, Scarewaves)... but then it didn't go that way, though that was definite vibes at the start. Then after night one, it became clear that wasn't the case, I began thinking it was something like 'The Crazies', or '28 Days Later', or Left Behind, or even The Mist or Dead Space: Martyr (was getting cosmic horror vibes in the later half of the novel)... but I can honestly say that Cawthon took this book in every direction I did not expect, and yet nothing managed to take me by surprise either.

As I said, I honestly don't know what to make of this novel. I think my main issue is how little we know. Creepy situation after creepy situation occurs, the protagonists go out of their way into danger to try to find answers, people do die, and yet it feels as though very little happens or is found out; Sirens is the introduction of a story. A story I would very much like to finish but the ending feels quite final, even if it's incredibly unfulfilling.

In the end, this was a very quick and easy read for a couple hours in an afternoon, and I don't regret the time spent on it. I doubt I'll ever reread it, but the story is of the sort that I like and I know I'll remember it, and even think of it now and then.

Still, though, I think three stars is a good rating for this one, so long as you enjoy gently creepy cosmic horror in post-apocalyptic settings and are ok with a frustrating non-ending. Lol.

[Rika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book at San Diego Comic Con.

I love the premise of this book. You can always connect with a story about searching for your loved ones during the apocalypse. The beginning set an eerie tone that I really wish continued through the entirety of the book.

For me, the book had an okay middle but a lackluster end. The introduction of Kayla in the middle was welcomed since she brought some much needed optimism to the main character, but using her as a trigger for Joel's madness and ultimately a catalyst for giving in seemed forced, especially since the character gave off such strong loner vibes at the beginning of the story.

I can appreciate ambiguous and sad endings, but this one just seemed like the main character was giving up. In my opinion, that's a little too dark for a book aimed at teens. I never want to tell young people to just give in to the darkness because it's easier than fighting.

Overall, 3.5 out of 5 stars. The book was decently written and kept me interested almost to the end. The concept was strong. The characters needed more work for some actions to be believable. It's not something that I would recommend to younger teens, but I know there are some that would love this book.

[Claudio De La Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just what I needed to keep up with my reading in the middle of finals. It’s pretty easy read which is perfect in the mits of all the exams I have to take. The story is so unique and has me turning every page trying to decipher the secrets of what the sirens were. The last few chapters where something that I did not expect to happen at all.



SPOILERS!!!!!!!!:

While I’ve read some reviews claiming the disliked the ending because Joel simply “gave up” I have to completely disagree and say it was an amazing ending!!!! The whole point the last few chapters was that the sirens were already affecting him in an irreversible way. This was bound to happen but the only thing keeping him grounded for the time being was Emily. He was already hearing voices, he was already seeing things that “weren’t there” from what we know. That’s why the book took us through the perspective of two different characters. Emily, because she was the only one that was kept sane until the end, and Joel, to make us questions whether or not the sirens were some type of savior. It keeps the mystery of the world building and makes me look forward to perhaps a second book thru the perspective of a different characters, hopefully Matthew.

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this story was trying to be too many things at once, ultimately making it directionless. Character development was non-existent. I'm still not sure what the point of it was since there was no clear resolution. The writing was simply boring. I was using it for a book club challenge prompt, and it was relatively short, otherwise I would have (and probably should have) DNFed. The idea had potential, but the author has a lot of growing to do. I do not enjoy giving one star reviews, and I try very hard to be constructive, but this book was awfully challenging to muddle through.

I used this book to complete challenge prompts in these Facebook book clubs: Beyond the Bookends, The Readers Coven, and LiterALLy BOOKiSh.

[Dhiraaj Naidu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book.

For a dystopian novel, this was shockingly boring.

For a psychological thriller, this didn’t thrill me at all.

There was still no explanation of the central conflict and the main antagonist. Was it a Last of Us situation where the real antagonist is human all along? The ending says otherwise. Do you understand anything about what the sirens want and how they operate? Fuck no.

I would have been fine with a predictable thriller where it’s revealed to be a cult, like the other novels I’ve read, but it gives me nothing to think about, or take away.

You mean to tell me the son of the FNAF creator wasn’t able to write a consistent and clear story? Whoa crazy

[Shelby Hawk · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has a great premise even though I feel like apocalyptic fiction is hard to do now because there are sooo many books out there trying to be unique.

This book was a cluster fuck from beginning to end and the only thing good about it is the summary you get. The book does not match the summary and about halfway through it is too confusing.

I finished the book hoping the end would wrap everything up but I walked away not knowing what I had just read or what the point of the book was.

[Joan Wi88ows · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a fun read, almost gentle survival/sci-fi/horror this is the book for you. just don’t expect it to be a full thriller/horror because it’s not. It’s not even sci-fi but idk what else to call it and it barely feels like it can be classified as horror. Survival yes. thriller? horror? sorrrrt offf??? It doesn’t even rlly feel like apocalypse cuz its not the world its just one city??? i think? they never mention other towns. idk ya’ll it’s a vibe to read but also don’t expect too much from it or you’ll be a bit disappointed. It’s better to read it as a simple chill story with darker tones and love it for what it is.

spoiler review below!!!!!!!


















SPOILERS




















KEEP GOING IF UR OK WITH SPOILERS



















ALMOST THERE














SPOILERS:


2.5 stars. um. I love the premise. and there was a lot of potential. and then. nothing happens in the entire book. it was a fun read sure but thats about it. and it wasn’t even as fun as it could have been cuz most of the characters you couldnt get attached to. The only personality was Joel and his sister was a cute relationship, Emily had some gusto but also i thought this was thriller shouldn’t that be expected? And then Kayla was actually a but interesting. There was so much that could have been done with Emily that wasnt. Also it was not that fast paced like i expected when its described as thriller. AND. YOU NEVER GET TO KNOW. UNKNOWN ENDINGS CAN WORK WHEN THERES MORE TO THE STORY BUT KNOWING WHAT THE SIRENS ARE IS THE ONE THING I WAS STILL INVESTED IN BY THE END AND WE DIDNT GET IT????? Like from an author perspective i guess sure i bet it was fun and chill to write but that doesnt make me feel a whole lot better as the reader. Also i thought the whole journal thing with Matthias was gonna mean so much more but it was literaly just that he was beinv controlled and you can already predict that.

And jt feels like theres rarely a conflict? they just happen to not get killed several times and they beat the sirens impressively well, just stick in earbuds and deal with it and sleep it out. Theres fighting of the sirens later but there needs to be more, like a lot of the book. I think if it was longer so much more could have been done with it.

OH and its ok if the mc isnt a fighter but also he was fighting at the end and then he just gives up????? also emily randomly losing it to the sirens came out if nowhere.

i appreciate there was no side plot romance tho, sometimes its in too many books lol.

And with an ending like that it needs a reason I feel like, some message thats being emphasized. but I dont know what that lesson would be. The author has no message in the entire book that I coukd tell. The ending may could have been about Joel letting go, but it reads a lot more like he’s giving up. and if letting go he should be letting go of the idea that he can save his family or domth

yeah. im. a lil sad now. it wasnt aggressively bad but it wasnt great either. just kinda. there. no offense to the author or snytbing but i rlly just wish there was more to it :/

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I think the power grid went down, because everything in my house turned off, and all the lights in the neighborhood turned off too. Then I heard a tornado siren, coming from somewhere downtown.”

Sirens by Braden Cawthon begins on a compelling and mysterious note. Joel Walker is asleep outside the city when he loses contact with his mother and little sister. At first the disaster that severs contact appears to be a storm, but as Joel returns to the city to search for them, he encounters some of the extremely scarce people left behind after the unknown event and he uncovers facts that hint at something far far stranger. Along the way we get to know more about Joel and the city he finds himself in.

Braden’s debut novel sets out with a strong premise and keeps the reader guessing what might be going on until the very end. The setting has a clear post apocalyptic lean, but Braden uses this opportunity to focus on the interrelationship of characters under unnatural duress and a compelling threat. It takes the reader on the journey to try and make sense of a changed world while surviving the new dangers this presents.

I found this book incredibly thematically interesting. The outcome is not what one might expect and the broadness of the events allow for the reader to project many of their own thoughts onto the shape of them as we go along. One example might be that the novel never directly deals with concepts of religion, and yet throughout the narrative there are distinct elements and questions regarding the meaning of life and death which evoke themes of belief and morality to the reader. We encounter parallels to cults and the importance of group dogma. These themes are underlying in the story are never explicit or overpower the narrative, it is entirely possible to read the story in a completely literal sense and still derive a great deal of value from it. Sirens deviates from traditional expectations and story beats in many places and I found this added to the sense of chaos and unease of the setting.

Another element I enjoyed in this novel was the strong focus on family ties and bonds of love other than the (fairly typical for YA fiction) romantic ones, there is a whole gamut of relationships in Sirens but the strongest was that between Joel and his sister. There was a lot of care and skill shown in making the reader really empathize with Joel’s plight and to make us believe his emotional landscape. He forms new friendships along the way, but these are not without complexity and there is even an element of looking back and assessing his relationship with his parents that gives us deeper insight into his mental landscape throughout.

The depictions of emotion in Sirens were authentic and thoughtful, and the author really gives consideration to the layers of internal conflict that the main character endures throughout the book. I personally am a huge fan of what is known as “coma writing” where characters endure their own internal landscape and conflicts and I feel like one of the strongest scenes in all of Sirens is a scene evocative of this theme. Joel is a complex character and one with his own flaws and decisions to make.

However, I didn’t feel like the reader was asked to agree with Joel’s conclusions, but to instead still question every aspect of what he thinks and says. Joel is a flawed narrator in a world of flawed narrators and this comes into play in several areas, where we have to ask if a character’s decision is entirely their own. I thought this complex approach to motivations and moral correctness was interesting and quite divergent from some of the acclaimed titles in YA fiction in this genre where the “good” and “bad” choices are fairly clearly delineated. There were many points where I as a reader did not agree with the decisions Joel made, but never to the degree where I felt “switched off” or discouraged from continuing.

The criticisms I could offer would be simple writing quirks which are entirely forgivable in an author’s early work and personal preferences on my part. There were times where I felt taken out of the moment by over-repetition of terms regarding to surroundings or over detailing elements in the environment. For instance I might find myself as a reader more confused than engaged by hearing the word “elevator” or “room” too many times in sequence. I might feel disengaged from the action by an over detailed explanation of a location or a character’s entire route through a building to a room being detailed in full when there is very little new information or insight provided by this. Using a character’s view of the world and what is important to them in the narrative is something that is important for that immersive edge that fell off a little in places here. However, I think that it is a fine balance learned with experience and one that will no doubt be struck more elegantly in future works.

I do want to stress that even with these criticisms in mind, the locations in Sirens are richly imagined and very well described. I could mentally map out each of the areas and the architecture of each and in many instances felt like the environments had a personality all their own, every bit as important as the characters which inhabited them, this gave a very immediate and immersive impression of the world that Joel finds himself in and the impact of the unseen “event” of the first night.

Another criticism I would present was that sometimes the choices the characters made could veer into artificial driving of the plot rather than lining up with something that the reader would naturally expect them to do. There is an implied element to explain this later, but this is something I noted in the early scenes as well. As a reviewer with an extremely keen interest in characterization this left me at times a little lost as to the heart of characters and murky on who they really were and what their ultimate drives were. Even Emily - who is a character critical to the plot - was a little lost on me and I don’t feel that I ever truly understood her drives in full through the eyes of Joel.

Some plot elements were picked up and put down without resolution, with some very vivid and interesting characters left to our imagination. There is a scene in a pharmacy that I felt had the strong threads of an impactful scene but this was not given due space to breathe. However this criticism is testament to Cawthon’s strong concepts and scene ideas, as a reader I wanted to know more. In this line of thinking I felt like there were perhaps too many mysteries also left unsolved by the end, and though a certain degree of mystery is absolutely forgivable in a work like this, I felt like some of the broadness of the events and factors at play left me as a reader not certain if there were simply too many gaps or if there were issues with internal consistency within the core threat of the story.

Regardless of these small personal thoughts, I had a very good time reading this book and feel like the intended audience would too, the characters are engaging, the story is a page turner that keeps you going until the end and there were many times when I thought I could predict what would happen next only for the story to take a twist to another direction I did not anticipate. It left me very hungry to read the next chapter.

Overall I feel like this is a fantastic novel with a very strong concept, which despite falling into the thriller genre also in storyline put me in mind of some of the best examples of online analog horror in the modern day. The ending wasn’t perhaps what I expected or on a subconcious level truly “wanted” for the sake of emotional catharsis but it did not disappoint me either. Sirens is a truly excellent first book with a resonant concept and I very much look forward to seeing what else Braden Cawthon has to say in future.

[Axel Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Fuck I Loved This Book! I Will Definitely Revisit This In The Near Future!

[Jess R · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, this book is about 250 pages, which is a relatively small novel, and lots of people in the reviews have been saying that this was a super easy read and they finished it in one afternoon, or whatever. However, for me-an extremely speedy reader-it took me at least a week to finish this one because it was just SO boring. And not only was it super boring, very confusing, and unsatisfying at the end, but it was also poorly written. Now, I can't be too harsh about this because I write as well and my writing is nothing special, but it physically hurt me to read this book. The wording was inefficient and there was little to no emotion in it. I felt like this was a draft, unedited and confusing.

[Lynx · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARNING: THIS IS VERY SPOILERY





It was honestly not the best book I've read. I loved the premise, but it just... didn't work. I understand this is supposed to be a dystopian, but I still feel like the ending was just... unsatisfying. It felt like the ending was completely hopeless, we never learned why the sirens were happening, or what was going on with the moon, and to top it all off, Emily's death felt like it didn't even matter. Like, yes, Joel did confront Matthias, but it seemed like Matthias just brushed it off. And to add to it, if Joel hadn't killed her, she would've still been at least somewhat okay, although we don't actually know what happened to the people who went outside. Her being killed; it felt like it was the climax of the book, not the falling action. I could understand this if it was a series, since the climax of the first book in a series is often very close to the end, but it wasn't. This was just... the end, and that did not feel satisfactory. And either way, Emily's death felt like it came out of nowhere. I expected Joel to die, if I'm being honest, since we'd seen so much of his story and all we knew about Emily is that she is brave and that she stole to help her dad before he died. Where did anybody else in her family go? We don't know. It felt like she was killed off just to give us a punch in the gut, not for it's effect on Joel, since the book ended just a few chapters later. It felt to me like Joel was going to end up dying(?) either way, and that Emily was just delaying it. On the brighter side, the idea of tornado sirens blaring at night, slowly chipping away at your sanity, while you hide away from windows, trying not to disappear, it's a amazing idea, I just feel that the way it was done was less than satisfactory. Anyway, that's my thoughts.

[August · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an interesting concept but I felt like there was to much telling and not enough showing at times with characters feelings and actions. And things would keep being rephrased such as; characters would keep reminding each other to use earplugs repeatedly even after they're all well aware. The characters also keep speaking as if the sirens started a couple weeks ago, not just a couple days.

I did like how things were left a bit open, like how we never found out what caused the sirens. I also liked how Joel handled confronting Matthias, with all the people he cared for gone and him not really knowing what else to do other than leave, feeling like there was nothing he really could do. Matthias was helping to keep people alive a little longer, even if it's just false hope.

I liked how it ended with Joel deciding to join his family, where ever they are. It felt like a pretty decent ending with how the story played out.

I was hoping for a bit more something when Joel and Emily found the pharmacist, but I also liked that he was just there for a quick scene. It helped make the city feel a bit bigger than just the people in Matthias settlement.

[Julie Witt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sirens was a book that had a unique premise, but in the end, my expectations were not met. I love YA horror, but I felt like this was neither YA nor horror. New adult, sci fi was more my feeling. I would like the direction the story was going, and then it would go another way that just didn't make sense. Then it would go a whole other way, that, okay, I could kind of see how we got there, but before I really got into it, bam, it went in another direction again. It felt meandering and disjointed. Then when it seemed like things were really starting to happen, it abruptly ended. I felt unfulfilled, to say the least. I was also very confused as to where the sirens came from because it was alluded to, a bit, but never clarified.

In summary, this wasn't a horrible book, but it wasn't great, either.

2.5 rounded up to 3/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Scholastic Inc., and Braden Cawthon for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Brennan Klein · Rating 2 out of 5]

It feels VERY “debut novel.” It’s self-consciously overwritten, and it doesn’t quite have a grip on the level of vocabulary it’s reaching for. The dialogue is also pretty stilted, the third-person limited POV gets confusing and slippery, and there’s a very video gamey approach to diary as backstory (gee, wonder where he got THAT from).

So yeah, I guess the prose is kind of a nightmare. But overall I found it swiftly paced and reasonably eerie. Maybe a little more cosmic than I’d like, but I’m a sucker for air raid sirens driving horror atmosphere. It’s got a big wet fart of an ending, but I was expecting it by that point so I wasn’t exactly shocked even though it mystifies me what the intentions behind it could possibly have been.

I’m more curious to see what Cawthon does next than excited about this book itself, but I think there’s a solid nugget of something to build out on if there are similar premises where this one came from.

[Addison · Rating 2 out of 5]

😐😐😐

I bought this book a few months ago, and even though I had read the description on the back, it wasn’t until I got home that I realized that one of the people that reviewed the books on the back is the author’s dad. At that point, I was tempted to return it, but decided to read it anyway.

I feel like the underlying storyline started out pretty good. it was not challenging to read, save for a few awkward grammatical constructs. But I had to get this a solid 2 because the story went nowhere.

🚨SHORT SPOILER 🚨

We never figure out what ultimately caused the sirens; Emily died for no reason since Joel didn’t avenge her death; and the fact that Matthias just let Joel walk right out, potentially to expose the truth but instead chose to do absolutely nothing.

Also, throughout the book they’re walking everywhere. If you could take a motorcycle, why wasn’t a bicycle an option? You tell me you couldn’t find a single bike and no one ever mentioned a bike?

[Annabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!:

This book has a great plot starting from the beginning, a cute relationship between Joel and his little sister, Ava, but it completely made me rethink my choices of reading this to begin with at the end.

To start with, I do believe this could have been so much better, if only it were explained more, and if some characters had a bigger impact, for example, why were the sirens a thing and why were they there?? Also, was it everywhere or just in the city? WE. NEED. ANSWERS! Also, I believe that maybe if Matthias had a bigger part and had maybe been explained better that would have positively improved the story, but that may just be my opinion because a friend disagreed.

Also, the ending... Did he just give up or what? Did he die, or does he just... Disappear? I wish I could give more reasons but I simply cannot due to the details that aren't given.

[Yohans Dark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha tenido muy intrigada todo el tiempo pero me temo que deja muchos nudos por solucionar y otras situaciones que se solucionaban por si solas. No me ha dado tiempo de asimilar lo que ocurría e incluso al terminarlo aun tengo dudas de la trama.

Los acontecimientos ocurren demasiado rápido, tortuosos y sin explicación alguna, pero el sentimiento que pone el autor en su primera novela es palpable y eso es lo que más me ha gustado de ello.

Tal vez no sea un libro de 10 pero para pasar la tarde y disfrutar de cómo sería un mundo distopico lleno de "fantasmas" O "entes" Si sería un pequeño acierto. Aunque le falta mucha información, se puede disfrutar.

Creo que si Braden sigue escribiendo leería más de él, pues tiene potencial que aun está sin explotar. Ni buen ni mal libro, disfrutable.

Nota: 6/10

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sirens reads as a speculative fic with a strong dive into psychological horror, which is the kind of horror I like best. For me, Joel's voice and the enigma of *what* is causing the sirens and WHY it's happening in the first place kept the pages turning. This is a quick, fascinating read, and I love how it eludes to the answers without spelling it out word for word for the reader. The ending leaves room for the reader to draw their own conclusions, while wetting the appetite for more. I'm left with the hope that Cawthon plans to publish a sequel, because I want to delve more into this world. Excellent first novel! I can't wait to see what comes next -- both in the landscape of Sirens and in Cawthon's career.

[Cal The Theatre Gal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little novel… Oh My God. The twist was so mind-blowing and it’s not as predictable as you might think it is at first glance. The end had me full-on sobbing. I definitely was not expecting to cry reading this book at all, but here I am, tears still in my eyes as I am typing out this review.

This book was very fast-paced and had me on the edge of my seat with every turn. This story is also very well-written and easily reels you into its grip. Brandon Cawthon really knows how to build up suspense and play with the readers’ emotions!

I can usually type more, but this book has me pretty much speechless and pondering what I’ve just read. If you are a dystopian nut like me and you just might need a good cry, read “Sirens: The End of the World Has A Sound.” You’ll thank me later.🫢😭

[Meghan 메건 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was an interesting concept but it was tough to become interested and once it became interesting it just...ended. Joel just accepting his fate and ending it came off as everything else was superfluous. Emily's death felt like it was a waste.

It really needed a more steady storyline as well. Things would happen super fast and then drag on for a while. Joel wasn't given much character and then bam the whole sirens incident was thrown at you.

It was a very wonky book. I think if the story was longer and it didn't end so abruptly I would have liked it more

Also if scholastic could print their books in one font and one size font that would be great. I dont understand why it varied so much in my copy but it seems to be a thing with the fnaf books too

[Malissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

#GoodreadsGiveaway

I won this from a giveaway on goodreads. I was so excited to read this because it was marketed as a young adult horror but there really was nothing scary about this book whatsoever. I would say it was just ok and easy to read. I wasn't a fan if I'm going to be honest here. It's not a bad book, it took me only a day to read it but I feel like there was a lot of nothing really happening. Nothing is fully explained, not even at the end and the person you think is the bad guy has no repercussions at all. I wouldn't tell others not to read it, I'm sure a lot of people would like this but I'm just not one of them.

[Ellie Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review is based off of an uncorrected e-galley of this novel)

I don't necessarily think I would classify this novel as a YA novel. I think I would classify it more as a New Adult novel. Either way, I liked the premise of this story and was hooked by the second half. I wish it hadn't ended so abruptly so that we know the result of the choices Joel made, but overall, I enjoyed this read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Joel's mother and sister go to a movie and leave him home. When Joel wakes up the next day, his mother has left several messages about sirens going off and each message gets increasingly more frantic. He is so worried about his family he goes into the city to find them. Once he gets into the city it is post apoplectic quite, no one is around and vehicles are all stalled on the streets. He finds a girl Emily who takes him in and tries to explain what has happened. Sirens go off every night and if you are out at night you disappear the next day. They eventually come across survivors, the leader says Joel's family is okay but at a second location, but Emily thinks the leader is hiding something. What has happened and will Joel finally be reunited with his family?

I did not enjoy this book and it was very anticlimactic. We don't find out what is actually causing the sirens and we don't know find out what actually happens to those who go out at night except they disappear. I needed more information and answers to my questions.

[Steph Elias · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sirens is a sci-fi type book about an apocalyptic event that creates loud sirens at night. I found it a bit slow to get into and the ending did not really work for me. However, I did find the premise interesting. All in all, I found it a bit flat and did not really find it scary so I am not sure about that horror tag. I agree with other reviewers that when it seems like things are really starting to happen it ends.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I absolutely loved this book. It's full of suspense, wondering what will happen as the sirens invade Joel's head. Wondering what happened to those who have just vanished, especially towards the end. However, the ending ruined how I felt towards this book. You are left with so many questions, and no answers. What was the siren? Where did they go? What's going on? I was just confused and left feeling like i stopped in the middle of the book.

[Thistle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has one of my favorite kinds of stories in it: Main character wakes up and finds all the other people on the planet gone.

Unfortunately when I say the characters had zero characterization, I mean it. No descriptions, no personalities, nothing. I had thought the female main character was an adult until I read other reviews. The only thing we know about the male main character is that he's a college student.

DNF at about 20%.

[Saskia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Great premise, didn't mind the writing (although it was a bit pedestrian), but the ending and no explanation of the phenomenon that happened was just irritating! It was like the author just ran out of oompf and chose not to tell us who was behind it all and why.

Grrrrr. I was thrilled to find a teen-ish straight-presenting male protagonist (hen's teeth in modern publishing), but the story let it down.

CW: mind-control mass suicide, murder

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate ambiguous endings and nothing in this story had a WHY. WHY did Matthias send everyone to the second location in the first place? WHY were the sirens effecting people? WHY did it seem like Matthias wasn’t effected by them at all? WHY were some people chosen to be in the know about everything happening? WHAT HAPPENED TO JAY? Also nothing came of the journal entries Emily found (who the hell is Serena?). There were just too many loose ends.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept sounded interesting, but the story fell flat. Way too many unanswered questions at the end. The reader never really finds out what is causing the sirens or what happens to those who disappear. Super confusing book overall.


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.