Serenade

by Emily Kiebel

Suddenly the voice she prized is now dangerously seductive...

Lorelei Clark's only concern was her future as a classically trained soprano, that is, until the day her father was tragically killed. Shattered by his death, she hesitantly accepts an invitation from a mysterious aunt to visit her lavish oceanside home in Cape Cod. She quickly discovers that her aunt and the two women who live with her are harboring a frightening secret they are sirens, terrifying mythical creatures responsible for singing doomed sailors to their deaths. Even more astounding, Lorelei is one of them.

In this new world where water comes alive at her touch and an ancient power pulses beneath the tide, the most important rule Lorelei must learn is that a siren never interferes with fate. When she breaks this rule by rescuing a handsome sailor who should have died at sea, the sirens vow she must finish the job or face grave consequences. Finding herself inexplicably attracted to him, she must fight to keep him safe from the others, even if it means risking her own life, and her heart, in the process.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology, Mermaids, Contemporary, Fiction

358 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2014

About the author

Emily Kiebel was raised in Colorado and went on to study classical music and English at Concordia University. She found a love for singing early in life and now sings professionally and directs a local church choir. In her spare time, she can be found exploring the natural beauty of the great outdoors with her beloved dogs, Ginny and Diggory, cooking for friends and family, traveling or dragging her friends along to obscure historical sites. Serenade is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Colleen Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through my publicist and am thrilled to be able to review it here! This YA paranormal story of a Siren-in-Waiting, Lorelai, combines elements of Greek mythology and classical music to tell a dark, watery tale of fate twisted. I found Serenade to be an absolutely haunting and lyrical read, one that will appeal to readers of the Twilight novels. Kiebels eye for the tiny visuals of the quirky and mythical Siren world made the story completely believable, down to the cold whipping wind of the East Coast or the stemware used at the Siren's home (White Star Line, anyone?). As a frequent visitor to the YA world, I have to say that I found Lorelai to be an impressive female protagonist, and yet one who actually resembles a real teenage girl, which is quite a feat. Towards the end, I found myself longing desperately to be transported into this melodic yet cruel world, and will be recommending it to friends as one of those rare YA books that both educates and enchants. Also, I absolutely love that you can listen to some of the songs on the author's blog - such a fantastic touch!

[Carrie Slager · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Full disclosure: I requested and received a free ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I’ve actually read quite a few books about sirens now since they seemed to be trending in YA for a while, but the thing that attracted me to Serenade especially was that the main character was a classically trained soprano. I love opera and I decided to see if Emily Kiebel’s take on sirens was different from that of the other books in her niche. Thankfully, it was.

The world-building in Serenade is actually much better than in most siren books. In this version, sirens don’t lure people to their deaths, they just soothe them as they die because it’s the will of Fate. They don’t really control their power but at the same time they can’t escape it because the sea will always call to them. Of course this makes for some interesting moral dilemmas like “What if I don’t want to help people die for the rest of my life?” or “What if someone isn’t ready to die?”. It’s that last question that gets Lorelei in some serious trouble, but it presents an interesting answer to the question of whether or not sirens really have free will.

Not only was the world-building pretty good, I liked Lorelei as a main character. She absolutely loves singing and is willing to defy her own mother to pursue a career in opera. When her father dies in an accident right before her eyes, you really do feel for Lorelei even though you’ve pretty much just met her. It’s a rare author that can make you truly connect with a character so quickly, but Emily Kiebel managed to do it. My only problem character-wise was the secondary characters. None of them really stood out for me; they were more average in terms of being fleshed out and I didn’t really connect with any of them, even our handsome sailor that Lorelei rescues and falls in love with.

As for the plot, it takes a while for Lorelei to get her bearings as a siren so it’s not exactly fast-paced in the beginning and middle of the book. There is a lot of tension, though, as she wrestles with many moral dilemmas surrounding her siren calling. But the action really doesn’t get going until she saves someone who is supposed to die. Then pretty much everything goes to the dogs in her family and Lorelei is faced with killing a man who isn’t ready to die or risking exile and knowing he’ll be killed anyway. It’s really not a good situation and I like the little turn of events at the end. Still, I think Serenade could have been a little faster paced without sacrificing the character development.

This book doesn’t release until July 15th, but I definitely urge you to pre-order it. It’s one of the best books in the siren sub-genre of YA that I’ve read lately and I have to say that Emily Kiebel really knows her opera (although that’s just a bonus when paired with the world-building and main character).

I give this book 4/5 stars.

[EndlessReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank the author Emily Kiebel for writing this kick-ass story and for Netgalley for approving my request to review this book.

This will be my first time reading Kiebel's work and of Sirens. I loved this! It was a suspense filling, nail biting read which enthralled the reader from the very first page.

I will be honest in saying that Serenade is a tad slow to begin with, but certainly picks up the action and the pace just a little over halfway.

I thought the characters that Kiebel wrote of were developed well.

The storyline itself was intriguing, mysterious and the Greek mythology the Kiebel added, drew the reader in more, but not too much, she always made a point of leaving the reader grasping for more, asking and needing more.
When her father died in front of her Lorelei, seems to have given up on hope. Once, a girl destined for greatness with her career, a classically trained soprano, with a voice of an angel, now, having found herself falling behind with her vocals and straining too much, Lorelei decides to take a chance on an opportunity that presents itself at this tying time.

After leaving college and heading to an aunt's that she doesn't remember having, Lorelei is thrust into a world of things unimaginable. Bed time stories of Siren's luring men to their death, this becomes reality to Lorelei....but things aren't are they seem, nothing is just black and white...and Lorelei is thrust into the middle.

"Lorelei let the feeling overtake her body, and as she was consumed by the Song, she emerged a siren."

Having to deal with the weight of her family history Lorelei starts training on become what she is.....a Siren

But when things start to get out of hand, and Lorelei fights with her conscience, will she be able to live up to her aunt's expectations???

Will she be able to "help" dying souls pass peacefully and not interfere with fates desires?

Or will she Serenade the Song of the siren....

[Orbs n Rings · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dreamy, delightfully romantic read.

Serenade is a beautiful story I truly enjoyed and which I found myself engaged in from the very start. I don’t read fantasy often but when I do, it has to keep my interest until the end and this is one of those books. It isn't often that I come across a book about sirens and so this book really sparked my interest.

In Serenade Lorelei Clark is a smart, gifted, creative and spontaneous strong-willed girl. She has just lost her father and her relationship with her mother is a disaster. Lorelei has a leap of faith and decides to visit her long-lost aunt. who has invited her to her beautiful home by the ocean. It doesn't take long for Lorelei to find out her aunt and cousins hold secrets that not only will change her life, but her fate forever.

I really fell in love with Lorelei and found this tale to be so romantic. Having read the excerpt , I was anxiously awaiting how and at what point in the book the author would transition the main character Lorelei Clark from conservatory student to a siren. Personally I found this book to be more than fantasy, it is thought-provoking story.

Every twist and turn in this book was a complete delight. This story really allowed me to use my imagination and I found myself completely immersed in the story. I didn't know much about the folklore behind the mermaid/siren and so found the parts in the book where the author included this information very informative. This book had no predictability whatsoever, every chapter was a fresh and new which I truly enjoyed. I am not sure what Kiebel has lined up next , but I am now eagerly anticipating a sequel to this title.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorelei only thinks she has to worry about doing well at school with her singing. She has a bunch of natural talent but come to find out, that natural talent may not be so natural after all. This is a paranormal story where nothing is as it seems. Lorelei may actually come from a line of sirens. The sirens are, of course, those mythological creatures who are beautiful and potentially dangerous. As the myth goes, they have beautiful voices that they can potentially use in order to draw men deep into the sea.

Once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. It opened a little slowly as we learn about Lorelei's time at her school and her singing practice. Once the mythological elements start coming into play, the book really picked up. Then things start to happen and Lorelei is forced to focus on something more than school (I don't want to give to much away). Lorelei begins to find out more about her family legacy once she goes to visit an aunt who can shed more than a little light about where Lorelei's family really comes from. It is definitely not anything that Lorelei expects. I liked how Kiebel did not show all her cards at once with the book. You get a little detail at a time to keep you going.

I really liked that Kiebel chose to write about sirens. I am absolutely fascinated by them. They definitely made for a good subject for a book. Kiebel adds a lot of detail so that even if you are not familiar with sirens, you will still understand the story and you will learn about them in the process.

Definitely a good paranormal read!

[Christopher Robin Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had the honor to hear Ms. Kiebel sing and her love of music and singing come through in her novel Serenade and like her singing her writing hits all the right notes. Ms. Kiebel takes the well-known sirens from Greek mythology, dusts them off, and polishes them into engaging characters in a world that is more complex than it seems on the surface. When we meet the heroine in the story, Lorelei Clark, she’s a college student struck by tragedy who learns that she doesn’t just have an extraordinary voice – she has extraordinary powers. Lorelei Clark’s journey of self-discovery is refreshing as the heroine’s actions are first informed by selfishness and rebellion but as she trains as a siren she gains agency and with that independence: responsibility. Lorelei grapples with the central conflict of adolescence: how do I hold onto the values my parents taught me at the same time I am forging my own way in the world? How do I stay true to myself and be someone my parents would be proud of?

The reader moves with tempo di allegro through Serenade, carried along by characters and dialog that feel familiar through the gorgeous New England seaboard down the coast and into a thrilling climax in Appalachia that leaves the reader at once satisfied with the resolution of the story and eagerly anticipating the sequels. Serenade will be a story that readers will pick up time and again and readers will come to regard Lorelei Clark as an old friend as they do Harry Potter, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, Tom Sawyer, or Scout Finch.

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Program Serenade is the last book for the month of July. This is a Young Adult mythical story of a siren, Lorelai, and how she comes into the life she has been kept from growing up.

Lorelai is a character that I loved. When she heads to her aunt’s house to escape herself after her father’s death, I could see her grow up. She came into herself and realized what was supposed to be her life. Watching her struggle with the fact that she is a siren, something that cause death, is heart wrenching. She is strong and knows right from wrong. She is working her head around being able to lead people to death just by doing what she loves to do, sing.

I love the setting, East Coast, with the cliffs and rolling waves. I could hear the waves and feel the spray of the salt water. The mansion like house with the high ceilings, yet warm kitchen was present in my mind. Emily Kiebel is a master at descriptions and making the book come alive.

I will recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great Young Adult book.

[Kate H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the setting, I live on the Cape so that helps. I also loved how the author had music on the website that you could listen to in relation to the book, I've seen this with a few books recently and I really like it. Great fantasy world with solid and intriguing characters. I assume this is a start to a series and I cannot wait to read the rest.

[The Introverted Bookmark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Kiebel sure is a powerful writer! A little slow to start, but by the halfway point it was impossible to put down. The characters were well developed, and realistic. The storyline was intriguing, mysterious, haunting, and lyrical. Serenade is an absolute must-read for 2014.

[Karen Germain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lorelei is a freshman vocal student at a prestigious music college in Maine, when tragedy strikes. While her father is visiting her for the weekend, he is struck and killed by a car. As he is dying, Lorelei has an overwhelming urge to serenade him and she sings to him as the ambulances are arriving. Lorelei's mother has never been supportive of her decision to pursue music and with the family in mourning, she forbids Lorelei to return to school. Lorelei disobeys her mother and sneaks off to return to Maine, only to discover that she cannot concentrate on her classes. She receives a letter from a mysterious Great Aunt, who lives on Cape Cod, with an offer for Lorelei to visit indefinitely. Curious about her aunt and unable to cope with school, Lorelei takes off to meet the family that she has never known.

Without giving away any major plot twists, Emily Kiebel's Serenade is The Little Mermaid meets Final Destination. It's a strange mix that actually works. Keibel writes high energy action scenes and her book has a cinematic quality. It's often exciting and her writing makes it very clear to visualize. Plotting and action are Kiebel's strengths.

That said, Serenade was not my cup of tea.

I felt very disconnected from Lorelei at the start of the novel and I never got beyond that feeling. I often gravitate towards stories with grieving characters and I usually find them to be cathartic. However, Lorelei's grief did not mirror my own experiences and I just couldn't relate to her. She was whiny and entitled. Although her mother's coldness is explained, it rings false. I wanted a resolution between the mother and daughter. I wanted her icy exterior melted a bit. The characters often felt one-dimensional. This was especially true later in the story with the romance between Lorelei and Tyler. I just didn't buy into it.

Serenade is set to be the first in a series of books and that means that there isn't a total resolution at the end. The ending is rushed with a lot of explanations regarding supernatural elements in the world. Again, a set up for the coming book.The number of lose ends seemed more like a second book in a series, the book that is written in response to the overwhelming popularity of the first novel. Unfortunately, I was not left wanting more.

Like I said, this was not my cup of tea. I think this could appeal to YA audiences or people who like stories with fantasy elements. The story has a lot of creativity. I liked elements of Kiebel's writing, but overall, I didn't feel like the story gelled.

Like my review? Check out my blog!

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star read

Lorelei Clark is interested in becoming the best classically trained soprano she can become. She spent much of her childhood devoted to singing and becoming a better artist. When she was offered the opportunity to study at a small but prestigious conservatory in Maine she was ecstatic. Her mother was anything but happy and refused to even talk to Lorelei before and after she left for college. Lorelei's father had always been her most devoted supporter, and when he dies in a freak accident in her arms she is devastated. After her father's funeral she returns to school but her mind simply isn't on her studies. When she receives a letter from a maternal aunt, inviting her to come to Cape Cod, Lorelei thinks this may be the answer to her prayers. Within a few scant months, Lorelei had started college, suffered the traumatic death of her father, reconciled with her mother only to separate from her once again over a difference of opinion on Lorelei's future. Perhaps this visit to long-lost relatives to the Cape will provide just the distraction Lorelei needs and allow her to focus on her future.

Little does Lorelei know that her entire life will change after she arrives at her aunt's home in Cape Cod. First Lorelei is introduced to an aunt and cousins she never knew she had. Second she is told that her family lineage includes sirens. Her love of singing and water are part of her siren nature. To say that this is a little hard to swallow is putting it lightly. Adding insult to injury, Lorelei is told that she has to go on a mission to assist in the transition from life to death for a group of merchant marines on a cargo ship. This may be the biggest trial that Lorelei faces in life...or is it?

Serenade is not just a coming of age story, but a story of family, heritage and the idea of free will. Ms. Kiebel has deftly incorporated the mythic sirens into a story that also includes messengers, banshees, an Idis, the Elysienne, and even Valkyries. I found Serenade to be a rather fast-paced read. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first read the blurb and saw that the story included the rather fantastical element of sirens. Serenade is part coming-of-age, part fantasy, part heroic quest, and part self-realization/awareness with a touch of romance thrown into the mix. If you're looking for something a little different and enjoy reading YA or NA books, then you'll definitely want to add Serenade to your TBR list. (Trust me, you don't have to be a young/new adult in order to appreciate this story.) I can only hope that there will be more Lorelei stories coming in the future.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow your dreams… follow your destiny; that is what Lorelei is trying to do as she leaves home for college to pursue her singing career with mixed blessings from her parents. Her mother considers her singing career useless and is still brooding over the issue while her father has just picked her up for a week-long road trip, just the two of them. It happened so fast, there no time for thinking, one second her father was standing alongside the car watching Lorelei put on her sweatshirt and the next minute he was lying in a pool of blood. Car, gravel, sliding, this can’t be happening, yet here Lorelei stand over her father’s body singing a song for which the words just burst from her heart. Nothing is the same for Lorelei now, her spark has dimmed, she needs a break and there’s too much tension at home. A letter arrives in Lorelei’s mail at school, which unknown relatives reveal themselves to Lorelei. It’s amazing how relatives come out of the woodwork when you least expect them. Deciding to take a chance, she decides to visits them and she realizes that her mother had a past, a rich world that was not disclosed to her which consists of sirens, messengers, fates, and Idis. All these words and individuals are foreign words for Lorelei but as they are thoroughly explained to her, she soon is able to defer how they all are connected and where she fits in with it. Lorelei is told she comes from a long line of sirens, a family of women who tune their voices, listen for their calling and then sing their songs with purpose. It’s just not any song that they sing but songs to sing individuals to their deaths. This was all so exciting for me, thinking that Lorelei had finally found some family members she could bond with, somewhere she fit in and they were also connected by the gift of song. In Lorelei’s group, working together, were a group of women with a wide range in ages and a few men. I thought this combination was perfect, such a great variety, I felt it added intensity and gaiety to the story. The big kicker was that they lured people to their deaths, yeah not something to go bragging around about. I was having a hard time coping with this issue and I didn’t even have the gift. Lorelei was one of the gifted ones and she was troubled now, what was she to do? They are a special group of people, special people assigned to undergo this task when the job needs to be done but Lorelei has other questions about the job and she will stop at nothing until she gets the answers.
I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Laurie Treacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serenade started off a little slow, drawing my interest as I met this young woman named Lorelei as she auditioned. Her voice drew me in and I almost thought I was reading a YA or NA contemporary. But I knew better and I had read the synopsis. After tragedy claims someone close to her, the story began to pick up steam and by the time Lorelei went to visit her aunt, the intensity and the whole 'okay, what's going on?' vibe gripped me. I don't know much about sirens, but I found out along with Lorelei.

I found Emily Kiebel's debut novel haunting, gentle and quietly intense. Know the feeling when a ride goes up the track--that rocking, slightly jolting motion, and the anticipation increases, the wind begins to lick your face and suddenly the car reaches the top and you look down--that's what Serenade is like. The author takes the reader on Lorelei's journey as she tries to figure out the truth about her lovely singing voice, why her mom's so against her going to a music school, and about another side of her family she knew nothing about.

As a main character I thought Lorelei came across as more of a young adult than new adult voice. Her background and the way she was raised could explain away part of her naivete and innocence. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the mythology of the sirens, her aunt and her family, and Lorelei's love interest. I may not have been convinced by her mom, but as a whole the story was so engrossing I simply put the main character's old home life out of my mind and sat back to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. The story is easily and gorgeously visualized. Just having come back from vacationing in Maine, I of course loved the setting of Maine and Cape Cod.

Serenade mixes contemporary themes like coming of age, first love and family dynamics with the complexities of otherworldly creatures, mythology and the hero embarking on a journey. I really liked this new world created by Kiebel and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Sasha Hibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review *

Serenade by Emily Kiebel is a classic YA paranormal story of a Siren-in-Waiting, Lorelai. The author did an incredible job of mixing together Greek mythology and music to tell a haunting and enchanting tale of a Siren who finds herself caught up between doing what she's been trained to do or follow her heart and break the rules. Oh, the angst of it all!

I found Serenade to be an absolute breath of fresh air. The author's descriptive writing of the upper East Coast was brilliant and made me want very much to visit the area. The mixture of mythology and music was soul food. The romance in Serenade was one that kept me on the edge of my seat, flipping the pages, needing so desperately to find out what was going to happen next.

The secondary characters were great as well. I especially enjoyed reading about the aunts (other Sirens). This was a fresh voice that sung to me! Ms. Kiebel will pull you in much like the Siren's she writes about. For any fan of YA Paranormal's, here's one to snatch up quickly if you're looking for a satisfying read.

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

What could be categorized as a little fantastical or a little magic realism, this book was out of my wheelhouse, but I loved it! Lorelei Clark is a young girl who is testing the limits of her parents by going to a school for voice far away from her home town. Her father comes to visit and through an accident Lorelei is struck with tragedy and doesn't know what her future looks like for herself. In walks a great-aunt, an aunt and a cousin who take her in and show her her family's past to maybe inspire her for her future.

As the back of the book spoils it, I will give the news that Lorelei learns she is from a long family line of sirens. As I haven't read a book about sirens and don't know much about "fantastical" characters, I really enjoyed learning with Lorelei what good sirens are really about. The reader also learns about when sirens go rogue! I am not usually a fantasy fan, but I enjoyed that at the heart of the story is a real human girl who is trying to decide what kind of future she wants for herself. It was a coming of age with a bit of a twist!

[Dodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lorelei Clark has her whole life ahead of her - despite her mother's protestations, her goal is to become a famous soprano, using her natural gift to bring both herself and others great joy. Then her father dies, and everything changes. When an invitation to join her aunt in Cape Cod appears out of nowhere, she accepts. Before long, she discovers that the women in her family also have a unique gift - they are sirens, charged with the task of singing sailors to their death.

When Lorelei challenges fate by rescuing a handsome seaman, her universe becomes disturbed and unpredictable. Like many YA novels, Serenade includes an examination of ethics or order - do what you are told to do, or not; accept the world as it is, or not.

Kiebel's debut novel is rich in imagery, legend, and romance. The close leaves me believing that this is the first book in a trilogy, leaving many more adventures ahead for Lorelei and Tyler.

[Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did I enjoy this book: Not really. I wanted to, but it just missed the mark for me.

This is my first book about sirens, a very interesting subject matter that I would like to read more books about. The story is set up well, and there is some explanation about the sirens and what they do. There are rogue sirens that are turned into banshees. There are messengers who have the premonitions of the deaths to come and let their sirens know when they will be needed. All the makings of a great story are here.

But here’s the thing: the story was just too slow and kind of boring for me. I didn’t really care if I picked it up and read it. It didn’t matter. It didn’t call to me. It didn’t grab my attention. I finished it because I was hoping for the end to grab me and let me know why I read this book. I wanted more history and education of Lorelei. (I love her name, by the way. Great choice!) I wanted less beginning, or maybe some different beginning parts. I didn’t want the insta-love in this case. It didn’t fit. I wanted more from Lorelei. She’s in college but didn’t act like it. She was locked in an attic, but then let it go quickly. She found out this crazy thing about herself — that she is a siren — and there was little rejection or acceptance of that fact by her. Her relationship with her mother was awful and not fully explained. I did like that she questioned the purpose of sirens, that she didn’t want to help people die if she could save them. I liked that a lot, because their purpose is kind of depressing. And I didn’t like the thought of not trying to save those who could potentially be saved.

The book ends in a cliffhanger. I won’t read the sequel.

Would I recommend it: Sure, because I think this is a book some people will really enjoy. It just didn’t engage me enough.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

http://everyfreechance.com/2014/10/ch...

[Echo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serenade is the story of Lorelei. After her father is killed, Lorelei receives a letter from a long lost aunt that her mother refuses to speak about. Seeking solace, Lorelei travels to visit her aunt and learns of an inherited family secret; she's one in a family of sirens.

Serenade had an interesting premise. Girl meets long lost family. Girl learns she's a creature she assumed to be myth. My problem with it was that the entire book should have been condensed in half then about 75% longer. It was so long and drawn out, I had problems sticking with it to the end. Although, the storyline, and the magical elements piecing together the mythological and the modern are well thought-out and actually make sense. Kiebel weaves a fantasy element into the present and makes it feel as if it's possible. That's the mark of a good storyteller.

I am happy to hear that there will be more to come in Lorelei's story, because I'm really interested in finding out more about how her mother fits into the whole picture.

I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shaped or influenced my opinion.

[Britt Marczak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review


This book was soooo slowwww. I honestly kept falling asleep and/or wanting to pick up another book without finishing this one. The first ~25% could have easily been condensed into a page of backstory so we could start where the real story picks up: Lorelei meeting her Siren family and her journey with them.

I could never believe that she was in college, either. This was labeled as YA, and the tone is absolutely YA. I kept thinking she was in high school. I wish the writing had been stronger, too. Dialogue is pointless and stiff, and the characters not fully developed. I skimmed through a lot, but never got invested in the story or characters. :/

Nothing had me hooked and coming back for more. This just wasn't for me.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Read using Kindle Unlimited)

I was looking forward to this book, but it really dragged.

I felt quite sorry for Lorelei at the start of this book, but I wanted her to stick up for her beliefs a bit more as the book went on. I have to say I was pleased when she finally stood up to her relations over what they expected her to do.

The storyline in this was okay, but I lost interest. The pacing was way off, and the story just dragged. Lorelei did finally choose to do something, but it took so long to happen I started to get bored. There were too many unnecessary details, and I found the whole thing a little predictable.
There was romance, but I wasn’t really interested.

The ending was really open, and it didn’t feel like much of an ending. Is there going to be a sequel to this book? I can’t seem to find out anywhere, and this ending just seems too open to really be the end?
6 out of 10.

[Briana Pacheco · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read but it felt so YA for me. And that ending...GAWD! The story-line was kind of slow so I had to keep reading to finally get to the main attraction which dragged for me also. I know this sounds negative but I wish we got to the point earlier on so I could enjoy it more.

It's worth a read if Siren books interest you!

Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[vvb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating

Starts out as a mellow slow paced story that introduces the world of sirens and power of the Song.

I liked learning about the differences between sirens, banshees and mermaids. Other entities were also mentioned that figure into this world.

The last quarter of the book has some action scenes and interesting reveals.

Also included, a touch of romance.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Savannah
Cover Story: Sure
BFF Charm: Meh
Swoonworthy Scale: -5
Talky Talk: Mamma Mia
Bonus Factors: Mermaids
Anti-Bonus Factor: Instalove
Relationship Status: Let’s Just Be Friends

Read the full book report here.

[Kinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 stars but the ending left something to be desired for me. It was too abrupt and let so much hanging. I would have liked to see a bit of the excess regular happenings cut out and another chapter to wrap up the ending better instead.

[Lauren Hammes · Rating 4 out of 5]

it wasn't a real 'at the edge of my seat exciting' story but it was the perfect book to get me out of a reading slump. I enjoyed it and thought it was very well written.