Review by Booklist Review
With her parents divorcing, 16-year-old Sirena travels from Texas to Rhode Island to spend the summer with her Aunt Ellie at her seaside home. Though she misses her friend Marissa, she is soon distracted, and later obsessed, by gorgeous, enigmatic lifeguard Pilot, and she is puzzled by his inexplicable gifts: he resuscitates a seemingly drowned man and weirdly appears whenever he is needed. There are other mysteries, too, like Sirena's vivid, disturbing dreams and her possibly haunted bedroom. While at the beach, Sirena meets elderly artist Antonio, who provides friendship and inspiration. But the ocean holds secrets and unforeseen dangers, including an incident that jeopardizes Sirena's life. Ultimately, her summer experience proves transformative in diverse, sometimes mystical ways. Incorporating suspense, fantasy, and romance, this entertaining read interweaves issues of self-esteem with family issues and coping with change. Though events can be confusing chronologically, and occasionally elements are predictable, the descriptive prose and some well-drawn supporting characters, especially nature-lover Ellie and Antonio, make for an escape that paranormal romance fans will especially enjoy.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-The longing to hook up with a hottie is what fuels many a teenager's angst. The Lifeguard starts off hot: the French idiom la petit mort and how it corresponds to the English "orgasm" drives an early conversation between Sirena and her best friend, Marissa. Artistic Sirena has a crush on gorgeous lifeguard Pilot, whom she meets when her divorcing parents ship her from Texas to her Aunt Ellie's Rhode Island beach house for the summer. Marissa's humor and common sense make her a believable antagonist to Sirena's swooning and self-absorption through her letters. But her crush on Pilot gets lost in other subplots involving haunted houses and haunted pasts that strain credibility. Connections between teen love and previous heartbreak seem forced. The past rests heavily on Pilot, and waiting to find out just what it reveals is Sirena's preoccupation, rendering her so passive that it's not really her fault that she isn't more compelling. Aunt Ellie, a writer with a handsome and empathetic boyfriend, becomes the most interesting character by default. Her casual lifestyle translates into an acceptance of her somewhat uptight niece as an adult: that's one challenge Sirena's needed all along.-Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While her parents are splitting up, Sirena spends the summer at her aunt's Rhode Island beach house. Her stay is marked by unexplainable phenomena, such as the presence of ghosts and the healing powers of Pilot, a hot lifeguard. The heavy-handed narration doesn't create a convincing romance between god-like Pilot and ordinary Sirena, though the novel's mystical elements may entice readers. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Paranormal romance. 12 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
