Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Faithful fans of the Selection series can dive into this Little Mermaid-esque story, originally self-published in 2009, but revised for its rerelease. After a shipwreck kills Kahlen's parents, she is rescued from drowning by the sentient Ocean herself, but must serve for 100 years as a siren, using her beauty and otherworldly voice to lure humans to horrible deaths at sea. Kahlen detests her macabre work but finds some contentment with her siren sisters, until she unexpectedly falls in love with a guileless human, Akinli. Since sirens can't age, speak, or marry, their romance seems doomed. Kahlen and Akinli are playfully cute, but the chemistry is missing, and readers may question why Kahlen risks so much for a guy she barely knows. The siren world is fascinating if somewhat underdeveloped-e.g. how do these girls have endless amounts of money to use in the human world? However, the sisterly bond between the sirens is touching, and Kahlen is sweet, if docile. Despite the story's weaknesses, Cass seeds it with enough intrigue to keep readers curious about how this hopeless love affair will play out. Ages 13-up. Agent: Elana Roth Parker, Red Tree Literary. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Kahlen still has trouble adjusting to the life of a siren. After becoming a siren 80 years ago, she is still unable to subdue the disgust and shame she feels while taking innocent lives in order to feed the Ocean. The Ocean is a motherly being who feeds off lives that drown in her waters. Sirens are the few young women whose lives she saves from death in order to keep her fed. Ocean cares intensely for Kahlen. However, when the protagonist falls in love with Akinli, a human boy, her responsibility to care for her sisters (also sirens) and the Ocean becomes a complicated task. Her sisters, along with the Ocean, watch her soul and body deteriorate the longer she is away from Akinli, who appreciates the true Kahlen, aside from her beauty and silence. Overall, the heroine is a meek character, but her muddled past, thoughts, and actions make her slightly interesting. Teens will appreciate her passion for her relationships-whether romantic or sisterly. Secondary characters aren't as intriguing or fully developed. Despite these shortcomings, the novel is fairly well written and offers a twist on Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" that romance fans will enjoy. VERDICT A satisfactory purchase for libraries with a strong and faithful Cass fan base.-Briana Moore, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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