Review Wednesday: The Siren by Kiera Cass

Title: The Siren
Author: Kiera Cass

1st Date of Publication: January 26, 2016

ISBN: 9780062391995
# of Pages: 327

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Age Rating: 13

Buy it on Amazon

Book Description:
Love is a risk worth taking.

Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny…and Kahlen doesn’t want to.

Falling in love with a human breaks all the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

Setting: 21st Century, All over the world near the oceans
Point of View: 1st person- Kahlen 

Goodreads Rating: 3.81

My Rating: 4.25

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both

View on the Cover: The dress on the cover is beautiful and so is the girl in it even though you can't see the girl's face. I made me wonder why. Maybe it's because she is supposed to be unseen or is too beautiful and mesmerizing to look at.
View on Title:  Sirens are awesome mythical feminine creatures who have very beautiful voices that seduce people, specifically men, into the ocean where they drown. My assumption is that the protagonist is a siren.

Pros:

• This book is basically a retelling of "The Little Mermaid," which is good but not the best fairy tale retelling I've read.
• I love Greek mythology and this involves beautiful sea creatures who carry beautiful voices. The interesting part is that the sirens in this book not only have the ability to seduce men but also women to their deaths.
• I enjoy Kahlen's character. She is very defiant but for good reason and has to learn how to fight for what she wants in life.
• I really enjoyed that the setting was not in one specific place, which added a lot of diversity to the book and kept the reader on their toes.
• There is a character with my name in the book, which I never see so I got really excited that I discovered it.
• I loved how Aisling was the hidden rebel in all of this. She was able to try the Ocean that she left everything behind but actually managed to keep everything throughout the novel.
• There was a huge sisterhood sort of idea where the sirens helped each other get assimilated to each siren's new life. It's an aspect of young adult literature that is not seen very much.

Cons:

• I wasn't fond of the siren sentence since it is basically imprisonment for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It does not seem so bad 
• The romance in the book seemed really cliche as Kahlen cannot live to be a siren since she has fallen for a human that she will not be able to see when her siren sentence is over.

Critics' Reviews:

“A twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ that romance fans will enjoy.” -School Library Journal
“An engrossing tale reminiscent of Shannon Hale’s Princess Academy and Ally Condie’s Matched. Fairy-tale lovers will lose themselves in America’s alternate reality and wish that the next glamorous sequel were waiting for them.” -School Library Journal

“A real page-turner. Romance, royalty, and revolution in a reality-show format serve Cass’ boldly rendered heroine well in her quest for justice and love.” -ALA Booklist
“Deliciously entertaining.” -Publishers Weekly

Kiera Cass's Website:

http://www.kieracass.com/

 

Other Recommendations:
The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter