Book Type: Novel Author: Lisa Papademetriou Pages:
Book 1) 288
Book 2) 243
Summary(goodreads.com): Nothing has been the same for Will ever since what happened last summer. One day, on an ordinary sailing trip with his brother, there is a strange accident. When Will wakes up, he learns his brother has disappeared, presumed drowned. Worst of all, Will can't remember what happened—his family finds him unconscious, with no memory of the accident. Now Will and his best friend and neighbor, Gretchen, are starting a new summer. Gretchen seems troubled—her sleepwalking habit is getting worse, and she keeps waking up closer and closer to the water. Will is drawn to Asia, the exotic new girl in town. Nobody knows where she's from—all Will knows is that her beauty and her mesmerizing voice have a powerful effect on people. Then there is another mysterious drowning, and Will and Gretchen begin to wonder: Is Asia just another beautiful, wealthy summer resident? Or is she something entirely more sinister . . . and inhuman? My Review:
Book 1- Siren's Storm: Have you ever read a book that just gave you the creeps, but in a good way? This book totally gave me goosebumps! Sirens who visit our world are depicted as creepy and sinister, and this book had a
psychological thriller tone throughout the entire novel. Each chapter starts off with newspaper article clippings about weird events that take place around the town, such as artwork being stolen and vandalism. People are missing, secrets are hidden, and as you continue to read this book, you slowly unravel the mystery. The imagery in this book was great, and I pictured all the creepy stuff perfectly!
Since this book also takes place on Long Island, where I was born and raised, I was curious to see how Papademetriou would portray Long Island teenagers. Although the female dialogue was perfect and includes all the "likes" that Long Island girls say, the male dialogue was a little too surfer-dude-ish. However, I did have some problems with the first book. The reader will instantly pick up that Asia is a siren (seriously guys, I can't even say spoiler alert). There was also quite a bit of violence that readers might not be comfortable with.
Book 2- Fury's Fire:
I felt like after the first book, Will all of a sudden gets feelings for Gretchen, and there was no progression in their relationship. He's also a bit of a creep for a boyfriend. He would sit and look out the window waiting until she came home late at night... watch out Gretchen, the guy is a total weirdo! These two have such a weird relationship. One minute, they're lovey dovey, then the next minute they act like best friends and then go back to holding hands. It's so fake. Although I did love the main theme of the book, which is nothing on the planet is permanent, and that there are constant changes we need to adapt to, such as death, the second book was a bit... anti-climatic. I loved the drama and suspension, but it just didn't do much for me. I give this series (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie