Lost Voices

  What happens to the girls nobody sees—the ones who are ignored, mistreated, hidden away? The girls nobody hears when they cry for help?

  Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

This book was.. Beautiful, disturbing, hauntingly addictive. I could go on and on. 

Sarah Porter took Mermaid and Siren lore and twisted it into something that left me.. at lost for words at times. 

In this story mermaids are girls who have had some of the harshest of lives. The ones who feel unloved, unwanted and broken. The lives of these girls will break your heart, and make you understand in part why they turn their hatred and magic on the ships and their passengers. These girls band together like a family, and Luce thinks she finally has a place she belongs. 


The story has a darkness about it that cannot be ignored, not just in the idea of Luce and her friends singing people to their watery graves. But in the characters and their stories. Mermaids of ALL ages, 17 year olds who dealt with the ugliness of the world for so long.. to the Larvae--- Babies.. infants.. toddlers.. those cast aside too soon in life. Outcast and struggling to survive.


Some of the things in this book may not be for the faint of heart. No it does not go into detail.. but I have a vivid imagination.. and some of this story took a toll on me. 


Luce tries to fight her siren urges. She doesn't want to be a heartless killer, but it's in her nature. In trying to change the way the Mermaids use their songs Luce gains some enemies. From the Queen mermaid who saved her life, to a annoying.. spoiled.. and...just horrible new mermaid who could jeopardize everything they have.

While I want to simply Rave about this book.. I have to hold back. There were a few things that bothered me in the back of my mind.. 

Sometimes there was a bit too much detail.. I loved the descriptions of  the mermaids voices when they sang, and how Luce begins to hone its magic. But at times it was overkill. there is also a point in the middle where the story seems to drag.. and not much happens, and then suddenly out of nowhere, new main character! It felt rushed. 

But then oh how I loved to hate that new character. 

I also felt some of the ideas were a bit overly harsh.. I felt that.. even if it did make sense for the characters to act a certain way... I feel like a little bit more "humanity" should have been left in them. And some parts made me hate the characters as they turned away from creatures in need. ( You will understand what I mean if you read the book haha ) 


Overall I really loved this book. Especially after learning its a trilogy! I am hoping some of the issues I had with it will be resolved in the next book. 


For fans of fantasies and fairy tales with dark twists and harsh realism. And of course Mermaids. 

Rating: 4.5/5 .. So close

**Warning** This book does talk about the subject of rape and abuse

The series 

                                July 3rd 2012                                     The Twice Lost                                                                                                                                            July 2013     

                  

Thanks to the wonderful Multnomah County Library for having this book in stock!

Original Language: English
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: July 4, 2011
ISBN: 0547482507
Page Count: 304 

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