The Siren

February 22, 2016
Faithful fans of the Selection series can dive into this Little Mermaidâesque story, originally self-published in 2009, but revised for its rerelease. After a shipwreck kills Kahlenâs 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 canât 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 underdevelopedâe.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 storyâs weaknesses, Cass seeds it with enough intrigue to keep readers curious about how this hopeless love affair will play out. Ages 13âup. Agent: Elana Roth Parker, Red Tree Literary.