Siren Sisters

November 1, 2016
On the cusp of her 13th birthday, reluctant siren-in-training Lorelei Salt, who soon will be joining her sisters in luring ships to their dooms with their glorious singing, finds herself responsible for destroying the Sea Witch's curse and saving her sisters' lives in this debut novel set in present-day Maine.Lolly's mother, a member of the Penobscot nation, recently died in an accident, and her Jewish father is unmoored in his grief, playing his folk songs late at night and living in the apartment above the family's diner while the girls manage on their own. When not in school or running the diner, Lolly's three beautiful older sisters are under the control of the Sea Witch, a centuries-old outsider from Barbados who calls the girls to wreck ships. Lolly contends not only with a mean girl and a budding romance, but also with the bright green scales swirling up her legs and her hair turning platinum. When her best friend's bullying, racist stepfather captures her sisters in nets, Lolly discovers why they have traded their souls and attempts to reverse the curse--at great expense to herself. Purposeful messages for inclusion and against stereotyping are scattered throughout. Touching on family relationships, grieving, growing up, first romance, and Norse mythology, this is an exciting fantasy with a heart-stopping ending by an author to watch. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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Starred review from January 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Lolly Salt is living a double life. By day she fights exhaustion and acts like a normal middle school student, but at night she must follow her three beautiful older sisters as they are called by the Sea Witch to destroy fishing vessels using their magical siren song. Not yet a siren herself, Lolly will become one as soon as she turns 13, a fate she is desperate to avoid. Then a bigger problem arises when her best friend Jason's stepdad uses magic to trap her sisters and kidnap them, leaving only Lolly and Jason to save them. Woven into this compelling story are interesting ideas about good and bad and how people become who-or what-they are. As she tries to save her sisters, Lolly learns the devastating truth about why they became sirens in the first place. She must also uncover the origins of the Sea Witch, a quest that takes her back to the dark history of early American witch trials. Despite the serious subject matter, the characters are likable and the story proceeds with a light touch. VERDICT Beautifully written and vividly told, this is an excellent choice for thoughtful readers and a vehicle for classroom discussion.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

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