Lost Voices

After 14-year-old Luce is nearly raped on the cliffs of an isolated Alaskan village, she falls into the ocean--and is transformed into a mermaid. As Julia Whelan narrates these opening scenes, the listener hears the courage in Luce that is waiting to surface. Underwater, Luce encounters a group of mermaids--also lost girls who were betrayed when they were humans. Leaders Caterina and Annaliese vibrate with outrage in Whelan's narration, and even the minor characters come through clearly. The mermaids take pleasure in killing seafarers by enticing them to sail into dangerous waters. Luce is horrified at the actions of her new friends. Whelan's narration allows listeners hear the mermaids' music without any need for special effects. The first book of a projected trilogy balances the warmth of resolution with a new and beckoning horizon. M.C.T. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

May 23, 2011
In debut novelist Porter's bleak take on mermaids, first in a trilogy, the creatures are born out of human abuse and neglect. Luce is an unwanted orphan, living with her alcoholic uncle on the Alaska coast. When he tries to rape her, Luce simply gives up and slides away, falling off a cliff. She awakens singing in the ocean, watching strangers drown as a ship sinks. There are other singers nearby, who bully Luce, answer her questions, and welcome her in a way her peers on land never did. A mermaid's life turns out to be even more brutal than the one Luce left, but now the brutality is directed elsewhereâat humankind. Still, Luce's conscience rebels, and she seeks some way to resolve the beauty of a mermaid's song with the horror of a siren's role. Porter's narrative style suits her oceanic theme; the vivid colors and particularities of life are smoothed away to plain clarity. Luce thinks about her world in ways that read much younger than her 14 years, but the simplicity of the style makes the darkness of the story more tolerable. Ages 12âup.

December 1, 2011

This first installment in a trilogy by debut author Porter tells the story of 14-year-old Luce, who after a horrific event transforms into a mermaid and finds an unusual home with a tribe of other mermaids. This, however, is not the Disney version of a mermaid's tale. It paints a darker picture of these alluring creatures, where young women become sea nymphs after suffering unspeakable tragedies and then lure humans to their death with their haunting voices. Luce discovers that she now has strength, beauty, and an extraordinary voice but, despite her horrible past, dislikes using her newfound talents for harm. Julia Wheelan successfully narrates an entire cast of characters, from the strong Queen Catarina to the self-absorbed Anaise. This audiobook will appeal to older teens and Twilight fans looking for a change from vampires and werewolves.--Theresa Horn, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN

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