Book Review: The Siren by Kiera Cass

Hello Everyone!

I read the whole Selection series and for some reason waited a while to finally pick up The Siren, Kiera Cass’s first novel. I was pretty excited to read this because, I love Kiera Cass, she’s a great author and her books are nothing if not readable, also because Sirens/Mermaids and all that folklore has always fascinated me.

Summary: The Ocean needs to feed herself, which is why she employs five beautiful young women to be Her Sirens. Her Sirens sing about every six months, sinking boats, drowning passengers and leaving no survivors. New Sirens are chosen during these sinkings and are kept in service 100 years, their voices kill so they only speak to each other, despite the fact they integrate with society the rest of the time. Kahlen become a Siren in the 1920’s, now in modern day she only has about 10 years to go. Kahlen has never been like her sister Sirens and struggles with taking innocent lives, even if it is for the Ocean, who treats them like daughters. While they are staying in a college town off the Miami coast, Kahlen meets Akinli, a cute college student with a bright smile. Soon the unimaginable happens, Kahlen  begins to fall in love.

“Am I talking too much?” He paused, staring into my eyes, genuine worry coloring his face.
I shook my head. No, I thought, I’d listen to you talk about nearly anything. You make phone calls sound like an adventure.”
― Kiera Cass, The Siren

What I liked: Kiera Cass has a great style, I was instantly hooked in and wanted to find out what happened next every time I finished a chapter. I am a sucker for love stories and this one didn’t disappoint. Akinli and Kahlen were amazing together, they had a very natural chemistry and it didn’t seem like insta love at all. I loved them together and separatley, they were both good characters! I really liked The Siren sisterhood, growing up with lots of sisters and being really close with them, I love reading about sisters like that. Overall I loved the romance, the main characters and the writing was engaging.

What I didn’t like: I had a really big problem with the Ocean character. I felt she was supposed to be a sympathetic sort of misunderstood villain, but I wasn’t convinced. I found her extremely controlling, jealous and cruel. She didn’t choose to kill all these people that was just what she had to do to survive, but I felt like that plot was underdeveloped and it just seemed like a bad excuse. I also couldn’t stand the Siren Padma. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the life she had where she was abused and murdered by her own family, but she literally couldn’t let go of any of her bitterness and the only thing that helped her was to then go and kill them. Like I said, that’s some unimaginable stuff, but I felt like her storyline had a message, that vengance and taking a life for a life will give you peace and resolution to previous darkness and that really bothered me.

“…simply being alive was not enough to be called living”

-Kahlen
― Kiera Cass, The Siren

Overall, it was a good read. I was interested and enjoyed reading it, but there were a lot of big plot points I didn’t like at all. I don’t regret reading it, but I don’t see myself wanting to pick it up again anytime soon.

You probably will like this book if:

• You like Siren/Mermaid folklore and theme
• You want a cute love story
• You want something easy to read
• You want something with a unique setting

You probably won’t like this book if:

• You don’t like Sirens (duh)
• You don’t want to read something with darker themes

 

Have you read this book?

Did you like this book or The Selection better?