The Siren

By: Kiera Cass

Narrated by: Arielle DeLisle

Length: 7 hrs

Publisher's summary

From Kiera Cass, number-one New York Times best-selling author of the Selection series, comes a captivating standalone fantasy romance.

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human - a kind, handsome boy who's everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger...but Kahlen can't bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

©2016 Kiera Cass (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Sweet and imaginative

I love the concept of this story and it wasn’t too bad. Great narration, for sure! I heard this is her 1st book before Selection series (which I couldn’t finish book 1 on that series). Nevertheless, I am into fairytales & my favorite is The Little Mermaid. This is somewhat a re-tell with a modern twist. It was quite slow and at times, you are learning along the way the mythology of the sirens of the sea. It was quite different, interesting, & sweet but still good. If you want to read something way beyond your limit of imagination especially in fantasy world and a very easy& light read, this is for you.

Did Alright Until the End

I generally had a pleasant time listening to this novel as an audiobook.

The mythical aspect of the life of a siren and the conflicted nature of the Ocean was intriguing. I actually would have liked to learn more about Kahlen's previous sisters and what they were like. I was surprised that they didn't leave like a "How To" manual for the next sisters to take on the mantel of a siren. There seems like there could have been so much more to explain, so many machinations to explore. I was way more interested in the life and previous lives of the sirens that I really didn't care for the romance.

Speaking of the romance...

Let's just say that there's some dues ex machina going on.

I would have liked to have more insight from Kahlen's sisters, and I wouldn't have minded if this book had multiple perspectives. The Sirens' and the Ocean's. I just...there were so many questions that weren't answered. A whole world that was barely scratched upon. Like, since there are sirens, what else is around that just so happens to be mythical? Throw out that sad, sad romance and get to the real, gritty stuff, please!

(But you know, as much as I wasn't for the romance, that doesn't mean Akinli wasn't a sweet, awesome character.)

And just real quick, does becoming a siren mean that the girls' mental states are stuck as a girl? Because if I was almost 100-years-old, I wouldn't be referencing myself as a girl or a kid. Just saying. That also made it a little weird when Kahlen used the word "boy" for Akinli. I mean, at this point he's at least 18 or older. Wouldn't he be called a man? I don't know. Don't look at me. I'm just confused. Aaah!

All in all, the book was okay. I would have liked to have more history and context. More world building. Just more. Anyway *shrugs* not bad.

Kiera Cass does it again

The Siren isn't your typical siren book and I like that about it. The characters are complex and you really feel like you are in the book with them. The narrator was great as well, able to convey different charters easily. Love love loved it

I really enjoyed this book finished it in 3 days!

Had a hard time putting it down. As a marine scientist, her love for the ocean was easy to understand and feel.

Siren or mermaid?

When the myths of the sirens meet the story of the little mermaid. A very entertaining read that started off mild and I struggled a bit to get into it, but when I was into it, the story developed into something different that you did not expect.

Melodious. Magical. Mesmerizing.

Once again, Cass stuns me by taking my perceptions of this book and turning it on it’s head! What a delightfully different story. She is the personification of the warning not to judge a book by its cover.

⚖️ Plot: I was envisioning mermaids drowning unsuspecting men, but boy was I wrong. Every opportunity to be cliche was dashed to pieces by each twisting turn. Whilst the book was short as usual, it was packed with amazing detail and story.

🗺 World: The setting is contemporary as always, but so magical none the less. This is one of the most unique qualities I admire about Cass. And the gorgeous voices of Arielle DeLisle brings it so beautifully to life. This is no small feat with her having to embody the qualities of the Ocean as well.

💑 Characters: Besides her spectacular name, Kahlen is a lovely character. She is a breath of fresh air, naivety, inexperience and all. Just like Akinli. These are not my typical favorite type of characters, but it was a magical combination. Her sisters absolutely balance out the book topped off by the Ocean herself. I’m so happy to have had this book in my list!

Sweet Paranormal Romance

This was a touching young adult/teen paranormal romance. The author really made a point to wrap up any loose ends, which provided for a satisfying ending. I can't say that I loved the ocean as she was portrayed in this book, but I understood why it was done this way. It's stated plainly that there have been no other Sirens like Khalin, though I'm not sure how true that is. But it takes a certain type of person to live like that, so maybe. I'd be interested in reading this book with a non romance focus. Or maybe another book set in the same universe. There are several potentially interesting topics to explore in regards to Siren lore. Interesting spin on Sirens.

The audio version has a very young narrator, which was new for me. But a young narrator fits the main character's voice. In the end, she sounds like she needs to gain some more experience to be really good. But she wasn't terrible - I've suffered through much worse narration. She just sounded rushed and needs to remember that narrating a book is not the same as reading aloud the way you read in your head.

Love it!

Great story that keeps moving loved it :) it is a good book to cuddle up in a blanket and listen to with a cup of tea and just relax.

Love

I fell in love with The selection series and when I heard that Kira Casted had another book I was excited to read it so far I've listen to it four times and read it to and it's one of the most amazing book ever and I fell in love with these character stories when she writes these books they make you feel like you're living in that something only some others can do which is why I love her work

i loved this story. im a sucker for romance!

loved it! i love mystical creatures and a combination of romance. i heard most 4 hours of it on a plane ride and i couldnt put it down. this was the only time that i wished that the plane ride was longer, so i could finish the book.