Lost Voices Review

Title: Lost Voices
Author: Sarah Porter
Publisher: Harcourt
Published: July 4, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives.

Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

Luce has lived a life that no child should ever live through in her fourteen years. After losing her father in a terrible accident, Luce has been living with her abusive uncle, waiting for the days to run out so she can have an inkling of peace. But when the abuse becomes too much, Luce can't take it anymore, and she decides to take her peace, no matter the cost. Dead doesn't happen though. Luce finds herself in a world of girls just like herself. Abandoned by the world, they've become powerful enough to seek their vengeance, and they never need company besides each other again. The urge to kill, however, is powerful, and Luce has to decide whether she can finally fit in, or if the cost is too much for her to bear.

Lost Voices is the first book in a planned trilogy about a world of lost girls who become beautiful, ethereal beings hell-bent on seeking revenge against the world for the sins committed against them in life. By the cover, I expected a pretty love story, a sweet touch of paranormal and an overall saccharin tone. I was wrong. Lost Voices tackles dark issues with ease, baring the depth of the human soul, the righteousness within each of us and our ability to rise up and raise our voices. Sarah Porter has skillfully woven a tale with a strong message and theme for all of today's youth while creating a haunting visual story of a girl who has lost it all, but has the chance to get it back at a cost.

I'm the worst person when it comes to judging books by their covers, so when I first saw Lost Voices, I wasn't too excited. After peeking at a few reviews though, I was excited to hear about the dark undertones of the story. Luce has been sucked into a world of beauty that is tinged with death and malice. I loved the twist on her story, and I loved that her transformation rocked straight into a terrible but hauntingly beautiful action sequence, keeping the story moving. The strongest suit about Luce was her humanity - the soul she retained even as a mermaid. That said, it bothered me at times that Luce was able to simply follow the rules of the mermaids and not speak up when she saw the wrongs being committed. I wanted more from her. I'm hoping the sequel to Lost Voices will tackle her personal growth. That said, the shifts in Luce's almost rabid desire to be loved to a pathological need for inner peace were very well-done and believable. I will admit that while he other mermaids were intriguing, they a bit forgettable for the most part. Caterina, the Queen, was the one who I remembered most. The pacing and imagery of Lost Voices was gorgeous and mesmerizing, and honestly, the only part of the story that bugged me a bit was that it was almost too thematic, if you know what I mean. I want a theme, but I don't want it to leap from every page - I want it enmeshed in the story.

All in all, despite seeing a lot of iffy reviews, I quite liked Lost Voices, and I enjoy that it's set itself apart from other such books on the market today. It's a bit darker than it looks, and it's not for the weak-hearted, which I enjoyed. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, as well as Upper MG reads, especially those who enjoy strong themes of self-discovery and dark tones, as well as a blend of contemporary and paranormal fiction.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.