Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1) in Once Upon a Twilight blog

Apr 10, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids added it

Shelves: arcs, 2011-release, mundie-moms-reviews, 2011-debut-authors

I don't know what it is about summer time reading that makes want to read a mermaid book, but it does. When I was offered the chance to read and review Lost Voices I was really looking forward to it, but it was not at all what I was excepting. Lost Voices is a very dark, raw, and at times an emotionally gripping read with a unique paranormal twist. Sarah Porter takes some very sensitive topics and gives her broken, abused, unloved, unwanted female characters an out from their emotionally, painfu I don't know what it is about summer time reading that makes want to read a mermaid book, but it does. When I was offered the chance to read and review Lost Voices I was really looking forward to it, but it was not at all what I was excepting. Lost Voices is a very dark, raw, and at times an emotionally gripping read with a unique paranormal twist. Sarah Porter takes some very sensitive topics and gives her broken, abused, unloved, unwanted female characters an out from their emotionally, painful lives by turning them into mermaids.

I don't know if I was more shocked at some of the horrible things some the girls in endured while they were human, or how malicious many of them became as mermaids. In some cases I could sympathize with that, but I was hoping that by escaping the human life it would have made many of them change. The story itself is heartbreaking, especially for the story's main character Luce who's had to grow up in a broken family and on the run. Her mother died when she was born, and her father was constantly taking her on the run with him until his brother convinces him to settle down in their home town, a fishing village in Alaska. Everything changes when she father doesn't return from a fishing trip and she's forced to stay with an uncle who despises her and ultimately does something that sends Luce into the sea, searching for away to escape what she's just dwelt with.

One of the things I liked about what Sarah does with her story is how she incorporates music with the mermaids, and the way it helped Luce find her voice, and in a way helps her heal. Luce is a character who annoyed me at times, and other times I felt bad for. I wanted to help her escape the hand she was dwelt in life, and upon becoming a mermaid, Luce becomes a stronger character in my eyes since she's constantly battling the need to give into her siren side, and the urge to do whats right. With the tougher topics Sarah tackles in her story, I was surprised at how well the story flows, and how real some of the events felt. To say I was a little shocked to read about the horrible, unthinkable things that happen to many of the girls in the story would be an understatement. It's heartbreaking to read about this and normally I would have stopped reading it, but Sarah helped me to understand the girls and why they turned into the vengeful mermaids they became. I couldn't blame them for feeling the way they did, and really, I couldn't except them to act any differently.

Despite having a hard time with the subject matter of the story, I got to a point where I wanted to know how some of the characters would turn out. I didn't get the closure I wanted with all of them with the story's abrupt ending, but I can only assume that Sarah will provide more closure as the series progresses. Lastly, I liked how the story's setting plays a big part in the story. It not only helps with the feel of the story, but Sarah's vivid details helped make it come alive, and it wasn't hard to envision each place. This is a dark story with a lot of very sensitive topics and things that happen through out it. There is hope with Luce, as she learns she's the only one who can determine her outcome in letting go, moving on and finding strength from within. This is a story that won't be for everyone, and it's one I'd recommend to older teen readers. ...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Jodie rated it really liked it

This book was my first mermaid book l have read, since now l have never been interested in reading one so this book was kind of make and break for me as to whether l would be reading more mermaid books in the future.
My first thought when l picked up this book was ‘Oh no, they are using the same name for the main character as a book l have read recently’ (Fallen) This can be really distracting and you can find yourself thinking back to the other book and characters, especially if that book was a ...more

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