Lost Voices

Reviewed by Cathy Peterson

Just the Facts: by Sarah Porter 7-2011 Harcourt books

Verdict: ★★★☆☆

Who Cares? FICTION – JUVENILE: Family & Everyday Life: Family
FICTION – JUVENILE: Family & Everyday Life: Social Issues
FICTION – JUVENILE: Gender-Specific: Girls & Women
FICTION – JUVENILE: Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

Short Bio:

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 her 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’s own remarkable singing talent 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?

Eyewitness Account: This account of what happens to abused and molested children is heartrending.  Luce’s character is so easy to empathize with.  The use of male images, the sea, metamorphosis, and song add to the enchantment of this tale.  Even to the most detached reader, the societal structure and hierarchy the mermaids create for themselves are a very realistic look at how abused people will tend to treat each other.

Notable Quotes:

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Rating:

★★★☆☆ Plot Development

★★☆☆☆ Characterization

★★★☆☆ Writing Style

★★★★☆ Original Idea

★★★☆☆ Page Turner

Overall ★★★☆☆