Lost Voices/Waking Storms by Sarah Porter

Lost Voices 

by Sarah Porter  

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? The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

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Waking Storms

by Sarah Porter  

After parting ways with her troubled mermaid tribe, Luce just wants to live peacefully on her own. But her tranquility doesn’t last long: she receives news that the tribe is on the verge of collapse and desperately needs her leadership. The tribe’s cruel queen wants Luce dead. Dorian, the boy Luce broke mermaid law to save, is determined to make her pay for her part in the murder of his family. And while the mermaids cling to the idea that humans never suspect their existence, there are suddenly ominous signs to the contrary. But when Luce and Dorian meet, they start to wonder if love can overpower the hatred they know they should feel for each other. Can Luce fulfill her rightful role as queen of the mermaids without sacrificing her forbidden romance with Dorian?

(summaries from goodreads.com)

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I picked up Waking Storms from the library shelf because I thought it looked interesting - I had previously read a mermaid story and wasn't impressed with it, and I wanted to see if it was mermaids in general that weren't terribly exciting or just that book specifically. When I started reading it I realized it was the 2nd book in a series, and I can NOT read a series out of order. Just can't do it. Thankfully my library had a digital copy of Lost Voices, so I was able to read them both in a row, which is why I decided to review them together.

Honestly, Lost Voices was disappointing. It was dark and grisly and dealt with horrible things humans do to each other, but then didn't really get lighter. No happy conclusion. I like happy conclusions! I thought Luce was finally finding acceptance and family and then it all fell apart again. It was a story about a bunch of abused girls revenging themselves on mankind in general and it was kind of depressing. The larva (both how they are formed and what generally happens to them) were frankly disturbing. I liked Luce, I liked her moral strugglings, but she was too young for me to identify with and the book didn't do much for me. If I didn't have the 2nd book waiting on my bookshelf I never would have read it.

So then I read Waking Storms, with the plan to just skim through it so I could put the series to rest and not look back. But then I loved it - what a fascinating book! Lost Voices was a really long, dark prequel to what turned out to be a great book. I loved how the mermaids were written into the real world and their culture and lifestyle explained almost every myth we hear about mermaids or sirens or similar mythological beings. I liked finally seeing the interactions between humans and mermaids, something that was very minor in the first book. Knowing an FBI agent, I had to smirk a little at the stereotypical FBI agents in the book, but then I turned out to really like one of them. (The scene where several uppity ups listen to a recording of mermaid song was frankly hilarious.) Dorian was fabulous and even his ultimate frailty turned it into a better story. The ending was heartrending and horrible but perfect and I honestly can't wait to read the third one.

So, if you want to read this series, don't give up after the first book. Or better yet, skim the first and move straight on to the second. Of even better YET, email me and I'll give you a synopsis so you can skip the first book all together.  

Lost Voices: 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: yes, moderate, some episodes of abuse and several drownings. Profanity: none. Sex: an attempted rape, mild references to worse abuse, some kissing.

Waking Storms: 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: yes, more drownings, fights Profanity: YES! NOT good words. Why, Sarah Porter, why? Sex: mild discussions, fairly heavy making out