Review: Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Publisher: Egmont 
Pages: 344 
Source: Publisher (ARC) 
Category: Young Adult 



Every summer Vanessa, her sister Justine and their parents return to Winter Harbor for vacation. The girls meet up with the Carmichael boys and summer begins. Vanessa and Justine are polar opposites but are inseparable. Justine is a confident daredevil while Vanessa is full of self-doubt, lacks confidence and she's practically scared of her own shadow. When Justine dies in a tragic accident, Vanessa is strangely lacking emotion. Vanessa is unable to cry, she's full of anger and confusion and she's learning that her sister may not have been the person she believed she was. Vanessa is frustrated with her mother pouring herself into her work, trying to move on with life without a daughter. Vanessa decides to go back to Winter Harbor on her own, face her fears and figure out what happened the night her sister died. She learns more than she thought possible about her family, Winter Harbour, and herself. Strange bodies are washing up on shore, and all are deemed drownings. Caleb Carmichael was the only person with Justine the night she died, and he has gone missing. Vanessa joins forces with Caleb's brother Simon to find him, and their friendship buds into something more. Vanessa's whole world changes, but the biggest change is within herself. 

I will admit that this wasn't a book that I was hooked on, and couldn't put down. I did enjoy it, and I thought it was well written but there was a little lacking for me. I really enjoyed the characters, I thought the paranormal characters were new, fresh and interesting. I really enjoyed Vanessa's growth, she blossomed into a strong character. I think I was a little disappointed with the ending, it felt rushed. I believe that this book should be made into a series, it would explain a lot of things. I felt that the novel lacked emotion. This book deals with the death of a teenager, and I felt like Justine's death didn't effect anyone. Her own parents didn't seem distraught. I think that really bothered me. I do recommend this book, and I would love for it to become a series. If you're looking for a different Young Adult novel, try this one