Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

I was browsing on NetGalley and found this, it looked and sounded really good so I decided to try it out… the result: It was amazing! Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for allowing me to read this!

"The closest word for it was music, but it was better than any music. Every molecule shook with soft, sweet excitement."

Have you ever wondered what happens to the abandoned girls? The ones that are unloved and unseen by the world? Lost Voices is a magical and haunting explanation and solution.

Luce’s father left on a fishing boat almost a year ago, the thing is he never came home. Even though she knows that it’s impossible, she dreams that one day a battered ship will arrive at the docks and that all will marvel at the fact that the High and Mighty finally returns home after being lost at sea for a year. But of course it’s all just a dream.

In reality she lives with an abusive uncle who is drunk more than he is sober. But one day, after drinking heavily, he uncle crosses an unthinkable line. Now more alone than ever, Luce expects to die when she plummets from a cliff, she almost even welcomes the death.

But death does not come and she finds herself transforming into a beautiful mythical creature: a mermaid. More of the stunning creatures welcome her into their tribe, and Luce, for the first time in months, feels as though she belongs. But the price of becoming a mermaid is the desire to destroy boats or more specifically, those that are on them.

Their secret weapon is one that would never be expected, they lure seafarers to their deaths with their enchanting, otherworldly voice. Luce discovers that her voice shines above all the others and almost rivals the tribe queens’.

When a new two-faced mermaid is welcomed into the tribe, all hell breaks loose, the mermaids begin to challenge the rules that they live by and arguments arise over the issue of who should be queen.

The question is not: Can Luce discover the courage to lead the tribe back to what is right, the real question is: Will she?

This is the first book about mermaid that I’ve read and I’m not disappointed. For a book about mermaids, this is really emotional and haunting! In a good way of course. I loved the fact that this book combines your average mermaid with sirens. Most mermaid stories that I’ve heard of are more in the romance genre, whereas Lost Voices belongs in the emotional genre.

I really loved the main character Luce, and her story and emotions are relatable by many people out there. The fact that she tries to fight the violence that she feels towards humans is also very admirable. Lost Voices is a very powerful story that many people can enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars!