The Siren

By Kierra Cass

Important Preface: this is the first book written and published by Cass. Previously, I read the Selection Series and fell in love with the ease and light-natured stories. The stories have been quick reads and relatively light in nature. I anticipated the same and was quickly rewarded.

Reading began at 9pm on Monday and cover to cover was consumed by Wednesday morning. A light read was exactly what my palate needed. Finishing Dry, and before that, Book 2 of the Ranger's Apprentice, had left a dark and serious taste in my mouth. While The Siren was not all happy days and sparkles, it did offer an escape from reality. Having never read a true fantasy before, mythological creatures with magical abilities seemed unworthy of a second thought. As I read, I found myself having to remind myself to take the leap. Take a leap of faith and just enjoy the story. Pause your reality long enough to learn something that can later be applied to reality. While not admitting that letting go of reality was easy for me, I did find joy in exploring a new realm. 

Difficulty with the genre came with the inevitability of the conclusion. When there are different laws of nature, any path can be chosen to achieve a desired result. For the ideal audience of this story, the obvious path is the most likely path chosen. Cass was not writing to a middle-aged audience, or anyone skeptical of plotlines, so call them soulmates and make the love so impossibly strong, and BOOM, conclusion achieved. An important side note: This audience selection is crucial as it develops young readers. If we can't support our young readers in their time of development, how are we to ever have faith in the future generations?

While this book was not my all-time-top-tiered-forever-favorite, I will regard it fondly and with grace. An author's first book must be treated with kindness, especially when their later works are so highly regarded in their genre.

I shall move to my next book, palate effectively cleansed.

Happy Reading, Bookworms!