Book Review: Siren (Tricia Raybun)

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge.  That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day. 

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident.  After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.  

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid.  All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.  

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

When I first read the blurb of the Siren, I didn't expect to like it at all. Don't get me wrong, I find the subject of Sirens in Greek Mythology incredibly fascinating. So I though I should give it a go. Nothing wrong in trying right? It ended up not too bad at all. And although I can't exactly say I love it - because there are some moments that I would rather rip the book in half - it wasn't at all a bad read.

The beginning of the book actually drew me in and her fear of multiple things really helped me notice the change in Vanessa, the protagonist, throughout the book, which I found necessary in order to find her sister and Tricia Rayburn did exceptionally well in finding a moment that determined that change by placing Simon in the mix. I love love love the contrast of personality between the two sisters which was incredibly vital to help establish why what happened to Justine happened. The close bonding Vanessa and Justine really played a massive part in why Vanessa decided to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her sister and not jut leave it all behind and move on - a very heroic action, I think.

I actually ended up liking the twists - or lack thereof - in the story and even though hints were dropped throughout the book, it's still a slam to your face to actually confirm your suspicions so while reading I muttered a few "oh that's why...". There are a few mysterious characters that raise the questions about who they are and what role they will play - but that is always soon resolved. So it's an obvious - but good plot. I mean, it's still pretty weak, anyone is capable of knowing who the "villain" is, if they paid close attention.

What I felt most annoyed about was actually at the beginning of the book. The family argument. It's not exactly the worst thing that could ever happen to Justine, so I still cannot get over the fact that she went cliff diving. And even after then, when I thought that nothing stupid should come afterwards, does Vanessa find out about Justine's little secrets and spend most of her time whining and complaining about why Justine never told her. While the regrets and misery played on one half of Vanessa's mind, the other was focused on her and Simon which truly exhausted my patience waiting for something to happen. I expected a lot of butterflies in the stomach with Siren, but it didn't deliver. I hated the fact that they knew they were attracted to each other but did not exactly talk a lot about their feelings, of course with the solving the mysteries and all, there wasn't really much time for that.

To be honest, I found the cover extremely unappealing  I know that most became interested in the book because the cover caught their eye, but it caught my eye for a completely different reason. And Not the good kind. What I expected from the book was totally different from what I got, instead of romance (lots of it) and mystery - there was a fair bit amount of it, the book presented a load of worries, regret and family drama. ugh. Fortunately, it still gave a good amount of suspicion.

Two Stars

Book Review: The Dark Divine (Bree Despain)

A prodigal son

A dangerous love

A deadly secret . . .

I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.

The Dark Divine is a novel that truly lives up to its name. It is both a dark and a divine read. It dips into religion (Grace's father is a pastor) half the time but does not neglect a more morbid, sometimes gruesome mythological factor. Bree Despain blends the two contrasting themes together ; along side they complement rather than contradict each other. I truly enjoyed the juxtaposition and I delighted in having this in my hands. I almost literally consumed it in one sitting!

It begins in medias res - in the middle of everything - and since then my reading experience was restless, perhaps as restless as Grace was in her quest for answers. The book lays out the mystery from page one and it is one that is so pivotal to the plot that I was immediately engaged and searching. This tone is delivered throughout the course of the novel and is consistently intensified, building slowly until I felt I couldn't breathe until I had all the answers on the palm of my hands.

Aside from the mystery, the book also exhibits gruesome images and action sequences that underscores the danger that surrounds the mystery of the plot. If both action and mystery is not enough to leave you breathless, then the forbidden romance surely will. Both Daniel and Grace breaks more rules than the universal Guys-should-not-date-their-bestfriend's-sister rule. Their love story, one that is strengthened by longing of being torn apart and by so many memories will be a thrill to any romance lovers out there. And then there is the question of Jude - Grace's brother (and the most ideal brother ever), who in no circumstances will approve her love for Daniel...

Not only was the tension in the book outstanding, I felt the characters were well drawn too. Daniel for me was a very realistic character - even through Grace's narration he appears distant and mysterious and seductively frightening. So mysterious was he that he I did not know what to expect of him at all. Which, of course, only made my reading experience better. The twists at the end I could not have expected, but in retrospect I believe the clues embedded in the book very much supported the whole plot. 

I wish the ending was a little longer - I yearned so much for more I honestly can hardly wait for The Lost Saint! Though I was not exactly left hanging, I felt it is definitely open-ended and is just awaiting its sequel. At times I was also confused and felt as if everything is bared all at once. There were definitely questions that arose after I finished reading, and I was not in agreement with what had happened to other characters. Having said that, I hope the sequel will answer some of my questions!

A strong mythology with deeply religious undertones, a mystery with dire implications, a forbidden romance with a dangerously sexy bad boy... The Dark Divine is a hugely exciting book which had my heart racing from beginning to end!

Four stars!