Book Review: "The Siren" By Kiera Cass

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Introduction

Book Name: The Siren

Author: Kiera Cass

Language: English 

Genre: Friction

Author

American young adult author Kiera Cass (born May 19, 1981) is best known for her work on The Selection series.

Cass was raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where she also attended Socastee High School before graduating. She has Puerto Rican ancestry. Prior to transferring to Radford University, she studied at Coastal Carolina University. She received a history degree from Radford.

The Selection, the first book in the trilogy, was released by HarperTeen in 2012. The CW Television Network optioned the television rights to the trilogy, and two pilot episodes were produced; however, neither was picked up for a full season. Warner Bros. purchased the movie rights to The Selection trilogy in April 2015.

Plot

A young girl whose life was spared so she could become one of the Ocean's own is torn between love and her obligation to serve a greater good in Kiera Cass' novel The Siren.

Sirens have long been thought of as tragic, terrifying beings that entice sailors to their deaths with their lovely voices. Their breathtaking beauty only increases their allure, luring more and more innocent seamen to their doom due to rocky shorelines and choppy waters.

We've never before been able to see things from the perspective of the sirens for whatever reason, but we can now.

In a split second, Kahlen's entire world is turned upside down. She is fighting seasickness one moment, and the next she and her entire family are submerged in the sea and song. Despite the song, Kahlen is aware enough of what is happening to know what it is, and she makes a desperate plea to be spared from her fate. She is shocked to hear a response.

Kahlen's life is not her own as of that day. She is converted into the Sea's steward. Her Siren sisters are there to share the burden they must now all carry with her, so she is not alone, but her fate is a lonely one. She will have the opportunity to live out the life she lost in peace after 100 years as a Siren. After everything is said and done, she won't remember her days before she was a Siren or her time spent serving the Sea.

Personal Review

Before we discuss all of The Siren's positive aspects, we must acknowledge that this is not a completely happy story. Kahlen and her sisters spend a lot of their time as Sirens frantically grasping at happy memories that are evaporating or trying to forget the hurts of their pasts. There are some positive aspects to the story, but the unrest brought on by their work colour the whole thing.

We have no doubt that you will adore this story, so long as you are in the mood for its gloomy emotional intensity. The Siren is filled with layers upon layers of profound and sincere emotion. The intense dynamics between the girls serving the Sea and the bonds between each girl and their Ocean mother are present in addition to Kahlen's obvious angst over not being able to have Akinli in her life.

If you leave out the depressing details, what remains is a genuine bond between two elderly souls. Akinli, a boy, offers Kahlen solace and helps her form a bond with him that is stronger than anything the ethereal Sirenhood can offer. It came as a bit of a surprise how their love shows itself, but there is no doubt that it is genuine.

There are a lot of good reasons to read this story, but they all revolve around the heroine. Kahlen is a strong, tenacious young woman whose surroundings constantly seem to be changing. Although we are not obligated to the Sea, we can certainly relate to her responses.

Everybody has obligations and responsibilities that they wish they could ignore in favour of pursuing their passions. We all want to become submerged in everything that makes us happy. In order to live fulfilling lives, we must strike a balance between our desires and our obligations. Nobody can claim to have it easy, but tales like this serve to remind us how to persevere in the face of hardship. 

The unrealistic nature of their romance was the only thing I found lacking in The Siren. The faithfulness and love of Akinli appear out of nowhere. Their bonding together seems too perfect to be true. Even though I'm a hopeless romantic, I find it difficult to think that real-life relationships could be as simple as the ones Kahlen and Akinli had. I can see why Cass needed to keep their romance moving quickly to keep the plot contained in a single book.

To anyone who enjoys romance or fantasy, I would suggest The Siren. The world-building is fantastic and unique. I've only ever read about girls who sang sailors to death in Greek mythology; nothing else. Afterwards, read it from their perspective!

Written by: Greeshma Chowdary