September 1, 2019
A young violinist takes on a murder case on an island surrounded by deadly sirens. Moira Alexander lingers on the cliff's edge, playing her violin a safe distance from the sirens who dot the sea. Like her late father, she feels compelled to protect and understand the creatures that lure people to their deaths with their song. Most other islanders don't feel the same, however, regarding them only as necessary for tourism. Moira worries they'll turn against the sirens completely and lift the hunting ban introduced by her father. Now, a young boy has turned up on the beach with a slashed throat, and it's presumed to be the work of the sirens. But Moira believes otherwise. With the help of 19-year-old Jude Osric, the lighthouse keeper, Moira decides to solve the case. As they chase leads, the islanders show their disdain for Moira's love for the brutal sirens who claimed Jude's family and countless others. Threatening notes warn them to back off--and then another body turns up. As tensions rise, so do Moira and Jude's feelings for one another, no longer burdened by secrets. The atmosphere is as immersive as an island fog, with the alienlike sirens curious and sinister figures lying in wait. More time spent on the lore of the sirens could have buoyed this captivating tale into something truly magical. Major characters are presumed white. An intoxicating blend of mystery and enchantment. (Fantasy. 14-18)
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Starred review from September 23, 2019
Powell’s debut is a not-to-be-missed tale of mystery, love, and community. The coastal town of Twillengyle is home to both humans and sirens. Most of the time, they coexist peacefully, so long as the townspeople carry iron to protect them from siren song, but sirens are blamed when the body of Connor, 12, is found on the shore, and many of the town’s residents begin clamoring to lift the ban that prevents siren hunting. But violinist Moira and friend Jude don’t buy the police’s siren story; having seen the corpse themselves, they believe that Connor was murdered as a step toward undoing their deceased fathers’ work establishing the ban. In the quest to discover the culprit and protect the sirens, Moira and Jude find they’re closer to the murderer than they thought. Featuring solid worldbuilding, unforgettable characters, and well-paced plot that fantasy and mystery fans alike will enjoy, this twisty, atmospheric story grips readers like a siren song while examining questions about what really distinguishes humans and monsters. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kristy Hunter, the Knight Agency.
November 1, 2019
Grades 7-9 Sirens live in the sea around the island town of Twillengyle: dangerous, deadly, and beautifully enticing. People who grew up in the town know how to steer clear of the mystical murderesses, learning what attracts them and what keeps them away. Moira, 17, carefully walks the knife's edge between safe and dead as she watches the sirens on the beach and plays her violin just out of their hearing. When a little boy is found on the beach with his throat slit?a little boy who should have known better?the townsfolk gather their arms and call for a culling of the sirens. But Moira, who's intrigued by the monsters, calls on an old friend to help her prove the death isn't on the sirens' hands. What follows is a twisty, fairy-tale-like thriller. The novel, Powell's first, reads like a fantasy take on Veronica Mars, a mystery with magic included. Recommended for larger teen collections or tween-centric shelves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)