Mermaids seems to be the new craze as of late in the book world. I decided to take the plunge and to find out what all the fuss is about. For my first forage into deep sea fiction, Lost Voices was a great experience. I began reading this book with an open mind and quickly became spellbound by Sarah Porter's magical world. 
 After finishing the book I'm still unsure whether this was a happy or a sad story. The scale seemed to tip back and forth throughout the book. Luce, the main character, becomes a mermaid within the first few chapters after a series of travesties occur in her life. At first, her transformation seems like a blessing after all of the hardships she's endured. Later on, she seems to be having difficulty accepting certain elements of her new life. Ultimately, this tale is a very dark one. My only real experience with mermaids comes from the Disney movie and this is nothing like that. There are no dancing crabs or prince charmings to save the day. 
 This book is beautifully written. The combination of imagery and flow make it a captivating read. Porter manages to accurately portray the beauty of the mermaids, their world and their voices. All of the mermaids' tails are unique and I enjoyed the gorgeous descriptions of the colors. Not to mention the fantastic visuals that popped into my mind when the girls are gracefully swimming through the ocean. And, last but not least was their singing. Each mermaid has her own voice with individual strengths and songs. Needless to say, I thought that this book was quite the work of art where the writing was concerned. 
 The mermaids themselves I found to be rather annoying. The only ones I liked were Luce and Miriam. The rest acted like spoiled little brats. As a whole they were very catty and mean to one another. I guess that's what happens to a bunch of young girls when they're left to fend for themselves without an authority figure. Catarina is the queen but she's just as bad, if not worse, than the rest of them. Not much of a leader at all. 
 The second thing that I found a little disappointing in this novel was the lack of action. The girls' days consist of playing in the water, eating, sunbathing and sleeping. Once in a while a ship comes along that stirs them into action but otherwise the life of a mermaid seems like a rather boring one. There's talk about avoiding orcas and other dangers but nothing really comes of it. The ocean is a pretty busy place with lots of scary creatures. I found it hard to believe that they never came face to face with a threat. 
 The fantastic writing and beautiful story more than make up for whatever small shortcomings this book has. While writing this post, I was pleased to discover that this is the first installment in a trilogy. That explains the odd ending. I felt like there was still more story left to be told and now I know that there is! Lost Voices is a great addition to the YA genre and well worth your time.