In this book, girls who are treated poorly, are neglected or abused become mermaids upon their death, whereupon they sing boats filled with humans to their deaths in punishment for the evils of humanity. One mermaid, Luce, doesn't agree with this philosophy and struggles with fitting in with her new mermaid family. 
 This was an interesting book. I don't know that I got all of the voice/empowerment analogies that some other reviewers have suggested are in the book. Not that I couldn't recognize them, but I think that it was reaching a bit to say that Luce learned about the power of voice or became more empowered over the course of the book. 
 I do want to read the sequel, because I see potential in the story, but this one was a little flat for me. It felt like floating on the surface of the water -- your connection with reality is a little muted. Sounds are dampened and feelings are attenuated.