Scan barcode
A review by emilypoche
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
4.0
Thank you to St Martin’s Press for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Sirens is the sophomore novel from Emilia Hart, the author of Weyward. The novel follows two sets of sisters; Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza. Lucy, arguably the main protagonist of the story, escapes to her sister’s seaside cottage following a sleepwalking event at college that ends in violence only to discover her sister is missing. In trying to find her sister and going through her possessions she finds starting artwork and a web of secrets. Hundreds of years earlier, Mary and Eliza are a pair of twin sisters condemned to exile via a convict ship to Australia. As the book progresses the secrets and links between the women become more evident.
The book is beautifully lyrical and the descriptions of the sea, the artwork, the stench of the ship’s hold are all gripping and vivid. The descriptions and scene settings are such a wonderful part of this book and really immerse the reader in the world of the convict ship and a modern Australian seaside town.
What I did find slightly less successful was the series of secrets and revelations. I felt like within the first few chapters I was going to be able predict the twists and the eventual ending, and in fact that ended up being the case. If having the action spoiled early on in the book is something that really impacts your opinion of a story, be aware of this reality.
Despite the somewhat predictable plot line, it does have a lot of elements that make it very enjoyable, especially for readers of magical realism. The magical elements are interwoven very deftly into the story and don’t seem to outshine the realistic setting. It involves a lot of plot points that make for a good story; revealed secrets, sleepwalking, magically meted out justice, creatures from the sea.
If you loved playing mermaids as a kid and tend to enjoy a book with a justice-oriented backstory, this would be the perfect selection. 4/5 stars!
(Trigger warnings: assault, depictions of grooming, depictions of childbirth, adoption trauma, violence against prisoners)
Sirens is the sophomore novel from Emilia Hart, the author of Weyward. The novel follows two sets of sisters; Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza. Lucy, arguably the main protagonist of the story, escapes to her sister’s seaside cottage following a sleepwalking event at college that ends in violence only to discover her sister is missing. In trying to find her sister and going through her possessions she finds starting artwork and a web of secrets. Hundreds of years earlier, Mary and Eliza are a pair of twin sisters condemned to exile via a convict ship to Australia. As the book progresses the secrets and links between the women become more evident.
The book is beautifully lyrical and the descriptions of the sea, the artwork, the stench of the ship’s hold are all gripping and vivid. The descriptions and scene settings are such a wonderful part of this book and really immerse the reader in the world of the convict ship and a modern Australian seaside town.
What I did find slightly less successful was the series of secrets and revelations. I felt like within the first few chapters I was going to be able predict the twists and the eventual ending, and in fact that ended up being the case. If having the action spoiled early on in the book is something that really impacts your opinion of a story, be aware of this reality.
Despite the somewhat predictable plot line, it does have a lot of elements that make it very enjoyable, especially for readers of magical realism. The magical elements are interwoven very deftly into the story and don’t seem to outshine the realistic setting. It involves a lot of plot points that make for a good story; revealed secrets, sleepwalking, magically meted out justice, creatures from the sea.
If you loved playing mermaids as a kid and tend to enjoy a book with a justice-oriented backstory, this would be the perfect selection. 4/5 stars!
(Trigger warnings: assault, depictions of grooming, depictions of childbirth, adoption trauma, violence against prisoners)