Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 303, Hardcover (read: eARC)
I'm always on the lookout for mermaid/siren books, because I just love the underwater world. It's always intriguing; it seems like it would be amazing to be a sea creature with a gorgeous scaled-tail. So Lies Beneath was definitely an eye-catcher. I didn't expect too much or too less, so I wasn't disappointed. Lies Beneath is a great, solid read.
Calder and his three sisters are sirens. But they aren't typical sirens. They drown humans so they can take away a feeling: happiness. And they are seeking revenge on the Hancocks for killing their mother. So they hunt the Hancocks down, only they want Calder to seduce the Hancock daughter so they can later on kill the father. Things don't go as planned and Calder must figure out who's side he must go on, his sisters's side or the Hancocks.
The characters were alright. I definitely liked the change in perspective (Lies Beneath is told from a male's point of view). It's really different and fresh. I was reluctant on Calder's character at first because he didn't have any emotions or feelings that are particularly flamboyant. I don't hate him, but there isn't any spark. But when Lily comes into the story, his whole character lights up and I loved Calder after that. I really, really liked Lily. She's so sweet and smart and caring, I totally understood why Calder liked Lily so much.
On the other hand, Calder's sisters were so, so annoying. I hated them from the start. They are all so cocky and full of themselves. They are also seductive towards Calder, which is actually disgusting. Ugh, disastrous. But, they are supposed to be hated (mostly) so I'm on the right track!
The plot was delightful. It had a great amount of chilling, underwater moments. I loved those, they are very suspenseful. The twist in the end was very unexpected and took me by surprise. Lily and Calder's blooming of a relationship was a little fast-paced (insta-love) but it wasn't ridiculous, so I could still go with it. The plot was very sturdy.
Something totally random: I think the title really suits the story of the book. This is a title I actually really like! How Calder has to hold in so many lies from Lily, and they are beneath as in underwater.... I'm not sure my interpretation is correct, but it makes sense to me that way!
Overall, Lies Beneath is a well-written mermaid story that I recommend to people who love underwater creature books with action. I look forward to Anne Greenwood Brown's other books!
Grade: B+
Source: Publisher via Netgalley--Thank you for providing me with an ARC!
Calder and his three sisters are sirens. But they aren't typical sirens. They drown humans so they can take away a feeling: happiness. And they are seeking revenge on the Hancocks for killing their mother. So they hunt the Hancocks down, only they want Calder to seduce the Hancock daughter so they can later on kill the father. Things don't go as planned and Calder must figure out who's side he must go on, his sisters's side or the Hancocks.
The characters were alright. I definitely liked the change in perspective (Lies Beneath is told from a male's point of view). It's really different and fresh. I was reluctant on Calder's character at first because he didn't have any emotions or feelings that are particularly flamboyant. I don't hate him, but there isn't any spark. But when Lily comes into the story, his whole character lights up and I loved Calder after that. I really, really liked Lily. She's so sweet and smart and caring, I totally understood why Calder liked Lily so much.
On the other hand, Calder's sisters were so, so annoying. I hated them from the start. They are all so cocky and full of themselves. They are also seductive towards Calder, which is actually disgusting. Ugh, disastrous. But, they are supposed to be hated (mostly) so I'm on the right track!
The plot was delightful. It had a great amount of chilling, underwater moments. I loved those, they are very suspenseful. The twist in the end was very unexpected and took me by surprise. Lily and Calder's blooming of a relationship was a little fast-paced (insta-love) but it wasn't ridiculous, so I could still go with it. The plot was very sturdy.
Something totally random: I think the title really suits the story of the book. This is a title I actually really like! How Calder has to hold in so many lies from Lily, and they are beneath as in underwater.... I'm not sure my interpretation is correct, but it makes sense to me that way!
Overall, Lies Beneath is a well-written mermaid story that I recommend to people who love underwater creature books with action. I look forward to Anne Greenwood Brown's other books!
Grade: B+
Source: Publisher via Netgalley--Thank you for providing me with an ARC!
*Note: Originally posted on this blog on 2/17/12 here.
Alright, I never would have gotten the "lies" as in a noun. I am so bad at reading into things. So bad. For example: Revived by Daisy Whitney is about a girl who can be brought back from the dead with this new drug and look at the cover. If you figure that one out then kudos because I didn't :)
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