Shining Sea

Gr 9 Up—Seventeen-year-old Arion reluctantly moves with her dad to a semi-isolated forested area on the coast where he grew up. Starting at a new high school, she makes friends quickly but is instantly drawn to a secretive, beautiful young man with eyes that make her feel intoxicated and a silent song that draws her to him. She feels powerless to resist him and doesn't understand why he tries to avoid her at all costs, until she has an accident and he comes to the rescue so fast that she didn't even see him move. They grow closer, and he eventually reveals that he and his family are not really mortal. This familiar premise takes place in Maine (not the Pacific Northwest), and the mysterious family are Sirens (not vampires) who live on the breath of their victims. Arion's older and wilder sister is semicatatonic due to an undescribed earlier boating accident, and she remains in San Francisco with her mother. The only thing that can possibly save her life is to become a Siren. Unoriginal, awkward, and illogical plotting with clichéd descriptions unfortunately limits the audience to Twilight die-hards or those looking for a undemanding supernatural romance. The open ending suggests sequels, which may correct some of this volume's limitations.