The Siren

By Kiera Cass

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Selection series comes this sweeping standalone fantasy romance. A girl with a secret. The boy of her dreams. An ocean between them.

Throughout the ages, the Ocean has occasionally rescued young women from drowning. To repay their debt, these young women must serve for 100 years as Sirens, remaining young and beautiful and using their deadly voices to lure strangers into watery graves. To keep their true nature secret, Sirens must never speak to humans, and must be careful never to stay in the same place for too long. But once her century of service is over, each Siren gets a chance to start over – a chance to live the mortal life that was almost stolen from her.

Kahlen became a Siren after her family died in a terrible shipwreck, decades ago. And though a single word from her can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again.

Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude…until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. And though she can’t talk to him, they soon forge a connection neither of them can deny… and Kahlen doesn’t want to.

Falling in love with a human breaks all of the Ocean’s rules, and if the Ocean discovers Kahlen’s feelings, she’ll be forced to leave Akinli for good. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jan 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9780008157944

Kiera Cass

Kiera Cass is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series and The Siren. She is a wife and mom and too many other things to list. If she could make a crown out of anything, it would be the unending tears of her readers. You can learn more about Kiera and her books at www.kieracass.com.

Reviews for The Siren

[susangeiss · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun read! Took me awhile to really get hooked but once I did it was great!

[kerilynned · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this one just as much as The Selection series! Kiera Cass creates such an incredibly unique story unlike most little mermaid/siren retellings. My favorite character is probably the ocean. She is seen as the "villian" of the story but still has such great character development. I seriously loved everything about it!

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow. The premise here is fantastic, and a great new take on the mythology of sirens. I actually think I enjoyed it more than her Selection series, and felt it was a bit better developed as well.

[amandacb_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oh man, this is tough for me. I loved THE SELECTION and recommend it all the time to youth and adults alike. THE SIREN presented a few problems for me, though. I do not mind the light writing style and frothy subject matter. What bothered me were the unexplained technicalities of the Sirens themselves. They didn't really seem bothered they were essentially slaves to this mega ocean goddess. They can talk underwater. Etc etc.

[liindasnow97 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a cute read!I honestly love how Kiera Cass writes; she just makes you want to keep reading forever.I felt the ending was a bit rushed, though. Maybe 20 more pages could have created a more "full" closure...Still, this one will probably be one of my favorites this year.

[beccajcampbell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great novel by a new author. The struggle of a forbidden love in an impossible situation. Impossible because our heroine, the Siren still has 19 years of service to the Ocean, until which are up, she contains a monumental secret - that of what she is. That secret includes being unable to speak out loud to humans without killing them. It also means until her time is up, she is unable to be killed, hurt, or age in any way. The only problem is that even without the ability of speech, she falls in love with a man who knows nothing about what she really is.

This story could be compared to "The Little Mermaid" in several ways and also has many underlying similarities to the "Twilight Saga." Fans of either would enjoy this book. It is also a CLEAN love story; not a trashy one, something that many readers, including myself, can appreciate.

[Hana Faiza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

no words. just kiera cass being amazing like she does.

[actually ridiculous · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was, sadly, extremely boring. Wouldn’t recommend, even though I liked the selection series.

[sara_cat-107388 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t often like stories with the premise of being centered around a romantic relationship. But, the story spent so much time on developing the characters and other relationships as well. A very beautiful and sad way of thinking of sirens and how they exist and interact. The ending had me in tears. It was truly touching.

[jonez-6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quick read. I enjoyed this more than Kira Cass' later books. I hope she goes in this direction again.

[thealtereggo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cute book. I can tell this was her first book despite being published after "The Selection" series. I have read both this book and that series. I think I liked "The Selection" series a bit more, as the characters in "The Siren" weren't as well developed. That being said, it was an interesting story and fun to read. It wasn't a bad book by any means. I'd recommend it if you like her other works, or if you just want a quick read full of interesting female characters. I also appreciated that it gave some depth to the construct of a siren that wasn't just your typical mythos.

[cinnleigh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imagine a world where you're granted a second chance at life, but forced to give up everything you love? That is the story of Kahlen, our beautiful heroine in the new book, THE SIREN by Kiera Cass. When approached to read this one, I was admittedly a little nervous because I hadn't heard anything about the book; nothing good, nor bad. I agreed to take the book on and as some other books I have had the fortune of being presented with, am quite glad that I did. THE SIREN was refreshing, haunting and beautiful all wrapped up into one beautiful little package.Kahlen is a loving, dark haired beauty. When life takes a disastrous turn and she's faced with the decision of death versus a century of servitude, she chooses the option that will allow her to continue living. Years later she'll question that decision, wondering if her "life" now is worth the nightmares that she must face. Kahlen is a siren. Along with her sisters, she answers to the Ocean and helps to lure unsuspecting victims to their watery deaths with her voice of liquid gold and looks to match. Being kind and good natured at heart, Kahlen has a difficult time with the actions that she must perform in order to gain a second chance at life. Her journey, from the very beginning, makes for quite the fascinating read and, at least to me, makes THE SIREN wonderful and unique.THE SIREN is actually a Young Adult novel although many of the characters in the book are above the Young Adult age. Cass does an amazing job of filling the story with just the right amount of details to satisfy any young adult reader while actually making for a great book for many adults as well. I personally find great enjoyment out of both Young Adult and Adult books, but I found that THE SIREN really seemed to satisfy both categories of books.Part of THE SIREN follows Kahlen as she unravels the mysteries surrounding her new life and her feelings about it. Can she accept what she has become? Will she always harbor hate for the Ocean for what She has done to Kahlen or will she come to accept and give thanks for the gift she has been given? Cass creates an epic story here as we follow Kahlen through her ups and downs. By the end of the book, I feel that we the reader get to know the Ocean practically as well as Kahlen does. Her feelings, both positive and negative, pop off the page and swirl around, pulling us closer into the story.While THE SIREN is great for anyone looking for a great drama or adventure read, it also satisfied those of us that like a touch of romance in our stories. Now, the romance doesn't really hit the surface until about halfway through the book, but when it does, oh boy hold on. Cass can write romance like nobody's business! She creates the perfect hero to go along with our lovely heroine. Akinli, a hard working fisherman by day and knight in shining armor by night, is a puzzle piece match to Kahlen. Cass's writing is such that, without being blatantly obvious about it, we can tell that Kahlen and Akinli are practically soul mates. While the first half of the book details Kahlen's life and struggle to understand herself, the romance between Kahlen and Akinli dominate the second half. It is this romance that really makes THE SIREN shine.As I mentioned above, one of the best ways for me to describe THE SIREN is to say that it is haunting. I don't mean that there are literal ghosts floating around, rather there are ghosts of emotions still flitting about my head. THE SIREN is not always a happy book. There are times when it can be sad, frightening, and downright depressing. As Cass mentions in the story, it is the dark that makes the light shine even brighter. Without the sad parts, without the parts that leave you on the edge of your seat on the verge of tears, the love and hope in the story wouldn't flow through quite as nicely.After pondering the review for a bit, I had to come back here and mention one final thing. I've mentioned that THE SIREN became one of those books that has stuck with me, constantly replaying through my head even though I finished the story. I think that a large reason for this is the amount of realism that Cass imbues the story with. The Ocean is a living, breathing entity. She speaks, she has feelings, she uses her great waves to cause things to happen. The Ocean is as much a character as Akinli, Kahlen or any of Kahlen's siren sisters. I hadn't realized this until after looking at some of the photos of Port Clyde, Maine on Cass's website. I saw a photo of the ocean and my first thought was that She really was alive! That's the strength of Cass's writing, allowing my brain to meander in the realm of the impossibility long after her words have ended.I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great Romance, a great Adventure, a great Drama, and/or a great Young Adult read. There were a few times, especially with the second half of the book, where the pace seemed to get a little choked up and quirky, but overall, the story flowed quite nicely. Cass's talent with the written word is obvious as is her wonderful imagination. She has created a story unlike one I have read before, incorporating both the light and the dark.THE SIREN was a story of life and it was a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to experiencing more of Kiera Cass's work. My only wish for THE SIREN was that it wouldn't end!

[leahlo89 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

NOPE. Can't do it. DNF.

[tori_hoffert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kiera Cass has done it again! Another wonderful book! If you love ancient myths and you love a great romance. I loved the love story of Kahlen and Akinli! This book was awesome!

[courtneygiraldo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kahlen was given a second life by the Ocean 80 years ago. Saved from a shipwreck, she is in service for 100 years to the Ocean as one of her Sirens. Made to sing thousands to their death each year to sustain and feed the Ocean, Kahlen has resigned her time on her sentence to taking care of her sisters, completing her scrap books with all the people who have perished under her song, and most importantly, keeping to herself in the human world so as never to disclose her secret. Forbidden from speaking to humans lest their secret be reveled, many Sirens have had flings but none have ever had a relationship with a human, until now. Kahlen finds herself drawn to the human boy Akinli in a way she never thought possible. Torn between her growing affection for Akinli and her duties as a Siren, Kahlen finds herself in an impossible position, one which may have deadly consequences. I was absolutely sucked into this story from page one. The ocean is always something that has seemed so wonderful and majestic while at the same time dark and dangerous and this book really captured that essence for me. Watching Kahlen and Akinli fall for each other in their brief snippets of time together was heart warming and endearing. Akinli stole my heart from the beginning with his mild mannered sweetness and playful disposition. Their separation and Kahlens subsequent heartbreak and torn loyalties was gut wrenching.  My only complaint about the book as a whole was the Ocean as a character was very reminiscent of an abusive significant other at times and I sometimes had a hard time really feeling sorry for Her, even in the end. The possessive and fierce love She had for Kahlen was at times overpowering and frightening. Overall, this story was so well written, eloquently capturing the deadly beauty of the ocean and the powerful force of love. 

[vavaviolet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I admit I’m in love with Kiera Cass’ Selection series, and I’m counting the days until the fifth and final book of her series is in my hands. I was pleased to see that my local bookstore had copies of her stand alone novel The Siren, another YA novel, but quite different from her bestselling series. First things first, the cover. Just like her previous books, The Siren’s cover is beautiful and eye-catching. However, the story is a bit darker than her other books. Kahlen is a siren living with two other sirens – Miaka and Elizabeth. They are daughters of the ocean and as such must fulfill their duties of luring people to their watery graves. However, they are forbidden to speak publicly, or to let other people hear their voices, unless the ocean commands them to. They pose as mute teenagers, trying their best to fit in and have fun while waiting for their 100 years of being a siren to be over. After which they will return to their normal self without any memory of ever being a siren.Kahlen only has 20 more years left and then she will be free of the ocean’s curse. She is haunted by her guilt of killing innocent people, but then she meets handsome, kind and gentle Akinli. Suddenly, Kahlen’s world is turned upside down and she soon realizes what she’s willing to do to protect the one she loves.I found the idea of sirens, how they become one, what they are tasked to do, how they live, very fascinating. The story also gives us a different take on the word “soulmates.” I liked the story of Kahlen and Akinli, but I wish there were more interactions between them to substantiate the intensity of their feelings. There were several chapters devoted to conflict build-up, so I wish there were a few more chapters devoted to the resolution. I felt that the story ended so suddenly, I wanted more. Also, I was wondering where and how are the sirens getting money? Or did I totally miss that info? That being said, the author’s witty and enthralling writing kept me turning pages, and I finished this book in one sitting.

[harlequintwilight · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

After reading this story, it is taking everything in me to not totally gush; it is that good. The Siren is the story of Kahlen, mostly, along with her sisters and the Ocean. A siren is a singer, a singer of the Ocean. In order to maintain herself, the Ocean must feed; sirens help her to do that.Kahlen and her “sisters,” Marilyn and Aisling, begin the story and you find out quite a lot of how sirens and their lives work. They are beautiful, they can live around regular humans, they can live semi-normal lives, but there’s a catch - they cannot age, which means staying in one place for more than a few years isn’t possible, and they cannot, under any circumstances, speak, laugh, scream, or make a sound outside of a sigh or breath around a human person.There can be no more than four sirens at a time, and not everyone will choose to live the lives that these girls have agreed to. Their sentence is 100 years, after which the Ocean will return them and they will become normal again, and begin aging from whatever age they are frozen into (almost sounds like a dream come true at times). With only their “sisters” for company, it can become lonely, and for Kahlen that causes daydreams. That is, until one day while sitting on the beach she meets a man. He is beautiful, sad, lonely, in pain, and yet there is something about him that Kahlen can’t let go.The Ocean warns Kahlen that no matter what happens, those must stay daydreams and she cannot chance their secret by letting her fantasies run away with her. Kahlen decides she wants to make a difference and takes up sign language, which transforms into spending a few years at schools for the deaf teaching children, and later teenagers, that being deaf isn’t always a bad thing.Kahlen gets new “sisters,” Miaka and Elizabeth, who help transform her into something better than she ever imagined she could be. Miaka is creative and she is also Kahlen’s first “little sister,” while Elizabeth is wild and crazy, and brings out the fun and slightly mischievous side of Kahlen. Aside from Aisling being withdrawn and bitter (think Mr. Scrooge), you don’t know much about her for the most part, but she is a very important piece of Kahlen’s puzzle.Once this human, Akinli, enters Kahlen’s world, nothing else seems to mean as much. Not even the secret that she is bound to keep, and with less than 20 years left on her sentence, will it all be destroyed because of this? Now Kahlen has found the one thing she has always wanted. Is the life she could have worth destroying the life she does have? Or can she have both?More than anything, this is a story of love and hope. Whether that love be between sisters, family, lovers, strangers, or even love for yourself; it covers all the bases. Once I started, it was hard to stop, and I really didn’t want this story to end. There were numerous parts where I actually found myself tearing up, and that never happens! Some of these situations made me want to become a siren, and then there would be a moment that broke my heart.Kiera Cass may be a first-time author, but I pray this is not her only book. This is truly a beautiful story all the way through. I love the imagery; it is phenomenal and almost makes you feel like you’re really there (and let me tell you, there were many times in the Ocean descriptions where the song Dark Blue by Jack’s Mannequin got stuck in my head. Thanks Kiera!).It’s been a long time since I have seen a first-time author whose writing style is as beautiful as this, and she definitely has not only the talent to be a wonderful writer, but also the imagination to successfully tell a story that is not only entertaining, but also touching.If there was one book that I would recommend this year so far, it would be The Siren. Just make sure you have time on your hands, because once you start you won’t be able to stop until the very end. Even then, I flipped back and forth over the final pages, hoping that there would be more magically appear before my eyes. After all, this is a fantasy!

[jennclack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a lovely first book from Kiera Cass. The main character, Kahlen, is a girl who was saved from drowning to become one of three sirens. She is required to serve for 100 years but things get complicated when she falls in love. I look forward to more from Kiera. This was a nice read.