Lost Voices

Lost Voices is a book written by Sarah Porter. It tells the story of a fourteen-year-old girl, Luce, who's father died one night at sea, leaving her alone, on the coast of Alaska, with her abusive and alcoholic uncle Peter. After a night of drinking, Peter's actions drive Luce to wish for death. Diving off the rocky cliffs would bring about certain death to most girls, but something different happens to Luce. In the darkness of the cold ocean, a transformation occurs, turning Luce into a mermaid. Unlike most mermaid-relatied tales, however, Luce is drawn to the dark, alluring tribe of other mermaids, who use their sirenesk-powers to lure sailors to their deaths. Luce's gifts make her suddenly become either a powerful ally...or a dangerous enemy. Catarina, the groups' leader, wonders about Luce's faith in her tribe as a shocking detail of Luce's path surfaces after Luce saves a young boy. Luce and Catarina's friendship is at the tipping point of rivalship and best friend hood when the group commits mass murder, drowning all but one new, young mermaid. With her persuasive words and beautiful voice, this new mermaid theaters everything Luce stands for with her dark, alluring beauty. In her first, heartbreaking, breathtaking novel, Sarah Porter has captured the essence of fear and despair, as well as the essence and power of friendship. I highly recommend this book, but keep in mind it is a mature book, probably not for anyone under the age of 14, or anyone not able to handle reading about sexual harassment.