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Lost Voices

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside a grim Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation: she becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in. All of them, like her, are lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life—until she discovers the catch: mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen—however, her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      After 14-year-old Luce is nearly raped on the cliffs of an isolated Alaskan village, she falls into the ocean--and is transformed into a mermaid. As Julia Whelan narrates these opening scenes, the listener hears the courage in Luce that is waiting to surface. Underwater, Luce encounters a group of mermaids--also lost girls who were betrayed when they were humans. Leaders Caterina and Annaliese vibrate with outrage in Whelan's narration, and even the minor characters come through clearly. The mermaids take pleasure in killing seafarers by enticing them to sail into dangerous waters. Luce is horrified at the actions of her new friends. Whelan's narration allows listeners hear the mermaids' music without any need for special effects. The first book of a projected trilogy balances the warmth of resolution with a new and beckoning horizon. M.C.T. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 23, 2011
      In debut novelist Porter's bleak take on mermaids, first in a trilogy, the creatures are born out of human abuse and neglect. Luce is an unwanted orphan, living with her alcoholic uncle on the Alaska coast. When he tries to rape her, Luce simply gives up and slides away, falling off a cliff. She awakens singing in the ocean, watching strangers drown as a ship sinks. There are other singers nearby, who bully Luce, answer her questions, and welcome her in a way her peers on land never did. A mermaid's life turns out to be even more brutal than the one Luce left, but now the brutality is directed elsewhereâat humankind. Still, Luce's conscience rebels, and she seeks some way to resolve the beauty of a mermaid's song with the horror of a siren's role. Porter's narrative style suits her oceanic theme; the vivid colors and particularities of life are smoothed away to plain clarity. Luce thinks about her world in ways that read much younger than her 14 years, but the simplicity of the style makes the darkness of the story more tolerable. Ages 12âup.

    • Library Journal

      December 1, 2011

      This first installment in a trilogy by debut author Porter tells the story of 14-year-old Luce, who after a horrific event transforms into a mermaid and finds an unusual home with a tribe of other mermaids. This, however, is not the Disney version of a mermaid's tale. It paints a darker picture of these alluring creatures, where young women become sea nymphs after suffering unspeakable tragedies and then lure humans to their death with their haunting voices. Luce discovers that she now has strength, beauty, and an extraordinary voice but, despite her horrible past, dislikes using her newfound talents for harm. Julia Wheelan successfully narrates an entire cast of characters, from the strong Queen Catarina to the self-absorbed Anaise. This audiobook will appeal to older teens and Twilight fans looking for a change from vampires and werewolves.--Theresa Horn, St. Joseph Cty. P.L., South Bend, IN

      Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:6.3
  • Lexile® Measure:880
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)

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