Sirène: Tome 1

Par Tricia Rayburn

Vanessa Sands, jeune fille de 17 ans, a peur de tout — la noirceur, les hauteurs,
l’océan — mais sa grande soeur sans peur, Justine, a toujours été là pour la soutenir
à chaque épreuve. Jusqu’à cette nuit où Justine part plonger de la falaise près de la
résidence secondaire de la famille à Winter Harbor, dans le Maine. Son corps ne fut
retrouvé que le lendemain, dérivant près du rivage. Les parents de Vanessa tentent de passer à travers cette tragédie en retournant à leur routine habituelle, à Boston, mais Vanessa ne peut croire que sa soeur est morte par accident.

Après avoir découvert que Justine n’avait jamais envoyé sa candidature aux universités et qu’elle sortait en secret avec Caleb Carmichael, un ami de la famille de longue date, Vanessa retourne à Winter Harbor afin de trouver des réponses. Toutefois, lorsque Vanessa apprend que Caleb est porté disparu depuis la mort de Justine, elle et Simon, le grand frère de Caleb, s’allient pour partir à sa recherche.

Cette relation amènera les deux jeunes à développer plus qu’une simple amitié. Bien vite, Vanessa n’est plus la seule à vivre dans la crainte: tout Winter Harbor devient nerveux quand on découvre un autre corps près du rivage. La panique s’installe lorsque le petit village devient le théâtre d’une série d’accidents mortels reliés à l’eau… accidents mortels dans lesquels les morts ont un large sourire plaqué au visage.

Tout en creusant dans le mystère de la mort de Justine et la série de noyades à glacer le sang, Vanessa découvre un secret qui pourrait mettre à mal son amour naissant et qui changera à jamais sa vie.

• Langue: Français
• Éditeur: Éditions AdA
• Date de sortie: 14 juin 2013
• ISBN: 9782896836673

Aperçu du livre

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Copyright © 2010 Tricia Rayburn

Titre original anglais : Siren

Copyright © 2012 Éditions AdA Inc. pour la traduction française

Cette publication est publiée en accord avec Egmont USA, New York, NY

Tous droits réservés. Aucune partie de ce livre ne peut être reproduite sous quelque forme que ce soit sans la permission écrite de l’éditeur, sauf dans le cas d’une critique littéraire.

Éditeur : François Doucet

Traduction : Annie Patenaude

Révision linguistique : Isabelle veillette

Correction d’épreuves : Nancy Coulombe, Catherine Vallée-Dumas

Conception de la couverture : Matthieu Fortin

Photo de la couverture : © Thinkstock

Mise en pages : Paulo Salgueiro

ISBN papier 978-2-89667-697-2

ISBN PDF numérique 978-2-89683-666-6

ISBN ePub 978-2-89683-667-3

Première impression : 2012

Dépôt légal : 2012

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Catalogage avant publication de Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec et Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Rayburn, Tricia

Sirène  : roman de la série Sirène

(Série Sirène ; 1)

Traduction de : Siren.

ISBN 978-2-89667-697-2

I. Patenaude, Annie, 1976- . II. Titre.

PS3618.A92S5714 2012 813’.6 C2012-941545-6

Conversion au format ePub par:

Lab Urbain

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La pierre vibra sous moi, me faisant trembler encore davantage. À quelques mètres, Simon se pencha dans le vent, en utilisant tout son poids pour rester debout pendant qu’il se rendait près de la falaise pour ramasser les serviettes et les vêtements de Justine et de Caleb. Je l’appelai en criant, mais ma voix se perdit dans le hurlement des rafales et de la pluie battante.

Accroupie près du sol, j’essayai de distinguer la corniche à travers les ténèbres et les débris tourbillonnants. Quand un autre éclair dentelé déchira l’horizon en deux, je pus tout voir comme si le soleil brillait de nouveau.

Elle avait disparu.

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Pour Michael

Remerciements

Je désire adresser des remerciements particuliers à Rebecca Sherman pour ses conseils, sa patience et sa capacité suprême de rêver ; à Regina Griffin pour m’avoir accueillie si gracieusement dans la famille d’Egmont ; à Ty King pour avoir été le tout premier admirateur de Sirène , ainsi qu’à mes amis et à ma famille. Sans leur enthousiasme et leur soutien, mes histoires n’auraient jamais été racontées.

J’ai beaucoup de chance.

Chapitre 1

Ma sœur, Justine, a vait toujours cru que la meilleure façon d’affronter la peur de l’obscurité était de faire comme s’il s’agissait d’un sujet anodin.

Il y a quelques années, elle essayait de mettre sa théorie en pratique alors que nous étions couchées dans nos lits, plongées dans l’obscurité. Protégée par une forteresse d’oreillers, j’étais convaincue que le mal était tapi dans l’ombre, attendant que ma respiration ralentisse pour me sauter dessus. Et chaque soir, Justine, qui avait un an de plus que moi, mais des décennies de sagesse d’avance sur son âge, essayait patiemment de me distraire.

— As-tu vu la robe mignonne qu’Erin Klein portait aujourd’hui ? pouvait-elle me demander, commençant toujours par une question facile pour mesurer mon degré de peur.

En de rares occasions, généralement quand nous allions nous coucher après une longue journée, j’étais trop fatiguée pour être terrifiée. Ces nuits-là, je répondais seulement par oui ou non, et nous entretenions une conversation normale jusqu’à ce que je m’endorme.

Mais la plupart des nuits, je lui chuchotais des questions comme : « As-tu entendu ça ? » ou « Quand les vampires mordent, penses-tu que ça fait mal ? » ou encore « Les monstres peuvent-ils sentir la peur ? » C’est à ce moment que Justine passait habituellement à la deuxième question.

— Il fait si clair ici, déclarait-elle. Je peux tout voir : mon sac à dos, mon bracelet en paillettes bleues, notre poisson dans son bocal. Que peux-tu voir, Vanessa ?

Et puis, je m’efforçais de m’imaginer notre chambre exactement comme elle était lorsque notre mère avait éteint la lumière et fermé la porte. Je finissais par réussir à oublier le mal qui attendait dans l’ombre et je m’endormais. Chaque nuit, je pensais que ce stratagème ne fonctionnerait pas, mais il réussissait à tous coups.

La méthode de Justine s’était avérée utile pour lutter contre mes nombreuses autres peurs. Mais plusieurs années plus tard, debout au sommet d’une falaise surplombant l’océan Atlantique, je savais qu’elle n’aurait aucun effet.

— Simon a l’air différent cet été, n’est-ce pas ? me demanda-t-elle en s’approchant de moi tout en se tortillant les cheveux. Plus âgé ? Plus mignon ?

Je fis signe que oui sans répondre. La transformation physique de Simon avait été la première chose que j’avais remarquée quand son frère cadet, Caleb, et lui avaient tapé à notre porte plus tôt. Mais c’était une discussion qui serait reprise plus tard, comme lorsque nous serions en train de nous réchauffer devant la vieille cheminée en pierre de notre maison du lac. Il nous fallait d’abord revenir à la maison.

— Caleb aussi, essaya-t-elle à nouveau. Le nombre de cœurs de filles brisés dans le Maine doit sûrement avoir quadruplé cette année.

J’essayai de hocher la tête : j’avais les yeux fixés sur le tourbillonnement de l’eau et sur la mousse qui se formait à cinquante mètres plus bas.

Justine enroula une serviette autour de son torse et fit un pas de côté vers moi. Elle se tint si près de moi que je pus sentir le sel dans ses cheveux et ses pores, et sentir la fraîcheur de sa peau humide quand elle se colla contre moi. Des gouttes d’eau tombèrent depuis l’extrémité de ses cheveux sur la chaude ardoise grise et rebondirent en minuscules gouttelettes sur le dessus de mes pieds. Un coup de vent souleva cette bruine autour de nous, transformant mon frisson en tremblement. Quelque part plus bas, Simon et Caleb éclatèrent de rire en gravissant le sentier escarpé qui les ramènerait à travers les bois jusqu’à nous.

— C’est seulement une piscine, dit-elle. Tu es debout sur une planche, à soixante centimètres au-dessus de l’eau.

Je hochai la tête. Ce fut le moment que j’avais redouté pendant toute la durée du trajet de six heures depuis Boston, le moment que j’avais imaginé au moins une fois par jour depuis l’été dernier. Je savais que la situation avait l’air plus effrayante qu’elle ne l’était, et depuis notre découverte il y a deux ans du vieux signe de sentier marquant cet endroit isolé loin des touristes et des randonneurs, Justine, Simon et Caleb avaient sauté des dizaines de fois sans jamais se faire la moindre égratignure. Plus important encore, je savais que je me sentirais toujours comme un membre junior de notre groupe estival si je ne plongeais pas une fois.

— La piscine est chauffée, poursuivit Justine. Et une fois que tu y es, tout ce que tu as à faire, c’est de donner deux coups de pied, et tu te retrouveras aux marches menant à ta confortable chaise longue.

— Est-ce qu’un garçon mignon m’apportera des boissons fruitées à ce fauteuil confortable ?

Elle me regarda et sourit. Nous savions toutes deux que c’était terminé. Si j’étais suffisamment cohérente pour faire une blague, c’est que j’avais déjà jeté l’éponge.

— Désolé, mais j’ai oublié les ananas à la maison, déclara Caleb derrière nous, mais le garçon est ici et prêt à te servir.

Justine se tourna vers lui.

— Il était temps. Je suis gelée !

Comme elle s’éloignait du bord de la falaise, je me penchai vers l’avant. Le soulagement que je ressentis alors fut temporaire, et ma déception de ne pas avoir été capable de faire ce que j’avais promis de faire toute l’année alla en s’accroissant alors que nous quittions la falaise Chione. Ce soir, je restais éveillée, incapable de m’endormir. J’avais été si peureuse, si infantile, encore une fois.

— Tes lèvres deviennent bleues, remarqua Caleb.

Je me retournai pour le voir sortir sa serviette de plage préférée en la secouant, la seule serviette que je l’avais vu utiliser, sur laquelle il y avait un dessin de homard portant des lunettes de soleil et un maillot de bain, et l’enrouler autour de Justine. Il la tira vers lui et lui frotta les bras et les épaules.

— Menteur.

Elle lui sourit de sous le capuchon de tissu éponge.

— Tu as raison. Elles sont plutôt lavande. Ou lilas. Parce que des lèvres comme celles-là sont trop jolies pour être d’un bleu quelconque. De toute façon, je devrais probablement les réchauffer.

Je roulai des yeux et me dirigeai vers mon short et mon t-shirt. Justine avait fait son vœu pour cet été : ne pas se remettre encore avec Caleb, comme elle l’avait fait l’été dernier et l’été d’avant. 

— Ce n’est qu’un gamin, avait-elle déclaré. J’en ai fini avec l’école secondaire, et il doit lui rester encore une année entière. En plus, il ne fait que gratter sa guitare miteuse quand il ne joue pas à ses jeux vidéo. Je ne peux pas me permettre de perdre une seconde sur ce qui ne sera rien de plus que de longues heures de caresses… même si elles font passer un bon moment.

Quand je lui demandai pourquoi elle ne sortait pas plutôt avec Simon, étudiant de deuxième année à l’Université Bates qui était d’un âge et d’un intellect plus appropriés pour elle, ses traits s’étaient plissés.

— Simon ? avait-elle répété. Le canal météo ambulant ? Le cerveau qui se sert de l’université comme d’un prétexte pour étudier les formations nuageuses ? Pas mon genre.

Il avait fallu à Justine trente minutes, juste assez longtemps pour vider la voiture, prendre une collation et sauter dans la Subaru de Simon, pour briser son ancienne promesse. Elle n’avait pas sauté sur Caleb tout de suite, mais il était clair par la façon dont ses yeux s’étaient éclairés dès qu’elle l’avait vu qu’elle le désirait. Elle avait attendu jusqu’à ce que nous soyons sur la route pour jeter ses bras autour de son cou et le serrer tellement fort que son visage était devenu rose.

Comme elle se blottissait contre sa poitrine, je tirai sur mes vêtements et attrapai une serviette. Même s’il faisait soleil et que je n’étais plus mouillée, j’étais encore secouée par le froid. À l’extrémité nord du Maine, il faisait rarement plus de vingt degrés au milieu de l’été, et le vent mordant donnait toujours l’impression qu’il faisait au moins dix degrés de moins.

— Nous devrions y aller, dit tout à coup Simon en sortant d’un sentier.

Étant le plus vieux, le plus silencieux, le plus studieux des frères Carmichael, Simon avait toujours eu un air dégingandé et une mauvaise posture, mais quelque chose s’était produit dans la dernière année. Ses bras, ses jambes et sa poitrine s’étaient raffermis, et sans son chandail, je pouvais discerner de petites crêtes sur son abdomen. Il semblait même se tenir plus droit et être plus grand. Il ressemblait davantage à un homme qu’à un gamin.

— La marée change, et les nuages arrivent.

Justine attira mon attention. Je savais ce qu’elle pensait : chaîne différente, même prévision.

— Mais nous venons d’arriver, protesta Caleb.

— Et que dire du coucher de soleil ? demanda Justine. Chaque année, nous disons que nous le regarderons de là-haut, mais chaque année, nous n’y allons pas.

Simon attrapa un chandail dans son sac à dos, le passa sans se sécher.

— Il y aura beaucoup d’autres couchers de soleil. Aujourd’hui, il sera obscurci par cette énorme tempête qui arrive dans notre direction.

Je suivis son hochement de tête vers l’horizon. Soit j’avais été trop axée sur l’eau pour regarder le ciel, soit les nuages sombres étaient sortis de nulle part.

— J’ai vérifié avant notre départ : la station météorologique a prévu que le ciel s’éclaircirait plus tard ce soir. Mais d’après moi, nous n’avons qu’une vingtaine de minutes pour redescendre de la montagne avant que la foudre nous tombe dessus.

Simon secoua la tête.

— J’aurais aimé que le professeur Beakman puisse voir cela.

Avant que je puisse demander pourquoi, Caleb et Justine commencèrent à parler à voix basse, et Simon s’accroupit à côté d’où je m’étais assise, les genoux contre ma poitrine pour essayer de me réchauffer.

— Ça va ? demanda-t-il.

Je hochai la tête et essayai de sourire. Au fil des ans, Simon était devenu un grand frère protecteur non seulement pour Caleb, mais pour Justine et moi.

— J’ai un peu froid et j’aurais souhaité que les semelles en caoutchouc de mes baskets soient plus épaisses, mais sinon, tout va bien.

Il tira un coupe-vent en laine polaire marron de son sac à dos et me le tendit.

— Ce n’est pas grave, tu sais. C’est juste un jour. Nous avons tout l’été. Et l’été prochain, et l’été suivant.

— Merci.

Je détournai les yeux, gênée. Il était sincère, mais je n’avais pas besoin qu’on me rappelle mon échec si tôt.

— Sérieusement, dit-il d’une voix douce mais ferme. Peu importe quand tu seras prête, ou même jamais, ça ira.

Je tirai sur son coupe-vent, heureuse de la distraction.

— Nouveau plan, annonça Justine.

Je pris la main tendue de Simon pour me relever. Justine et Caleb avaient réussi à se séparer, mais seulement assez longtemps pour que Justine laisse tomber ses serviettes au sol. Ils étaient alors sur le bord de la falaise, se tenant par la main, mais dos à la falaise.

Justine sourit.

— Ce n’est pas parce que nous sommes à court de temps que nous ne pouvons pas célébrer le premier jour officiel de ce qui sera sûrement notre meilleur été à vie.

— En retournant à la maison pour nous réchauffer avec un chocolat chaud ? suggérai-je.

— Tu es folle, Nessa.

Justine me souffla un baiser.

— Caleb et moi allons faire un dernier saut.

— Avec une nuance, ajouta Caleb.

Comme ils échangeaient un regard, je regardai Simon. Il avait la bouche ouverte, comme s’il attendait que son cerveau choisisse les mots qui auraient le plus grand impact dans le plus court laps de temps. Les nouveaux muscles de son large dos se tendirent sous le coton mince de son t-shirt. Ses mains, qui étaient restées ballantes à ses côtés après m’avoir aidée à me relever, restèrent serrées en poings.

— Un saut arrière ! s’exclama Justine.

— Non, dit Simon. Ne faites pas ça.

Je ne pus m’empêcher de sourire. C’était exactement ce que j’aimais, et enviais, le plus de Justine. Alors que je dormais toujours avec une veilleuse, que je ne pouvais pas lire un ouvrage de Stephen King et que j’étais physiquement incapable de plonger d’une falaise parfaitement sûre, Justine adorait vivre les mêmes montées d’adrénaline que j’essayais d’éviter à tout prix. Nous étions là, à quelques minutes d’être trempés et cuits, et elle voulait garantir son électrocution en sautant dans ce tourbillon, par l’arrière.

— Ça va prendre deux minutes, assura Caleb. Vous pouvez descendre le sentier dès que nous aurons sauté. Nous irons vous rejoindre.

— Vous savez que les marées sont bizarres par un temps pareil, dit Simon. L’eau est déjà beaucoup plus profonde que lors de notre dernier saut.

Justine regarda derrière elle.

— Ça ne peut pas être si mal que ça. Tout va bien aller.

Je la regardai, ma belle sœur aînée, dont les cheveux bruns étaient alors suffisamment secs pour voler en mèches longues autour de sa tête. Je ne pus rien faire. Lorsque Justine avait l’idée de faire quelque chose, c’était difficile de lui faire changer d’avis. Comme elle me souriait, ses yeux brillèrent pour contraster les sombres nuages qui semblaient avaler ce qui restait du ciel.

Un éclair blanc comme un néon déchira soudainement l’air en zigzag, frappant le sol assez près de nous pour que nous puissions sentir le grondement. Le vent se leva, arracha les feuilles des branches et souleva aussi la terre. Une longue branche vola vers moi comme la flèche d’un arc. Je me couvris la tête avec les mains et tombai au sol. La pluie commença à tomber doucement, puis plus fort, jusqu’à ce que le coupe-vent de Simon me colle au dos et que de l’eau froide ruisselle sur mon visage. Je restai sans bouger, espérant que la tempête se retire aussi rapidement qu’elle avait frappé, mais l’air refroidit, le vent s’intensifia et le tonnerre éclata plus fort.

La pierre vibra sous moi, me faisant trembler encore davantage. À quelques mètres, Simon se pencha dans le vent, en utilisant tout son poids pour rester debout pendant qu’il se rendait près de la falaise pour ramasser les serviettes et les vêtements de Justine et de Caleb. Je l’appelai en criant, mais ma voix se perdit dans le hurlement des rafales et de la pluie battante.

Accroupie près du sol, j’essayai de distinguer la corniche à travers les ténèbres et les débris tourbillonnants. Quand un autre éclair dentelé déchira l’horizon en deux, je pus tout voir comme si le soleil brillait de nouveau.

Elle avait disparu.

Me protégeant le visage avec mes bras, je fis un sprint vers le bord de la falaise. Un troisième éclair s’écrasa en face de moi, et je vis à quel point j’étais près d’accomplir ma mission : courir jusqu’au bout des rochers et dans les airs.

J’essayai d’arrêter, mais le sol était glissant. Je tombai sur le dos, une jambe tournée vers l’avant. Les garnitures en argent de mes baskets étincelèrent dans la lumière d’un autre éclair, et je vis mon pied au-dessus de la falaise. En criant, je mis les mains derrière moi pour m’agripper au sol.

Mille et un, mille et deux…

Le tonnerre gronda, et la falaise frémit sous moi. Compter les secondes entre les éclairs et leurs grondements subséquents me calmait souvent lors de tempêtes puissantes, mais c’est parce que la plupart des tempêtes n’étaient pas directement au-dessus de moi.

— Ils vont bien !

Simon. Il m’attrapa par la taille des deux mains, m’éloignant de la falaise. Puis, il me prit la main et s’avança vers le bord. Après plusieurs longues secondes, il me serra la main et pointa.

La foudre venait alors plus vite, et l’eau fut plus facile à distinguer. L’eau du bassin tournoya alors que de petites vagues fouettaient les rochers environnants. Les arbres minces qui parsemaient le rivage se penchèrent dans un sens, puis recourbèrent l’échine, leurs troncs étant comme d’étroits fétus de paille flexibles dans le vent. Je secouai la tête, certaine que Simon imaginait des choses, et puis je la repérai, un minuscule ruban blanc surgissant des ténèbres. Caleb avait passé son bras autour d’elle. Ils coururent à moitié, rampèrent à moitié à travers les rochers vers la piste.

Elle allait bien. Bien sûr qu’elle allait bien.

Simon me regarda pour s’assurer que je les avais vus, et puis me tira vers l’arrière. D’une façon ou d’une autre, mes pieds réussirent à bouger, et je me précipitai à sa suite dans la clairière et dans l’entrée de la piste envahie par la végétation. Les branches et les racines que nous avions soulevées et écrasées à l’aller nous giflaient et nous faisaient trébucher, mais nous ne ralentîmes pas. Mon cœur cognait contre ma poitrine, et j’essayais d’ignorer le sentiment que, alors que nous courions à travers les bois, quelque chose ou quelqu’un courait après nous encore plus vite.

Environ quatre cents mètres plus bas, notre chemin fusionnait avec un autre que je n’avais pas remarqué à l’aller. Je ne l’aurais pas davantage remarqué, sauf que Simon revint en arrière et prit à gauche.

Je m’arrêtai quand je vis la raison de ce détour imprévu.

Justine. Elle était dans les bras de Caleb, et une épaisse traînée de sang coulait d’une entaille sur son genou, jusqu’à sa cheville, pour se terminer à son pied.

C’est juste de la terre, ou des algues…

— Nessa.

Alors que Simon la prenait des bras de Caleb, elle me prit la main et la baisa.

— Je vais bien, promis. J’aurais pu faire le trajet moi-même, mais quelqu’un a voulu jouer les héros.

— J’ai de quoi la soigner dans la voiture, dit Simon en remontant la piste principale avec Justine dans les bras.

Je regardai Caleb. Son visage devint tellement tendu en les regardant partir qu’il était difficile d’imaginer le garçon rieur et arrogant qui avait flirté avec Justine quelques minutes auparavant.

— Ta sœur.

Il secoua la tête et me regarda.

— Je sais.

Nous le savions tous deux. Ce n’était pas sa faute. Ou la mienne, ou celle de quelqu’un d’autre. Si Justine voulait courir nue à travers des cercles de feu, elle le ferait. Vous pourriez attendre à proximité avec un peignoir et un extincteur, mais ce serait le mieux que vous pourriez faire.

Nous les suivîmes. Plus nous courûmes, plus la pluie s’abattit sur nous. Le tonnerre devint plus doux, et les secondes entre les grondements s’étirèrent. Même le vent passa de puissantes rafales à une brise d’été normale. Lorsque nous atteignîmes la vieille Subaru verte que Simon avait garée sur le côté de la route de terre, les nuages s’étaient suffisamment dissipés pour révéler des bouts de ciel bleu.

— Tu vois ? cria Justine quand nous courûmes vers eux.

Elle s’assit sur le hayon arrière qui était ouvert, les deux jambes se balançant d’avant en arrière alors que Simon lui faisait un bandage sur sa jambe blessée.

— Ce n’est qu’une égratignure.

— Ce n’est pas qu’une égratignure, dit Simon, mais nous n’aurons pas besoin d’aller aux urgences.

Caleb mit une main sur son cou et l’embrassa sur le front.

— Chérie... tu dois être prudente.

Elle ouvrit la bouche, mais la ferma lorsque la main de Caleb se déplaça jusqu’à sa joue. Comme son pouce lui caressait doucement la peau, elle pencha la tête, et ses yeux devinrent tendres.

— Tu sais, j’aime bien un peu d’aventures, mais je m’en voudrais si jamais quelque chose arrivait...

— Je sais.

Elle prit sa main de sa joue et embrassa sa paume.

— Je suis désolée. Je sais.

Je regardai cet échange, qui était à la fois rempli de soulagement et d’hésitation. Je fus contente de savoir qu’elle allait bien et pensai qu’il était agréable de voir Caleb si préoccupé, mais avant aujourd’hui, ils ne s’étaient pas vus depuis notre dernier voyage au nord, à Noël. Ils avaient l’air d’être assez liés sur le plan émotionnel pour deux personnes qui ne sortaient qu’occasionnellement ensemble.

Je me dis alors que leurs caresses devaient être exceptionnellement agréables, ou que de passionnantes expériences de mort imminente devaient réunir certaines personnes. Je ne connaissais pas les effets de l’une ni de l’autre de ces deux possibilités.

— Tu devras te nettoyer, dit Simon en sécurisant le bandage de Justine. Mais ça tiendra le coup jusqu’à la maison.

— Merci beaucoup, docteur Carmichael.

Justine prit la main de Caleb et sauta par terre en atterrissant sur son bon pied.

— Puis-je avoir une sucette ?

Simon la regarda, ce qui incita Caleb à la conduire sur le côté de la voiture, sur la banquette arrière.

J’aidai Simon à ramasser la gaze et le sparadrap.

— Les problèmes ont vraiment commencé tôt cette année, n’est-ce pas ?

Ses mains figèrent, puis poussèrent le matériel de la trousse de premiers soins dans le coffret et le fermèrent. Il me regarda, et ses yeux fixèrent les miens comme s’il voulait dire quelque chose, mais ne savait pas s’il le devait. Enfin, il s’étira le bras pour me serrer l’épaule.

— Il y a une vieille couverture sur le siège avant si tu veux te sécher.

Il ferma le coffre arrière et se dirigea vers le siège du conducteur. Je regardai une fois de plus vers le ciel, qui était maintenant bleu comme il l’était à notre arrivée, puis je fis le tour de la voiture de l’autre côté et montai sur le siège passager. À l’intérieur, j’enlevai mon coupe-vent alors que Simon s’enfonçait dans son siège, et que Caleb et Justine se faisaient Dieu sais quoi à l’arrière.

— Alors... dis-je puisque personne n’avait bougé ou parlé dans les quelques minutes qui suivirent. Qu’est-ce qui s’est passé ?

Simon me regarda, puis regarda à travers le pare-brise en direction de la piste. Il rit une seule fois et laissa échapper un long soupir profond.

— C’était la falaise Chione qui te souhaitait un bon retour.

Je me retournai, sachant ce que je trouverais si je regardais par-dessus mon épaule, vers la banquette arrière.

Justine, nichée sous le bras de Caleb, avec la jambe blessée appuyée sur une couverture de laine pliée, souriait à pleines dents.

— Toute une montée d’adrénaline, dit-elle joyeusement.

***

— Toute une ruse.

— Une ruse ?

Justine leva son assiette quand son père arriva avec un autre plateau de steaks grillés.

— Qu’est-ce que cela signifie ?

Son père transperça deux tranches de viande avec une fourchette, puis regarda sur la balustrade du patio, vers le lac Kantaka.

— Une ruse. Un acte de tromperie louche, généralement destiné à éviter une capture.

— Je sais ce que signifie le mot, papa. Mais penses-tu vraiment que je me suis égratignée la jambe en escaladant des rochers sur la plage parce que je voulais éviter d’être enlevée ? Les ravisseurs seraient-ils tous rebutés par un peu de sang ? Et qui seraient ces ravisseurs ? Des sauveteurs cinglés ? Des chasseurs de coquillages fous ? L’insaisissable yeti de Winter Harbor ?

Je souris devant ma tasse de thé chaud. Une seule personne pourrait probablement kidnapper Justine s’il en avait l’occasion, et compte tenu des observations précédentes, elle le suivrait probablement volontiers. Je ne pouvais pas plaisanter à ce sujet à haute voix, par contre, car nos parents pensaient encore que Caleb et Simon étaient les mêmes « charmants petits Carmichael » qu’ils avaient connus depuis leur naissance. Ils savaient que nous passions beaucoup de temps ensemble durant l’été, mais ils ignoraient la moitié de ce que notre petit groupe avait fait au cours des dernières années. Et Justine m’avait clairement fait comprendre qu’elle voulait que les choses restent ainsi.

— L’insaisissable yeti de Winter Harbor, hein ?

Papa fit tomber un steak dans l’assiette de Justine et replaça le plateau sur la grille fermée.

— C’est comme ça qu’ils m’appellent maintenant ?

Justine et moi nous regardâmes de part et d’autre de la table et éclatâmes de rire. Papa faisait presque un mètre quatre-vingt-dix et se tenait généralement courbé vers l’avant, position qu’il avait attribuée à devoir se pencher en raison des cadres de porte trop bas « dans sa jeunesse », mais qui était plus probablement le résultat de quarante années passées devant un ordinateur. Sa charpente affalée, quoique toujours imposante, combinée à une tête de cheveux blancs frisés et à une barbe de la même couleur le faisaient effectivement ressembler à la créature légendaire.

— Qu’est-il arrivé à Happy Papi ? Super Papa ? Papa Radical ?

Il s’assit et se versa un autre verre de vin rouge.

— Et quelle était la plus récente ? Big quelque chose ?

— Big Papa, déclara Justine en faisant mine d’être exaspérée, comme si elle n’arrivait pas à croire qu’il avait oublié un des petits surnoms qu’elle lui donnait.

— Ah oui. Je ne sais toujours pas si je devrais être offensé par celui-là.

Il frotta son ventre rond.

— Mais j’en ai trouvé un autre sur la route, que nous devrions intégrer à notre conversation quotidienne dès que possible.

— Nous allons le prendre en considération, promit Justine.

Papa prit un pain rond du panier de pains au centre de la table et en arracha un morceau qu’il se lança dans la bouche.

— Roi.

— Roi ? demanda Justine. Roi de quoi ?

Il haussa les épaules.

— C’est tout. Juste « Roi ».

— Pas mal... mais cela ferait de maman une reine. Et je ne pense vraiment pas qu’elle souhaiterait être une subalterne, même si ce n’était que par son titre. Justine lança un regard à sa mère pour obtenir une confirmation.

Maman, qui sciait son steak avec un couteau comme s’il s’agissait de métal et non de

Avis sur Sirène

[funstm · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

Average addition to the YA paranormal scene. It was very dense and somewhat hard to finish. I didn't love Vanessa all that much. The plot was predictable and kind of bland. The secondary characters were meh. 2 stars.

[ireneattolia · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

pretty typical ya, but im a slut for mermaids soo

[thekaisu · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Full review @ Amaterasu reads.I have much praises for this book. This is just fantastic. Siren was a very engaging read. It sucks you right into the story, and the next thing you know you’d be flipping the pages non-stop, holding your breath while trying to find out what happens next. It was like peeling off countless covers of a present and gasping in surprise when what was inside was finally unraveled. I especially love the twists and turns in the story, the feeling of constantly getting surprised by what you’re reading.I love the way the bits and pieces of Vanessa’s character was unveiled. You’re finding out things about her as you go through the story, her character doesn’t seem to be stagnant, and despite her countless weaknesses (oblivious to herself, afraid of a lot of things, insecure, low self-esteem) Vanessa is a delightful character to read.And don’t you just love having a cute geeky guy as your male protagonist? I do. It’s refreshing somehow, considering almost all YA novels have their lead guy seen as handsome and strong and very capable. Simon was, but in a very geeky, dorky way. He was this walking Weather channel, all into facts, and yet he was still able to accept that some things just cannot be explained by science.Tricia Rayburn was able to re-create the legend of the Siren into a stunning novel, a fresh take on the story of these beautiful creatures that only exists in myths. She was able to weave an engaging and fascinating fantasy tale about love and death, grief, and that of the beautiful mythical creature, the Siren, who sings a lovely song.

[sensitivemuse · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

This was my first book featuring sirens/mermaids. It was an interesting concept and the mystery surrounding the plot wasn’t too bad. The plot itself was not too bad and the setting suited the story. There was just one problem, and that was the characters.I couldn’t begin to like the characters, even if I tried. They were bland, they were uninteresting and if it hadn’t been for the plot being slightly interesting, I probably wouldn’t have gone further into this book. The supposed romance featured in the book wasn’t that great either - I suppose because the characters weren’t that interesting to begin with. The romance seemed forced, and artificial, and they both acted in a very robotic nature. The plot was in between. At times it was interesting, at other times, there’s a lull and it tended to drag. I liked how Vanessa was uncovering secret after secret regarding her sister, and the ending did make up for some of the shortfalls - although I still remain not satisfied with the way the characters were done.I will be reading the sequel to this, but am not in a big rush to go out and get it. The book was an okay read, but it could have been made much better, especially when it came to its’ characters. This is the type of book where good character creation would have made the book much better and more fun to read.

[abookvacation · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Interesting idea. I wasn't so wound up in it that I read it all in one sitting, but I liked it. I guess I feel like it was written under the pretense that more books are to come, so many things were touched upon but left unrevealed so that we have to read the next book. I also felt like the last quarter of the book was choppy and I didn't follow everything that was ahppening. I mean, if she needs salt water to be alive, how is is that two years go by between her salt water experiences, etc?

[callmecayce · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

A decent adaptation of the siren myths. The love story is sweet and the twist on the story is fascinating, but that's the only part. In the end, the book was okay, but not anything special. It does mean, though, that it's the second modern retelling of siren myths that I've read (the other being Ripple by Mandy Hubbard and that's a much better book) recently.

[amberfib · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

I really enjoyed Siren, and it kept me hooked from the very beginning. Rayburn jumps right into character development by allowing the reader to get to know Vanessa and her deepest darkest fears right away. Instead of Vanessa saying, "oh, I have deep dark fears," she relays stories of how she's been afraid of silly things, such as the dark, and how her sister always tricked her into not being afraid anymore. These stories in place of a statement is what I mean when I say showing instead of telling. Rayburn does an excellent job of showing the inner workings of Vanessa's mind in this novel. However, the emotional showing is a little bit lacking. She doesn't talk about physical reactions, and instead just says things, such as, "I blushed." Saying she felt the heat crawling up her neck and into her face or something to that effect would have been a more compelling way to word it. Overall, though, Siren is an excellent read, and the writing is definitely top notch. Vanessa is a likable character, and while her fears get a bit annoying sometimes, she's still somewhat easy to relate to. I mean I'm not scared of the dark and haven't been since I was maybe three years old, but I do have irrational fears (bugs, for example), just like we all do. Vanessa just seems to be a bigger pansy than most. She's a goodhearted character, though, and that shows in every page of the book. She's also fairly independent and strong, even though she is a scaredy cat.Simon is a terrific character. One of the things that kind of bugged me in this novel is that I still have no idea what Simon looked like. Rayburn never described him that much. I know he's tall, has filled out, and wears glasses. Past that, I don't even know what color his eyes were. This caused me to keep reinventing how he looked in my head, which sidetracked and confused me. Some people like the vague character descriptions, but for the leading man, I do not. Vanessa's vague descriptions were fine, even though I knew more what she looked like than Simon. I can see the purpose of not describing the character whose POV we are reading because then any reader can picture herself in the narrator/main character's place. For the leading guy, though, I feel like there needs to be at least a general description. Eye color and hair color are a must for this, in my opinion. There wasn't a lot of action in Siren, but there was a lot of mystery. I had quite a few things figured out early on, but there were a few surprises as well. Authors don't surprise me very often, so I enjoyed the feeling of actually not knowing what was going to happen next sometimes. This novel was more suspenseful and mysterious than action-packed. The plot was complicated, but I never felt lost or confused. Rayburn did a terrific job of explaining the world she created without reciting the facts like a list of rules and regulations. She showed us a lot of the rules instead of telling us, and I'm sure you guys know by now that I like showing and not telling. The ending tied things up nicely, but left some questions unanswered for the sequel.The pacing was pretty spot on. The story was fast moving without feeling rushed. I didn't feel like the book ever lagged, and I was interested until the very last page. Siren is a terrific story of mermaids, mythology, love, and loss. It's a fantastic book, and I can't wait to read Undercurrent.

[thehidingspot · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

I consider myself lucky when I say that I was able to read SIREN months before its release. In fact, I picked it up based solely the title and cover art, before I'd ever even heard of it. I had no idea what to expect, but soon found myself completely immersed in the mystery and romance of Rayburn's phenomenal YA debut.It isn’t hard to guess what the novel is about, given the description and title, but that doesn’t stop Tricia Rayburn from writing a compelling mystery with a great love story. Sure, the reader knows that there will be mysterious deaths and Vanessa's relationship with a childhood friend will most likely grow into something more, but the lack of mystery is made up for by the superb writing and characters.When I hear "siren," the first thought that pops into my head is mermaids. Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid to be precise. Sirens are not mermaids, which Rayburn makes abundantly clear. There are very few YA novels that involve honest-to-goodness, homocidal sirens, but, if they're anything like Rayburn's, I wish there were more. I'm hopeful that Rayburn will further explore siren lore in her future novels; in SIREN the history and motivations were mentioned, but I would love to see further exploration.Despite the obvious spoilers about the mysterious deaths, Rayburn still keeps readers on their toes. While it is quite obvious who is killing these men, the why isn’t so clear. In addition, Vanessa’s sister dies under mysterious circumstances, adding an unexpected twist. Justine’s death can't be pinned on the sirens as easily as male deaths.Apart from the supernatural plot line, SIREN is also a great coming-of-age story. Vanessa grows significantly throughout the novel as she discovers more about herself, Justine, and the history of Winter Harbor. I found her relationship with her late sister to be particularly interesting; there was so much more to the sisters’ story than I had anticipated.And then there’s Simon. SIREN's description boasts a burgeoning relationship between Vanessa and Simon, which, of course, caught my eye. I definitely like romances where "friends" find themselves becoming "more than friends" and Rayburn writes the evolution wonderfully. There's just the right amount of tension and denial and confusion.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Although I tend to devour young adult novels like a lion setting on an antelope, I am often disappointed by my reading. For some reason, this does not make me crave the paranormal teen stories any less. You will still see me drooling (not literally, I hope) over the latest novels about vampires, mermaids/sirens, werewolves, fairies, unicorns, etc. I am happy to report that Siren, while not the best of the best, is a good solid read and that I am looking forward to reading the sequel, which is good since my friend brought it back from ALA for me. So yay, the book is not as fail as the cover. That is just terrifying!

Of the various paranormal topics, mermaids/sirens (which area apparently interchangeable?) are definitely among my least favorites. I have read two practically in a row this week, not because I planned it, but just because that's how it happened. I definitely recommend Siren over Lost Voices for those looking for a novel about sirens, although really the sirens are rather different. Rayburn's focus on individual males, rather than taking down whole ships at once. Singing is less important here, replaced by almost a sort of mindspeak with their victims (although they do sing occasionally). Most overtly, these sirens do not seem to have tails of any sort (I can't tell you how much I thought Vanessa was going to walk in on one in the bathtub and see she had a tail like in the movie Splash); they're just women who need to drink salt water and can be underwater for a really long time.

Vanessa made a good main character, with a very human set of weaknesses but the inner strength to overcome them when she really needs to. Simon and Caleb were both great guys in completely different ways. Of course, I would want a Simon for myself; he's just so adorably nerdy sounding. :-)

Siren is a great beach read, although maybe not for those who are easily terrified by literature. You don't want to be afraid to go in the water on your holiday!

[jolerie · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Justine and Vanessa have always enjoyed spending their summers at the beach house with their family and friends. This year, festivities are cut short when Justine's body washes ashore and the people of Winter Harbour, Maine are shattered from their idyllic home away from home. Shortly thereafter, several more bodies begin to wash up along the coast, all men, all with smiles on their faces. Vanessa, unable to come to terms with her sister's apparent suicide decides to dig a little deeper into the town's past and what she finds is a tradition more sinister than she could have fathomed. The first half the book started rather slow and I kept wanting them to unfold the mystery a lot faster. The second half of the story picked up rather quickly and the climax was satisfying, but of course lots of loose ends are left since this is the first in a planned trilogy. The connection and explored mythology of sirens was woven nicely into the overall narrative, albeit predictably, as is usually the case with YA books. Overall, I enjoyed it enough to pursue the rest of the series.

[rosetyper9 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I thought this book was just ok. This book was yet another young adult book that was clouded in mystery, so much so that it took away from the story, I understand the sleuthing and figuring out the mystery is part of the story but I just couldn't dive head first into the story when it was just so clouded. I love the idea of the Siren and how the author took a myth and legend and made it her own. I also like Simon, the meteorologist, he is just to cute.

I have been reading a lot of young adult books that have the serious mystery cloud, so maybe YA isn't for me. What do you all think, did you find this book holds back too much from the reader or did you think it was just right?

[leia9ann-1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Siren drew me in from the first page. Although the book started a bit slow for my tastes and some of the earlier transitions were truly awkward, I enjoyed reading about Vanessa and her fears for everything. The writing is a bit apprehensive and shaky to start with, but by the fifth or so page I wasn't even noticing writing flaws anymore. I was completely drawn in to this irresistible world and characters.

Unlike some reviewers, I had no problem with the (lack of) parental concerns in this book - it features characters that have finished high school, so I didn't feel that the parents acted strangely at all.

Vanessa is a truly sympathetic character who I felt I could really empathize with. With all of her self-doubts and insecurities and all I found her incredibly endearing and enduring. I found her romance with Simon completely believable and sweet - especially when taking into account what's exposed about their romance by the end of the book.

The one serious gripe I have is that the mythology wasn't fully explained or fleshed out. Sirens are so fascinating (and pretty rare in genre novels too!), I would have loved to learn more about them and their lives, although I'm willing to concede that that may still lay ahead for a future book.

I love a good bitter-sweet ending and I love my characters nuanced and not all-good and always right, so the choice Vanessa makes in the end both with regards to Simon and her heritage seemed real and satisfying, although I'm still not quite sure what exactly happened during the climax (F.R.U.S.T.R.A.T.I.O.N.!).

I truly look forward to the next installment of this series, Undertow, set for release in Winter 2011 (OHAI Southern Hemisphere!), although I would suggest that you first read an excerpt of the book or loan it from the library before deciding to buy it - it may not be everyone's cup of tea. That said, however, this book and its sequels are definitely going to go onto my bookshelf!

[elysianfield_1 · Évaluation : 1 sur 5 étoiles]

I finished this only barely and thought about giving up. I didn't like any of the characters and I thought it was just ridiculous.

[nicola26 · Évaluation : 2 sur 5 étoiles]

This book has a lot of brilliant reviews but personally, I was completey unimpressed. I was at least half way through the book before I found out anything that I hadn't known from reading the back cover. I really dislike it when the description gives away the whole story- it makes reading the book feel rather pointless. I didn't connect with any of the characters, and didn't really care what happened to them. I can't really find many faults with the book... it was fine. Just not for me, I suppose. Normally I'm willing to give sequels a go but I have no desire to read the next book.

[sithereandread · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

SIREN, by Tricia Rayburn, is a thrilling tale about the events surrounding the mysterious deaths in a Maine vacation town. Rayburn opened my eyes to the wonderful world of the mythological siren. My previous encounters with sirens in books have only been limited, so I was excited to delve into this book and explore these fascinating creatures.From the synopsis, I anticipated the death of Justine and the disappearance of Caleb. But within the first chapter I was already connected with them, that when the time came for these tragedies, I was downright depressed. I was captured by Vanessa's love for Justine and the budding romance between her and Simon. The characters came to life on the page, and I felt that Justine was taken away from me too soon as she was from Vanessa and her family.Vanessa's love for her sister drove her to dig deeper into the bizarre deaths of Winter Harbor, but she ended up uncovering a secret that changes everything. I really enjoyed the way Rayburn slowly unraveled the story to keep the tension high. And when she made the big reveal, I have to say I was very surprised.The characters in this book really added to the dynamic. They all had secrets and it was surprising when all of their secrets weaved together. Vanessa was a great character. She started off afraid of everything but eventually she faced her fears and became selfless in her journey to help Simon find Caleb. Vanessa and Simon were adorable together. Their relationship blossomed from time and growing up together. At times I felt bad for Caleb, he just had his heart broken which made him vulnerable and weak and the perfect prey.I thought the ending of this book was bittersweet and absolutely perfect. It left me wanting more but also feeling content. I am very excited to read the next installments.

[lyricaltwin · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I had heard some mixed reviews about this, but I bought it and I fell in love with it. A dark siren story, a far cry from the typical light mermaid/siren story, this was great. Great ending with a fantastic twist at the end leaving me thirsting for the second.

[smg3amstewart · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

I really enjoyed 'Siren.' I think that the storyline was really good and that the novel was really well written. My favourite thing about the book was that I felt like I could have gotten along well with the main character. She just seemed like a very likeable person.

[wyvernfriend · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

There are things that don't quite work in this story but it swept me up and kept me reading.Vanessa lives in the shadow of her sister, Justine, until her sister dies and then she has to deal with a lot of dark issues and problems and suggestions that all is not as it seems in the small holiday town, and that all was not as it seemed with her family.It drew me in and kept me reading and while not perfect, it was interesting and I do want to read more in the series, although i do think the book stands well enough on it's own.

[pocketmermaid · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

Definitely a page-turner, as I finished this in a matter of hours. But it wasn't what I expected at all. I found out about this book from a blog that posted an entry of mermaid-related books. This is more of a murder mystery with witch-like sirens than the floaty mermaid story I was expecting. Since the siren thing is pretty understated until more than halfway through the book, I thought the title was a bit misleading. But that's okay. I forgive it.

[stacyatufi · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

great read. Cant wait for book 2 to come out.

[katiedoll_1 · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

Siren completely pulled me in (pun intended) and took me for a creepy thrill-ride of epic proportions. I absolutely loved every minute of it.First off, I loved the refreshing new paranormal creature. Sirens are something often mentioned in a lot of books lately, but until now, I’ve never actually read an entire novel about them. Tricia managed to pull off educating us and scaring us at the same time- something that I appreciated a lot.Aside from the creepy mystery that involves the random but consistent murders of local men, another thing I loved were the main characters, Vanessa and Simon. Their once friendship turned budding romance was so enthralling and sweet compared to the darker parts of the book. And not only is their relationship appropriately written, but the maturity of the characters themselves was as well. In the beginning, Vanessa started off an average teenager. But with her sister’s death, the introduction of a few characters with less than good intentions and the discovery of her family’s history, she grows up and it’s so good that it leaps off the pages.It kept me guessing until the very end, dropping occasional hints and clues every now and then. Despite the romance and paranormal, I feel like it was a genuine mystery and it just plain entertaining in all aspects to read.Overall, Siren has earned a spot on my “favorite” shelf. Scary and engaging with action, suspense, mystery and a must-read romance, it’s everything that paranormal fans will love. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

[galleysmith · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

In a market filled with vampires, werewolves and other supernatural and paranormal creatures Siren was a refreshing step away into the land of the deep sea. Set in a small lake-side town in Maine the Sands sisters are preparing for their last summer of fun with the Carmichael brothers before Justine heads off to college. The only problem is that this sleepy town is now ground zero for a rash of sea-based deaths, including Justine’s own.Light on the town’s history and mermaid-ish folklore, Siren had the perfect mix of romance, suspense and action. For me, this made the story all that more enjoyable. I received just the right amount of information to understand the story without being hit over the head with interesting but needless facts. I also enjoyed the fact that there were strong romantic elements but they weren’t the main theme of the story.The romantic elements of the Sands sisters and Charmichael brothers was sweet, longing and tender. It lacked hard core passion but for this story that feeling was rightfully meant for Zara, the town bombshell. Vanessa and Simon circled each other and had a great push/pull kind of relationship but the point of the story wan’t about their love as much as it was about love in general.Vanessa, as a character, is as dynamic as it gets. She starts the story as a fearful introverted girl, dependent on the strength and support of her sister only to be left to fend for herself. Watching her embrace her fears and grow to be strong on her own was a fabulous element of the story. Feeling every bit of Vanessa’s angst and sorrow after the death of her sister I wasn’t surprised that her reaction wasn’t to immediately cloister herself but to go back to where it all happened and investigate Justine’s last moments.The secondary characters were created with equal depth. Zara – the bitch on wheels, Paige – the good natured sister who smoothed over Zara’s harshness, Simon – the weather-geek turned investigator wanting to protect Vanessa, and Caleb — the love of Justine’s life; each a story in their own right. What worked really well about this? The fact that even though we could have gone much deeper into the lives of each we were taken just far enough to related them to Vanessa and the mystery of the murders. Not only that but certain facts were let go at the most opportune moments to create the strongest impact.Rayburn crafted an excellent mystery and wrote it beautifully. Depth of emotion was not in short supply. Power and control were large parts of the main theme. Sirens wanted it and would do what they could to have it. Those whom they were setting their sites on weren’t going to give it up without a fight.The bonds of sisterhood was another central theme. Vanessa had a very strong connection to her recently deceased sister, it was this bond that drove all of her actions. The sirens, too, had a strong connection to each other. Knowing where, when and how things were happening in each of their lives so as to produce maximum results in their attempts to remain undetected and alive.Pacing of the story was fantastic. It wasn’t too slow but didn’t rush to tell us everything in the first chapter. I enjoyed that we slowly learned more about the characters and their relationships to each other. The suspense of the murder mystery was held throughout — giving us small tastes of resolution only to pull us backwards a few steps rig to the bitter end.I’ve learned that there will be a follow-up to this story which excites me. I’m extremely interested to read the sequel, particularly given how this book ended (which I won’t give away).Siren is a strongly written paranormal thriller with a splash of romance. Definitely worth a read if you are into young adult literature. Since it’s light on the magic and super powers I’ll say it’s even a good foot in the door of the paranormal genre. Give it a read, you’ll enjoy it.

[abookwormshaven · Évaluation : 5 sur 5 étoiles]

This is another one of those ARC’s I got from a conference I was at this year, but this one is signed, bonus! Anyway, let me just tell you one thing right off the bat that I loved about this book, there are no vamps or wolves running around. Yay for something new! Before you throw things at me, let me clarify. I love the bloodsuckers and the canine howlers, but every book I read can’t be about them. I need a break and this book was that breath of fresh air for me. I had it in my “to be read” pile until my friend James read a little snippet of it for his Fragment Friday on his blog and that’s when I said “hey, that sounds sweet!” So I found it on my shelf and proceeded to read.The mythology behind this story was so interesting, because I don’t think I have read any other books out there that delve into this particular paranormal phenomenon. I think it is pretty obvious what the “mythology” in this book is about but just in cause you don’t know I am not going to say what it is. I will just say it is not something I have read about in YA before and I liked that it was a fresh outtake on the paranormal. It was fascinating to learn about a whole new world. With no vamps running around, you don’t have any frame of reference for the paranormal in this book. It was nice to learn about the lore right along with the characters and not have any preconceived notions going in.One thing I learned through this book is Tricia is good with surprises. I thought I had the mystery figured out so I was waiting for the characters to catch up with me and see their reactions. I did not expect to be the one caught off guard. Looking back I see the signs there that I think I was just passing off as coincidence. Lesson learned, pay attention! I liked that Tricia left some of the twists for later in the book and not everything was just laid out for you in the beginning. Kept me on my toes as I was reading, which was gratifying.Watching Vanessa and Simon try and make sense of their feelings was amusing. They have been friends for such a long time and Vanessa is not sure she should blur the lines between friendship and relationship. I do think by having them be friends first though, it did make the relationship flow more naturally. It wasn’t “oh, I met this really hot, mysterious, guy and now were dating!” Vanessa has known Simon for years. There is a foundation already in place for them to build on.While the relationship between Simon and Vanessa was a big focus, there was also a large emphasis on Vanessa and her sister Justine. While Vanessa dives deeper into the mystery that surrounds her sisters death she starts to learn things she almost wishes she didn’t know. It also brings up a really good question, how well do you know your loved ones? What are they really thinking and doing when you are not there? Those are questions Vanessa and Simon search for answers to and are not so sure they are going to like what they find.As the pages started to run out I was so sad, because the events leading up to ending left so many more questions than answers. Which I am of course not going to delve into here because that would ruin the story, silly. I am hoping these unanswered questions will mean that a sequel is on the way. I could not find anything about one online, but I am going to hold out hope. Siren brings sparkle to the YA genre with originality and mystery. It is something different for this genre and I hope Tricia will keep going so we can get to visit Winter Harbor again.

[stephxsu · Évaluation : 4 sur 5 étoiles]

Fraidy-cat Vanessa’s gregarious older sister Justine goes cliff-diving after a family argument. When her body washes ashore, everyone thinks it was an accident, but Vanessa thinks there’s more to the story, especially when she discovers things that Justine had been hiding from them all, and when Justine’s sort-of boyfriend, their family friend Caleb, goes missing.But soon other worrying things begin to happen in Winter Harbor, Maine. Bodies of grinning men begin washing ashore at an alarming rate, and Vanessa’s new friend’s family seems to be keeping secrets. Together with Simon, Caleb’s meteorologist older brother, Vanessa is determined to seek out the truth. But what she discovers may be bigger and more dangerous than she can handle…SIREN was a surprisingly heartfelt supernatural YA debut. It elegantly combines ocean myth with relatable human troubles for an interesting and absorbing read.Though the plot unfolds slowly, Tricia Rayburn accomplishes a lot when she makes Vanessa into an actually sympathetic protagonist. Despite her self-acknowledged fears (unlike many other YA paranormal romance heroines, who don’t realize they’re irritatingly passive about everything), Vanessa’s attachments to the people she loves drives her to stretch her boundaries and take risks for their sake. I found her believable and likable; in real life she’d be that reserved classmate who’s hard to get to know but worth the effort to befriend.Ironically enough, SIREN’s strength lies in its humanity. I found myself caring very much for the main circle of characters. The brothers, Caleb and Simon, are worth their weight in hardcover. Even though it’s Vanessa’s story, Vanessa’s journey, Caleb and Simon don’t exist merely as errand-boys for her mission: they have personalities and passions of their own, too. Additionally, Vanessa’s relationship with her parents, while not the central focus of the book, is a lovely touch, from her easygoing banter with her father to tensions with her austere mother.Sadly, the best part about this book’s supernatural element may be its novelty. For the sake of leaving you with a (mostly) clean slate, I will just say that the book is not exactly about mermaids, but something related. There’s tremendous buildup for the supernatural aspect, and I found its history within the novel’s world to be well done. However, in the ending, everything—and I do mean EVERYTHING, pretty much all the subplots—comes together so handily, so effortlessly, so… “climax-ily,” that I found my eyes bugging out, unable to believe that it had ended like that, so perfectly, so disappointingly. The ending requires a whole heap of suspension of disbelief, and I really struggled with it.Overall, however, SIREN was an entertaining read that took me away entirely for a few hours. The ending leaves open the possibility for a sequel, and I definitely would not mind seeing what else Tricia Rayburn has for us regarding Vanessa.

[peaceloveandpat_1 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

The first chapter of the story introduced me to Vanessa and Justine Sands. Two sisters who spend their every summer at Winter Harbor. People have high hopes for Justine, she was to set foot and study at Dartmouth that coming school year, her younger sister looks up to her. She's beautiful, clever, fearless and the perfect sister. Whereas, Vanessa (the younger sister) was a wimp. I'm sorry... but she really is she's afraid of the dark and gets paranoid that a vampire or some monster is waiting for her to fall asleep and then snatch her or kill her, she's afraid to speak her mind, etc... It's not that she's insecure she was just plain scared. This particular summer she promised herself to be bold. To start off, she promised herself to actually jump when Justine and Caleb go cliff diving at Chione Cliffs the next time. But time has ran out to do anything bold together with her sister. After Justine argued with their mother about her adventures and about hanging out with Caleb she stormed out of their cottage and the next day was found dead. The newspaper and the people in the area ruled it out as a suicide. Distraught, guilty and missing her sister Vanessa did not believe that Justine would do that, she's an adrenaline junkie not a moron and definitely not suicidal, she would know better than to cliff dive at night. She could not believe any of it. She is not really thinking murder but there is something that she cannot put her finger on it. What happened to her sister she's not satisfied with it. So she decided to go back to Winter Harbor to investigate. This is when I started warming up to her...Before Justine died, Vanessa could smell the scent of salt water on her skin and for some reason that got imprinted on her mind, especially right after she died. It was like following her. Was it Justine? Or is it her inner wimp trying to scare her? Then she started seeing a light too and then other images and sometimes voices that sound like Justine. I find this really interesting because if I were as wimpy as her I would immediately thought of a ghost but she never seem to think that way at the beginning. Or maybe when someone close to you dies even if they are haunting you, you wouldn't get scared? hmmm...So anyway her first investigation will be to talk to Caleb and see if her sister was hanging out with him that night but he wasn't there, his older brother Simon said he's been missing since the day his brother talked to the police. Where could he be? So Simon & Vanessa set out to find the missing Caleb. At the course of their search male bodies started getting ashed ashore, drowned with a creepy grin on their face, like the cause of their death was worth it. The creepy story is of course with a supernatural cause, what kind of a supernatural creature it is? you'll have to find that out yourself. I like the book despite some loose ends and unsatisfactory ending. There is a romance but the story does not revolve around it and that suited me fine. It has a haunting tale full of unexpected twists. Is this a series? because I'd love to find out what happens next.

[ericajsc · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I was enjoying this book, with very little to complain about, until about eighty pages from the end. Now, I’m not saying the story completely fell apart at the end; I was just disappointed that the story turned down a predictable path when there were so many options that I would’ve enjoyed so much more!First, let me address what I did like in the story. The story pulled me in from the beginning. Vanessa and Justine, Caleb and Simon, the beach… I was feeling it. After her sister’s death, Vanessa feels that something is off and she thinks she needs to investigate the circumstances. So there’s some mystery/intrigue in that storyline. Then there’s the fact that for some not-completely-believable-but-mildly-acceptable reason her parents let her go to their vacation home alone, where she can’t even sleep because the girl is afraid of every noise she hears. However, the house is conveniently next door to Simon Carmichael, who has recently gone from Weather Nerd Stop Talking About the Weather to Wow, Weather Nerd Got Hot While He Was Away At College And Now I Want To Touch Him, and since his brother disappeared (and his parents decided they couldn’t be at home after the accident) they team up to look for answers. Oh, and there’s also the fact that Justine is talking to Vanessa from beyond the grave. Yeah, so there’s some creepy stuff going on, and I liked it. I loved nerdy Simon and his weather research. I loved that Vanessa made friends with a local girl with crazy family secrets. I loved that Vanessa got to rescue boys from the clutches of the sinister force at work in Winter Harbor.But then I didn’t love it so much when more and more secrets were uncovered and everything is turned on its head and Vanessa was forced to make sacrifices in order to do what was right. But there wasn’t anything particularly exceptional about it either. In the end, there was so much left unexplained/open to a sequel that I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to know and what I was supposed to be unclear about. I wanted so much for this story to stand out as unique and going against the grain, and it was just… okay. It wasn’t horrible, there wasn’t anything particularly wrong with the story; I just can’t rave about it.

[krau0098 · Évaluation : 3 sur 5 étoiles]

I had been wanted to read this book for some time. I ended up getting it to listen to on audiobook at one of Audible's book sales. It was an okay book, while there wasn't anything technically wrong with the story I had a lot of trouble engaging with the story or the characters.I listened to this on audiobook and I don't recommend it. The narrator had a breathy, cutesy voice that bothered me. I think the sounds of the narrator's voice made me like the main character even less than if I had been reading about Vanessa in paperback.Vanessa and Justine are sisters. They spend every summer at Winter Harbor with their family. Vanessa is scared of everything and Justine is fearless. Then one night everything goes wrong; Justine gets in a fight with their mother and storms out of the cabin...the next day she is dead. Two weeks after Justine's death Vanessa can't help but feel something isn't right. She journeys back to Winter Harbor to confront Justine's boyfriend about what really happened that night. Little does Vanessa know that she is going to be entagled in doings beyond her wildest imaginings.Okay so my main problem with this book is that it is named Siren. Guess what Vanessa spends the whole book doing? Well, she is trying to figure out what is killing people in the waters outside of Winter Harbor. I felt like shaking her the whole book and saying "Duh, it's Sirens! Obviously!" It would have been better to title the book something that doesn't totally give away the mystery that the characters spend most of the book trying to solve.Enough griping about that. This is one of those high school kids go away for the summer and solve some seaside mystery sorts of books. It moves pretty slow, Vanessa is kind of dense, and of course she has to fall in love with the boy who helps her unravel the mystery. I am not sure why but this book constantly reminded me of Moonglass by Jessi Kirby. Granted this book has more supernatural activity; but it also has that same feeling of high school age characters slowing getting over grief and slowly solving a mystery.Vanessa was hard for me to engage with as a character; she is always uncertain and always scared. She grows a little in this story but not much and I found her difficult to be inspired by and hard to relate to. She was also incredibly dense, she just didn't understand things and how they related and it frustrated me.A lot of the characters in this book are fairly forgettable. They must be because I had trouble even distinguishing some of them from each other. I didn't realize this was part of a series. By the times things are actually picking up pace and getting somewhat interesting the book ends.Overall this was an okay book. There isn't technically anything wrong with it. I just found the characters to be lackluster, the story predictable, and the mystery slow-moving and difficult to stay engaged with. So far I remain unimpressed with all of the Siren YA books I have read. I did think that Lost Voices by Sarah Porter was better than this book but not a ton better. I won't be reading any more of this series.