Songs from the Deep Is a Siren Story with a Focus on Character

Margaret K. McElderry Books

Mermaids have long been in the public imagination and the subject of many types of stories. While I definitely prefer the benevolent mermaids, like Ariel in The Little Mermaid and the titular heroine in Aquamarine, I know others gravitate toward the darker tales about sirens—creatures that lure sailors to their drowning deaths with their beautiful singing. I’m not completely averse to sirens myself, which is why I decided to read Kelly Powell‘s debut, Songs from the Deep, a story that features these deadly figures but focuses much more on the human characters.

Sirens inhabit the waters surrounding the island of Twillingyle, though the islanders know that iron is the best protection against them. Moira Alexander has come to love the sirens through her late father’s research and often goes to the cliffs to play her violin in harmony with their song. But when a local boy is found dead on the beach, everyone blames the creatures, and the hunting ban that was put in place to protect the sirens is called into question. Knowing that this murder is not consistent with the way sirens drown their prey, Moira and her childhood friend Jude Osric decide to investigate the mystery of who’s framing them before the killer strikes again.

It took me a couple of chapters to really immerse myself into this world of magical realism, but once I was in, I was hooked. Twillingyle is an island split into two towns, each of which has its own tight-knit community, set in an unspecified time in history (the most advanced technology the island has is typewriters and telephones, and the latter are very few and only for emergencies). At first I was frustrated that I didn’t know what period the story took place in, but the more I read, the less it mattered in the long run. The small-town atmosphere mixed with a lingering sense of dread pulled me along.

The mysterious murder kept me guessing until the end, as cliché as that sounds. Everyone in town has lost someone to sirens, so anyone could have a motive to frame them. Moira considers the possibilities and at first suspects Jude himself, whose family was drowned by sirens years before. Those who work at the docks are highly suspicious as well, given that they come into contact with sirens more than anyone else. Other townspeople seem sinister with their tendency to spread gossip, and many are a little too willing to believe whatever the police tell them. Powell doesn’t give anything away, but she does leave hints here and there that come together in the end, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed when I got there.

The sirens of Twillingyle have legs instead of tails, but they’re still deadly with their sharp teeth and haunting voices. Strangely enough, they aren’t as prominent in the story as I was expecting them to be. While they play a big role in terms of plot—they’re in danger of being hunted to extinction, and Moira’s and Jude’s fathers were both invested in their research of the sirens—it’s the protagonists’ relationship that takes center stage. After Jude’s family’s death, the two drifted apart until very recently, and they’re both hiding damning secrets from each other. They also have wildly different personalities: Moira is very bold and speaks her mind, while Jude is reserved and takes a more gentle approach when interacting with others. Given all of that, the two mesh incredibly well, and their friendship was easily the best part of the story. Their chemistry works on multiple levels, and I loved to see the way their relationship slowly morphed into a different kind of love. I was also constantly muttering “Just kiss already” at my Nook, which to me is a sign of a relationship well written.

Moira herself is a fantastic heroine on her own, as well. While she’s determined to save the sirens and will stop at nothing to find the real murderer, she also has problems she doesn’t talk about much. She butts heads with her mother quite often at home, especially over her violin playing. People in town constantly ask when she’ll play again at the local dance hall, and while she’s adamant about saying no, she still feels insecure about the reason behind her answer. Most heartbreaking of all is her grief over losing her father, because the sirens are a way for her to feel connected with him even after his death. I loved that Moira wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, but seeing her vulnerable side made her a much more interesting character.

Songs from the Deep is one of those books that sneaks up on you and wows you in ways you weren’t expecting. I went in with modest expectations and ended up discovering a new favorite book that’s well written and exciting in its own quiet way. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a YA read that’s a little more on the unique side. If you’re like me, you’ll also have a new pairing to ship and squeal over well after the last page.

Songs from the Deep is out on November 5, 2019.