Lost Voices (review)

This first novel of a promised trilogy offers a new interpretation of mermaids, conceiving them as girls who were deeply traumatized as humans and transformed as a last resort. Luce, fourteen and orphaned, becomes a mermaid after a rape attempt; though she is grateful to be alive and part of a group, she’s soon troubled by aspects of mermaid life. In fact, most mermaids are deeply committed to killing as many humans as possible by singing to passing ships, lulling the passengers into bliss even while they drown. Luce participates willingly at first, but she cannot let go of her belief that not all humans are evil and that an obsession with vengeance does not lead to a happy existence. But can she convince the others or, if she fails, survive on her own? The tension present for Luce as a human and then as a mermaid is almost tangible—readers will be fervently hoping she catches a break as a girl and will then immediately shift to hoping that she’ll fare better underwater. This is a dark and compelling take on a world usually depicted as more lighthearted: infant and toddler mermaids are abandoned to die, the life events the girls endure in order to change are often horrific, and humans, nature, and other mermaids all pose significant and constant risks to the protagonists. Porter nonetheless carefully doles out enough possibilities to keep the overall tone hopeful, and given the already numerous perky mermaids, these gritty, wounded souls are a creative and welcome addition to the field.