Lies Beneath

by Anne Greenwood Brown

• ISBN13: 9780385742016
• Publish Date: 12 June 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 22 August 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

--So good, when I was towards the end on my way home from work, I missed my stop. Que 30 min correction.
--Liked how it's POV is different, not just with a guy narrating but the monster as well.
--Lily doesn't come off all that well tho, more like a try hard full of desperation to be unique and special. But that describes a lot of people, teens and adults alike. She's also got the naive sheltered outlook of a child. Okay so spot on but no less annoying.
--Very tense and suspenseful. The reveals went off without a hitch.
--I'm curious about the next book but I wonder how Lilly's narration is going to work out since she came off...dull.
--Instalove. Meh. I didn't really get the attraction. Lilly's hot and cold and I can see being wary of him. Is it being forbidden bad boy? Yeah, don't get it. Dude is clearly losing it and sexually attracted to her but he had to fake things in common. but the suspense and Dude losing grip on his monstrosity and gaining humanity kept me going.
--Loved how mermaids were dark and unDisneyfied. I love the creatures but with them stagnating in Kiddy Cartoonland, I've outgrown them with rare exceptions like this one.
4 stars
Recommended for fans of urban fantasy romance and mermaids.

[Ashley]

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

This book is what you get when you mix mermaids with vampires. The idea of deadly, killer mermaids is awesome! It's a cool twist that I enjoyed. But I wish the author went further into the mermaid lore. Where do they come from? How do they live? What about the other families of mermaids? I think the little details like that could have been better developed.

The plot also felt a little slow at times. On more than one occasion I felt my mind wandering and I got a little impatient that the story was taking a while to develop. It wasn't always slow, but it had its moments.

One dimensional characters

Calder was a tough main character for me; I wasn't really a fan of him, and I just never fell for him. He always sounded so apathetic and indifferent. I suppose that's because the mermaids have no happy emotions until they feed off the positive energy of humans, and Calder was on like a 6 month spree of abstinence. Maybe that's why he was always so grumpy. But it also made him kind of a boring and depressing main character/love interest.

Lily was a little more interesting, but I was still never sold on her. I think I just didn't click with her. I wasn't sold on her addiction to poetry (just because I'm not a huge fan of it myself), and I thought it was a little unrealistic how she was immediately so suspicious of Calder. I mean, if I met a guy I wouldn't immediately think, "You're following me and you're a mermaid!" That's a little bit of an exaggeration of Lily's feelings, but whatever. :P And she seemed to take everything so well.. There weren't many high emotions; she constantly just had a calm acceptance.

A 'meh' romance

Yeah I wasn't sold on the romance. I mean, Calder stalked Lily. Literally. He did kind of have a reason: because he had to subtly get intel from her and get close to her so he could use her to kill her dad—whatever. But it was still creepy. He hid in bushes listening to her conversations, he slept outside her house, he got a job at her workplace, he bought books she read so he could memorize poetry and quote it back to her so he could pretend like he already knew it, etc.

And when the romance part did kick in and overtake the stalking-for-the-sake-of-a-mission, it was insta-love. One minute Lily is telling Calder that he's weird and makes her nervous, and the next she's in love with him. And same for Calder. There was very little buildup. Calder spent so much time stalking Lily and very little time actually talking to her. I felt like they maybe knew each other for two weeks, rather than the months that is required for real love.

Lacking suspense..

The big reveal to Lily was anti-climactic. Calder basically swam up one day and she was like, "So you're a mermaid? That's cool. I'll share my happiness with you." This brings me back to my point about Lily taking everything so well. There was a bit more intensity at the very, very end, but by that point, I just couldn't get excited.

Not terrible—just not for me..

This is one of those books that I don't think is bad, it just doesn't click with me. The writing was pretty good, and the plot was about what I expected, I just missed that connection to the story and the characters. I never really got invested and never forged relationships with anyone in the story. If you love mermaids and are looking for an interesting new spin on them, I would encourage you to give Lies Beneath a try, but it just wasn't for me.

[celinenyx]

Lies Beneath features an interesting concept: killer mermaids. I was rather excited of the prospect of Ariel gone on a rampage or something. In the end I was rather disappointed by how the killer mermaids were portrayed here.

Calder is a merman and so are his three sisters. Merpeople have to kill to not go crazy, and suck the positive emotions from their victims. Calder's mother has been killed by a certain Hancock, and even though that Hancock has been dead for years, he and his sisters are out for revenge on the son, who seems to be completely oblivious to the danger he's in.

For me the story was just plain weird. It didn't make much sense the moment you started to think about it. Calder has to kill people in order not to get crazy, and yet when he doesn't kill anyone he doesn't give any signs of craziness. He's not overly depressed, not suicidal or losing his mind. Why the hell is he complaining on how he has to kill people? He's just frigging addicted to it, there's absolutely no necessity.

And then there is of course the young-adult romance. Oh, this one is priceless. Calder is over fifty years old. Yes, this young-adult book is narrated by a middle aged man who has the body of a eighteen year old. And then he falls in love with a seventeen year old. Why am I the only one in the world who thinks this is absolutely disgusting? Talk about paedophilia...

The beginning of the romance is actually quite believable. There is a lot of banter and seduction going on, and even though the romance moves insanely fast it wasn't as much of instalove as other YA books have. My main problem with the romance comes when they are in the "in love" phase, and Calder tells Lily (the love interest) that he has killed people. And Lily is like: "Oh, well. I don't care!". You don't care?! That she accepts the fact that he's a merman is fine with me, but how can you accept that someone has killed people? Not in self-defence or in a war, but cold-blooded "people are yummy!" murder? That's so not okay on so many levels.

Lies Beneath is quite entertaining and the writing was fine, but I just really can't get around the fact that this is the story about a fifty year old killer that seduces a seventeen year old girl.

[Amber]

This was one of the most boring books I have ever read. I managed to finish it, but only because a) I got it for review and I always feel bad when I DNF review books and b) I already have a less than satisfactory DNF list for this year and I didn't want to add another.

The plot didn't draw me in in the slightest. The premise sounds interesting but it just fell flat. I can't even explain why it did, I was just so bored. I think it was probably to do with the characters.

Calder, the main male protagonist and the guy whose POV we get, was a complete idiot. He took to stalking the love interest, even taking it so far as to camp outside her house. And for some reason she fell for him. I don't get the attraction, to be honest. He's broody, tries to kill her dad and is just plain dull.

There was also some awkward non-incest in there (you'll understand if you've read it) that completely turned me off. I was already skimming at this point, but once I read that I just didn't feel the urge to try any more.

So yeah, this isn't the book for me. At all. I wasn't connected to the story, the characters or anything, and I certainly didn't like the protagonist. Sorry this review was a bit dull, but I really don't have much to say about it because, much like my review, Lies Beneath lacks substance.

[Angie]

I received a free digital copy through Net Galley.

"I hadn't killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that.."

Great first line! I was immediately hooked by the premise of killer mermaids. They feed on human emotion, which was very interesting and felt truer to mermaid myth than the singing, dancing Disney interpretation (I do love Disney though!). They're able to detect what kind of emotions are present by looking at the person's aura. Mermaids don't feel their own positive emotions, so they must siphon it from their victims. Calder isn't like his sisters though. He doesn't always kill, even when he needs to. In fact, he wants to break away from the group and from the scrutiny of one of his sisters. However, he can't do that until they complete their revenge plot. Calder is a crucial piece to their plan, since he needs to get close to the daughter of their target.

There's no insta-love here! In fact, Lily tells Calder that he's a creep. He's always lingering and trying to get close even though they just met, so of course being creeped out is the proper response! Bella Swan, take notes! Stalking is not sexy, even if the stalker is! But they do develop a starcrossed romance eventually. I can't pinpoint when it happens though. One moment Lily says Calder makes her nervous, and the next she's going off alone with him. I must say I found their relationship boring. It wasn't sweet or steamy. It was just...there. I almost would have preferred that there was no romance at all, since it was barely developed.

While I wasn't overly impressed with Lies Beneath, I do think it may have redeemed the mermaid genre for me. The darkness of the mermaids definitely intrigued me, even though the story was predictable. The mystery plot wasn't very mysterious, since we basically get told everything we need to know right at the beginning. There were a couple of surprises I wasn't expecting though. I also enjoyed that we had a male narrator, and the writing was easy and flowed well. I do think this could have worked well as a standalone if the ending had been a little neater. I'm not sure if I'll read the following books or not. Mermaids may be in the same "take it or leave it" category as Angels for me.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[inlibrisveritas]

This was a book that initially had me worried I wouldn’t enjoy it but it ended up drawing me in and proving me wrong. I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I am that it did…I was so worried that my second mermaid book would turn out like my first one and leave me wanting to promptly move on. Needless to say it did not.

Lies Beneath has something we don’t see very often in YA fiction, a male main character. That in itself made this book a breath of fresh air. I’ve only read a few YA novels/series that have a male main character and most I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a different point of view and Calder is a great character to follow. At first I wasn’t so sure about him personality wise but within a few chapters it all started to make sense and he came into his own. His sisters are by far the most devious and damaged siblings I’ve seen lately and Maris left a particularly bad taste in my mouth, though that’s to be expected given her abrasive personality. Lily Hancock was…an off and on kind of character for me. At times I really enjoyed her and I understood the connection Calder felt toward her, and then other times I was so irritated with her willingness to believe everything even if it wasn’t true. I wouldn’t call her gullible but she does seem to solidify her own thoughts into truth.

The story is rich with mermaid lore and holds true to the mythology of a beautiful yet terrifying creature. Brown’s mermaids are rather jealous and coldly vicious, and I think the story is all the better for it. No need for Ariel here, Calder and his sisters would probably scare the poor girl senseless with their feeding habits. The plot involve John Hancock turned out to be one that I couldn’t put my finger on exactly and for that I enjoyed it. There were times where I was positive where the story would go and then it would turn another way, leaving me excited to find out more. It does start out a tad slow as far as getting you immersed into the story but give it a few chapters and it picks up some. I also must say that I love the ending and I’m looking forward to the sequel when it comes out, I really want to know what becomes of Calder .

I received this through Netgalley and Delacourte books in exchange for an honest review.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Lies Beneath is the debut novel of Anne Greenwood Brown. Forget everything you know about merpeople as Brown gives us a glimpse into the darker side of the mermaid-myth. When I began reading this, I thought it was going to be a dark tale and I was really excited. It turned out to be lighter than I anticipated but I still ended up enjoying this tale. Lies Beneath has elements of danger, romance, family struggles and revenge.

The tale begins when we meet protagonist merman, Calder White. He is spending time alone before his family sends the signal that they must migrate. We learn that merpeople in Brown's world feed of humans, absorbing their energy in order to survive. Sadly this kills the human. Calder is different, as he has avoided feeding all winter. Despite the urges he is uncomfortable with feeding. He receives a call from his sisters telling him they have located Jason Hancock. They will spend the summer seeking revenge against the human they blame for their mother’s death. The tale that unfolds is suspenseful as Calder, struggles between honoring his mother, breaking free of his sister and falling in love. As they plot revenge, the Hancock family is moving in to the old family estate located on the shores of Lake Superior.

The characters in Lies Beneath are all unique. Calder is unbelievably handsome, independent and a mer-misfit. He doesn’t enjoy feeding on humans and prefers to swim alone. Despite this he agrees to help hunt and trap the man responsible for his mother’s death. When he meets the Hancock’s things change, as he begins to like this family. We witness his internal struggle as the tale is told from his point of view. I didn’t completely connect with him, but I think part of it was because he wasn’t completely human and his thought process was different. At times he was overly cocky and awkward. His sisters; Tallulah, Pavati, and Marisa behaved exactly as Brown described merpeople. They hunted and fed as needed. They freely used their abilities and I found myself both liking them and being repulsed by them. I didn’t feel any love connection between the siblings. The only connection seemed to be revenge. The only human we really got to know is Lily, although other characters help tell the tale. Lily is unique; she likes English poetry and dresses in her own creative style. She dreams of being a poet or writer. She is bright and quickly begins to piece things together. I liked that despite others efforts she manages to see through drama and form her own opinions.

The world-building was fascinating and reminded me of old siren tales, long before the popularity of the Little Mermaid. There have been a slew of mermaid-books of late, and I found Brown's take refreshing. It has a lot of dark elements and I would have liked to have seen more of it. The romance between Lily and Calder was sweet and ultimately changes Calder. The back-history, unique abilities and mer-life style were original and I enjoyed reading it. Brown’s take on how merpeople reproduce was both interesting and frightening. I easily consumed this as the pace and writing style flowed well. While the plot was predictable, I enjoyed the ending nonetheless.

I think fans of paranormal romance and merpeople will enjoy Lies Beneath's originality. Book two, Deep Betrayal, told from Lily’s perspective will be released in 2013. I have added Anne Greenwood Brown to my authors to watch list and look forward to continuing this story.

I want to thanks Random House and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Lies Beneath is a dark thrilling world filled with, dangerous mystery, undulating romance, and creative deceptive inhuman creatures. Anne Greenwood Brown's world of mermaids is extremely dark, rich, and complex. She does not shy away from showing just how cruel, callous, murderous, and full of spiteful venom they are. They are fueled by revenge and will stop at virtually nothing to get it, come hell or vapid high water. It is simply a dark and delicious world full of tension and terror.

Anne Greenwood Brown's writing is exquisitely beautiful and marvelously vivid in the most terrifying sense. The imagery is remarkably breath-taking as readers delve deeper into her descriptions of the under-water-world these mermaids inhabit and are bound to, Lake Superior, and the town of Bayfield. What's even more refreshing is to see this story told from a male's view point. Lies Beneath is amazingly suspenseful, cleverly written, and emotionally engaging.

Her world is dark and mystifying, creating such a treacherous twist on mermaids. This isn't your normal story of mermaids; it doesn't pain the picture of happily-ever-after. These creatures are hollow and filled with envy; they crave human joy and happiness. They harbor a great amount of resentment towards their prey (humans) and have no qualms about sucking the life-force out of them. Once they've drained their aura, they discard them without so much as a flick of the eye, leaving them behind cold and devoid of any signs of life. They are bound in more ways than one, bound physically to the water and bound magically to their family and territory they claim.

It seems that for every choice made, there is a consequence that must be faced. So, which will it be for Calder? Will he end up choosing his heart or his vengeance? His love or his loyalty to his family?

Calder is this wonderful dark and deceptively mesmerizing merman, who exacts an interesting cleverly written plan of revenge on the man who caused his mother's death. One thing he didn't account for was that he would start to develop a connection to Lily, the daughter of the man culpable of his mother's demise. Once the connection is there, he simply cannot imagine causing her as much pain as he's endured, by killing her father. So, he spends a great deal of the story conflicted and growing closer to Lily.

Lily, on the other hand, is a wonderfully strong and unique character. She's got an incredible spark of sarcasm and just the right amount of grit. There so many wonderful admirable qualities that make her stand out, like the fact that she has strong opinions and tends to do what she wants to regardless of what other's might think. She's definitely not afraid to speak her mind or make her feelings known. She and Calder definitely make quite an interesting pair, as they slowly start building a relationship of trust. Their chemistry is indescribable, in a pretty amazing way. It has a different feel to it that is sure to keep readers intrigued and rooting for them.

The ending will not only keep readers on the edge of their seats, but will keep them craving more. They'll be guessing right up until the end - one they won't see coming. There's so many amazingly written wonderful tension filled twists and turns, that this novel will definitely not disappoint any fan of mystery and intrigue. Anne Greenwood Brown has created an intensely fascinating world filled with intriguing mythos and wonderfully developed character's that is sure to leave readers stunned and mystified.