Lies Beneath

by Anne Greenwood Brown

[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.