"Lies Beneath" by Anne Greenwood Brown (ARC)

Title: Lies Beneath

Auhors: Anne Greenwood Brown

Series: Lies Beneath #1

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Imprint: Delacorte BFYR

Publication date: June 12th, 2012

ISBN: 9780385742016

Pages: 320

(Book read from August 1st to August 5th, 2012, from an e-copy acquired through NetGalley from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.) 

My rating: 3 of 5 

 

Summary:

 

The lore of mermaids and mermen is real. Just wait until you meet Calder White in this addictive debut novel that is destined to make a splash!

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love - just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

   

My Thoughts on the Book:

Ok, I know that lots of people loved this book, but for me that wasn't the case. Yeah, maybe it has a darker take on the mermaid myths, killer mermaids & all that, but not so much. I liked the reasons about why they killed humans, that was really interesting, I also really liked the way mermaids "come to be" (not to spoil it, that's why I used those words), but to be honest, for me this book wasn't at all creepy or that dark. I liked the story, but that is all. There were some parts I didn't like at all, also I wasn't big fan of the characters - I didn't dislike them - I was just indifferent to them, and although I didn't have any expectations to this book, it was just an average read. I also realised what the big surprise will be quite early in the book. Another thing I was surprised about - I usually love male PoVs, usually more then female PoVs, but this time I wasn't a fan of it. I can't quite put my finger on what I didn't like, but I just didn't. As for the storyline, there wasn't that much going on. So, I guess not quite a book for me. But, the author really captured the setting with her writing, I could imagine the lake & everything around it quite vividly. As I said, interesting read, it had some positive points & some negative points, and just couldn't quite capture me :( There was just something missing, so although an average read, I still liked it. Do I want to read it again, so will I get myself a copy? No. Will I read the sequel? When I finished Lies Beneath, I was thinking "No", but after I read the description for the sequel, I'll probably give it a try. It sounded like more of a murder mystery, that's why ;) Hopefully, I'll enjoy it more. But, if you're a fan of mermaid books, and you think you might enjoy this one, give it a try & decide for yourself.

 

Challenges:

100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012

1st in a Series Challenge 2012

2012 YA Mythology Challenge
Debut Author Challenge 2012

 ABC Challenge 2012

Netgalley Knockout