Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Vanessa has always felt lost in her older sister’s shadow, especially during the summer when their family vacations at their beach house. There are a pair of brothers who live next door to their summer home, Simon and Caleb. Vanessa’s sister, Justine, has always been adventurous and each year the four of them jump off a large cliff to the ocean below. Or at least Vanessa tries too. She can never really make it to the cliff’s edge.

Another summer ritual for Justine is hooking up with Caleb. They make eyes at each other, and kiss whenever they can steal a chance. Vanessa is used to boys fawning over Justine, and she just hopes Justine doesn’t break Caleb’s heart, but yet wishes she could be so adventurous in life and not so afraid of everything. Vanessa is comfortable in being the second stringer in the family. But unfortunately fate has other plans for her because this summer after a family fight Justine runs away. Later they find her body on the shore. She jumped from the cliff that night but never came back up and drowned.

Vanessa has a lost a sister and her world is crumbling around her and in her mourning she cannot get Justine’s voice out of her head. To make matters worse more bodies are being found everyday in this beach resort. All of them have drowned. All of them have a macabre grin stretched across their faces. Vanessa can’t help but think that perhaps her sister’s death wasn’t random but connected with the others. But why are people dying? Is it just the chaotic weather they have been having? It seems like the ocean itself  is angry and swallows anyone who swims too deep. But Vanessa might soon lose someone else who is close to her, her last link to Justine, Caleb. He has gone missing. Now, Vanessa and Simon must race to find him before the sea swallows him as well.

Siren was an enjoyable supernatural mystery with plenty of suspense and romance. On one hand it is a story of a young girl coping with loss, and on the other hand is the thrill of solving these seemingly unconnected deaths. Highly recommended for those who need a thrill, a dash of romance, or looking for the next book to satisfy that supernatural fix, and it is appropriate for ages 14 and up.