Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Title: Siren
Author: Tricia Rayburn
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance
Publish Date: May 10, 2011

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.
Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.
Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear.
Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.

Review: Vanessa comes across as a weak character and her building takes place throughout the novel. Vanessa's sister, Justine, jumps off a cliff and dies one evening during a horrific storm off the coast of Maine. Unlike her personality, Vanessa knows this is not the Justine she grew up with. Dartmouth bound and super popular Vanessa feels something went wrong and she plans on investigating why. During her time in Maine, Vanessa meets a family at Betty's Chowder House, a local must-eat spot in the small town. She notices migraine type head aches every time she's around one of the family members but can't figure out why. Justine's boyfriend, Caleb, turns up missing and she feels this family could have some answers. Caleb's brother, Simon, helps Vanessa in her search and starts to form a relationship with him that is more than "friends". Vanessa is scared of everything, even the water, and starts hearing Justine's voice speaking to her. As this story is great and finally about something other than vampires & werewolves, Sirens brings about a different type of Sci-Fi for the Dystopian reader. I recommend this for a summer break read and/or a long weekend trip.