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Reading","youth-reading",{"_59":254},31,"routes/_storylace.user.$username.library.books.$collection_slug",{"_46":17,"_257":258,"_317":17,"_290":40,"_318":319,"_320":321,"_322":323,"_324":17},"collectionBooks",[259,301],{"_260":261,"_262":263,"_264":265,"_266":267,"_268":269,"_270":271,"_272":273,"_274":275,"_276":277,"_278":279,"_280":17,"_281":282,"_283":284,"_285":286,"_290":291,"_292":293,"_297":298,"_299":300},"readingStatus","READ","bookID",657108,"addedOn","2022-01-10T00:00:00.000Z","review","Have you ever found a book nestled on your shelf, almost hiding, that you have no memory of acquiring? This recently happened with Songs from the Deep by Kelly Powell. I was looking for a palate cleanser after reading a heavy (but extremely good) book.

The book follows Moira, who lives in a quiet little island town that also happens to be the gathering place of sirens. Everyone knows they’re dangerous, and have been known to kill people, but Moira has a fascination with them.

When a boy is found mangled and dead, and the sirens blamed, Moira is suspicious and thinks that maybe they are not to blame. She and her childhood friend, Jude, decide to try to find and stop a killer- if there is one.

There were some things about Songs from the Deep that didn’t quite work for me, but there were also some things that I thought were well done. First of all, the inclusion of sirens in a book is always intriguing, and I enjoyed seeing how they were portrayed here. Ostensibly about whether they were involved in the murder or not, they were nonetheless not the main focus of the plot. I really liked that they were a backdrop surrounding the characters of Moira and Jude. I also enjoyed the combination of the fantastical with the ordinary. It reminded me of Twin Peaks in that the bizarre butted right up against the everyday, and everyone was just sort of fine with it. Although, this has nothing on Twin Peaks’ bizarre-o-meter.

While I liked that the sirens were a background to the relationships between the characters, I struggled to buy that relationship. Everything felt a little jilted and rushed to me. Even at the beginning, when Moira has a bitter assumption about her mom not caring, I couldn’t understand why she would think that. And the way a “secret” was hinted at from the beginning, instead of piquing my interest, just annoyed me. I felt like the mentions of it every couple of pages (toward the beginning) were rather shoehorned in. I think these issues were all just a product of Songs from the Deep being Powell’s debut novel.

It is clear that she is a talented writer, and I am sure that both the pacing and how things are revealed will become less of an issue in subsequent books. At the end of the day, Songs from the Deep wasn’t for me, but will be enjoyed by many people.","format","eBook","editionSlug","songs-from-the-deep-bd66k","editionID",857453,"collections",[235,230,246],"coverURI","8J6YHHB.857453.webp","editionTitle","Songs from the Deep","privateReview","score",40,"lastRead","Jan 1, 2022","authorNames",[287],[288,289,-5],"Kelly Powell","kelly-powell-whm6l","pages",320,"genres",[294,295,296],"Historical Fiction","Mythology","Fantasy","firstPublishedDate","2019-12-05T20:48:03.615Z","firstPublished","November 5, 2019",{"_260":261,"_262":302,"_264":303,"_266":304,"_268":269,"_270":305,"_272":306,"_307":23,"_274":308,"_276":309,"_278":310,"_280":17,"_281":311,"_283":312,"_285":313},3687336,"2021-04-23T00:00:00.000Z","Found family? Check. A unique world? Check. A main character who is incredibly likable? Double check. The Ascension Machine is a fun, creative adventure with surprises galore.

Grey (what is his real name?) is a con-man. Well, a con-teen, anyway. He flits from planet to planet, making it on what he can steal or cheat from others. He’s directionless and lonely, although he won’t admit it. He’s also short on funds. So when he’s approached with a high paying offer- impersonate a wealthy teen named Mirabor Gravane- he doesn’t hesitate. Imagine Grey’s surprise when his mistaken identity lands him in a school for superheroes.

One thing that I really appreciated about Grey was that, deep down, he was a genuinely good kid. Sure, he conned an entire school full of people (and aliens) into believing he’s someone he’s not, but he never intended to hurt anyone and he took advantage of every opportunity he had to be helpful, even at risk to his life expectancy. I loved his story arc. It was never stagnant, and he was never demoted to plot device. Instead, he grew and changed in a way that made perfect sense for his personality and the story.

A book like this needs a great supporting cast, and we’ve got one. While there are several side characters, each very important to the plot, I have two favorites. Gadget Dude had the interesting superpower of being great at creating all kinds of gadgetry-but he sometimes seemed a bit unclear as to what he was creating, or how it actually worked. For me, though, Seventhirtyfour stole the show. His size (and four arms) were only eclipsed by his giant heart and his loyalty. He was always enthusiastic and threw himself wholeheartedly into whatever he was doing, whether it be schoolwork, or taking on a mob racket. I absolutely loved him.

The hijinks the characters got up to were a lot of fun. While the final confrontation was fantastic, I loved the inventive problem-solving involved in earlier escapades. Grey’s talents weren’t necessarily what most people think of when they hear “superhero”, which made him that much more interesting. Plus, they came in very handy on multiple occasions.

There was a bit of a mystery as part of the plotline, which was a lot of fun. I know my oldest will have a great time solving the puzzle alongside the characters. There was also action and adventure aplenty. The action was well-described, and the stakes were high without the book being too gory for its intended audience. The Ascension Machine is intended for the middle-grade/teen age range, I believe, but it’s a ton of fun for any age group. I fully enjoyed reading it and am hopeful that a sequel will be coming.","the-ascension-machine-z3q3c",4948017,"recommend",[246],"0RIEJTN.4948017.webp","The Ascension Machine",100,"Apr 28, 2021",[314],[315,316,-5],"Rob Edwards","rob-edwards-6gslx","visitingStorygazer","availableGenres",[294,295,296],"availableTags",[],"availableCollections",[246,235,230],"reloadNeeded","routes/_storylace.user","routes/_storylace.user.$username.library","actionData","errors"]

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Young Adult