Enjoy the last days of summer by sailing off on an adventure with these books that take place on the water! Sirens and mermaids have captured people's imagination for thousands of years. Many people first encounter their stories in the classic The Odyssey or in the Hans Christian Andersen fairtyale-turned-Disney film The Little Mermaid. Check out these modern takes on these mythological beings.
Under the Sea
A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow
In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers. Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school's junior year. But, everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment. Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it's only Tavia and Effie's unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.
Songs From the Deep by Kelly Powell
Seventeen-year-old violinist Moira Alexander joins with an old friend, Jude Osric, in seeking a killer after the sirens who live near their island are falsely accused of murder.
To Kill a Kingdon by Alexandra Christo
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. Hearts are power, and with the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. When a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own, the Sea Queen transforms Lira a human as punishment. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian's heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever. Hunting sirens is Prince Elian's calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good-- but can he trust her?
Part of Your World: A Twisted Tale by Liz Braswell
What if Ariel had never defeated Ursula? It's been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid...and took King Triton's life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric's kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world--and a prince--she never imagined she would see again
Poor Unfortunate Soul by Serena Valentino
Presents an adaptation of the classic Little Mermaid fairy tale from the perspective of the sea witch who provides Ariel with human legs in exchange for her voice.
The Siren by Kiera Cass
Forced to work as a Siren and lure strangers to their deaths after being rescued from drowning by the Ocean, Kahlen falls in love with a human and defies the rules of her service in order to follow her heart.
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. Hiding her talents, mourning her loss, drowning in her guilt. Then a girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn't so powerless after all ... The rise of Hans Christian Andersen's iconic villainess is a heart-wrenching story of friendship, betrayal, and a girl pushed beyond her limits-- to become a monster
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