The Secret of the Sirens

By Julia Golding

Reviewed by Annie Hwang

Fall 2016

REVIEW: Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding

THE STORY:

Connie, a girl with an unique heritage shown through her mismatched eyes, is sent to live with her aunt in Hescombe, a town near the sea. While living with her mysterious aunt who refuses to explain her strange behavior and her peculiar actions is at first frustrating, she later learns that her aunt belongs to the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures, an organization whose purpose is in its name. The
Society is formed of members who are companions to a specific mythical creature, so in order to join, she takes an assessment. After she fails it and is dejected by the result, she tries to learn more about the Society’s current troubles and is kidnapped by sirens when poking around. The sirens mean no harm, though, and she learns from them that she is an universal companion, a companion who has a bond to all creatures and is one of the rarest talents, which allows her to be recognized by all mythical creatures. When she returns, bewildered, she is pushed into her new role as an universal and a ruckus ensues as the Society realizes how valuable she is. However, this was not the time for confusion as she learns about a mysterious shape shifting deity known as Kullervo who planned to exterminate all humans in the name of protecting creatures, and so she trains hard to counter him. When she finally meets Kullervo, she discovers that he wants her to be his companion and assist him in destroying all mankind. However, she refuses, and instead fights with her friends in the Society to try to overcome Kullervo. (270)

MY OPINION:

Before opening the novel The Secret of the Sirens, I unfortunately judged the book by its cover and thought it was going to be a terrible read. I believe that the story itself is wonderful even though the hook, the beginning, was not very interesting. The Secret of the Sirens is a wonderful read for middle schoolers, not only those with an interest in mythology but for all, as the mysterious secrets drive the plot on. In addition, people can also to reflect on the message about how we humans are destroying the world. Before reading the book, I did not quite see the point of saving endangered animals, but after I read the book, which reveals both humans and the mythical creatures’ points of view, I realized that saving the animals is important. The fascinating word choice appealed to me, enticing me to read more and more. Because it has an interesting story as well as a significant theme, I believe I would read it again to remind myself that issues need to be acted on in order to make the world a better place. Overall, I would rate this book a ten out of the ten for the wonderful, although fictional but intriguing setting about real problems. (209)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. Why is Connie at The Copper Kettle?

1a. Connie is there to meet Colin, who would be in her class at her new school. (14)

2. Where does Connie sit at school? Why?

2a. She sits near the pet corner at school because her aunt was fond of sitting there when she was attending the school. (19)

3. How many people went missing who were oil refinery employees?

3a. Three people went missing who were the oil refinery employees. (35)

4. Which creature is Col paired up with?

4a. Col gets paired up with a pegasus named Skylark. (89-90)

5. Where does Connie go after the sirens carry her away?

5a. She arrives at a small chamber scooped from the cliff face. (115-116)

Ululating (11)

Ebbing (20)

Acerbically (33)

Cryptic (37)

Nonsensical (99)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. Who saves Connie from the sirens?

6a. Dr. Brock and Argot flew to the cliff and rescued Connie. (124)

7. Which mythical animal and its companion arrive first at the Trustee meeting?

7a. Morjik, the ancient dragon, and Kinga arrive first at the Trustee meeting. (165)

8. Why does Col’s grandmother say “contained but not defeated?”

8a. Col’s grandmother says “contained but not defeated” because Kullervo was unable to release his full power but yet was still lurking around. (183-184)

9. How many badges did Connie receive after becoming a member of the Society?

9a. She received four of the badges but not her own special universal badge.(194)

10. What did Col and his companion do as part of their combat training?

10a. As part of their combat training, Col and his companion tried to avoid being caught while Shirley Masterson and her companion, a weather giant, tried to flush them out of hiding.(204)

Harried (119)

Eradication (133)

Wattage (145)

Duvet (176)

Corpulent (217)

LAST SECTION

11. Who comes to save Connie after she is kidnapped by a black dragon?

11a. Scark reaches Connie first, but is quickly crushed. Morjik, Skylark, and Col come afterward to rescue her. (288)

12. Why does Evelyn make a poor attempt of showing how pleased she is with her brother’s family (Connie’s parents) coming over?

12a. She makes a poor attempt because she is not sure what to tell Connie’s father about the Society. (312)

13. Out of the nine creatures Connie saw, which one is Kullervo?

13a. Out of the nine creatures, Kullervo is the the vast eagle that was next to the Gullwing, the siren. (332)

14. Which mythical animal is called to help the sinking tanker? Why does it agree to help?

14a. The Kraken comes to help the sinking tanker because it does not want its waters polluted by oil. (341)

15. After Connie raises the Kraken, what happens?

15a. After Connie raises the Kraken, Kullervo tries to make her join him. (344)

Hubbub (272)

Encroachment (304)

Despondent (311)

Poinsettia (320)

Adversary (344)