ARC #Review: SONGBYRD by Anna Silver

SONGBYRD

Author: Anna Silver
Source: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Jolly Fish Press
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary:
Living on the road with her mother, all she's ever really wanted is a normal, stable life in one place. Innocence is plagued by nightmares of a terrible event in her past, and the ever-growing fear that whatever she and her mother have been running from will finally catch up. In Stonetop, a small town in the Texas Hill Country, she meets Jace, a charming and sensitive guy but he's not the only one drawn to her. Suffering from PTSD symptoms, Innocence becomes increasingly aware of her family's mysterious and sometimes frightening powers. As her own powers begin to surface, Innocence has to decide who to trust. Unable to elude their haunted past, three generations of Byrd women must not only unite, but embrace their heritage as a gift—and their key to a future of love and understanding. 

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I actually really enjoyed this one. This one starts off in a way that I usually hate (Girl Bounces From Town To Town Because Mother Is Keeping A Secret) but I thought it really worked here. Even though there were a lot of tropes used in this one, I thought Silver did a good job of making them her own. I did, however, feel a bit of a lull in the middle of the book that caused me to lose a bit of interest. And I wasn't a huge fan of how PTSD was treated in this one, which is why it's a 3.5*.



I really liked Innocence. I thought she was a really strong character who was just trying to do the best she could under the circumstances. I really liked how she wanted answers and would do what she could to find them. I also liked that she called her mom out on things that she didn't like. I think we really got to see her be a good person -- and a good Siren.

However, I thought the PTSD aspect was poorly handled at some points. I really liked that Innocence was portrayed as having PTSD and that she was having anxiety attacks and nightmares and that she KNEW something was wrong. But at times it seemed like she didn't care about it and blatantly stated that no one was going to get her help. And I was sad for her about this... until she said that the PTSD was only because she was a Siren. Then I was a little confused and put off. I think what the author wanted to say was more that the PTSD was intensified because of her Siren abilities but it came out as Innocence saying she "didn't really have PTSD" because she was a Siren. And I wasn't okay with that.

I liked all the other female characters and how their relationships intertwined. I think there is a lot to be said for family secrets and traditions (although these ones were much cooler than mine). I also think that there was a real familial connection between them and I really enjoyed reading about it. I liked that this one was more about family matters and learning to use what you have rather than just strictly romance.

And for the romance, I liked that even the MC wasn't sure if she was in love or not (but cleared it up at the end). I think it was really interesting how everyone viewed love in here. I also really liked that Summon was very much open to other people and having open relationships. I liked that Summon was all "why should love only be between two people" because !! so awesome to see that.

The best part of this book, though, was the Siren mythology piece. I REALLY liked how the "stories" and mythology intertwined with Silver's own interpretation on it. I also really liked how different Sirens were stronger or better at different things than others. I ALSO REALLY LIKED THAT THEY HAD BROODS OF MEN. And one of the really cool things was seeing how each of the Byrd women used their powers in different ways. Each of them took their "gift/curse" and used it as they thought was most appropriate and it was cool to see how they did so and how that overlapped with their personality. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It took some of the classic tropes of a fantasy book and used them to it's advantage. On top of that, it had some really cool mythology and a romance system I could get behind. I recommend checking this one out if you're into twists on mythology and girl power.