"Voice of the Ocean is an entertaining retelling of The Little Mermaid. Impicciche creates an immersive world through her descriptive writing that sets itself apart from the original story.

Our main character, Celeste, is quite likeable. She's daring and curious which lends to some unpredictability to her choices. She's also raw and relatable as a young siren finding her purpose in life.

The beginning chapters were a little jouncing, as though the introduction of the world and its characters was trying to be told in too few words. This created some odd pacing, however as the novel progressed it certainly found its feet.

Once the narrative started to pick up, this book became difficult to put down. The relationships and situations are addictive, the book daring you to read just one more chapter. In some instances, the pacing felt a little hot and cold, but overall this didn't diminish the reading experience.

An incredible debut filled with heartwarming, thrilling and awe inspiring moments, Voice of the Ocean has left a lasting impression. I'm excited to read more of Impicciche's work!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for allowing me to read and review this book 🩷"

"3.75 stars! ⭐�� Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books & NetGalley for the ARC 💌

Okay WHAT just happened��
I was eating this up, pages flying like I was on a mission�� and then BAM, the ending smacked me in the face. Like, excuse me, Julie?? That epilogue?? Straight-up WTF-core. I sat there blinking at the last page like, “Nah, that’s not it... right?��

But let’s rewind real quick��

I actually liked this. A lot more than I thought I would. I’m a big romance girlie, so when I saw reviews hyping up the thriller AND some lowkey romance, I ran. And it was giving what it needed to give—for most of it. The vibes? Elite high school drama + secret diaries + shady rich kids + dead girl haunting them from the grave?? Yes pls!!!

The writing was super fast-paced—I didn’t even notice how far in I got, which is saying a lot because I’m usually checking page count every five minutes like it’s a sport. Jodi was such a well-written lead too. Not the usual pretty, rich, confident YA main character. She’s insecure, messy, relatable, and trying so hard to hang onto a toxic group she doesn’t even like.

And then there’s Julian. JULIAN MF HOLLISTER.
The minute he walked in all dark and broody, teasing Jodi, I KNEW. He had that annoying bad-boy-who-sees-through-everyone energy and I was here for it. Their chemistry??? Paint scene??? I squealed. Like full-on grinning at my phone. I need 300 pages of them just being chaotic and in love.

The mystery part though? Slightly predictable. Like yeah, I saw the twist coming halfway in. But somehow that didn’t ruin it for me because the tension still stayed high, and the paranormal elements?? Did NOT expect that. It added this creepy vibe I wasn’t prepared for but actually kinda loved.

Now let’s talk ending.
Or�� not talk about it because I have no clue what that epilogue was. It gave open-ending-meets-plot-hole-galore-meets-possible-sequel-bait??? I NEED a sequel. There are questions. Many. And I need more Julian and Jodi moments.

Final thoughts? I had a good time. Not flawless, but addictive AF, and it kinda pulled me out of my reading slump too. Julie Soto, ma’am, I need answers. And a romance spin-off. Immediately.

Tropes:
🎭 Rich clique drama
🕯�� Girl stuck between truth and loyalty
🎭 Morally grey love interest (Julian ily)
🕯�� Paranormal twist you didn’t see coming
🎭 Paint-flirting enemies-ish-to-maybe-lovers thing
🕯�� Dead girl haunting from the grave
🎭 Unreliable social circle
🕯�� Open ending / Sequel bait

CW:
- Suicide
- Bullying
- Stalking
- Alcoholism
- Toxic relationships

Okay that’s all, go read it if you want drama, chaos, and a dead girl making everyone suffer from the grave. The vibes are immaculate."

"A solid ending to a saga. My main critique was the pace. Books 1 and 2 move at such a steady, slow but purposeful pace. This book had a few jumps that I wish were expanded, mostly because you do fall in love with the unfolding of the story, like a tale told round the fire."