The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal
I read this ARC via Netgalley.
Summary: Sirena’s been sent to live with her aunt this summer while her parents work out their divorce. On one of her first days, she swims out too far and comes face to face with the lifeguard. She is drawn to Pilot, more so than his good looks can explain, and he seems drawn to her. But there’s a blonde always near him, and he rebuffs her when she makes her feelings known. She tries to hide in her volunteer work at the hospital, and painting with Antonio, an old artist, but Pilot always seems to be there…
One part formula, one part supernatural: Parts of this book seemed straight-up teen summer romance: hot guy, the beach, the girl she assumes is his girlfriend standing in the way. But there were supernatural elements to this story as well, from the ghosts in the attic Sirena hears at night, to the way Pilot shows up before the trouble starts, and the way he and Antonio have shaman-like healing powers. These elements kept the story from being totally predictable. I couldn’t help but wish I was on the beach reading this…
The name game: On the one hand, you had a girl who kept running into the ocean practically drowning herself to get a guy’s attention… and her name was Sirena. That, being the first name I came across in the story, was just a bit too literal. But Pilot – that’s a cool name. I don’t really understand why a family of Latin American descent would name their son Pilot, but the name has that little edge of cool and is different enough to make you notice it. (It probably helps that the guy is hotness personified).
Work in Progress 