I Chose to Die (Siren Suicides, Book 1)

Ksenia Anske

Aug 2013 · Siren Suicides Book 1 · Ksenia Anske

About this ebook

On a rainy September morning that just so happens to be her sixteenth birthday, Ailen Bright, a chicken-legged, straw-haired teenager, decides to commit suicide via drowning in the family bathtub. The ornate marble tub, adhering to her abusive father's love for anything expensive and Italian, is decorated by five sirens - who seemingly help her escape the house when her father breaks down the bathroom door. After an almost-successful suicide attempt number two, which lands her at the bottom of a lake, she learns that sirens are, in fact, real, and they want to turn her into one of them. An amazing, yet dark look into the mind and heart of a suicidal teenager, this urban fantasy follows Ailen's struggle to figure out the meaning of life, the unraveling of her confusing feelings for her theatrically goofy best friend Hunter, and her desperate battle for her father's love.

Ratings and reviews

There were so many aspects of the Siren Suicides that I loved that it’s difficult to even start writing a review. I’m in awe of Anske’s talent as a writer. I always wanted a writer like Neil Gaiman, who would write something I wanted to read, something with the sympathies of a plot and characters on the verge of reality that could hold my attention, even while the author’s imagination is running wild. I have found that in Ksenia Anske. She is everything a reader could ask for, and I’m glad that she quit her day job to devote herself to writing. Anske perfects a writing style devoted to beautiful phrases and well-crafted words that I cannot believe she didn’t grow up with English as a first language. The concept of a Siren is not new, but the image and voice Ksenia gives to this creature is creative, a new spin on the vampire/werewolf genre with their incessant need to feed off of humans. Ksenia’s Sirens are not always the beautiful ethereal creatures that call to sailors from the depths of the ocean, they personify people and travel on land and water. They have powers of oneness with the water, not superpowers, but a true calling with the natural element.

I finished this majestic book by Ksenia Anske. This is the first book of the Siren Suicides Trilogy. As the title itself, it is about sirens and all BUT with a magically dark twist in it which amazes me. I love how authors use their life as an inspiration. I love Ksenia Anske, she is an author with a very wild imagination. She can sugarcoat dark stories and still make them fun to read. I love her humor and her books were light and fun to read so you can easily dive in. I read the dedication part (please do if you have a copy) and learned that the author has a dark past. I feel sorry for her and those who experienced abuse. She was brave enough to face her life and move on and here she is, a strong woman, writing books for us to enjoy on. Knowing that this book tells about her feelings and past, this tackles about DEPRESSION and SUICIDE and hopes that those who read this will go on with their lives and choose not to kill themselves. The book starts with Ailen's suicide by drowning herself in their marble tub where she was born with little siren statues that she talks to and treat as sisters. Having a hard time at home because of her abusive father, she decides to kill herself. It was an intense start, I was sucked in right away and I can feel the feeling of drowning myself like Im underwater or something. I feel transported in the book right away. Ailen is a representative of today's teenagers (well not all but some that are rebellious.) She wants to leave this life and hoping that her siren sisters are real to go with them. This book is very intense. At the beginning, it makes your emotions rise and makes you desperate to read for more. This book is like a siren itself, sucking my soul by reading it. I feel like Im inside the book, travelling with the characters and feels what they feel. The dark side of the book starts to open also. It shows how depressing and dark is in the author's imagination since she poured her soul and emotions for this trilogy. I can feel the pain she's in and I get to understand it more. The ending gets more intense and keeps you hanging. I didn't realize that I get to read it in a short period of time. Ksenia Anske's books were fast paced that when hours passed, you get to find out that you finished it right away. Im so excited to read the second book and read more about Ailen's adventures in her new life. I rate this book 5/5.

Each page just draws you into the story and it's twists. A great and well written book.

About the author

Ksenia was born in Moscow, Russia, and came to US in 1998 not knowing English, having studied architecture and not dreaming that one day she'd be writing. She lives in Seattle with her boyfriend and their combined three kids in a house that they like to call The Loony Bin.