I knew I would love this and I was not disappointed! I really enjoyed how this showed that it is possible for people to learn to love and trust each other, even if they are very different. This idea is further emphasized by how different the sirens are to the humans. They have a different language and clearly different biology and culture. The way Perle saw the humans and their behaviors was really interesting because it showed how so many aspects of our culture, like gender and names, are really social constructs. This book also explores the idea of revenge and encourages forgiveness when possible, but recognizes that anger is valid and some people refuse to change. Perle's life and view of the world changes significantly as a result of the trauma they have experienced. They're allowed to grieve their old life and feel angry and scared, like anyone would if they had been through something like that. Part of Perle's healing process is learning how to deal with their disability. Perle has to learn how to see value in themself and others based on qualities other than how well they can hunt or survive on their own. They also have to make changes to what they can physically do, but that doesn't mean they can't be happy with the new life they have, once they get used to it. It's different, but it's not the end. All these themes are explored through beautiful, but concise writing that made me cry at points and only used the words it absolutely needed to. I also connected to the characters themselves and their fully fleshed out personalities. There's a lot of focus on found family and the value in both romantic and platonic relationships. The plot itself isn't particularly mind blowing, but works well to develop the characters and themes. Clearly, I very much enjoyed this and I think it will stick with me for a long time.