On the surface, this book is about the magical mythos of mermaids, sirens, eloko, gargoyles, etc. One girl is secretly a siren who struggles with her identity while suppressing herself as well as her gifts... and the other girl is kind of like a mermaid cosplayer at the local Renaissance Fair - but she is going through changes and battling her past demons as a survivor of an accident that left her friends turned to stone. Say what?! In this multiverse version of Portland, only Black women can be sirens yet they must refrain from "using their voices" - sound eerily familiar? This book explores being a Black woman as well as how it relates to being Black in general, how they are both treated and perceived, and the lengths society and ones own self can go to silencing those voices. This book also sheds light on female empowerment and lifting up your friends and community. What a truly impressive story and one I must recommend! And THAT COVER!!!