Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Sirens & Muses

preston was so fucking annoying to me and regardless of the horrible shit he went through, i just couldn't find it in me to sympathize with him at most points.

also imo some of the art described was so fucked up to me lol i defo don't get it, sorry!

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escharlton's review against another edition

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4.5

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eman1223's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved it so far. I’m just a little busy rn and hope to pick it back up again soon

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exeuntomnes's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I just finished reading this book on a rainy night. I can't truly know how to explain how this story made me feel. But I will try.

Sirens and Muses has the perfect atmosphere for a story set in the world of art.
The story follows four different points of view: Louisa, Karina, and Preston, all art students at an elite art school called Wrynn, and Robert, a sulky art professor. We accompany the students throughout their complicated relationships with each other and their dedicated art practices as everything slowly begins to tear apart around them.

This book was both appealing and thoughtful. I really enjoyed the exploration of art, power, youth, and class; it was truly a page-turner from the start. Angress explores each character's personality in a truly unique way and how they are able to relate to their peers and the world around them.
The way each story of the characters masterfully intertwine felt entirely real and fascinating.

This story deeply moved me. I can't truly explain why. I loved the flawed characters, the longing to create something worthwhile, and the messy relationships that truly despict what it is to be part of the art world, the sensitivity and the self-doubt that this entails.

To be honest, the only thing I could say I didn't like or enjoy as much as the rest of the book was that the ending felt a bit rushed, but it was exciting and lovely to be able to read those last passages, which ended the story on a beautiful bittersweet note.

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liteartha's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

a striking debut that's left me very eager for future works from the author.

opening on three students and one visiting artist at wrynn, a fictional art school, sirens & muses follows the four over the next year of their lives. half campus novel and half musing on the NYC art scene, angress navigates an abrupt mid-book shift in environment with impressive deftness. the writing is mature, emotionally compelling throughout, and largely incisive in its commentary on class and the commodification of art. angress is clearly very knowledgeable about the contemporary art world and even from my distinctly outsider perspective, it was easy to feel drawn into the setting.

the novel is indulgently ambling, focused more on the interplay of characters and their creative processes over any particular plot. while the four POV characters are treated to fairly equal attention, louisa and karina felt vastly more developed than preston and robert (granted, i was inevitably going to be drawn more to the plot of young sapphic artists and the intimacy of it all—portrait de la jeune fille on feu was not far from my mind at times).

set in the early 2010s, sirens & muses manages to dodge the social and political atmosphere that would follow in short time. preston runs a photography tumblr full of loud and provocative photoshop jobs, the occupy movement is building steam, social media is a very limited part of how the characters interact with the world. in short, the world of sirens & muses feels very much on a precipice the characters aren't aware they're facing down.

there was fat to be trimmed in parts and certain aspects of its commentary that i'd have liked to see expanded more upon, especially in regards to robert's past, but on the whole everything comes to a satisfying if open-ended conclusion. perfect for those looking for art novels and different spins on the dark academia niche. an earnest recommendations from me!

thank you to netgalley and ballantine books for providing this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review

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