Mara Lynn is the most beautiful girl in the world. James Parker is the ordinary boy who discovers her power.
Set on the beaches of Lake Michigan in 1994, this contemporary fairytale depicts the joys and consequences of young love as Mara and James meet, shoot a movie, fend off bullies, and explore the potential of infinite beauty.
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Written in beautiful prose, The Accidental Siren warns of the perils of obsession. The setting is described using flawless metaphors that paint James's world in the reader's mind. The plot becomes more haunting with every chapter, effectively dragging the reader deeper into the story with every twist and turn." -Blogcritics.org
From the Back Cover
Mara Lynn is the most beautiful girl in the world. James Parker is the ordinary boy who discovers her power.
'94 was a good year to be twelve. Star Wars still had two more years as Box Office King, cartoons were still hand-drawn, and the Disney "D" still looked like a backwards "G." Words like "Columbine," "Al Qaeda," and "Y2K" were not synonymous with terror, and 9-1-1 was an emergency number instead of a date. At twelve years old, summer still mattered. Monarch caterpillars still crawled beneath every milkweed leaf. Dandelions (or "wishes" as Mara called them) were flowers instead of pests. And Divorce was still considered a tragedy.
Before Mara, carnivals didn't make me sick.
Set on the beaches of Lake Michigan, this contemporary fairytale depicts the joys and consequences of young love as Mara and James meet, shoot a movie, fend off bullies, and explore the potential of infinite beauty.
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More About the Author
"What I really want to do is direct."
Yeah, I was that kid.
I spent my high-school career as the ghost of the art room, passionately constructing a portfolio that would provide the first step toward a creative occupation. Luckily, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago didn't consider GPA when selecting applicants, so I was immediately accepted into one of the most prestigious art programs in the country.
Unfortunately, the only thing I learned in art school was how much I hated art.
But I found myself! And that's important, right?
I graduated with a BFA in 2006 and moved to Los Angeles to harness my dream of becoming the next Ingmar Bergman (thanks a lot, art school.)
In LA, i began writing screenplays as a means to direct. I found a job reading screenplays for the same reason. I read a lot of crap. I wrote a lot of crap. But little did i know... I was learning.
In the three-year process of creating short films and pursuing funding for features, I learned that directing came naturally to me, but producing did not.
I wasn't able to get a project off the ground. When my father was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, I moved back to my hometown of Grand Haven, MI with nothing to show but three screenplays.
One day, while working as a stage manager for a national dance competition, I had an epiphany that only a repressed, depressed, living-with-his-parents artist could have: what if I wrote books? Unlike screenplays, a book is finished when it's finished. When the final draft is complete, a book becomes a marketable product. If I work my butt off, maybe I could actually make money doing what I love!
I'm not a millionaire yet... but I did write three novels in two years and I'm proud of the accomplishment. Currently, I'm self-publishing "Lighthouse Nights," searching for an agent with "The Music Box on the Hill," and rewriting "The Day I Wore Purple."
Dreams, here I come.
Yeah, I was that kid.
I spent my high-school career as the ghost of the art room, passionately constructing a portfolio that would provide the first step toward a creative occupation. Luckily, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago didn't consider GPA when selecting applicants, so I was immediately accepted into one of the most prestigious art programs in the country.
Unfortunately, the only thing I learned in art school was how much I hated art.
But I found myself! And that's important, right?
I graduated with a BFA in 2006 and moved to Los Angeles to harness my dream of becoming the next Ingmar Bergman (thanks a lot, art school.)
In LA, i began writing screenplays as a means to direct. I found a job reading screenplays for the same reason. I read a lot of crap. I wrote a lot of crap. But little did i know... I was learning.
In the three-year process of creating short films and pursuing funding for features, I learned that directing came naturally to me, but producing did not.
I wasn't able to get a project off the ground. When my father was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009, I moved back to my hometown of Grand Haven, MI with nothing to show but three screenplays.
One day, while working as a stage manager for a national dance competition, I had an epiphany that only a repressed, depressed, living-with-his-parents artist could have: what if I wrote books? Unlike screenplays, a book is finished when it's finished. When the final draft is complete, a book becomes a marketable product. If I work my butt off, maybe I could actually make money doing what I love!
I'm not a millionaire yet... but I did write three novels in two years and I'm proud of the accomplishment. Currently, I'm self-publishing "Lighthouse Nights," searching for an agent with "The Music Box on the Hill," and rewriting "The Day I Wore Purple."
Dreams, here I come.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
This book is well written and has very interesting concepts. It is told from the point of view of the 12-year-old protagonist, yet still poses questions about love and lust, good and evil, responsibility, hope, and what it means to be family. The author has a great vocabulary and an amazing ability to paint with words in order to show the reader his story.
Mini-spoilers:
Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, and not for children. Some of the bullying that occurs is violent and there are some bloody scenes.
Mini-spoilers:
Not for the squeamish or the easily offended, and not for children. Some of the bullying that occurs is violent and there are some bloody scenes.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Pen Name
Format:Paperback
I found this hidden gem on wattpad, and read it from start to finish in two days. The complexity of the characters really pulled me in. Good story.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Danielle
Format:Paperback
Simply fantastic. There are no other words to describe it. I didn't read this book because I was asked to for the purposes of a review, but found the gem online. It's a work of art that should be treasured and celebrated.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
I was entranced! In many ways it was my story.
In so many ways I was taken back to 1946 when I loved two of the most beautiful girls in the world. At ten years old I yearned to be with one or the other of them. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Rob Logos
4.0 out of 5 stars
PERFECT
A GREAT ROMANCE AND FUN TO READ. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE THAT ENJOYS A GOOD PLOT LOADED WITH GREAT CHARACTERS AND A VERY HAPPY ENDING.
Published 6 days ago by ijoycemurray
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extraordinary.
I don't think I've ever been so trapped inside the book, literally pressing my face up against the screen in hopes of being closer to James, to Mara, to everything. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Amy
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgia to the max
Overall a good read. The book certainly brought back my own childhood memories of wild summers and fun adventures. However, I found some of the action scenes hard to follow. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alaina K. Gibson
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm not a big reader but I enjoyed this book
I read this with my students. The characters and storyline kept my interest. Usually I get bored with reading. But I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen. Read more
Published 3 months ago by SONYA Bieth
3.0 out of 5 stars
good beinning
This book had a great start! it was interesting and kept my interest to the last page. Unfortunately, about 3/4 of the way in, it appears the writer got lazy. Read more
Published 3 months ago by lpiane
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intricate, spell-binding read...
This book deserves all five stars, and then some. The mystery of Mara and the curiosity of James kept me up (literally) all Sunday night. Thank goodness I had a snow day. Read more
Published 3 months ago by TheMockingbirdGirl
5.0 out of 5 stars
Characters you love and hate
The best books are the ones you can't stop reading. You just have to know what is going to happen next. The Accidental Siren is all of that. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Theresa G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Accidental Siren Review :)
I was given Accidental Siren to read in exchange for an honest review.
This wonderful story woven by Jake Vander Ark is a beautiful look at a modern-day fairytale. Read more
This wonderful story woven by Jake Vander Ark is a beautiful look at a modern-day fairytale. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Hkandle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating
I don't review often, but a month or so ago I read another person's review of The Accidental Siren. I was intrigued and I immediately purchased it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by OH
