Firewalker by Josephine Angelini

Title: Firewalker (Worldwalker #2)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in these second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

“You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified.”

Lily is back in her own universe, and she’s ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fuelled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily got that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial by Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini.

It’s no secret that Josephine Angelini ranks among my all-time favourite authors. I love everything she writes and everything of hers I read leaves me wanting more. Firewalker was so much more than I could have hoped and I loved every single page of it.

Lily is back in her world, this time with Rowan by her side. But after the months she’s spent in New Salem, it’s hard to just slip back into her old life. It doesn’t help that something, or rather someone, in New Salem keeps wanting to pull her back. Lily can only resist Lillian for so long before she finds herself going back to the Pyre and transporting herself, Rowan and her newfound mechanics back to New Salem. Back in this universe, Lily starts to question everything she thought to be true, and finds herself making decisions that may cost her everyone she loves.

I’m always a little apprehensive going in to a new Josephine Angelini book. Not because I’m worried I won’t enjoy the story because I have complete faith in her on that front, but rather because I’m never sure if I’m going to come out the other end with my heart intact. She is particularly gifted at writing stories where my emotions are put through the wringer but I still wouldn’t change any moment of that story. Firewalker was no different. Firewalker wastes no time jumping into things: the story picks up just moment after where Trial by Fire ended. So right from the start, something is happening. And honestly, it doesn’t let up until the very last page. And even at that point, I was kinda hoping there were still pages left to turn. And like I had predicted, Firewalker pretty much put my heart through the wringer. I was constantly worried about the fate of the different characters I have come to love over the course of these two books. And by the end of the book, let’s just say it’s kind of up in the air as to whether some of them are even alive anymore or not. And now I have to wait a whole year to find that out, and it’s going to be painful. 

But for real, though, Josephine Angelini wrote an absolutely fantastic story in Firewalker, and dropped so many hints as to what might actually be going on and it made me all the more curious about what’s to come. And like with any of her books that aren’t the last one in a series: THAT ENDING. WHAT WAS THAT EVEN? Aside from the fact that I’m not sure about the status of some people, I just need to know what happens next and what is going on. As a reader, you reach the end and you’re just left hanging. But in the best way possible. 

One of the things I loved about Firewalker was seeing how much Lily had grown. Where in the first book, she was kind of trying to find her footing as far as this whole magic and multiple universes thing was concerned, in this one, Lily was strong and fierce and ready to do just about anything it took to protect the people she cares about. In my review of Trial by Fire, I had predicted that Lillian was just sort of made to look like a villain and after reading Firewalker, my prediction seemed pretty accurate. Granted things might still change by the time I get to the end of the final book, but I found out so much about Lillian in Firewalker and it had me seriously reconsidering my opinions of her. She definitely isn’t the villain she seems to be and she has pretty valid reasons for doing what she did. It will definitely be interesting to see how it all plays out. And that brings me to Rowan. Who I am still all about. Even if there were a couple moments where I kinda wanted to smack him. But then I have so many unanswered questions where he’s concerned and all I will say is that Rowan better be coming out of all this in one piece otherwise I will be PISSED. 

Another interesting aspect of Firewalker was that it kind of introduces and spends time with different characters than the first book. I mean the story still very much focuses on Lily, Rowan and Lillian and whatever love triangle there is there, if you can even call it a love triangle at this point. But Firewalker also allowed me to get to know Lily’s Tristan (as opposed to the Tristan from New Salem who was very present in the first book), Breakfast (whose name cracked me up every time I read it) and Una, three people from Lily’s world who end up in New Salem because they become her new mechanics when Lily and Rowan are back in our world (are you confused yet—I might be and I’m the one writing this and I’ve read the book). I loved getting to find out more about this Tristan because I definitely had questions about him after the first book and at times what I found out about him and his story broke my heart a little. I’ll definitely be curious to read more about all of them in the future book, even if I am concerned about what my growing attachment to them will do to my heart in the next book.

If this long and rambling review wasn’t a dead giveaway, I absolutely loved Josephine Angelini’s Firewalker and I have a lot of feelings about it. And those feelings are confused and complicated but completely worth it. And I’ll be pining for the final book in the series. For real, Traitor’s Pyre can’t come soon enough.

Blog Tour - The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Title: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: April 7, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo / B&N

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine…until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted. 

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

Until I picked up The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, I had only read Ann Aguirre’s New Adult titles. Her YA books just hadn’t appealed to me until now. But The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things sounded like it had the potential to be a total “me” book. And I am more than happy to report that I was absolutely right. 

Sage has spent the last three years trying to be as perfect as possible. She’s afraid that if she’s anything less, her aunt will send her back to state care and she’ll lose everything she’s worked so hard for. Being perfect also means people won’t look at her too closely, they won’t figure out that she has a past she wants to keep hidden. And Sage would have kept it up right until she graduated if Shane Cavendish hadn’t walked into her math class. Shane isn’t like the other boys at school and Sage immediately feels drawn to him. But Shane isn’t interested in a relationship. He just wants to keep his head down and play guitar. He just needs to keep it together until graduation. His expectations are low and he never expected Sage. Soon, Sage and Shane will learn that keeping it together and being perfect isn’t all that matters, and that sometimes imperfections are the best thing that can happen.

As I’ve already mentioned, until recently I had only read Ann Aguirre New Adult books and I really enjoyed them. But as far as her YA was concerned, I just wasn’t interested. The stories didn’t sound like something I would enjoy, and that was that. But then I heard that she was writing a YA contemporary story and it immediately got added to my TBR. And with good reason. When I found out more about The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, it sounded like a book that had the potential to be a total “Emilie book.” So I started reading. And at first I started rethinking my assumptions. But then I got completely caught up in the story. I couldn’t put the book down. The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things was addicting, plain and simple. The romance was just how I like it. It put a smile on my face and warmed my heart, but it also wasn’t always warm and fuzzy. But that was just fine with me because it fit with the characters and what I knew about them. And really, as much as I loved the story and the romance, Sage and Shane were the real reason I loved this book as much as I did.

Sage confused me a little at first. And kind of annoyed me to be honest. But that’s because I didn’t know her and her whole story yet. The more I read, the more I started to understand her, to realize that the Sage she presented to the world wasn’t the real Sage, but instead the one she thought she needed to be. So once I started seeing who the real Sage was, I quickly changed my mind about her. She was flawed and I loved that about her. And I loved that in Shane she found someone who was just as flawed as her and wanted her and all her flaws. I won’t lie, I was totally expecting Shane to be your typical YA brooding bad boy. That’s the feeling I got when I read the book’s description. But that wasn’t who Shane was and I can’t say I’m exactly disappointed by that. I loved that Shane was actually a nice guy disguised as a bad boy. It made peeling back the layers of his personality that much more interesting. And it made me want to root for him and Sage so badly. Because they both deserved someone who would accept them, flaws and all, and would love them for it.

It should go without saying that I loved Ann Aguirre’s The Queen of Bright and Shiny Thing. This story ended up being so much more than I thought it was going to be. And from now on, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more contemporary stories from Ann Aguirre. Because I will read them all.

Excerpt

The sophomores can’t hear us down the table, as it’s loud in here, but I pitch my voice low just in case. “Basically, Ryan was never my boyfriend. He just let people think we were together. Because I’m an idiot, I didn’t guess why.” Those last words come out bitter.

“So why did he do that?” I head all kinds of nuances in his voice, questions, doubts.

Here’s where it gets tricky. “It’s complicated. He lied to me, though, and that’s what I can’t just get over. Maybe someday we’ll be friends again, but for now…” I shrug.

“Friends?” He repeats.

“Yeah. Friends.”

“So he didn’t break your heart.” He sounds relieved.

“Did you want him to?”

“I was afraid he had. That maybe you were talking to me…” His eyes cut away from mine.

“Because I was trying to make Ryan jealous? Not my style.”

I want to say, OMG, Shane, you think I’m a dude magnet? I’ve been Ryan’s sidekick, his not-girlfriend so long, that I have no idea what this or what I’m doing. But I love it.

“I’m not looking for drama,” Shane tells me.

I understand the reason for the pronouncement immediately. Ryan’s watching us from across the cafeteria, but he won’t be shoving Shane into any doorjambs or cornering him in the boys toilet. In some ways, his silent, wounded eyes are worse. I can tell he feels horrible and that he misses me, but what am I supposed to do? After what I’ve learned, I don’t want to be his girlfriend, which is what he was shooting for when he made his big confession. I feel like I hardly know the guy, and that hurts most of all.

“There won’t be any.”

“I just…I can’t afford any trouble,” he says softly, not looking at me. “Any more, and I’m off to juvie until I’m eighteen.”

Possibly he thinks this will scare me off. But I have my dark side, too. The staff at the group home pulled me off an emotional ledge years ago, so I know what it’s like to feel completely out of control, doing stuff you know deep down is a terrible idea and yet you cannot stop. I study the rigid line of his shoulders. “Did you put that post-it on my locker?” I ask.

He’s dead silent, but his eyes answer where his lips do not. I see the yes written in aquamarine.

In this moment, I want to kiss him so bad it hurts.

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Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Title: Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: September 2, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and rules by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian…Lily’s other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

It’s no secret that I absolutely ADORE Josephine Angelini and her books. When I heard she had a new series coming out, I couldn’t help but be excited. But at the same time I was afraid that it wouldn’t live up to all of my expectations. Trial By Fire completely surpassed all my expectations and I loved every page of it.

For as long as she could remember, Lily Proctor has barely been able to leave her house without suffering from severe allergic reactions to the world around her. Her whole life, this has kept her from being able to experience the things normal high school girls would get to experience: things like going to parties, going out on dates. But she may finally be able to cross one off her list when her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan, agrees to take her to a party. Except the party turns into a big humiliating event for Lily and she wishes she could be anywhere but there. Without realizing it, Lily’s wish becomes a reality when she is transported to a different Salem, one where everything that once made her weak now make her incredibly powerful. With that power, Lily has to go up against the most powerful of all the Crucibles in this alternate Salem, Lillian, her other self. Will Lily be strong enough to do what it takes to protect a city she can barely recognize and find her way home?

So here’s the thing. When I first heard about Josephine Angelini’s Trial By Fire I was under the impression that it was about witches, and that the main character got transported back in time and met her past self. I was right about one of those things, sort of right about another, and wrong about the last. Trial By Fire is totally about witches, or Crucibles in this case. The main character, Lily, doesn’t get transported back in time, she gets transported to an alternate universe. And it’s her alternate self she meets, not her past self. That meant that when I first started reading, this made it so I was a little confused, but once I worked it all out for myself, I more than enjoyed this story. I was already a huge fan of Josephine Angelini’s before reading Trial By Fire, but this book made me love her even more. This story was captivating, and layered—every time I thought I had something figured out, something new was thrown in and I was trying to figure it out all over again. And I of course have to talk about the romance in this story. Having read (and being a huge fan of) Josephine Angelini’s Starcrossed trilogy, I was definitely looking forward to whatever romance was going to be in Trial By Fire. I’ll be honest and say that the romance here felt a lot more understated. I expected it to be more in my face, but in the end I really liked the way it played out. It fit in perfectly with the story, and it made me like those characters that much more. But obviously there were also some very sensual moments. One in particular involved paint and well, that’s all I’m going to say about that.

I really liked reading about Lily. I liked that once she was thrown in this world where magic was a thing she didn’t just take it in stride. Much like she never let her health issues stop her from doing what she wanted in her world, she fights back against what people are telling her in this new world. And that’s what I loved most about Lily’s character, she didn’t let anything get her down, and considering everything she was going through, that was a great attitude to have. It was also interesting to see the differences between Lily and Lillian, her alternate self. The two may have played the same role in their respective worlds, but they couldn’t have been more different. Or at least that’s how it seemed while I was reading Trial By Fire. Knowing what I know about Josephine Angelini and her books though, I might be thinking differently by the end of the next book. The same can be said about the differences between the two Tristans I met, granted I only saw one of them for a very brief period of time. The one character I only met one of was Rowan, and one was more than enough. I don’t even know where to start with Rowan. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about him. I honestly thought he might turn out to be one of the bad guys. But I was clearly wrong because by the end of the book I was ALL ABOUT ROWAN. I definitely want more Rowan in future books and I can’t wait to have more Rowan in future books.

In case you hadn’t figured it out by now, I absolutely loved Josephine Angelini’s Trial By Fire. It completely lived up to all my expectations, and it brought a fresh and new perspective to a subject that has been dealt with previously. I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next.

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Rapunzel's tower is a satellite. She can't let down her hair--or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in two. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker--unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can. 

It's no secret that I LOVE Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. I've devoured every book so far, and with each one, I find myself loving this series more and more. As expected, Cress completely blew me away and has solidified the Lunar Chronicles' position among my all-time favourite series.

Cress has spent the better part of her life alone, in a satellite, doing the Lunar Queen's bidding. But at least by spending all this time alone with netscreens, has been able to pick up some hacking skills that have been quite helpful to Cinder, even if Cinder doesn't know it yet. Cinder is on the run with Captain Thorne, attempting to stay one step of the authorities. And with Scarlet and Wolf's help, Cinder is determined to stop Emperor Kai from marrying Queen Levana. Their only hope though, is with Cress's help. But when their rescue mission takes a turn for the worse, things become even more complicated as the group is torn apart and separated. Now not only do they have to find a way to reunite themselves, they also have to save the world in the process.

Let me get this out of the way before I say anything else: if you haven't already started reading the Lunar Chronicles, go do so now because you are missing out big time. But in all seriousness, Marissa Meyer and her books are amazing. And so it goes without saying that I absolutely ADORED Cress. Marissa Meyer always manages to capture my attention right from page one. In this case, Cress picks up right where Scarlet left off, so right away I was thrown into the middle of the action. And from there, the story just kept on getting better. I loved the way Marissa Meyer re-imagined Rapunzel's story, and I'm happy with how that story played itself out. When I started reading, I was worried that Cress would just spend most of the book stuck in her satellite, but I should have just trusted Marissa Meyer because she did not disappoint me. My only concern now is the year-long wait for Winter, the final book in the series.

Out of all the fairy tale characters Marissa Meyer has introduced so far, I think Cress is my favourite. I don't really know what to say other than the fact she was just relatable. Basically, Cress was like any teenage girl who's ever had a crus on someone famous (except she got to meet, said person). And I loved her, and how innocent she could be. But at the same time, she was a lot smarter and stronger than people gave her credit for. And I loved the side of Thorne she brought out. Because as much of a jerk as he can be, I kinda love Thorne anyway. And of course, I loved getting to know the other characters even better than I already did. Cinder now is so different from the girl I met in the first book, but at the same time, deep down, she's still the same person. And Scarlet is a lot stronger than I initially gave her credit for. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Scarlet in the final book. Regardless of the character, I'm sure there are plenty of surprises in store for us. 

I've said this before, but if you haven't already started reading the Lunar Chronicles, you should really get on that. Cress was truly amazing. There's not a single page of it I didn't absolutely love. I can't wait to see what Marissa Meyer has in store for us in Winter, even though I really don't want this series to end.

The F-It List by Julie Halpern

Title: The F-It List

Author: Julie Halpern

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: November 12, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl's battle with cancer.

Alex's father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca sleep with Alex's boyfriend. So things aren't great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.

But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again--Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf. Because if that's all you can do to help your ailing friend--you do it.

I have loved the sheer number of contemporary books that have come out this year, and I have been trying to read as many of them as possible. And so I found myself reading Julie Halpern's The F-It List. And though it wasn't a favourite, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Alex and Becca have been bed friends for as long s they can remember. Until Becca sleeps with Alex's boyfriend at Alex's dad's funeral. Alex has taken the summer to cool off and is ready to forgive Becca and go back to being friend. In their time apart, Becca found out she has cancer, and now she needs Alex's help. A long time ago, Becca started writing a bucket list , and now that the end could be near, she needs help completing it. And what else can Alex do but help? And who knows, maybe in the process Alex will find a way to move on from her father's death and start living again.

When I first read the synopsis for Julie Halpern's The F-It List, it sounded like a fun story. Granted someone just lost a paren,t and someone else has cancer, but still, the story is all about completing a bucket list. As I started reading, I realized that the story was definitely fun, but it was also a lot heavier than I thought it was going to be. A lot of that had to do with who Alex was as a person, since she was the one telling this story. As a result, this was a story about grief. But it was also a story about a girl getting past that grief and larding to live again. And, of course, this was a story about friendship and about different kinds of love. I really enjoyed seeing Alex and Becca's friendship change and evolve over the course of the story. And there were also all the other relationships in the story: Alex's relationship with her mother and brothers, Becca's relationship with her cancer, Alex's relationship with Leo, Becca's relationship with Caleb. And seeing all these relationships play out was what made this story interesting to me.

Alex was the kind of character I love: she was snarky, a little dark and definitely cynical. And she had a lot of baggage. I really enjoyed seeing her grow and evolve as a person. She was able to come to terms with her dad's death, with Becca's cancer, and with her feelings for Leo. Ultimately, what Alex needed was to realize that she was allowed to be happy, no matter what else was going on around her. And ultimately, Becca and her bucket list really helped with all that. And Leo too. Leo wasn't exactly the conventional love interest, but that didn't stop me from liking him. Leo challenged Alex, he didn't always do it in the best ways, but he made her go out of her comfort zone. At the end of the day, it was just about Alex learning more about herself, and how to start living again.

Julie Halpern's The F-It List was different than what I had expected, and that may have been for the best. While it may not be one of my favourite books this year, it was a story I really enjoyed and one I would also recommend.

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

SCARLET BY MARISSA MEYER

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prise--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I cannot even begin to describe how unbelievably excited I am for the release of Scarlet. I absolutely adored Marissa Meyer's debut, Cinder, when I read it earlier this year and ever since I have been dying to find out what happens next with Cinder and Prince Kai. And I'm also really excited to meet new characters. From what I've heard from people who've already read it, it's just as good as the first book in the series, if not even better.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer will be published February 5th, 2013 by Feiwel and Friends.

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming release they are particularly looking forward to.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

EVE AND ADAM BY KATHERINE APPLEGATE & MICHAEL GRANT

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an fluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she's never really questioned it. Much like how she's never stopped to think how off it is that she's never been sick. That is, until she's struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech's lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he's never questioned anything…until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn't right, and EmmaRose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

This book has only come to my attention recently, but right when I found out about it I knew it was a book I definitely wanted to read. The story sounds really interesting and like a creative new take on the story of Adam & Eve. And it sounds like it would be a great science fiction read. So really, what's not to love?

Eve and Adam by Katherine Applegate & Michael Grant will be published October 2, 2012 by Feiwel & Friends.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Title: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: May 22, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Galen, the prince of the Syrena, is sent to dry land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen--literally, "ouch!"--both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom…

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparles with intrigue, humour, and waves of romance.

I've said this before, but I absolutely love a good mermaid story, and that's exactly what Of Poseidon by Anna Banks was. Right from the start it put a smile on my face and that smile stayed there all the way through. Of Poseidon was the perfect mermaid read.

Emma was just hoping to have a fun time in Florida with her best friend, Chloe, but nothing goes exactly as planned. It starts with her literally running into a mysterious stranger and ends with a shark attack. Now back home in New Jersey, Emma prepares to start her senior year without Chloe and on the first day of school, she fins herself face to face with Galen, the stranger from Florida. Except Galen isn't human, he's Syrena. And after sensing a connection with Emma and seeing her interact with fish, Galen is convinced Emma may not be completely human. And if Emma is who Galen thinks she is, she could hold the key to saving his kingdom.

Mermaid stories are so fun to read in the summer time and I just loved reading Anna Banks' Of Poseidon. It was everything I hoped it would be and possibly even more. Right from the first page, the story put a smile on my face. There was always something happening that managed to make me smile. And then there were parts that actually had me laughing out loud. Like a certain Syrena learning how to drive. The story itself was told in an interesting way. Not only was it told from alternating points of view, but the story also alternated first and third person narration. At first I wasn't sure how this was going to work out, but by the end I sort of loved that the story was being told that way. Anna Banks really made it work. And from the ending I'm seriously hoping there are more books to come.

I absolutely loved Emma. She always managed to put a smile on my face, especially when it came to her clumsiness. As a major klutz myself, I could totally relate to Emma that way. On the other hand, her exasperation with the Syrena wasn't exactly something that I could relate to, but it definitely kept me very amused. All that to say that Emma made me laugh and I loved her for it. And if Emma made me laugh, it was nothing compared to the Syrena. It always amused me when they got puzzle by anything related to humans. Just the interactions between them were enough to put a smile on my face. However, while I often knew what was going through Galen's mind, it would have been interesting to see what Rayna and Toraf were thinking at times. Maybe in future books...

Of Poseidon was everything I was a good mermaid story to be. Anna Banks wrote a fantastic story that had me smiling, if not laughing, the whole way through. If you're looking for a fun mermaid story, I strongly recommend you pick up Anna Banks' Of Poseidon. It's perfect for the summer.