Of Triton by Anna Banks

Of Triton by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends      

Publication date: May 28th 2013
My rating: 3.5 stars

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.
As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

I wasn't a fan of the first book but let me tell you this- I got hooked! I was flipping those pages like my life depended on it. 

Book #2 starts right after Of Poseidon finished. Emma's mom turned out to be Galen's supposedly dead sister-in-law, or King Grom's mate Nalia. Well, Nalia kidnaps Emma because she thinks Galen is trying to get her arrested for the murder of Grom who's actually alive. Yeah... these characters are still pretty ridiculous but a little bit less than they were in book #1. Running doesn't take long and once the long lost lovers glance at each other everything is okay. Well, except for the fact Grom's mated with another Syrena just before he ran to find Nalia. What a mess...

Now everyone's trying to annul his 'marriage' which is practically impossible because of the silly, outdated Syrena laws. Grom can annul everyone else's marriages but not his own. Only the Archives can do that and their leader actually has some different solutions on his mind. Even though Emma start complaining about Grom and Nalia being a pair before her mom met her dad, she finds it in her heart to move past it and help her mom find happiness. haha Oh Emma, you selfless girl. *sarcasm*

Now we get to the good part. The romance between Emma and Galen isn't the center of attention in Of Triton. It was a very nice change because the less nagging I got from Emma and Rayna, the better. I can't deal with high level of drama and bullshit anywhere. There were still times where I wanted to punch these two but, again, it wasn't as bad it was in #1. So, less romance, more Syrena politics. The Royal families have to obey the laws which were written when Poseidon and Triton were still alive and since then a lot has changed. Many of the Archives are apposed and aren't interested in an update. Their arguments also weren't up to date but who could blame them. They've been stuck in water for so long without any proper legal help. I don't judge this part harshly because it's a fun, YA book and it shouldn't be taken too seriously. 

All in all, Of Triton showed so much progress and I'm glad I stuck with it. I'll be reading Of Neptune as well, once it gets out. Fingers crossed for no idiotic moments with Emma and Rayna! So if you're looking for a quick paranormal read pick something else, I'm just messing with you. Of Triton was a book with a pretty cover, pretty characters which make the worst decisions. Read this mess, now!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends      

Publication date: May 22nd 2012
My rating: 2 stars

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to 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 sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

To quote Emma "Oh, my sweet goodness" this book was annoying. Everything about it was annoying-the characters, the 'plot' and the relationship development. 

Emma's on a vacation with her friend Chloe when a shark attacks Chloe, tears her leg of, killing her in the process. Can't say I was upset because Chloe's character was created for the sole purpose of dying right then and there. Luckily, Emma also met Galen that day. She actually bumped in him and made this whole scene about how embarrassing it was to slam into the hottest guy she ever saw. She really wouldn't stop talking about it. Get over it! 

After Chloe dies and Emma looses her phone, Galen decides it's a good idea to track her down even though she lives very far away because she's also a Syrena, like him. He buys a house and a car in the same city. He even starts going to her school where they have the same class schedule. Creepy much? Don't even get me started on the window climbing. 

Everything about this book screamed Twilight. I wonder what was the author thinking creating characters which fought all the time about the most trivial thing. Since the book was more for the younger readers, I really don't think it's a good idea. Kids read all kind of things and become inspired with the actions of these characters. I'm sure there are better ways of solving problems without yelling and punching. 

The best part of this book was the Syrena mythology. The underwater city, how mermaids change their legs into fins and all the Poseidon and Triton rivalry. 

My friend told me the second book, Of Triton is better than the first so I'm going to check it as well. Based on my not so good experience with Of Poseidon I would probably skip the sequel but I'll take her word for it. 

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: February 18th 2014
My rating: 4.5 stars

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Everybody knows how much I love to read realistic stories. I can never get tired of them. At first I didn't want to read Maybe One Day because the first cover was giving me some fantasy/paranormal vibes. I didn't read the blurb so I ignored it altogether. And then one day, the cover was changed and I had to read the blurb. Once I did, I knew I would be reading it sooner of later. It turned out to be later because I didn't read the book for months. I'm not even sure why that happened. 

Zoe and Olivia were inseparable. They've been friends since they were little. They were thinking about being professional dancers one day and living in Manhattan together and then Olivia got sick. What seemed to be a simple case of flu, turned out to be leukemia. Now both girls need to find a way to stay strong despite everything that's going on. 

Maybe One Day was a hard book to read. I'm still not sure what to say about it. I did cry towards the end a lot. I was expecting it because Kantor did prepare us for the worst. I was waiting for it to happen a lot sooner but I'm glad it didn't. 

Zoe was impulsive and in the moment type of person while Olivia was usually the kinder person who was well liked in every circle. They complimented each other in every possible way. Their friendship was the center of this novel. Nothing else came even close. Not even the romance which was believable and hot despite the fact Zoe and Calvin not having a lot of scenes. He was suck a good guy I found myself wishing he was a bigger part of the novel even tough it was obvious he would be there for Zoe, no matter what. 

i'm glad I read this book even though it made me feel mad sad and mad at the same time because not everyone can win against leukemia. I'll be on the lookout for other Melissa Kantor books because she proved herself as a writer with this wonderful story about friendship. 

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux      

Publication date: April 8th 2014
My rating: 3 stars

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.
Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.
Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. There were interesting aspects but none of them were strong enough for me to finish Plus One within two days. I was reading it for whole 6 days which is usually a sign I should give up. But I couldn't give up because I desperately wanted to see the awesomeness in it like the other early reviewers did. 

There was something missing. I'm not entirely sure what exactly. Maybe it was Sol's behavior in the first half. She was cold, brief and distant from D'Arcy who was nothing but helpful after he saw the mess Sol is in. I can't think of any other reason why it didn't work out. 

The world building was strange. Smudges- night dwellers and Ray- day dwellers don't mix. They live in what seems like totally different worlds. Ray's live with ease while Smudges live in poverty from the start of their lives till the day they die. While Rays have great education and carriers, a Smudge can only hope being a poor factory workers with little or no health care. 

Even though the origin of the divide was explained it still didn't make sense to me the authorities would keep it up after they resolved the problem. Maybe if was explained in another way. I don't really know... 

I don't want to end on bad note, with not saying anything positive about Plus One. It was one of those strange books you pick up to see what all the fuss was about. I did like the sort of open ending it had. The outcome was still visible so I hope the characters got what they wanted to. 

This is my first Elizabeth Fama book even though I bought a hardcover of Monstrous Beauty a while back. Still need to read it and even though I had mixed feelings about Plus One, it doesn't put me off of Monstrous Beauty. I just want to read it even more.