Review: Of Triton by Anna Banks

Title:Of Triton (Click title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Won, Bound ARC
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Feiwel & Firends, May 8, 2013




My Thoughts:
    
     What should I even say?  I had really high expectations for Of Triton going into it, but sadly I just didn’t like it that much.  I’ve read books involving mermaids before, and I like the whole idea well enough.  But with Of Triton I just had a hard time getting into the story.  I didn't end up caring for the smaller details.  As a whole, Of Triton was an ok read but I wouldn’t exactly read it again.  The characters...sigh.  Emma was pliable and just seemed to float with whatever boat was present at the time.  She had a few instances of short-lived rebellion, which made me like her a little more than I originally did.  Galen, yeah, I didn't like him very much either. Then there was Emma’s mother, Nalia and Grom, Galen’s older brother.  I just felt like their situation was settled way too quickly, which left me wondering why it was even there in the first place.  Then there were the major plot issues.  It was just kind of lacking, plus the conflicts seemed almost superficial.  I would have liked to see a little more resistance from the characters.  Maybe if I’d read Of Poseidon before diving into Of Triton, I would have understood the structure of the world a little more, but I didn’t.  Hey I’m being honest, someone else may like this one, but I guess I’m not included in that category.

ARC Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Title: Mind Games by Kiersten White
Source/Format: Goodreads, Bound ARC
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: HarperTeen, February 19, 2013




My Thoughts:

     Mind Games was an okay book, but I didn’t love it. It was considered a psychological thriller and I saw hints of that throughout the book, but it didn’t have me on edge. There were just some things—content wise—that I couldn’t agree with. Like the underage drinking and the suicidal thoughts sprinkled throughout the book.

     Some of the characters were also another issue for me. I just had a hard time liking either of the sisters. I didn’t really like James either, I felt like he was too old for a Fia. Sofia’s love for her sister is utilized to control her. Keane the head of the school uses Annie as collateral to coerce Sofia into doing what he wants. Besides Fia, some of the key characters in Mind Games were Readers who could read minds, Seers who could see the future, and Feelers who knew what others were truly feeling. Fia concealed the truth and did whatever was necessary to keep the ones she loved alive; however, the scenarios still lacked intensity and excitement. The voice of Sofia seemed underdeveloped and there are too many side thoughts and repeated words inserted into her dialogue with other individuals. As a result there is a lack of substance at various points throughout the book. Perhaps the repetition is an attempt to present the character as being mentally unstable. The storyline would benefit from further defining her mental condition and providing a more in-depth description of specific behaviors that reflect her mental illness.

    The general storyline was okay, but Sofia’s character needed more depth. I rate this book 2.5 stars.

ARC was won through Goodreads First Reads and provided by the publisher, thank you.

It was ok.