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A review by jenlyn
Triton Vârisi by Anna Banks
3.0
I liked this book, but not nearly as much as I did the first in the series (also not nearly as much as I wanted to like it). While it didn't fall completely into the second book trap and it was an amazingly fast read, I just wasn't as excited and pulled in to the story as I was in the first book. I still liked Emma and Galen and most of the other supporting characters (though for the most part Grom seemed really bland, but maybe he'll get to shine a little more in the third book...or not, it won't bother me if he doesn't) but I just wasn't as enamored as I was the first time around.
Maybe my issue with getting back into the story was the sudden jump in the narrative at the beginning. It was jarring and confusing (which I imagine was somewhat the intent as Emma must be feeling pretty confused by her mother's actions) and it just threw me out of the story for a minute. Also Emma's mother often came across as a little harsh and blunt when she was telling her daughter things (or completely ignoring her daughter's obvious discomfort with being lied to all her life and then suddenly having to contend with her mom being all lovey-dovey around some guy). It made me sad that Emma felt like she had to be a "grown-up" about her mother's new relationship and all the changes it's going to bring (especially given how blithe her mother seems in relation to how those changes will affect Emma); I just wanted to shake her and tell her "You don't have to be grown up about this! You're not a grown up and that's okay. You should still get to be a kid while you are one." I can understand her mom being all wrapped up in being back together with Grom; she thought she'd lost him a long, long time ago and was so happy to find out she was wrong. But she started acting like some instalove-struck teenager and seemed to completely forget about her daughter and how this all must be freaking her out. For a mother who seemed so protective (sometimes over-protective) of Emma during the first book, suddenly she was so completely wrapped up in her man that it was like "Daughter? What daughter? I have a daughter?" and it just felt like a really weird and abrupt turn for her character. At the end of the book, it seemed like Nalia came around and was actually paying more adequate attention to her daughter, but that didn't completely erase the bad taste left in my mouth with her earlier forgetfulness.
And the ending? I just don't know about it. It was sad but it didn't exactly feel earned. It felt like that event (trying to make this mostly spoiler-free is hard) was thrown in to try and up the stakes for the characters, but instead it left me feeling like it was more of a formulaic plot device than something that really affected me. Also I was just as confused as the characters about how it all went down when everything seemed to indicate that nothing like would happen (the generalities in this bit of the review are killing me so I'll stop now).
All in all, this was a good book and I devoured it, but it just didn't resonate with me as much as the first book. Hopefully the third book will get me back into the groove.
Also, in a random note, I loved the insta-attraction joke. That was hilarious and a good wink/nod to some of the critiques of the first book (and probably this book, too) about how quickly these characters fall for each other in YAs these days.
Maybe my issue with getting back into the story was the sudden jump in the narrative at the beginning. It was jarring and confusing (which I imagine was somewhat the intent as Emma must be feeling pretty confused by her mother's actions) and it just threw me out of the story for a minute. Also Emma's mother often came across as a little harsh and blunt when she was telling her daughter things (or completely ignoring her daughter's obvious discomfort with being lied to all her life and then suddenly having to contend with her mom being all lovey-dovey around some guy). It made me sad that Emma felt like she had to be a "grown-up" about her mother's new relationship and all the changes it's going to bring (especially given how blithe her mother seems in relation to how those changes will affect Emma); I just wanted to shake her and tell her "You don't have to be grown up about this! You're not a grown up and that's okay. You should still get to be a kid while you are one." I can understand her mom being all wrapped up in being back together with Grom; she thought she'd lost him a long, long time ago and was so happy to find out she was wrong. But she started acting like some instalove-struck teenager and seemed to completely forget about her daughter and how this all must be freaking her out. For a mother who seemed so protective (sometimes over-protective) of Emma during the first book, suddenly she was so completely wrapped up in her man that it was like "Daughter? What daughter? I have a daughter?" and it just felt like a really weird and abrupt turn for her character. At the end of the book, it seemed like Nalia came around and was actually paying more adequate attention to her daughter, but that didn't completely erase the bad taste left in my mouth with her earlier forgetfulness.
And the ending? I just don't know about it. It was sad but it didn't exactly feel earned. It felt like that event (trying to make this mostly spoiler-free is hard) was thrown in to try and up the stakes for the characters, but instead it left me feeling like it was more of a formulaic plot device than something that really affected me. Also I was just as confused as the characters about how it all went down when everything seemed to indicate that nothing like would happen (the generalities in this bit of the review are killing me so I'll stop now).
All in all, this was a good book and I devoured it, but it just didn't resonate with me as much as the first book. Hopefully the third book will get me back into the groove.
Also, in a random note, I loved the insta-attraction joke. That was hilarious and a good wink/nod to some of the critiques of the first book (and probably this book, too) about how quickly these characters fall for each other in YAs these days.