Of Poseidon by Anna Banks REVIEW

Of Poseidon
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel And Friends
Publication Date: 2012



    A series of books I began not too long ago was the "Tempest" series by Tracy Deebs (Tempest Rising, Tempest Unleashed, and the soon-to-come Tempest Revealed), and when I finished the second book of that series, I decided to continue on with the mermaid theme. So, of course I went on to Barnes & Noble's website and decided to see what books were listed as comparable to the "Tempest" books and among those listed was Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.

     Now, let's of course start by judging the book by it's cover. I will admit that the cover contributed to what sold me on purchasing this book. Not only is the font charming (and metallic in person, so it catches the eye) but you can't help but think that the image of the woman floating up through the water is remarkable - the contrast is just too cool. When I was younger I used to play in the swimming pool and pretend I was a mermaid, swimming to the surface with my back arched and hair flowing majestically behind me, and although I know now that I certainly didn't, when I was little I pictured myself looking just like the girl on the cover of the book (minus the long gown and plus a brightly colored tail). The back cover is pretty cool too, continuing with the ocean background and complete with a bunch of bubbles and a quote from the book:
                       "And then I feel it. It saturates the water around me, thrumming without rhythm.
                        The pulse. Someone is close. Someone I don't recognize. Slowly, I tiptoe 
                        backward, careful not to splash or slosh. After a few seconds, Tiptoeing doesn't 
                        make a whole lot of sense. If I can sense them, they can sense me. The pulse is 
                        getting stronger. They're heading straight toward me. Fast."

The actual hard cover of the book is just a dark teal, reminiscent of the color of the ocean, of course, and then the spine has the title, author, and publisher in a metallic silver font. Since I know that not all readers look for aesthetic pleasure like me, I'll move on to content finally.

      I read through this book pretty quickly, which was half due to me having nothing to due over winter break and half due to my interest in the book. I read the first few chapters of the book back at school and then finals crept closer and I didn't have enough time to dedicate to reading for pleasure so I just dreamt about reading the rest of the book until I was back home. I was really glad to be able to pick it up again, and the first half or two thirds of the book really got me going. But, I have to say towards the end of the book I wasn't enjoying it as much. I was under the impression that this book was not part of a series or going to have a sequel or anything, so as we got towards the last 100 pages and there wasn't anything developing forward to the point where I felt like the plot could end soon. But as I neared the very end of the book, I realized that there has to be at least one other book to complete this story because Anna Banks purposely left us with a complete mystery and a cliff hanger leading to a whole other section of the plot. It was a pretty quick read so let me go ahead and summarize for you the plot that I keep referring to.
   
      Of Poseidon is a story about a teenager named Emma who, through heart-breaking loss and a ton of embarrassment/blushing discovers the world of the Syrena (not mermaids, they don't like the word mermaids). She finds that she, too, has secrets of her own and that everyone around her may not really be what they seem. She learns to love, overcome fears, how to become a woman, and how to grow into herself (even when she's not quite who she always thought she was). It's a cute story and if you are looking for part adventure, part romance, part history, & part humor, then this will be a satisfying book for you. There isn't a lot of action, not a lot of suspense, and only a teeny bit of mystery. But if you like "short and sweet" with all of the components I mentioned before, then you would probably enjoy this book. If you enjoyed reading the "Tempest" series you really would most likely enjoy this book too - Barnes & Noble knows what it's talking about! It wasn't one of my favorites, but I don't regret reading it at all, and since my curiosity can't handle not knowing the ending to the plot I will probably be on the lookout for the sequel.

      If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask, but my bottom line is: I give it a thumbs up! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!



                               Sincerely,

              Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit
   
           

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers REVIEW

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Series #1)

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Publication Date: 2012

     Since reading The Hunger Games series in February, I've really been into reading books that star a kick-ass female protagonist who makreaes me wish I could live a few days in her shoes or just escape into the world that she lives in for a little while as a spectator. In this book, Ismae is our leading lady, and she lives in the European country of Brittany in the 1400s. I've always had a thing for the Medieval and Renaissance periods, so when I flipped to the first page of text and saw that the date read "1485" I was really excited to see what historical aspects were incorporated into the story. I love books with a real historical basis, because since it's based on truth I feel like it makes the story that much more significant to me knowing some of these people were living, breathing individuals dealing with decisions and obstacles that I am so enthralled with now in 2012. But anyway, before I get more into the wonderful literary aspects of the book, I want to talk about the esthetics because I am the kind of reader who does judge a book by it's cover.

    The cover of the book is really well done, complete with the quote "Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?" I love the quote, and the spine of the book has a little wolf image on it which I thought was cool/cute. The actual hard cover is your run-of-the-mill black cover with gold writing on the spine. I tend to like when a symbol of some sort is placed on the front of the hard cover to give it some mystery and prettiness, but it's really not that big of a deal. Past the publication and dedication pages, there is a map of the parts of Europe in which the story takes place, which I always love to see in books so that I can go back and re-trace the character's journey. Past the map is a dramatis personae, which I also loved because I love the theater and plays and there were a few allusions I picked up on that hinted at the theater, and some of the interactions between characters are deceitful and false as if it were "all just a ruse or a play."

   Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. It's a good book. I didn't really feel like it was slow at all in the beginning (which I feel with most books that I read and end up loving), and I finished the book really quickly because I couldn't bring myself to put it down even though it's a huge book and my hands aren't big enough to easily hold it open for hours! The story of Ismae is empowering and touching, and you really can't help but root for her through the whole book. You quickly find yourself thinking about the other characters as she would, and sometimes I even found myself reading some of the things she said out loud (as embarrassing as that is) as if I were reading her lines in a show. You also learn to love Anne, the Duchess, who is actually a real historical figure that had a life just how it is described in the book. Other characters you're introduced to don't really exist historically, but after reading this book it's really hard to believe they didn't. 

   This book has a little of everything. Action (tons of it). Love. True Friendship. Faith. Death. Sorrow. Joy. And, since the book is the first in a trilogy it certainly leaves you wanting more, but the ending is not one of those heart-wrenching cliff hangers that you want to re-read over and over because you can't buy the next book until next  year! If you find yourself reading dystopian books similar to the Hunger Games, there's a good chance you'll like this book, but the books have very different plots, Ismae and Katniss are definitely not comparable, and the time period is in the past - not the future so they can only be so much in common. 

   If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask, but my bottom line is: read it. It's worth it! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!

                             Sincerely,

                     

                  Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit 

                            

Welcome!

After having the idea of creating a blog exactly like this one for quite a while now, I finally got down to business. For years I've been trying to share my music with people, but I've always been worried about the quality of sound or never had the time to just sit down and film a solid performance that I was happy with. But with my books and literature, I don't have to worry about any of that, and I definitely have the means to share my thoughts and opinions with people without having to worry about camera quality or messing up (although typos will happen). My intention is to review all of the books I read - both the books I love and don't love - but in all honesty it could evolve into anything. I could start bringing poetry I read into the mix, I could throw my own poetry into the mix, I could share music I love here and there or just write about interesting personal experiences. I could do anything really, since it is my own safe haven. But, my intentions are to keep this site literature-based so that I can help and bond with my fellow bookworms and maybe even discover/learn a thing or two myself. I have quite a few books that I can provide reviews for, although I may not have picked the most opportune time to start a site based on my ability to read and complete a large number of books in a timely fashion since school starts in a little under two weeks. But, I'll be the first person to stay in on Friday night to finish my book rather than be at the big party, so I'm sure I'll be able to make the time! Well, it is time for me to wrap this up and go, but to whomever stumbles upon this site, I hope you enjoy. And, if nobody ever stumbles upon this site, then at least I now have a place to put all of my thoughts regarding the books I read and love and then obsess over until I find a new book. Well, Goodnight! :)

-Spenser