{Review} OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks

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O P E N I N G   H O O K:

I SMACK into him as if shoved from behind.  He doesn't budge, not an inch.  Just holds my shoulders and waits.  Maybe he's waiting for me to find my balance.  Maybe he's waiting for me to gather my pride.  I hope he's got all day.


I hear people passing on the boardwalk and imagine them staring.  Best-case scenario, they think I know this guy, that we're hugging.  Worst-case scenario, they saw me totter like an intoxicated walrus into this complete stranger because I was looking for a place to park our beach stuff.  Either way, he knows what happened.  He knows why my cheek is plastered to his bare chest.  And there is definite humiliation waiting when I get around to looking up at him.

(Page 1, US e-book edition)

Anna Banks has a smooth, easy way of writing that's easy to fall into.  Her voice is strong and makes it easy to become absorbed in the story.  Take the above opening hook, for example.  Doesn't that already want to make you keep reading?  Main character Emma immediately goes through an embarrassing situation that everyone can relate to, and her description of the way others are perceiving the incident will surely resonate well with readers.  The novel continues on in this personable tone, which was an aspect that really shone for me throughout OF POSEIDON.

While the hook continues on and blooms into a vacation that takes a horrifying turn, it also opens up the world of the Syrena (do not call them mermaids).  Galen, the "him" that Emma bumps into in the above hook, and his sister Rayna become integral parts of Emma's life as they begin investigating what happened in her vacation gone wrong, trying to determine if she's a Syrena, if she's broken Syrena laws, what she does--or doesn't--know.  Who is Emma, where does she come from?  Emma's journey takes a predicable turn, but will leave readers hanging on, and in some cases, even surprise them.  Her story also isn't predictable, because while she's suspected of being a Syrena, there's a lot that goes against this notion as well.  Too many signs can't be ignored, however, which brings characters back to the question: Who is Emma, where does she come from?  Be forewarned:  If, like me, you aren't aware that OF POSEIDON is the first in a series, you may be taken off guard by the cliffhanger at the end.  I actually saw it coming and anticipated it, but I'm eager to see how Banks will unfurl the situation her characters wind up in when OF TRITON launches next year.

The mermaid mythology in OF POSEIDON is unique enough to keep me engaged, with new rules and ways of life I haven't seen done before.  While some elements of the novel are predictable, especially when it comes to romance in today's YA, that's not necessarily a complaint.  I loved seeing the way Galen and Emma interacted, and Banks throws some interesting hurdles their way that can only exist in the mythology of the world of the Syrena.  I cannot wait to dive back beneath the sea and see more of the Syrena's inner-workings, as well as return to these characters (Even secondary ones, for once!) and Banks' fresh writing style.

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C O V E R   D E S I G N:

I really like the uniqueness of this cover.  The image's exposure creates an eerie underwater image that's hard to look away from.  I feel like deep beneath the ocean, things do look different, and it's been proving that color doesn't appear the same way it does above land.  This image really feels natural to me.


I also love that curly swirl in the first "O" of "POSEIDON" on the cover!

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  OF POSEIDON
Author: Anna Banks

Release Date: Out May 22, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan

Received: ARC for review

 

SUMMARY:

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.