Review Detail

Let me start by saying that Rosa Alcantara is one of my favorite protagonists in YA. She is a strong-willed, stubborn, and feisty character who doesn’t take anyone’s crap and who has been through most of her personal tragedies alone. And let me tell you, she’s had to go through WAY more than any seventeen-year-old should. But her hardened exterior shields a very lost and fragile person. She, as well as the other characters, was in no way underdeveloped or one-dimensional.

Each character is layered with his or her own set of issues, values, and priorities, all of which added to the novel’s overall richness and complexity. And guess what? No instalove or messy triangles! The chemistry between Rosa and Alessandro forms slowly, which makes me so happy! It flowed smoothly from one stage to the next, and their connection grew stronger as they spent more time together. They didn’t have that “Oh my god I love you but no one knows why!” thing going.

The big mystery in this one is somewhat predictable, but learning the secrets of the Mafioso early on did not keep me from finishing the book with zeal. I stayed up all night finishing this one; I just couldn’t put it down. I love reading about mythology and crime, so naturally Arcadia Awakens was a good fit for me, especially with Kai Meyer’s writing. I hadn’t read a young adult book quite like this one before. Even though I wasn’t pulled in right off the bat, the way he wove the mythological elements into the Sicilian landscape and world of capos created a complex and dynamic story that kept me enthralled until its end.

Kai Meyer writes with impeccable style. It’s the kind of writing that takes you to wherever you are reading about. I could feel myself driving through the Italian coasts, searching through ancient ruins, sailing across various bodies of water. The vivid imagery and descriptions made it seem like I was right there with Rosa and Alessandro, feeling their pain, anger and love.

However, the descriptions sometimes took away from the plot. There were places where everything moved so quickly I got irritated because I wanted to know more about whatever was glossed over. And then there were parts that drug on and on and on, slowing down the pace of what should have been a high paced and high action scene. This is not a book for those who can’t follow a very complicated storyline with lots details to keep track of.