Review Detail

Quick question: Raise your hand if you know anything about Norse mythology. Anyone? No? Now, raise your hand if you have encountered any books set in Norway. I haven't (well, except for this one)

Okay, so the plot is a bit predictable. But the pace is fast enough to keep you on your toes, and the writing style just keeps you hooked the whole way through the book.

The romance was sweet and also kept me on my toes, but I think the love interest is TOO perfect (hard to believe, right?). Everything about Tucker is amazing. Good looks, charm, wit, patience, loyalty, and very brave. But I felt like he just needed something to define him a bit more. I mean, couldn't he have one teensy little imperfection??

Now, a little summary. Ellie Overholt, a shy girl with a super popular (and overprotective) brother. She goes to Norway to stay with her grandmother for the summer. But from her first day there, she notices that the townspeople are acting strangely around her, and especially her grandmother. Then she discovers that boys are disappearing, and the reason that the townspeople don't like her is that they think the boys were captured by mythical creatures, Valkyries, and that Ellie and her grandmother, is one of them. And one day, when Graham becomes one of those missing boys (due to an act of his own stupidity, might I add), it's up to Ellie and Tucker, Graham's best friend, to stop the Valkyries.

Okay, so Valkyries are pretty much drop dead gorgeous females (no males in this race) who have the ability to control people, and they use that power to kidnap boys to be soldiers for Odin (yes, Odin, THE Odin) and take them to Valhalla (which is like the Underworld). I really liked the mythology, but I really hope that it'll be expanded on later.

This was a different kind of YA fiction and if you like mythology themed novels, this is definitely one to try.