OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon
Anna Banks

Rating: A
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
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.


My thoughts on the book:
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Of Poseidon. I didn't know if it'd be "another mermaid tale," or if it'd stand out from the crowd. I was pleasantly surprised, and Of Poseidon definitely exceeded my expectations. Banks has a unique writing style and voice. I enjoyed the alternating POVs (first person for Emma and third person limited for Galen). The sense of humor makes this book a light read, and I laughed out loud more than once. The plot is intriguing and the world that Banks created is captivating. 


Of Poseidon is written differently than any book I've ever read. There is no action to speak of, other than one event in the beginning and a girl fight a little later on. Even the climax of the novel has no action, but it does have a big reveal. There really was no "bad guy." It's an interesting concept that I found myself actually liking. The lack of action didn't bother me. I wasn't bored once. This novel grabbed me on the first page and did not let me go until the very end.This is a fast paced read, and I lost track of time as I submerged myself in Banks' world. 


Emma is a likable character. She's feisty and clumsy, both traits come across as charming instead of annoying. She goes through some terrible things, but she comes out stronger for it. She doesn't dwell on the past and whine about it. She takes charge of her life and makes the best of each situation that's given to her. I really admired her for that, and for the fact that she isn't willing to give up her dreams for some guy. It was fun being inside her head because she has such a unique take on the world. Any time a leading character describes herself as being as clumsy as "an intoxicated walrus," you know she's going to be a fun narrator. 


Galen is also likable, and while he's a bit disconnected from humanity, he still has some very human reactions. He makes some pretty dumb mistakes, but overall, he's a good guy. I was rooting for him the entire time. I really liked seeing things from his view as well, and I'm glad that Banks didn't do first person with him, too. It helped keep the two POVs separate.


The secondary characters are also well-developed and complex. I'm not sure what makes any of them tick really, but they're all interesting and add a lot of layers (and humor) to the story. 


The plot is intriguing and mysterious, even if there is no action or "bad guy." There's still a sense of urgency because Galen's entire race is on the verge of a giant war that would likely make all of them extinct. Since Galen is likable, I didn't want that to happen. I also wanted Galen and Emma to get together, so I wanted things to work out for them, too. The ending is a cliffhanger, and a bit of a surprise. I tossed the idea around some, but I wasn't sure until the very end if I was right or not. I hate cliffhangers (hence the A instead of A+), but I feel that enough questions were answered that I'm looking forward to the next book without a sense of bitterness. 


The one thing that did bother me about Of Poseidon is that it kept sounding like Banks was calling dolphins and whales fish. I'm pretty sure she meant marine life in general, since she included turtles, otters, and penguins in with Emma's gift as well. Still, though, she kept saying fish right after a dolphin or whale encounter and that bugged me. There has to be a better way to specify the difference between mammal and fish, though I'm not 100% sure what that might be. 


Overall, I'd recommend Of Poseidon to anyone who wants a good summer read. If you enjoy mermaid tales or love stories, then this book is for you!


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