Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)

By Anna Banks

Publication Date: May 22, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Hardcover, 336 pages

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. -Goodreads

3 1/2 Stars

Review

Okay, so as a rule, when my favorite character dies within the first few chapters of the book, I generally become disinterested. However, in this case, Of Poseidon is the exception which proves the rule. 

With a cute, oblivious love interest, and a wonderful cast of supporting characters, it's no wonder that I finished Of Poseidon in merely a day. Galen, though terribly cliched, is the kind of main character you can fall in love with. The other main character, Emma, is a typical teenage female girl who can be found in almost all of modern literature. I found myself not disliking Emma, but becoming bored with her a few times while reading this book. She has her moments, but the characters who really shine are Rayna, Toraf, Chloe, and Rachel. Though none of them have nearly enough time on the pages as they deserve, they provide a nice (often comedic) break from the constant tension between Galen and Emma. 

One of the things which stood out to me while reading Of Poseidon was the unique writing style. Each chapter alternates between Emma's 1st person point of view and Galen's 3rd person point of view. Not only did it stand out, but Banks was able to pull it off famously, which is something a lot of authors can not do. 

The plot was engaging, though very predictable at certain points. I found Of Poseidon to have a fresh take on the mythical creatures of mermaids (or "Syrena). Though pop culture has become obsessed with the supernatural and fantasy worlds, mermaids are often a very overlooked creature in comparison with vampires, werewolves, etc. The plot, rather than an adventure or mystery, is rather a strategic release of information from certain characters which all comes together to create a final picture which becomes slightly more focused by the end of the novel. 

Of Poseidon was an engaging read, and after a major cliffhanger, I am definitely looking forward to reading the second installment in the series.

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