Review: Blue Sun by Tracy Abrey

Book Description:

Paperback, 360 pages
Published December 1st 2013 by CreateSpace

A mysterious, secluded island with secrets. A brilliant teenage girl whose driving curiosity leads her to probe too deeply. A detached father who goes missing. Stalkers at every turn marked with a disturbing tattoo. An unreachable castle that holds all the answers.

Genny Hazard is on a plane to the Isle of Man, a curious island in the Irish Sea. Little does she know that she is not only going to be the new kid in a strange, foreign world, but her new life on the island is going to force her to rethink her beliefs, confront her past, and face her deepest fears.

A mysterious urban fantasy for young adults and adults alike, Tracy Abrey’s debut is a fascinating coming of age tale that explores the importance of family, the influence of our past on our present, and our need above all to find the truth. Incorporating and molding existing Manx folklore to create a new, unique mythology, its layered, intricate use of character and plot gives it the complexity and richness it deserves while never losing its pace or inventiveness. Filled with riveting mystery and almost unbearable suspense, Blue Sun is a first-rate page-turner that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next adventure.

Reviewer's Copy: Paperback

Source: Author (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Blue Sun was not what I expected it to be. I had thought that it would be similar, in a way, to The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd. Surprisingly, it was closer to The Accident Season. My first impression was that it was quite atmospheric and had that dark, gloomy vibe reminiscent of Gothic literature. For me, it was a hybrid, born out of the conglomeration of many things that I could not quite pinpoint. But in the length of this review, I will try to tackle each unique characteristic of the book.

The author’s imagery and descriptions were vivid. Each written exploration of the setting pulled me and transported me straight into the story world. The northern island was firmly established in my mind, along with the lapping waves of the sea surrounding it. I am a city girl and have never experienced being that close to see for a long period of time. In loved the atmospheric writing. More than that, the pace of the story was quite fast. It was easy to hop onto and follow throughout the chapters.

Genny as a character was generally likable. She was not overly dramatic and she was true to herself. I did not like how she was impulsive with some of her decisions. She did not take the time to think through some of her decisions. I found that a bit hard to believe, given how much she was exposed to logic with her dad as a scientist. I also found her too accepting of the magical elements in the story, especially when these elements were manifesting themselves in Genny. I would have wanted to see more questioning and perhaps a little bit more worry and panic, which was the logical way of things.

Ken was not your typical YA boy. He was different. Despite being popular on school, being on the swim team and being liked by almost everyone, he decided for himself. He was nice to Genny and actually went out of his way to help her. I liked him enough however, I think he could have done more good, could have explained more to Genny to help ease her growing paranoia. With this aside, he was generally sweet and thoughtful.

The mythology was endemic to the setting. There were glimpses of fairies, legends and prophecies stitched together to make a unique mythology. It dealt with a power that was bound to the island itself. The way the author showed and explained it through the novel left some unanswered questions in my head. I would very much like to find out about the origin of this power in the next installment.

Blue Sun was a breath of fresh air, packed with an exotic flavor of mythology. The book itself had its own magic and I remember breezing through the book in just one sitting. I recommend this to readers of mythology and travel/contemporary.

Rating:

3.5 Cupids = True book love.
Slightly flawed but I liked it!