Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Kate
| Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Kate | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: The lost island of Atlantis is the basis for the first in this new romantic paranormal trilogy from Lauren Kate. Perfect for fans of the genre, but others may find it a tad predictable and a little lightweight. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 464 | Date: October 2013 |
| Publisher: Doubleday | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 085753226X | |
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Never, ever cry.
This is a lesson Eureka learned at her beloved mother's knee. But now Diana is gone, washed from a bridge by a freak wave, and Eureka is locked behind an impenetrable wall of grief. Alienated from her father, disliking her stepmother, awkward around even Cat and Brooks, her best friends, Eureka no longer takes pleasure in anything, even running. She has even attempted suicide. But she still doesn't cry.
But then Anders appears. This strange boy knows things about Eureka that nobody but her could know. How? He insists that she's in terrible danger. Why? And what is the inheritance from her mother? A locket, a letter, a mysterious stone and an ancient book in a language that nobody can read - what can these things possibly mean? Little does Eureka know it but her story is an old one, dating right back to the lost city of Atlantis...
I hate to say it, but there were quite a few things I didn't like about Teardrop. Perhaps most importantly, I found Eureka impossible to like. She's rude. She's selfish. She's a terrible friend. She is a girl stuck in grief for her mother and the story is told from her point of view, so you can understand it. But there has to be something sympathetic in a central character for readers to identify with and I couldn't see it in Teardrop. Eureka ends the story as she began it, after a series of adventures in which she is largely passive and continues to be pretty awful. Secondary characters weren't always great either - I couldn't see what Eureka's friend Cat brought to the story and her stepmother was a boring Evil Stepmother cardboard cutout.
At one point, Eureka's therapist says to her You will wake up at forty with no husband, no children and no career if you don’t learn to engage with the world. Sorry, what? Firstly, I should hope that few therapists scold their patients in this way. And secondly, I should hope that no therapists AT ALL tell their patients that the most important thing in a list of life goals is catching a husband. I was actually angry at this line. And it's far from the only example of female stereotyping and/or borderline slut-shaming in the book.
I feel mean now! It's not all bad guys. For those of you who enjoy their paranormal romance, you'll like the love triangle here. Eureka's best friend Brooks has loved her for a long time but has never found a way to show her. At one point they kiss, and it's really touching. It leaves Eureka confused and conflicted but you know that the sudden and intense feelings she has for the mysterious Anders are the real thing and that Brooks is going to be disappointed. As pieces of the Book of Love are translated, you, the reader, will catch on to the parallels between it and the events of the present, while Eureka takes a lot longer to understand. I liked the way this was done - it really involved the reader in the narrative. And the lost island of Atlantis is always a hook as far as I am concerned.
Overall, I'd give Teardrop a recommendation-with-reservations for loyal fans of paranormal romance. However, many readers may find it a little light and predictable. Issues with the presentation of girls and women will certainly alienate others.
For more paranormal romance based on Greek legends, you could try Fury by Elizabeth Miles.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Kate at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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