Fantasy Friday: Intertwined

Intertwined, by Gena Showalter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 440
Reading Level: 14 and up
Enjoyment Level: High



Another day, another book... This one, though, I read by choice, and I was pleasantly surprised that I still have the ability to choose books I like! Especially since I started reading and thought I might've made a mistake...

Intertwined follows four characters, Aden, Mary Ann, Victoria, and Riley, whose lives are all - you guessed it - intertwined. Aden attracts ghosts and all sorts of other supernatural beings. He's been in and out of mental institutions all of his life, but when he moves to a "ranch" for troubled teens, he starts to find a place for himself. That place includes Mary Ann, who seems to have supernatural powers of her own, Victoria (a vampire princess), and Riley (a werewolf - my favorite monster!). Together, they're determined to solve the mystery of Aden's powers and save the world of mortals from the monsters he attracts.

When I first started reading, I got the terrible feeling that the author was juggling way too many characters. In addition to the four main characters, there are also four souls trapped in Aden's head. That's a lot of voices all clamoring for attention. Luckily, I was not disappointed. The author does a brilliant job keeping everyone straight, giving them unique personalities, and avoiding confusion for her readers. And all of that makes the story - and the intertwining - much more rich and interesting.

The only real complaint I ended up with, is the same one I have about most of the books I read: the ending is too quick. This time, though, it's not just because I wanted the story to keep going (which I hope it does with a sequel!). The author has a very long time to build up to the climax at the end, but there's very little denouement. I didn't have much time to really digest what had happened before the "happy" ending came to be. I almost felt cheated when the story wrapped up so neatly right have a big fight scene where power shifted and vampires died.

But since the rest of the story is so good, I think I can recommend the book to others without reservation. It's a quick, fun read and the plot kept me very interested. I was invested in the characters. The author made me care about what happened to everyone, and she mixed pretty much every supernatural being that I can think into this, flavoring the world with magic and depth.

If you've got some time (or even if you don't), get yourself a copy of this. It's fun and easy to read and love.

Until next time, go grab a book and enjoy the fantasy world of fiction!

~ Vilate