Torn by Erica O’Rourke (Torn Trilogy #1)
Paranormal YA
Paperback
July 1, 2011
Kensington Publishing

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “You want justice. It’s a hard thing, though, to stay focused on justice and not seek revenge in it’s place.”

“There’s a difference?”

“Justice is about making them pay for Verity’s pain. Revenge is making them pay for yours.”

When Maura Fitzgerald wakes up in the hospital badly beaten and bruised all she can think is, “Where is Verity?” When she finds out her dreams were real and her best friend Verity was indeed attacked and killed; quiet, unassuming Maura (Mo or Mouse to her friends) screams a vow of vengeance that will take her into a dangerous world of magic and deception where she will have to take her own fate into her own hands if she wants to survive.

Torn is a perfect title because it sums up the storyline very well. Maura (Mo) is torn between her family, her friends, her life, and two men who want her for very different reasons.

Maura’s family has contacts with the mob. Her father is incarcerated for money laundering and her uncle who is like a surrogate father, is the go to guy for problems and results. Mo has spent her life hiding from these contacts and prefers the shadows rather than the limelight. When her best friend, Verity, is killed, Mo realizes that she will have step out of the shadows if she wants justice for her friend. While searching for clues, Mo meets with resistance from all fronts. Her uncle and mother want to keep her safe so they assign her a bodyguard-Colin. She also meets Luc, a friend of Verity’s, who tries to discourage Mo from tangling with things she can’t understand.

When it becomes apparent that Mo is able to harness power (like Verity), Luc brings her in to help stop the chaos that is set to be released by group bent on changing the balance of power now in place. Thus starts Mo’s journey into self discovery and change where she learns that the greatest magic of all is her ability to control her own fate.

I enjoyed Ms. O’Rourke’s debut novel Torn. Smooth writing, steady pacing, and engaging characters combine to make an interesting paranormal YA. It reads easy with a youthful tone. I think someone younger than me would find it a bit more intriguing and suspenseful, which is why I can’t quite give it a higher grade. The first half of the story was more contemporary than paranormal. Ms. O’Rourke spends a lot of time narrating. The second half of the book explodes once the paranormal and romantic aspects are introduced. We see Mo taking charge of her life and reacting with other characters in exciting and dangerous ways. Mo realistically starts off rather sublime then morphs into a force to be reckoned with. I like that she herself has no magic in here and a majority of her actions are the result of her intelligence, open mind, and sheer stubbornness.

I enjoyed the romantic love triangle though I felt that her attraction to Colin was based more on her trying to not be attracted to Luc. I knew it was coming but it still surprised me a little.The lack of teen angst in here was delightful. Ms. O’Rourke presents everything in a rather clear and concise way, choosing not to butter us up with flowery poise or emotional “woe is me” dialogue.

The ending wraps up the main conflict in a dramatic and satisfying way. I look forward to reading more about Mo’s adventures, her romantic entanglement, and the magical world that is just opening up to her. The next book in the series, Tangled, releases February 2012.

Overall Rating: B-

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