Tangled (Torn Trilogy #2) by Erica O’ Rourke
YA
January 31, 2012
Kensington
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “For a second, I didn’t even feel the cut of his words, like when your slicing a loaf of bread, and the knife slips. You know something is wrong, you know you should be in pain, but the shock keeps you numb, even as you start to bleed.”
Tangled picks up about three months after Torn left off. Mo used her gift as a vessel to avenge her friend’s death and negotiate with her family for some much needed freedom. When Verity’s sister Constance comes into her power early and violently, Mo calls upon the only one she knows can help Constance-Luc. When Luc arrives he brings his mother and father along. His father explains to Mo that in her attempts to fix the magic earlier, she has inadvertently triggered something and now the magic is more unstable than ever. He offers her a deal. Fix the magic and they will help Constance. No fix, no help. Mo knows nothing in the Arc is ever that simple but agrees for Constance’s sake. As Mo tries to understand and fix the magic without killing herself, she begins to get pressure from her Uncle that will soon require her to make a dangerous choice for all of them.
Ms. O’Rourke picks the best titles for her books. Tangled perfectly describes Mo as she is pulled deeper in to Luc’s world while trying to find firmer footing in her own. Smooth writing and a steady pace propels the storyline along at a comfortable speed. There is still a lot of narrative in here and the result is you sometimes feel as though your being read to; which caused some issues for me. There is deeper character development, allowing us to connect to these people on a more emotional level. I felt as though we got to meet them in Torn, but we really get to know them in here. Layers in both characters and the plot lines are peeled back and the real agendas are revealed. While Mo was the center of Torn, other characters are taking a stronger stand in here, carrying more weight. It still speaks in a youthful tone to me but seems to have matured in some areas. I enjoyed the more paranormal storyline but still feel the contemporary aspects are stronger.
Ms. O’Rourke spends a lot of time in here analyzing what happened in Torn. Mo is now feeling the ramifications of what she did and the backlash is terrifying. She is being pulled in different directions and tries to stay one step ahead of everyone, out maneuvering before she is trapped by her own actions. I do like that she still has no magic in here and a majority of her actions are the result of her intelligence, open mind, and sheer stubbornness. She is a human vessel in which magic can flow through and Ms. O’Rourke keeps her that way. I felt her stubbornness was both her greatest greatest gift and flaw. She pushes so hard to know things-then regrets when the truth is revealed.
The romantic love triangle is still strong and though it seems Mo has made her choice, I have a feeling that nothing is set in stone. Ms. O’Rourke cranks up the emotional drama as both Colin and Luc try to push Mo towards the path of their choosing. I will admit, I’m team Luc. Even though he makes a choice in here that could end it all, I feel that she would be happiest with him. But, she still feels his attraction is only based on the prophecy and that she, as person, doesn’t matter. I’m still not sure about Colin. I don’t feel he’s being honest in his feelings for Mo and the chemistry between them feels off. It feels forced. There is more to him than we know and the secrets that Mo has uncovered about him play a far larger role in his feelings and actions towards her. I don’t want to spoil so I will leave it at that.
The ending wraps up the main conflict in a dramatic fashion while leaving us with unanswered questions and uneasy subplots. I look forward to seeing how Ms. O’Rourke ends this mysterious and suspenseful saga. The final book in this trilogy, Bound, releases July 2012.
Overall rating: B
Recent Reviews:
A Bookworm’s Haven
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Author’s Website l Series Listing
I really liked the premise of the first book. I’ve often wondered what would happen if the super-special chosen ones that feature in so many YA books didn’t actually survive. But I had trouble buying into the triangle. I couldn’t figure out why either of these older guys would be interested in someone so young who didn’t have a chance to really show them her personality. Hopefully I’ll settle into it more in this instalment because I quite liked the author’s voice.
You must be reading my mind. I was just thinking about YAs where the heroine dies. lol
I don’t know of any except in the trope where the heroine reincarnates or revives with a newfound super-power. This series is great because it’s an exploration of what would happen should the heroine die.
Not a YA fan here. Though the cover is nice :)