Tori's Review: Undercurrent by Tricia Rayburn

Released: July 12, 2011
Paperback: 352 pages
Price: $8.99
Publisher: Egmont USA 
Source: BEA 2011 
Genre: Paranormal, YA
Series: Siren 
Buy: Amazon

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The sirens are back, but Vanessa may be the biggest threat of all. . . .

Nothing has been normal since Vanessa Sands learned that her sister was murdered by sirens—femme fatales of the watery depths—and that everything she believed about her family was a lie.

Her boyfriend Simon’s been the only person Vanessa feels she can really trust. But now there are some secrets she can’t tell even him. And when Vanessa finds herself in the sights of Parker, Hawthorne Prep’s resident charmer, she needs someone to confide in more than ever. Doubting her relationship with Simon, unsure of Parker’s intentions—and of her own—and terrified by what she’s learned about herself, Vanessa has never felt so alone.

But personal problems must be put aside, because the Winter Harbor sirens are back for revenge. Now, Vanessa must face her past and accept that she is just like her enemies—every bit as alluring, every bit as dangerous.

My Rating:

My Opinion:
UNDERCURRENT is the first book I've read in months. Yes, MONTHS! I've been so busy with these courses I'm taking in preparation for grad school that my brain just has not been cooperating when it comes to reading books. And then whenever it actually did cooperate, there was this little issue with me suffering from a nearly lethal dosage of book burnout.

But today, something snapped. Perhaps it's because I'm finally overcoming my cold. Or perhaps it's because I was craving a well-written story that would totally distract me for my first day off (in a while) with no worries about statistics or the human body. Either way, UNDERCURRENT had me hooked from front cover to back, and as I snapped the ARC shut, I groaned in disappointment.

I need book 3 NOW.

Tricia's got a way with words. The way she's developed Vanessa's voice is beautifully done. It's easy for the words to blur away and for her (Vanessa's) actual voice to echo in my mind as I'm reading. I feel like, instead of simply reading about Vanessa's adventures, she's telling them to me herself over a cup of coffee. I can't say that this sort of experience happens often, but I am delighted to say that it happened for the second time in this series.

And now I will begin jumping from point to point. Forget about an eloquent review here... I don't have it in me to write one yet.

The only negative in this story: Simon got on my nerves a little bit. He came off as wimpy, and in turn, Vanessa came off as heartless and weak at times. I wanted to smack him and tell him to grow a pair--especially since he's in college and shouldn't be such a lovesick puppy dog. By the middle of the book, I was happy with what happened... but then by the end, I was growling in frustration. Not so happy anymore!

I enjoyed how Tricia developed Vanessa's relationship with her parents. In most YAs, parents are notoriously absent from their child's lives... which, I mean, is great for certain stories, but not so great for others--which, in turn, feels like a cop out on the author's part. It was refreshing seeing an author embrace the family ties, as opposed to severing them for the sake of having an easier time with a story.

Don't get me wrong--Vanessa's parents aren't strict or anything, so it's not like our heroine suffered from nagging parents who insisted on a ridiculous curfew she HAD to follow. They exist in this world for another reason entirely, and I loved that reason. Kudos Tricia!

It's been a year and a half since I read SIREN, so when I first began UNDERCURRENT, I was quite a bit foggy on details. I couldn't initially remember who Paige was until the story progressed a bit further, and you know, I was totally okay with that. Once again I use the word "refreshing" in regards to this YA novel, because... we didn't get bogged down with page after page of recapping what happened in book one. Instead, Tricia started the story off strong (WOW what a beginning!) and subtly added a hint here or there to jog a reader's memory.

For those jumping on board to the series now without reading SIREN... well, you're going to be confused without so much rehashing, but I'm sure you'll get the jist of what's going on. I suggest reading SIREN first if you haven't, though. This series is perfect. The plot is interesting, there is enough of a mystery to keep you guessing (so many twists!), and the characters are all strong enough to stand on their own.

Suffice to say, this book and series is highly recommended for ALL the people who follow my reviews and look for my book recs. You won't be disappointed.


Series Order:
1. Siren (Tori's review)
2. Undercurrent