4.5Oh.my.god.Seriously this was one of the best books by a german author I've read so far.Plot:The plot is seriously so cool! The idea of people transforming into big cats and snakes is so awesome and also awesome implemented. But to be honest (but this is something personal) I would have chosen a different animal than a snake because sometimes the transformation was so well described it was really gross and many people are afraid of snakes and will probably dislike the book because of that. The setting in Sicily and in a mafia community is really cool and Kai Meyer again implemented this so good oh my god! Even though I prefer the first person's perspective more I didn't feel uncomfortable with the third person's perspective in this book. It kinda was like Harry Potter, so it was still thrilling and you had a person you followed throughout the whole book. Writing Style:Hallelujah. The writing style of this book definitely made it come alive. It was very detailed but I didn't find it very offending. The area of Sicily was very good described and like in other books (actually I'm only referring to Anna and the French Kiss which was really op in this category haha love that bae) you could imagine the area very well. But it could have been better still.Characters:The characters are probably the thing in this book that offend most of people at least I could imagine that. Rosa and Alessandro are the main characters, especially Rosa. They're both from two different clans which actually hate each other so instead of a love triangle we get a forbidden love story. Well, something has to be there, houh? Rosa is very distanced from everything and she hardly ever show emotions. Some people may find this bothering but actually I really liked it. (Anyway she has a reason to be distanced, okay.) She was a though female main character and still not to bad. Alessandro was kind of the same but at the same time not I don't know how to describe this hahaI'm very looking forward to reading/listening to the next two books! This book was a pleasant surprise. I was intrigued by how unique the premise was; I haven't really read delved much into Mafia and shapeshifter stories in YA literature. I loved how well the two were interwoven so effortlessly. There is also a hint of mythology, which I am guessing will be further explored as the series progressed. I didn't know what to think about Rosa, the main protagonist, initially. She was extremely flawed, and I wasn't sure if I was going to like her initially. However, she quickly grew on me. Despite the flaws, her no-nonsense and fearless approach quickly won me over. Unlike other female protagonists in YA literature, I didn't get the sense that she is foolishly reckless. Sure, she took risks but she seems to have good instincts and a good head on her shoulders. Another aspect I like about this book is the setting. I think Kai Meyer did a great job depicting the picturesque hills and historic towns of Sicily. I was especially excited when the setting briefly switched to Sintra in Portugal, because I have actually been there, and the book completely brought back fond memories of my visit there. I am still at odds with Rosa's relationship with Alessandro. He is another complex character, but there seems to be a lack of romantic build up between him and Rosa. It's pretty obvious that there's going to be something between them, but I'm still looking for more spark. Another thing I didn't like about this book is that at times the plot seems to drag. Although a lot happened in this book, there are times I felt like the book was extremely long. Overall though, I am quite satisfied with this book and I can't wait to continue on with the series.
What do You think about Arkadien Erwacht (2009)?
garnicht mal so schlecht, allerdings war mir Rosa dann doch etwas zu gefühlskalt...
—Amanda
I read it and then I started again....More Rosa and Alessandro....
—dood
I enjoyed the strange and different story line.
—annie
