Book Review: “Arrows” by Melissa Gorzelanczyk
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings, Romance, Fiction
Synopsis:
A modern cupid story set in present-day Wisconsin combining the fantastical elements of Greek mythology with the contemporary drama of MTV’s Teen Mom.
People don’t understand love. If they did, they’d get why dance prodigy Karma Clark just can’t say goodbye to her boyfriend, Danny. No matter what he says or does or how he hurts her, she can’t stay angry with him . . . and can’t stop loving him. But there’s a reason why Karma is helpless to break things off: she’s been shot with a love arrow.
Aaryn, son of Cupid, was supposed to shoot both Karma andDanny but found out too late that the other arrow in his pack was useless. And with that, Karma’s life changed forever. One pregnancy confirmed. One ballet scholarship lost. And dream after dream tossed to the wind.
A clueless Karma doesn’t know that her toxic relationship is Aaryn’s fault . . . but he’s going to get a chance to make things right. He’s here to convince Danny to man up and be there for Karma. But what if this god from Mount Olympus finds himself falling in love with a beautiful dancer from Wisconsin who can never love him in return?
This fast-paced debut novel explores the internal & external conflicts of a girl who finds herself inexplicably drawn to a boy who seemingly doesn’t reciprocate her feelings, touching on the issues of love, sex and responsibility, with a heroine struggling to control her destiny–perfect for fans of Katie McGarry’s novels and MTV’s 16 and Pregnant.
Arrows is an intriguing concept from the very beginning. We have Araryn, who is a god that is essentially a cupid-in-training. He messes up big-time during his final exam and his huge mistake results in a major change in Karma’s(the other main character) life. Because of the calamity, he is forced to return to earth as a human in order to fix his mistakes. On earth, we are introduced to Karma who is struggling with a baby, going to school,and her crumbling relationship with her boyfriend all the while she is trying to obtain a dance scholarship for college.
What’s nice about this book is that offers alternating perspectives in every chapter. It gives readers a view of how Arryn’s goof up affects him, Karma, and the constant choices the both of them make. How will they choose to make things right again?
Even though it is Aaryn’s goal to get Danny back together with Karma, I didn’t want their relationship mended. Danny is a jerk, who can’t seem to give Karma the respect she deserves, he hardly spends time with his daughter, and he’s constantly partying. I felt that Karma could find a much better boyfriend and father for her daughter. Throughout the entire story, I and other readers will wonder if his character could be redeemed in any kind of way.
Overall I thought Arrows, was a very smooth read. I liked the writing and how it mixes a realistic plot with a bit of Greek mythology. It’s a light read, but it also still manages to deal with some serious issues. Most importantly, it tells its readers to never settle for anything less in life. The only downside is that I wish the book was longer and that I got to see more of the mythology world intertwined with the human world.
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Melissa Gorzelanczyk is a former magazine editor and columnist who believes love is everything. She is a proud member of the SCBWI, The Sweet Sixteens and the Class of 2k16. She lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with her husband and family.Her debut novel ARROWS is being published by Delacorte Press on January 26, 2016. She is represented by agent Carrie Howland of Donadio & Olson.
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