Review by Smiley 25 -- Triplicity by J Mercer

Smiley 25 · Post by **Smiley 25** » 01 Apr 2019, 02:06

[Following is a volunteer review of "Triplicity" by J Mercer.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Triplicity by J. Mercer was a really great book. I generally don’t enjoy books that bounce between different points of view. Some books do this from chapter to chapter; Triplicity does this several times within a chapter. I did have a little trouble keeping up at first, but that quickly changed. Mercer did such a great job writing the characters that I quickly got to know each of them. I wouldn’t let the changes in perspective stop me from recommending this book to anyone. I would mention it to warn potential readers to give themselves a few chapters to get to know the characters as I did. Once they do, the story will speak for itself.

Triplicity follows three teenagers on a cruise ship. All of them come onto the ship with their own set of problems. These problems quickly multiply as the hours tick by. On the surface these three individuals don’t seem like they would get along, but they quickly strike up a friendship. They are drawn into a closer relationship with each other through circumstances, necessity, and a desire for deeper relationships. Each has their own agenda. Just when you think you’ve figured out what is going on, the story takes a turn. Just when you’ve decided you don’t like one of the characters, the story takes a turn. By the second or third chapter, you are so involved in the lives of these three characters that you can’t bear to put the book down. You have to keep reading to see what happens to them.

Throughout the story the three main characters are pushed and pulled into situations that require them to learn more about themselves. They have to learn whether or not they can trust the people around them. In some situations, they are forced to decide whether trust is required to work with another person. Each of them, in their own way, is pushed to the limit of finding out what they would and wouldn’t do to find their heart’s desire.

While reading Triplicity I never felt like the story was dragging or that it lacked anything. There was never a break in the story that made me feel like something was left out. I never found myself wanting to know more about any particular situation or conversation. Each of the characters were described so that I could easily imagine them. The dialogue wasn’t overwhelming. There was a nice balance of the characters talking to each other and their inner thoughts. Mercer’s description of the cruise ship made you feel like you were right there with the characters. It would be interesting to follow these characters in another book, on other adventures, but as for this book, I was content.

My rating for Triplicity is 4 out of 4 stars. The story is well written, provocative, and keeps the reader on their toes. There are only a few minor mistakes throughout the entire book. Mercer’s way of describing things allows the reader to put themselves in the shoes of each of the characters. Despite the fact that this story is about teenagers, it is not meant to only be read by teenagers. Any age group that enjoys mystery or drama will enjoy Triplicity. The only people that I can imagine wouldn’t enjoy this book are those that don’t like this genre. This book would be perfect to take on a vacation. The only danger would be reading it too quickly because you can’t put it down.

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Triplicity
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