Review by msager -- Triplicity by J Mercer

[msager]

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

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

J. Mercer’s Triplicity follows three teens (Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse) as they embark on a cruise around Alaska with each other families. The three do not know each other before the first day but that definitely changes quickly. A theft occurs on ship and mixed in with some teenage romance, everyone is intrigued and confused by each other. Navy acts proper, having never been kissed before. But she ends up with someone else’s purse. Jesse always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Isaiah has the perfect motive: he wants to continue to live on a ranch, against his grandmother’s wishes. The three definitely become close by the end, through spending time with each other and by trying to understand the thefts that keep occurring on board.

I give this book three out of four stars. I really enjoyed how the book went between the three teens’ voices. This maneuver really gave the reader different perspectives of each situation as well as mad the story more descriptive. I was able to conjure up my rendition of what Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse as well as their families looked like and acted like due to the different viewpoints. This truly added to the storytelling of the novel. The characters for this reason are all complex. The reader is able to learn both the thoughts of the three teens but also how everyone else seems to be perceiving their actions.

One thing that stuck with me however throughout the book that didn’t seem too consistent (without spoiling anything) was the fact that Navy was a huge germophobe and had issue with space, yet one basically the first page she announced that she wanted to have her first kiss on the cruise. The two don’t really seem to be constant. This may have struck me more so, though, since I had recently read John Green’s Turtles all the Way Down, and that book had a similar premise except for the fact that she was freaked out by kissing due to her germ phobia.

This being said, overall the book was really well written. It was exceptionally well edited. At the very beginning, Mercer included an itinerary of the week on the cruise. As each day passes, the reader is reminded of the times and activities. Little things like this really add to Mercer’s writing. Mercer definitely knows how to mix the unknown with teenage love without either being overpowering or not enough.

If you like young adult books with a hint of mystery, this book is for you.

******
Triplicity
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like msager's review? Post a comment saying so!