Review: Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison



Title: Tris & Izzie
Author:
Mette Ivie Harrison
Genre: YA fantasy/romance
Publishing Information: October 11, 2011 by EgmontUSA

Where I got it:
NetGalley

One sentence:
Izzie is a young witch dating basketball star Mark and things are going great- until she makes a love potion for her best friend and accidentally takes it herself, therefore falling in love with the new kid in school, Tristan.

Themes:
Fairytale retelling, romance, fantasy, magic, high-school

Main character:
2/5
I was not a fan of Izzie. She was unlikeable in her relationship with Mark and Branna, and then later seemed resigned to their relationship too early, with no true emotions to her best friend and boyfriend falling in love. The only plus I can give Izzie is that she seemed to improve slightly throughout the novel. I really disliked how Harrison wrote her relationship with Tristan- it completely love at first sight, but not for any logical reason, and I didn’t feel like their relationship progressed realistically, or at all really. Tristan was also like a block of wood- no personality whatsoever.

Secondary characters:
1/5
The villain- Gurman- was really not frightening at all. A giant snake, really? Mark seemed very boring and predictable, and his relationship with Izzie seemed flat and unbelievable. Branna was the stereotypical best friend who goes along with everything: I was alternatively mad at her for her response to Izzie, and mad at her for not responding more.

Writing style: 1/5
The style was immature, choppy and simple. The writing employed countless clichés and awkward expressions. The phrase “we’d have to talk about it later” popped up about five times in the span of a chapter. I didn’t like the first person POV because it was hard to follow and

Plot:
2.5/5
I thought that a retelling of Tristan & Isolde would be fascinating, and I was excited at the premise, however it fell flat. The conflict was uninspiring, some parts ridiculous and unbelievable, and the twists were predictable and childish. The love philtre, for instance, was something that I felt was slightly unnecessary, but it was used as a main plot device.

Ending: 3/5
I was surprised, but the ending was actually the best part of the novel. The final conflict was weak, but the way that Harrison tied up all the loose ends was a nice change to the trend in YA of leaving books on cliffhangers or tying up the ends quickly and in a rush.

Best scene:
I guess the final fight scene?

Positives:
How nicely the ending tied up, premise

Negatives: Characters, conflict, plot, writing style

First Line: Mark caught me in a big hug from behind as I closed my locker.

Cover: So pretty! The portrayal of Izzie wasn’t how I visualized her, but the shot is just so gorgeous. I wish the novel had lived up to the cover.

Verdict:
Sorry, but this fairytale reinvention didn’t cut it for me.

Rating:
3.8 / 10

Comments

  1. Oh no! I was looking forward to reading this -- the story of Tristan and Isolde is one of my favorites. However, I just noticed that Mette Ivie Harrison wrote it. I'm not a fan of hers in general. :/ Sorry you didn't like it, but great review! You make some excellent points. I don't think I'd like reading this at all.

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  2. I was excited to read Tris and Izzie because I'm really interested in Arthurian legends and I like retellings of myth, legends, and fairytales. When I heard about this modern retelling of the legend of Tristan and Isolde, I was all over it. Unfortunately, this book was a waste of my time. The author has taken a fascinating, compelling legend and reduced to a bunch of unlikable teenagers behaving badly.

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