A folklore story set in the Isle of Man? Count me in!

And that was probably about as far as my thoughts went when considering whether to accept this review or not. And here we are today 🙂

You know the drill by now…

Let’s talk about Blue Sun!

Title: Blue Sun

Author: Tracy Abrey

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Series Status: The 1st in a series

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Number of Pages:  360

Found on Goodreads

A mysterious, secluded island with secrets. A brilliant teenage girl whose driving curiosity leads her to probe too deeply. A detached father who goes missing. Stalkers at every turn marked with a disturbing tattoo. An unreachable castle that holds all the answers.

Genny Hazard is on a plane to the Isle of Man, a curious island in the Irish Sea. Little does she know that she is not only going to be the new kid in a strange, foreign world, but her new life on the island is going to force her to rethink her beliefs, confront her past, and face her deepest fears.

A mysterious urban fantasy for young adults and adults alike, Tracy Abrey’s debut is a fascinating coming of age tale that explores the importance of family, the influence of our past on our present, and our need above all to find the truth. Incorporating and molding existing Manx folklore to create a new, unique mythology, its layered, intricate use of character and plot gives it the complexity and richness it deserves while never losing its pace or inventiveness. Filled with riveting mystery and almost unbearable suspense, Blue Sun is a first-rate page-turner that will leave you anxiously awaiting the next adventure.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

So the first thing I noticed about this book was how quick it was to read.

It has an easy sort of writing style, where you don’t really have to focus hard on what’s happening or where they are to understand the story. When reading, I often found myself thinking I’d only read 20 or so pages, only to look down and see I’d read 70. Which is GREAT, because I love getting through my TBR quickly (who doesn’t??).

And the easiness of it made it a fun read too. While I wasn’t particularly hung up on it, I did wonder what would happen next. I did look forward to going back to the book.

More specifically for the science vs folklore aspect to the story. 

Because this book follows Genny Hazard (GREAT name by the way), daughter of scientists, scientist herself, only believing in facts. And her almost infuriating stubbornness when it comes to opening her mind to folklore in the Isle of Man.

Two things right there have got me – 1. The Isle of Man. I’m pretty sure I’ve never read a book set there, and yet I love the idea of it. So I was thrilled to see this entire book based there. 2. Folklore. I adore folklore / fairy tales / myths / whatever you want to call them. Absolutely adore them. Even if they’re completely new ones made up for the story. And yet this was somehow both a good and bad thing? Good, because I loved what I saw of the folklore. I could imagine this island full with a community of folklore-believers. Bad, because I wanted so much more of it! I wanted more descriptions, more old stories, a more magical feel to it all.

But of course, that’s personal preference. Which leads me onto…

The relationships. Now, I know I said this being a quick read was a good thing, but personally I’d have enjoyed it more if the change in relationships just slowed down a bit. I’m all for the slow-burn type, so the main relationship in this moved waayyyyyyy too quickly for me to hop on board with it. But even with the other relationships, like family and friends – they all seemed to switch so quickly. I think it’s partly why I didn’t feel too close to the characters in general.

I AM looking forward to the next book though (which was kindly sent to me along with this one, so thank you! I won’t have to wait in suspense mwuhahahaha). A lot of big events happened towards the end, and I’m really intrigued to see what will happen to the characters – and all of the island, in fact – now. Because while this book wasn’t mind-blowingly amazing, it was fun, easy to read, and entertaining from start to finish.

Rated 3/5 stars

Amazon

Share your thoughts!

Have you read this book? What did you think?

If you haven’t read this book, do you plan to?

Have you read any books set in Ireland? If you enjoyed them, leave them as recommendations in the comments – I’d love to read more!

Until next time…

Come and visit me!

    

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