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Triplicity
**Moonbeam and Readers' Favorite award winner!**
One week on an Alaskan cruise, three teens, and an endless trail of lies...
Enter a series of thefts on board and they all fall under scrutiny. Though Navy acts a proper preacher’s daughter, she did end up with someone else’s purse in her hands, and Jesse knows way more than he should about what’s gone missing. Isaiah, however, is the one with motive—enough money and he could get back to his ranch. Each holds a piece of the truth, but exposing the thief could damn them all. They must navigate through the lies they’ve told, choose between standing together or saving themselves, and decide if innocence is worth facing their ugliest secrets.
"Triplicity should not be limited to young adult audiences. The depth of characterization, flavors of romance, adult confidences, and alternating viewpoints keep this story lively and involving for all ages." -- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
"The authentic characters, snappy writing style, and compelling plots make it an ideal selection for any high schooler." -- Manhattan Book Review, 5 stars
"This story was extremely well-developed as far as the characters and plot... The book read very smoothly and was easy to understand. A great balance of mystery and intrigue with a truly fabulous cast of characters." -- San Francisco Book Review, 5 stars
One week on an Alaskan cruise, three teens, and an endless trail of lies...
Enter a series of thefts on board and they all fall under scrutiny. Though Navy acts a proper preacher’s daughter, she did end up with someone else’s purse in her hands, and Jesse knows way more than he should about what’s gone missing. Isaiah, however, is the one with motive—enough money and he could get back to his ranch. Each holds a piece of the truth, but exposing the thief could damn them all. They must navigate through the lies they’ve told, choose between standing together or saving themselves, and decide if innocence is worth facing their ugliest secrets.
"Triplicity should not be limited to young adult audiences. The depth of characterization, flavors of romance, adult confidences, and alternating viewpoints keep this story lively and involving for all ages." -- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
"The authentic characters, snappy writing style, and compelling plots make it an ideal selection for any high schooler." -- Manhattan Book Review, 5 stars
"This story was extremely well-developed as far as the characters and plot... The book read very smoothly and was easy to understand. A great balance of mystery and intrigue with a truly fabulous cast of characters." -- San Francisco Book Review, 5 stars
300 pages, Paperback
Published January 6, 2019
28 people are currently reading
1736 people want to read
About the author
J. Mercer
10 books90 followersJ. Mercer grew up in Wisconsin where she walked home from school with her head in a book, filled notebooks with stories in junior high, then went to college for accounting and psychology. She now writes young adult and women's fiction novels and talks editing on The Novel Ending podcast.
IN ONE LIFE AND OUT ANOTHER is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and won the Canadian Book Awards in the young adult category. Her novel TRIPLICITY won Moonbeam and Readers' Favorite awards, and SHADY WOODS received a perfect score from the BookLife Prize, an indie arm of Publisher's Weekly.
She wishes she were an expert linguist and enjoys exploring with her husband and two daughters.
For updates and news, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram @jmercerbooks, talking about what she’s reading and other bookish things.
IN ONE LIFE AND OUT ANOTHER is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and won the Canadian Book Awards in the young adult category. Her novel TRIPLICITY won Moonbeam and Readers' Favorite awards, and SHADY WOODS received a perfect score from the BookLife Prize, an indie arm of Publisher's Weekly.
She wishes she were an expert linguist and enjoys exploring with her husband and two daughters.
For updates and news, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram @jmercerbooks, talking about what she’s reading and other bookish things.
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January 7, 2019My favorite thing about J Mercer's books is that she isn't afraid to write complex characters. There are no saints in her stories, but they are all the more to love for that. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah feel like people you know, with qualities that are both admirable and aggravating. The cruise ship setting also mirrors the emotion of the story: the giddy hopefulness of teenagers getting their first taste of the wide world as well as the itchy frustration of being confined to close quarters--and to lives that are not fully their own. Watching them fight with and for each other to get what they want is fascinating...and kept me guessing!
January 22, 2019
I received this book for free from the YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Can the kids find out who is stealing from the other passengers?
Triplicity by J. Mercer is an excellent book by this refreshing new author. I loved it from the very beginning to the end. It’s not like a conventional book either, and it’s fabulous. She captured the cruise pretty well. We have three points of view to go from: Navy is a girl that is going on the cruise with her mom and soon to be stepfather. Isaiah is a cowboy that lives on a ranch during the summer times and is trying to convince his grandma that he isn’t gay. He is there with his aunt who paid for the trip, and then we have Jesse who’s there with his dad while his mom stayed home.
Navy
One of the main characters is named Navy, and she’s the only female lead. She is the first point of view character that we read. She is a pretty fantastic person. I get what she means, but my life is nowhere near as messed up as hers. I liked that she tries to keep her values that she has grown up with intact and that she doesn’t take much to liars. What I didn’t like about her is that she also became one.
Isaiah
One of the main characters is named Isaiah, and he’s the first male lead. He is the second first-person point of view that we have and he is kind of a double standard I guess. Isaiah doesn't fit a stereotype; he is more of the don’t base the book from its cover type of guy. He is a pretty weird person. I am glad that he changed and that we saw the two different sides of him. The only motivation of Isaiah’s throughout the whole thing is he wants to go back to the ranch.
What I liked about him is that he showed his true colors throughout the book. That definitely helped Navy out and helped him out as well. What I didn’t like about him is that he didn’t think of Navy as a person really that has feelings or had the time to get to know her properly.
Jesse
The last of the main characters is named Jesse. He is the last third person point of view that we have seen and he is another character that you shouldn’t judge by his looks. Jesse is definitely different from Isaiah with the whole tattoos, but he doesn’t look like a deadbeat. What I like about him is that he genuinely cares for Navy and is taking his time with her so that he won’t scare her off. I am happy that he didn’t just want to kiss her for any odd reason either. I didn’t really find anything that I didn’t like about this character.
Five Star
I am giving Triplicity by J. Mercer a five-star rating. She did have some mistakes here and there, but they didn’t take me out of the book, and they are so minuscule that it is something that I am okay with them. Each of the characters had me rooting for them in some fashion. Yes, even Isaiah even though he was a bit rude to Navy and Jesse.
Excerpts for the book:
Meet Navy:
Masses of people stood in line to board the incubator in front of me. Sorry, cruise ship. But honestly, the thought of so many bodily fluids in such a confined space made my stomach churn.
Double-checking that my hand sanitizer was still in place, I bumped my backpack higher on my shoulder and stepped away from my mom's fiancé, who was chatting up a blue-haired old lady. Facing my mom, I decided it was as good a time as any to start up our fight again. She couldn't get away from me here.
“If we keep moving like this,” I started, “I'll never be kissed.” There'd been one guy in Houston I'd had hopes for, but after this vacation we were headed to Kansas City. I might only be sixteen and five-sixths, but at this point it felt like I'd be voting first.
“You do the kissing then, Navy.” My mom caught the eye of an officer at the next checkpoint and smiled, smoothing her hands down the front of her black jumpsuit. She was always worried about her first impression and always deferential to those in uniform.
I reached behind her and tightened her halter top, thankful at least she hadn’t picked the leopard print. It was a good thing we were getting out of Texas before its fashion sense could get too many claws in her.
My mom's normal go-to attire—conservative diamond studs, fitted sweaters with pencil skirts, and sleek suits—would curl a lip at sharing suitcase space with a glorified onesie in leopard print.
Her attention hopped from the officer to Guy, my soon-to-be stepdad. “Solve your own problems, dear. Before they can solve you.”
“No, Mom. Just, no.” She would never get it; everyone wanted to kiss her. Somehow, she pulled off rich and cultured while still approachable, where my resting face was icy at best.
A girl couldn't help her resting face, and it took a long time for people to get past that. Plus, I was too picky, or so my mother said. I wanted real emotion, not just chemistry, and I definitely didn't want to get it over with, which is what she kept telling me to do.
“Anyway, this move,”—always moving, I should add—“it’s about stability too.”
Guy let out a huge laugh, and the old lady's hat bobbled in the air as her shoulders shook. My mom and I shuffled forward, neither of us bothering to notify him he was holding up the line. It didn't matter; this was the Godzilla of lines. Take any ride at Disney on the busiest day of the year, and it wouldn't top this one: through a vast building (stand here, punch that, sign this, rude hands gesturing you impatiently over there like you'd done this before and had any idea what they wanted with you), out into a human holding tank, up and back and up and forth inside a humongous steel cage, until finally we reached the deck that wrapped around the massive boat.
We were cattle. And we were being herded into an incubator.
Shaking my head of it, I begged her, “Please, please, please don't make me switch high schools again. This is the last one, okay? Can you manage two years in Kansas City?”
“If you insist, love.” My mom patted the back of my head, then dropped her hand to my shoulder and kneaded it. With her attention focused elsewhere, it was her usual absent-minded pep talk. “If you don’t want to see more of the world.”
Shaking her off, I took a few steps forward. Guy was still flirting with the old lady and people were starting to grumble behind them, so I went back for his stuff and tapped him on the shoulder. His black turtleneck made him look even more pompous than he was, but this lady was eating it up same as my mom had. When I was back at her side, I whispered, “If you get sick of Guy, we stay in Kansas City anyway. Got it?”
She extended her diamond-studded right hand to shake mine. “Got it.”
Wrapping my bare fingers around her chilled palm and the collection of old rings resting along her knuckles, I wondered if she actually loved this one.
Meet Jesse:
“I am not sleeping there,” I said, throwing my suitcase on the one queen bed in the room and heading to the patio doors that led to a tiny deck. “Mom should be sleeping there, and I won't take her spot.”
We were pulling away from port, and the skyline of Seattle stretched in front of me like a postcard or a puzzle. Futzing with the lock, I opened the door and stepped out to take a picture.
“Only for photos!” my dad called, a reminder not to use my phone. I could barely hear him, though, over the hum of the engine and the slapping of the waves against the boat. The downside to taking a ship to sea? No cell towers, roaming charges, and very expensive Wi-Fi.
I went back inside but left the door open for the fresh air. Well, arguably fresh. The odor of big city tainted the briny scent coming off the water, but soon enough we’d be able to fill our noses with it.
“Stupid to have them pull out that couch for you every night.” Unzipping his luggage, my dad motioned me over and nudged my suitcase. “I won't spoon you, don't worry.”
Sliding into the little hall by the bathroom, he returned with hangers. As he slid his dress clothes onto them, I could tell by the muscles hardening his brightly-colored biceps that he wasn't as cool with the whole situation as he looked. Why was I giving him a hard time anyway? She was leaving us both.
I swallowed. “Why'd she surprise us with a trip if she wasn’t going to come?”
“So she wouldn't have to face us.”
My crisp dress shirt crumpled in my fist.
“If we were there when she was moving out, we’d have made her feel more guilty.” His words were radio static, strange and wrong and scraping. I regretted asking the question.
He motioned for the items I'd hung up, then went back to the closet. A few moments passed, longer than it took to hang a few shirts on a rod. I'd never seen my dad cry, but there'd been a few times on the drive here when I thought he might lose it. The thing was, though, her stuff had been in all the right places when I'd been packing, and she'd been there when we pulled out of the driveway. For all we knew, no matter what she said, she might still be there when we got back.
A knock shook the door, and with three strides, Dad had it open. A short, slight man stood in front of him, in yet another uniform. There'd been no shortage of people today and no shortage of uniforms.
“Hi sirs. I will like to introduce myself to you, your cabin attendant this week.” He nodded, but I knew my dad couldn't hear him over the accent. Which made them even, as likely our cabin attendant couldn’t hear my dad over his tattoos. Most people couldn’t.
I stepped up to shake his hand and repeated him for my father's sake. “You're our cabin attendant this week?”
He pumped my arm and nodded with the same beat. “Anything you need. I help. Every night I pull down sheets. Turn down service, chocolates. I bring your bags to your door. I take them out for you at end of week. Have a question? You find me.” He motioned up and down the hall, like that's where he'd be.
Checking his nametag, I said, “It's nice to meet you, Danilo.”
“Da-NEE-lo,” he corrected my pronunciation with a smile.
“I'm Jesse Kowalski.” I thumbed toward my dad, who'd slipped back into the tiny hall. “That's my dad. People call him Wally.”
Dad rolled his eyes and turned away. He hated when I chatted with people.
“Is only the two of you?” he asked, peering in as if he could see into our past two weeks.
Dad made a garbled noise, and I nodded.
“I will split bed, okay?” He motioned toward it.
“Oh. You can do that?”
“Yes, sir. Sorry to have made mistake.”
“There was, um, no mistake,” I assured.
“I’ll split when you are at dinner, yes?”
“That’s great, Danilo, thanks.” Nodding, I hung a hand on top of the open door. “Hey, where you from?”
“Philippines, Jesse. You?”
“Omaha, Nebraska. Ever heard of it?”
“No, sir.”
“Center of the U.S. Land-locked. Know what I mean?”
He shook his head, a wrinkle creasing between his brows.
“So far inland, no sea in sight.” He seemed a little confused, so I moved on. “You leave anyone behind in the Philippines?”
“I don't think those are the kinds of questions he was talking about, Jess,” my dad grumbled from the bed.
“I have wife. Five boys. One girl. Many sisters too.”
“How long are you here then, working on the boat?” Dropping my arm, I leaned against the door. “When do you go home?”
“Six months. Then home six months.”
“Yeah? The pay good?”
“Oh, yes. Lots of money for easy living in the Philippines.”
I nodded. That's what I'd do. I'd pretend my mom was working on a cruise ship. Six months on and six months off sounded like a way better reason for her not to be here. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so bad, the tears my dad hadn't shed that were scraping me raw anyway.
Meet Isaiah:
The ship was so big. As big as a mountain. But I was used to twenty people on a mountain, not a million people inside one.
I craned my neck to get a better look at the girl ten or so people ahead of us. Of course, Gram thought I was watching the pretty boy with the sparkling teeth and preppy outfit.
“Keep your eyes in your head, Zay,” she muttered.
It didn't matter how many times I told her I liked girls. She couldn't imagine why else I'd want to work with an all-male ranch staff in the middle of nowhere, Montana.
The girl's blonde hair was a shiny mane, and her outfit—dark skinny jeans, a white tee, and huge turquoise earrings—was perfect: no frills, no bullshit.
Gram swatted me with her purse. I glared at her.
“Nice to have a week off, Zay?” My great-aunt Ethel asked.
We were here on her dime, bought company for an old woman, so I muttered out a response and went back to the hair. My fingers twitched to feel it. Not in a creepy way, but brushing out horses was the most relaxing part of my day.
“He's got more 'an a week,” Gram said. “I'm not sendin' him back.”
My throat dried up. She couldn't be serious.
“I mean it too.” Nodding, she grabbed her suitcase. Marched forward a few paces.
I hurried after her. “I can't quit in the middle of a summer with no notice. Ike needs me.”
“I gave Ike your notice the day you left. He knows.”
“Why would you do that?”
Hands on her hips. “You had a girlfriend yet?”
“Yes!”
“Yeah, right. I know how many of them're up at that ranch.”
“Gram, I'm watching that blonde girl, okay?” I pointed over her head. The boy who was way too preppy for me turned. He put up a few fingers and waved.
“That prissy one with the frown?” Ethel asked. “She looks mean.”
“Oh, he's just tellin’ me what he knows I wanna hear. Tellin’ time's over, Zay. You need to get your life together.”
“What's wrong with my life?” What I had was what I wanted. All I'd ever want. My fist clenched. I couldn't lose the ranch, not after I'd lost everything else.
“Them boys aren't gonna make you a family, and that ranch ain't gonna make you a future.” She shuffled her feet forward.
I pulled my cowboy hat down. The blonde was slipping inside the ship anyway. “They are my family, and if being a grunt ranch hand is my future, I'm happy with that.”
“I'm your family,” she snapped. “And you're happy with it because you're seventeen and you don't know no better.”
“Gram, please?” It was a desperate whisper.
“It's all the poor boy has left,” Aunt Ethel pointed out, not looking at me. Not even for a second. As if I might miss that I was the poor boy she was talking about.
Gram crossed her arms. “Building his future is more important than what he does or does not have left.”
“Other people we know have been gay,” Aunt Ethel said. “Jeannie from the corner, for example, and you never worried about her future.”
Gram glared at her. “Jeannie wasn't my grandson.”
“Then make me a deal,” I said, because this was something we did.
“Yes.” Aunt Ethel smiled before turning back to Gram. “He gets a girlfriend, you let him go back.”
Gram looked like she was face-to-face with a skunk. “What's a girlfriend gonna prove?”
“For one, it'll prove he likes girls.”
“He can right fake that. Anyway, there's more 'an one reason I don't want him at that ranch.”
“Give the boy some hope, Liza. He's only seventeen. He's still got time to work his life out.”
Gram eyed me for a full two minutes. I counted the ticks in my head while studying the wooden decking, how it barely moved beneath my feet. Hope was suddenly the color of that girl's hair, and I talked myself into wanting the rest of her too, no matter what she ended up being. Because now, with Gram's curt nod, it seemed she was the only way I’d get back home.
Giveaway
Triplicity by J. Mercer is an excellent book by this refreshing new author. I loved it from the very beginning to the end. It’s not like a conventional book either, and it’s fabulous. She captured the cruise pretty well. We have three points of view to go from: Navy is a girl that is going on the cruise with her mom and soon to be stepfather. Isaiah is a cowboy that lives on a ranch during the summer times and is trying to convince his grandma that he isn’t gay. He is there with his aunt who paid for the trip, and then we have Jesse who’s there with his dad while his mom stayed home.
Navy
One of the main characters is named Navy, and she’s the only female lead. She is the first point of view character that we read. She is a pretty fantastic person. I get what she means, but my life is nowhere near as messed up as hers. I liked that she tries to keep her values that she has grown up with intact and that she doesn’t take much to liars. What I didn’t like about her is that she also became one.
Isaiah
One of the main characters is named Isaiah, and he’s the first male lead. He is the second first-person point of view that we have and he is kind of a double standard I guess. Isaiah doesn't fit a stereotype; he is more of the don’t base the book from its cover type of guy. He is a pretty weird person. I am glad that he changed and that we saw the two different sides of him. The only motivation of Isaiah’s throughout the whole thing is he wants to go back to the ranch.
What I liked about him is that he showed his true colors throughout the book. That definitely helped Navy out and helped him out as well. What I didn’t like about him is that he didn’t think of Navy as a person really that has feelings or had the time to get to know her properly.
Jesse
The last of the main characters is named Jesse. He is the last third person point of view that we have seen and he is another character that you shouldn’t judge by his looks. Jesse is definitely different from Isaiah with the whole tattoos, but he doesn’t look like a deadbeat. What I like about him is that he genuinely cares for Navy and is taking his time with her so that he won’t scare her off. I am happy that he didn’t just want to kiss her for any odd reason either. I didn’t really find anything that I didn’t like about this character.
Five Star
I am giving Triplicity by J. Mercer a five-star rating. She did have some mistakes here and there, but they didn’t take me out of the book, and they are so minuscule that it is something that I am okay with them. Each of the characters had me rooting for them in some fashion. Yes, even Isaiah even though he was a bit rude to Navy and Jesse.
Excerpts for the book:
Meet Navy:
Masses of people stood in line to board the incubator in front of me. Sorry, cruise ship. But honestly, the thought of so many bodily fluids in such a confined space made my stomach churn.
Double-checking that my hand sanitizer was still in place, I bumped my backpack higher on my shoulder and stepped away from my mom's fiancé, who was chatting up a blue-haired old lady. Facing my mom, I decided it was as good a time as any to start up our fight again. She couldn't get away from me here.
“If we keep moving like this,” I started, “I'll never be kissed.” There'd been one guy in Houston I'd had hopes for, but after this vacation we were headed to Kansas City. I might only be sixteen and five-sixths, but at this point it felt like I'd be voting first.
“You do the kissing then, Navy.” My mom caught the eye of an officer at the next checkpoint and smiled, smoothing her hands down the front of her black jumpsuit. She was always worried about her first impression and always deferential to those in uniform.
I reached behind her and tightened her halter top, thankful at least she hadn’t picked the leopard print. It was a good thing we were getting out of Texas before its fashion sense could get too many claws in her.
My mom's normal go-to attire—conservative diamond studs, fitted sweaters with pencil skirts, and sleek suits—would curl a lip at sharing suitcase space with a glorified onesie in leopard print.
Her attention hopped from the officer to Guy, my soon-to-be stepdad. “Solve your own problems, dear. Before they can solve you.”
“No, Mom. Just, no.” She would never get it; everyone wanted to kiss her. Somehow, she pulled off rich and cultured while still approachable, where my resting face was icy at best.
A girl couldn't help her resting face, and it took a long time for people to get past that. Plus, I was too picky, or so my mother said. I wanted real emotion, not just chemistry, and I definitely didn't want to get it over with, which is what she kept telling me to do.
“Anyway, this move,”—always moving, I should add—“it’s about stability too.”
Guy let out a huge laugh, and the old lady's hat bobbled in the air as her shoulders shook. My mom and I shuffled forward, neither of us bothering to notify him he was holding up the line. It didn't matter; this was the Godzilla of lines. Take any ride at Disney on the busiest day of the year, and it wouldn't top this one: through a vast building (stand here, punch that, sign this, rude hands gesturing you impatiently over there like you'd done this before and had any idea what they wanted with you), out into a human holding tank, up and back and up and forth inside a humongous steel cage, until finally we reached the deck that wrapped around the massive boat.
We were cattle. And we were being herded into an incubator.
Shaking my head of it, I begged her, “Please, please, please don't make me switch high schools again. This is the last one, okay? Can you manage two years in Kansas City?”
“If you insist, love.” My mom patted the back of my head, then dropped her hand to my shoulder and kneaded it. With her attention focused elsewhere, it was her usual absent-minded pep talk. “If you don’t want to see more of the world.”
Shaking her off, I took a few steps forward. Guy was still flirting with the old lady and people were starting to grumble behind them, so I went back for his stuff and tapped him on the shoulder. His black turtleneck made him look even more pompous than he was, but this lady was eating it up same as my mom had. When I was back at her side, I whispered, “If you get sick of Guy, we stay in Kansas City anyway. Got it?”
She extended her diamond-studded right hand to shake mine. “Got it.”
Wrapping my bare fingers around her chilled palm and the collection of old rings resting along her knuckles, I wondered if she actually loved this one.
Meet Jesse:
“I am not sleeping there,” I said, throwing my suitcase on the one queen bed in the room and heading to the patio doors that led to a tiny deck. “Mom should be sleeping there, and I won't take her spot.”
We were pulling away from port, and the skyline of Seattle stretched in front of me like a postcard or a puzzle. Futzing with the lock, I opened the door and stepped out to take a picture.
“Only for photos!” my dad called, a reminder not to use my phone. I could barely hear him, though, over the hum of the engine and the slapping of the waves against the boat. The downside to taking a ship to sea? No cell towers, roaming charges, and very expensive Wi-Fi.
I went back inside but left the door open for the fresh air. Well, arguably fresh. The odor of big city tainted the briny scent coming off the water, but soon enough we’d be able to fill our noses with it.
“Stupid to have them pull out that couch for you every night.” Unzipping his luggage, my dad motioned me over and nudged my suitcase. “I won't spoon you, don't worry.”
Sliding into the little hall by the bathroom, he returned with hangers. As he slid his dress clothes onto them, I could tell by the muscles hardening his brightly-colored biceps that he wasn't as cool with the whole situation as he looked. Why was I giving him a hard time anyway? She was leaving us both.
I swallowed. “Why'd she surprise us with a trip if she wasn’t going to come?”
“So she wouldn't have to face us.”
My crisp dress shirt crumpled in my fist.
“If we were there when she was moving out, we’d have made her feel more guilty.” His words were radio static, strange and wrong and scraping. I regretted asking the question.
He motioned for the items I'd hung up, then went back to the closet. A few moments passed, longer than it took to hang a few shirts on a rod. I'd never seen my dad cry, but there'd been a few times on the drive here when I thought he might lose it. The thing was, though, her stuff had been in all the right places when I'd been packing, and she'd been there when we pulled out of the driveway. For all we knew, no matter what she said, she might still be there when we got back.
A knock shook the door, and with three strides, Dad had it open. A short, slight man stood in front of him, in yet another uniform. There'd been no shortage of people today and no shortage of uniforms.
“Hi sirs. I will like to introduce myself to you, your cabin attendant this week.” He nodded, but I knew my dad couldn't hear him over the accent. Which made them even, as likely our cabin attendant couldn’t hear my dad over his tattoos. Most people couldn’t.
I stepped up to shake his hand and repeated him for my father's sake. “You're our cabin attendant this week?”
He pumped my arm and nodded with the same beat. “Anything you need. I help. Every night I pull down sheets. Turn down service, chocolates. I bring your bags to your door. I take them out for you at end of week. Have a question? You find me.” He motioned up and down the hall, like that's where he'd be.
Checking his nametag, I said, “It's nice to meet you, Danilo.”
“Da-NEE-lo,” he corrected my pronunciation with a smile.
“I'm Jesse Kowalski.” I thumbed toward my dad, who'd slipped back into the tiny hall. “That's my dad. People call him Wally.”
Dad rolled his eyes and turned away. He hated when I chatted with people.
“Is only the two of you?” he asked, peering in as if he could see into our past two weeks.
Dad made a garbled noise, and I nodded.
“I will split bed, okay?” He motioned toward it.
“Oh. You can do that?”
“Yes, sir. Sorry to have made mistake.”
“There was, um, no mistake,” I assured.
“I’ll split when you are at dinner, yes?”
“That’s great, Danilo, thanks.” Nodding, I hung a hand on top of the open door. “Hey, where you from?”
“Philippines, Jesse. You?”
“Omaha, Nebraska. Ever heard of it?”
“No, sir.”
“Center of the U.S. Land-locked. Know what I mean?”
He shook his head, a wrinkle creasing between his brows.
“So far inland, no sea in sight.” He seemed a little confused, so I moved on. “You leave anyone behind in the Philippines?”
“I don't think those are the kinds of questions he was talking about, Jess,” my dad grumbled from the bed.
“I have wife. Five boys. One girl. Many sisters too.”
“How long are you here then, working on the boat?” Dropping my arm, I leaned against the door. “When do you go home?”
“Six months. Then home six months.”
“Yeah? The pay good?”
“Oh, yes. Lots of money for easy living in the Philippines.”
I nodded. That's what I'd do. I'd pretend my mom was working on a cruise ship. Six months on and six months off sounded like a way better reason for her not to be here. Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so bad, the tears my dad hadn't shed that were scraping me raw anyway.
Meet Isaiah:
The ship was so big. As big as a mountain. But I was used to twenty people on a mountain, not a million people inside one.
I craned my neck to get a better look at the girl ten or so people ahead of us. Of course, Gram thought I was watching the pretty boy with the sparkling teeth and preppy outfit.
“Keep your eyes in your head, Zay,” she muttered.
It didn't matter how many times I told her I liked girls. She couldn't imagine why else I'd want to work with an all-male ranch staff in the middle of nowhere, Montana.
The girl's blonde hair was a shiny mane, and her outfit—dark skinny jeans, a white tee, and huge turquoise earrings—was perfect: no frills, no bullshit.
Gram swatted me with her purse. I glared at her.
“Nice to have a week off, Zay?” My great-aunt Ethel asked.
We were here on her dime, bought company for an old woman, so I muttered out a response and went back to the hair. My fingers twitched to feel it. Not in a creepy way, but brushing out horses was the most relaxing part of my day.
“He's got more 'an a week,” Gram said. “I'm not sendin' him back.”
My throat dried up. She couldn't be serious.
“I mean it too.” Nodding, she grabbed her suitcase. Marched forward a few paces.
I hurried after her. “I can't quit in the middle of a summer with no notice. Ike needs me.”
“I gave Ike your notice the day you left. He knows.”
“Why would you do that?”
Hands on her hips. “You had a girlfriend yet?”
“Yes!”
“Yeah, right. I know how many of them're up at that ranch.”
“Gram, I'm watching that blonde girl, okay?” I pointed over her head. The boy who was way too preppy for me turned. He put up a few fingers and waved.
“That prissy one with the frown?” Ethel asked. “She looks mean.”
“Oh, he's just tellin’ me what he knows I wanna hear. Tellin’ time's over, Zay. You need to get your life together.”
“What's wrong with my life?” What I had was what I wanted. All I'd ever want. My fist clenched. I couldn't lose the ranch, not after I'd lost everything else.
“Them boys aren't gonna make you a family, and that ranch ain't gonna make you a future.” She shuffled her feet forward.
I pulled my cowboy hat down. The blonde was slipping inside the ship anyway. “They are my family, and if being a grunt ranch hand is my future, I'm happy with that.”
“I'm your family,” she snapped. “And you're happy with it because you're seventeen and you don't know no better.”
“Gram, please?” It was a desperate whisper.
“It's all the poor boy has left,” Aunt Ethel pointed out, not looking at me. Not even for a second. As if I might miss that I was the poor boy she was talking about.
Gram crossed her arms. “Building his future is more important than what he does or does not have left.”
“Other people we know have been gay,” Aunt Ethel said. “Jeannie from the corner, for example, and you never worried about her future.”
Gram glared at her. “Jeannie wasn't my grandson.”
“Then make me a deal,” I said, because this was something we did.
“Yes.” Aunt Ethel smiled before turning back to Gram. “He gets a girlfriend, you let him go back.”
Gram looked like she was face-to-face with a skunk. “What's a girlfriend gonna prove?”
“For one, it'll prove he likes girls.”
“He can right fake that. Anyway, there's more 'an one reason I don't want him at that ranch.”
“Give the boy some hope, Liza. He's only seventeen. He's still got time to work his life out.”
Gram eyed me for a full two minutes. I counted the ticks in my head while studying the wooden decking, how it barely moved beneath my feet. Hope was suddenly the color of that girl's hair, and I talked myself into wanting the rest of her too, no matter what she ended up being. Because now, with Gram's curt nod, it seemed she was the only way I’d get back home.
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This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
November 10, 2019
Read this review and more on my blog.The Book Return Blog
*I received this book for free from the Author (via YA Books Central) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse are teens traveling with their families on an Alaskan cruise. While enjoying their vacation they must solve the mystery of who is committing thefts on board the ship.
A mystery aboard a cruise. Yes, please. I have never read a story that takes place on a cruise ship. This story has so much potential. A ship with everyone trapped on board while crimes are taking place could really be interesting.
What I Loved:
First, there were a few things I really loved about the story. I loved the details about the ports of call. I loved the touristy places they visited. I also really loved the mystery. It was fun but not too scary. I didn't guess who the thief was until right before it was revealed. Isaiah Jesse's aunt and grandmother were also really fun characters.
What Left Me Wanting More:
For me, the formatting of the dialog was a little off. I often couldn't tell who was speaking or what was happening. I got a little confused with the alternating points of view. This especially happened between Jesse and Isaiah's POV.
Something else that really bugged me was all the accusations against Jesse. I don't see security on a cruise accusing passengers of stealing and unless they were 100% sure. Guest service is always at the forefront on a cruise line and all the announcements and finger-pointing just didn't seem realistic. (Navy's name I thought was a little strange but it is explained why her mother named her that later in the story and it made sense).
My Final Judgement:
Triplicity was a fun read and a cute story. I am starting to really like novels that center around a trip so this one hit the spot for me. It made me crave a summer cruise.
This review was originally posted on The Book return...
*I received this book for free from the Author (via YA Books Central) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse are teens traveling with their families on an Alaskan cruise. While enjoying their vacation they must solve the mystery of who is committing thefts on board the ship.A mystery aboard a cruise. Yes, please. I have never read a story that takes place on a cruise ship. This story has so much potential. A ship with everyone trapped on board while crimes are taking place could really be interesting.
What I Loved:
First, there were a few things I really loved about the story. I loved the details about the ports of call. I loved the touristy places they visited. I also really loved the mystery. It was fun but not too scary. I didn't guess who the thief was until right before it was revealed. Isaiah Jesse's aunt and grandmother were also really fun characters.
What Left Me Wanting More:
For me, the formatting of the dialog was a little off. I often couldn't tell who was speaking or what was happening. I got a little confused with the alternating points of view. This especially happened between Jesse and Isaiah's POV.
Something else that really bugged me was all the accusations against Jesse. I don't see security on a cruise accusing passengers of stealing and unless they were 100% sure. Guest service is always at the forefront on a cruise line and all the announcements and finger-pointing just didn't seem realistic. (Navy's name I thought was a little strange but it is explained why her mother named her that later in the story and it made sense).
My Final Judgement:
Triplicity was a fun read and a cute story. I am starting to really like novels that center around a trip so this one hit the spot for me. It made me crave a summer cruise.
This review was originally posted on The Book return...
January 8, 2019
Meet Isaiah, Jesse, and Navy as they adventure to Alaska on a cruise, with their families and each one hiding a secret. As the three get to know each other, things start to go missing. Each one falling under suspicion, can the three of them find the real thief before the ship docks one last time and things get worse?
While I figured out quite early who the thief was, I loved how each character was complexed and their backstories were extremely intriguing... some were heartbreaking and others were just outright complicated. The writing and storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know what happens next. Each teen was likable in their own way. However, the majority of the adults didn't have any redeeming qualities. For some people, that may be a drawback, but it drew me in. It intrigued me to see how the teens would navigate the seven days at sea. It was my first book by J. Mercer, and definitely not my last!
While I figured out quite early who the thief was, I loved how each character was complexed and their backstories were extremely intriguing... some were heartbreaking and others were just outright complicated. The writing and storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know what happens next. Each teen was likable in their own way. However, the majority of the adults didn't have any redeeming qualities. For some people, that may be a drawback, but it drew me in. It intrigued me to see how the teens would navigate the seven days at sea. It was my first book by J. Mercer, and definitely not my last!
March 19, 2019
A teen cozy mystery at sea. When three strangers meet on an Alaskan cruise, the only thing they have in common is their relative ages. But when passengers’ property begins to disappear, they find themselves caught up in the mystery, first as suspects, then as amateur detectives, trying to figure out who really did it to deflect suspicion from themselves. Each of the main characters have their own goals for the trip: germaphobe Navy wants to experience her first kiss, cowboy Isaiah wants to convince his grandmother he’s NOT gay so he can go back to the ranch he feels completes him, and tattooed Jesse wants to keep himself and his father together after having just been left by his mother. The weaving of lies, truths, and desires creates a complex web that threatens to destroy the tenuous bonds of friendship they forge. Told in three alternating points of view, the chapters are short, which keeps the story moving from start to finish.
Plot
Primarily, this is a young adult romance. Navy is torn between Isaiah and Jesse for her first kiss. Both boys are more than interested, but each has withheld important information about themselves, making Navy wary of both. Subplotting is both rich and deep, with each of the main character’s goals driving the main plot and the underlying mystery creating enough conflict to move this story at a decent pace. I’m not opposed to love triangles, but I wasn’t expecting it based on the book’s synopsis. So if this is not your thing, be forewarned. However, the author does a great job and it’s never too much. Because we get all three kids’ points of view, it’s clear how everyone feels throughout the story.
The Characters
Each character is so unique and distinct in who they are and what they want, making reading the three points of view interesting. There were times I loved each character and times I couldn’t stand them, but at no time did they seem inauthentic. With revolving first-person narratives, we get to spend a lot of time with each of the three main characters, understand their thoughts and desires, and what makes them tick. And while they did become annoying at times, what teen doesn’t? It didn’t make me care any less for them, it just made them that much more realistic.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About TRIPLICITY
1. The setting. An Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list so I loved the setting. The author’s vivid descriptions of the sites was awe-inspiring.
2. The mystery. The added element of a lighthearted mystery set this apart from other teen romances.
3. The characters. Richly drawn and interesting, the characters made me care about what happened next.
4. Difficult subjects. The book touches on a number of difficult subjects, including drinking, abandonment, parental death, depression, and more. And while those topics could create a darker mood, the author does a good job of keeping the story light without making light of the issues.
5. Jesse. Okay, I said I wasn’t going to pick a favorite, but I did anyway. His outgoing personality endeared him to me. Most young adult fiction is filled with introverted protagonists, so it was a breath of fresh air to get inside an unapologetic extrovert.
Bottom Line
A wonderful, fun young adult cozy mystery aboard an Alaskan cruise ship.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Plot
Primarily, this is a young adult romance. Navy is torn between Isaiah and Jesse for her first kiss. Both boys are more than interested, but each has withheld important information about themselves, making Navy wary of both. Subplotting is both rich and deep, with each of the main character’s goals driving the main plot and the underlying mystery creating enough conflict to move this story at a decent pace. I’m not opposed to love triangles, but I wasn’t expecting it based on the book’s synopsis. So if this is not your thing, be forewarned. However, the author does a great job and it’s never too much. Because we get all three kids’ points of view, it’s clear how everyone feels throughout the story.
The Characters
Each character is so unique and distinct in who they are and what they want, making reading the three points of view interesting. There were times I loved each character and times I couldn’t stand them, but at no time did they seem inauthentic. With revolving first-person narratives, we get to spend a lot of time with each of the three main characters, understand their thoughts and desires, and what makes them tick. And while they did become annoying at times, what teen doesn’t? It didn’t make me care any less for them, it just made them that much more realistic.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About TRIPLICITY
1. The setting. An Alaskan cruise is on my bucket list so I loved the setting. The author’s vivid descriptions of the sites was awe-inspiring.
2. The mystery. The added element of a lighthearted mystery set this apart from other teen romances.
3. The characters. Richly drawn and interesting, the characters made me care about what happened next.
4. Difficult subjects. The book touches on a number of difficult subjects, including drinking, abandonment, parental death, depression, and more. And while those topics could create a darker mood, the author does a good job of keeping the story light without making light of the issues.
5. Jesse. Okay, I said I wasn’t going to pick a favorite, but I did anyway. His outgoing personality endeared him to me. Most young adult fiction is filled with introverted protagonists, so it was a breath of fresh air to get inside an unapologetic extrovert.
Bottom Line
A wonderful, fun young adult cozy mystery aboard an Alaskan cruise ship.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2019
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Triplicity is a young adult mystery by J. Mercer, that takes place on a cruise ship. I was completely intrigued by this idea. I love the idea of a story taking place on a cruise ship, and I hardly ever read young adult mysteries. Most mysteries I read are adult, so I knew this was going to be a cool book. And it was! Triplicity is something than I am used to reading, but it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this novel. The blurb of Triplicity says this book is perfect for readers of Kasie West and Jenny Han, and I think that is a good description. Triplicity certainly had that adorable light hearted feel, but maybe not quite as lighthearted as Kasie and Jenny because of the added mystery element.
Triplicity is told in multiple points of view, with the chapters switching off between the various main characters. I loved that all of the main characters met for the first time on their cruise vacation, no one came in with a best friend. I will say at the beginning, it was a bit confusing bouncing back and forth between the different chapters because I would forget who was speaking. So it took a little longer than usual for me to get to know the characters, but once I did get to know them, I was able to distinguish between their perspectives easily.
I loved how quickly our three main characters, Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah, bonded. They quickly became friends as they set out to solve the mystery of the cruise thief. I loved the mystery element, and shockingly, I liked the mystery even more than the romance. I liked Navy, but she was so flip floppy that it was starting to irritate me. As much as I enjoyed Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah, I also really liked their travel companions. Learning more about Navy's mom, Isaiah's grandma and Jesse's dad really helped to flesh out the main characters and given them extra depth.
Overall, I think Triplicity was a really fun read. I loved the mystery. I think J. Mercer does a great job of keeping the plot interesting and keeping the readers guessing. This was not a mystery that I solved right away (though I am far from an expert). If you are a fan of young adult mysteries or of books that take place on a cruise, I think Triplicity is a book you will be interested in reading.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Triplicity is a young adult mystery by J. Mercer, that takes place on a cruise ship. I was completely intrigued by this idea. I love the idea of a story taking place on a cruise ship, and I hardly ever read young adult mysteries. Most mysteries I read are adult, so I knew this was going to be a cool book. And it was! Triplicity is something than I am used to reading, but it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this novel. The blurb of Triplicity says this book is perfect for readers of Kasie West and Jenny Han, and I think that is a good description. Triplicity certainly had that adorable light hearted feel, but maybe not quite as lighthearted as Kasie and Jenny because of the added mystery element.
Triplicity is told in multiple points of view, with the chapters switching off between the various main characters. I loved that all of the main characters met for the first time on their cruise vacation, no one came in with a best friend. I will say at the beginning, it was a bit confusing bouncing back and forth between the different chapters because I would forget who was speaking. So it took a little longer than usual for me to get to know the characters, but once I did get to know them, I was able to distinguish between their perspectives easily.
I loved how quickly our three main characters, Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah, bonded. They quickly became friends as they set out to solve the mystery of the cruise thief. I loved the mystery element, and shockingly, I liked the mystery even more than the romance. I liked Navy, but she was so flip floppy that it was starting to irritate me. As much as I enjoyed Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah, I also really liked their travel companions. Learning more about Navy's mom, Isaiah's grandma and Jesse's dad really helped to flesh out the main characters and given them extra depth.
Overall, I think Triplicity was a really fun read. I loved the mystery. I think J. Mercer does a great job of keeping the plot interesting and keeping the readers guessing. This was not a mystery that I solved right away (though I am far from an expert). If you are a fan of young adult mysteries or of books that take place on a cruise, I think Triplicity is a book you will be interested in reading.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
February 9, 2019
There is something quite compulsive about this book once you start reading it, from the blurb you know that you are looking for a thief so there is the mystery element, what I hadn’t expected was to feel so invested in the characters. It ended up that I wasn’t that bothered about ‘whodunnit’ but how things were going to be left between Navy, Isaiah and Jesse.
I think what I loved the most about these characters were that they were flawed but also lovable. The author managed to show all the different facets to their personality, even if they were the kind to put you off, but still made you feel like you should be rooting for them.
I didn’t think I was going to like Navy, to begin with, she seemed very cocky, gave this impression like she was full of herself. As I read on I discovered that if anything she was trying not to stand out, that she knew who she was and what she wanted but in a very authentic way.
Jesse did seem a little unusual at first, kind of suspicious because he was so friendly with everyone, but eventually, I realised that that was just his character, he cared enough about other people to get to know them no matter who they were.
For a good majority of the book, I felt a really strong connection with Isaiah and was really hoping that things would go his way, but then nearer the end, we got to see this whole other side to him. Whilst I admire his passion and determination to secure his own future and not what someone else lays out for him, it was difficult to see someone act so badly through desperation.
The book is told through all three characters POV and I will admit that I found the first couple of pages a bit difficult, I think only because there was a lot going on and when you don’t know the characters that well it’s easy to mix up whose voice you are hearing. However after those initial couple of pages, the writing and the switching between POV’s felt seamless.
I really liked how everything unfolded, it all became so tangled and there were bits that were very unexpected. I really wouldn’t have guessed at the outcome at all, I mean the clues were there but I was so involved with the characters that they kind of became insignificant, which was brilliant. I’m also glad that even though Navy, Jesse and Isaiah did at points have issues with each other, that they managed to all have some kind of positive to take away with them.
I really flew through this book and love getting to know about the characters, I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
I think what I loved the most about these characters were that they were flawed but also lovable. The author managed to show all the different facets to their personality, even if they were the kind to put you off, but still made you feel like you should be rooting for them.
I didn’t think I was going to like Navy, to begin with, she seemed very cocky, gave this impression like she was full of herself. As I read on I discovered that if anything she was trying not to stand out, that she knew who she was and what she wanted but in a very authentic way.
Jesse did seem a little unusual at first, kind of suspicious because he was so friendly with everyone, but eventually, I realised that that was just his character, he cared enough about other people to get to know them no matter who they were.
For a good majority of the book, I felt a really strong connection with Isaiah and was really hoping that things would go his way, but then nearer the end, we got to see this whole other side to him. Whilst I admire his passion and determination to secure his own future and not what someone else lays out for him, it was difficult to see someone act so badly through desperation.
The book is told through all three characters POV and I will admit that I found the first couple of pages a bit difficult, I think only because there was a lot going on and when you don’t know the characters that well it’s easy to mix up whose voice you are hearing. However after those initial couple of pages, the writing and the switching between POV’s felt seamless.
I really liked how everything unfolded, it all became so tangled and there were bits that were very unexpected. I really wouldn’t have guessed at the outcome at all, I mean the clues were there but I was so involved with the characters that they kind of became insignificant, which was brilliant. I’m also glad that even though Navy, Jesse and Isaiah did at points have issues with each other, that they managed to all have some kind of positive to take away with them.
I really flew through this book and love getting to know about the characters, I will definitely be looking out for more books by this author.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
February 6, 2019
3.5 stars
Triplicity was described as a book for fans of Kasie West and Jenny Han. As a big contemporary fan, that definitely caught my attention. I've never read a book that takes place on a cruise ship and the element of theft and mystery had me interested.
I have to start off by saying that I love this author's writing style. I flew through this book, because it was very pleasant to read. Triplicity is told through three POVs: Navy, Jesse and Isaiah. All of them have their own problems going on. All being the same age and assigned the same table, they all end up hanging out together.
I loved the three POV, because I felt that I got to know all three of the characters pretty well. The author gave us a lot of backstory, so I understood their actions and decisions a bit more. Navy, Jesse and Isaiah are far from perfect and know this. I don't want to get into too much detail about each character, because I think this is a story where readers should learn as much as possible while reading.
There were a few things that bugged me though. During this book that are quite a few thefts that occur. I loved this element, but it felt to me that it just happened at times. Nothing happened with this part of the story until near the end! I would've loved to have seen this be more of the story instead of having the occassional suspect or event that got the characters to certain events.
Also, in this book there is a character who is constantly seen as gay even though he keeps telling them he isn't. I really thought this was a bit too much. Whether he is gay or not, there is nothing wrong with who he loves. I get that it has to do with his backstory, but it didn't sit well with me.
Triplicity also has a love triangle. I'm not much of a fan, but there were times that this was pretty interesting. One of the characters is after their first kiss and this has its own set of events. I liked that the author made it something special. Not just something to get over with. I agree with this! Everyone should have special first kiss.
At the end, it seemed that all characters were at peace with themselves. I loved how they developed. I would've loved an epilogue to see how they're all doing after a few months, because I did really become invested in them.
If you're looking for a book with great character development, an interesting setting, some mystery and a touch of romance, Triplicity is for you!
Triplicity was described as a book for fans of Kasie West and Jenny Han. As a big contemporary fan, that definitely caught my attention. I've never read a book that takes place on a cruise ship and the element of theft and mystery had me interested.
I have to start off by saying that I love this author's writing style. I flew through this book, because it was very pleasant to read. Triplicity is told through three POVs: Navy, Jesse and Isaiah. All of them have their own problems going on. All being the same age and assigned the same table, they all end up hanging out together.
I loved the three POV, because I felt that I got to know all three of the characters pretty well. The author gave us a lot of backstory, so I understood their actions and decisions a bit more. Navy, Jesse and Isaiah are far from perfect and know this. I don't want to get into too much detail about each character, because I think this is a story where readers should learn as much as possible while reading.
There were a few things that bugged me though. During this book that are quite a few thefts that occur. I loved this element, but it felt to me that it just happened at times. Nothing happened with this part of the story until near the end! I would've loved to have seen this be more of the story instead of having the occassional suspect or event that got the characters to certain events.
Also, in this book there is a character who is constantly seen as gay even though he keeps telling them he isn't. I really thought this was a bit too much. Whether he is gay or not, there is nothing wrong with who he loves. I get that it has to do with his backstory, but it didn't sit well with me.
Triplicity also has a love triangle. I'm not much of a fan, but there were times that this was pretty interesting. One of the characters is after their first kiss and this has its own set of events. I liked that the author made it something special. Not just something to get over with. I agree with this! Everyone should have special first kiss.
At the end, it seemed that all characters were at peace with themselves. I loved how they developed. I would've loved an epilogue to see how they're all doing after a few months, because I did really become invested in them.
If you're looking for a book with great character development, an interesting setting, some mystery and a touch of romance, Triplicity is for you!
February 13, 2019
My favorite book read this month! A great mystery and romance, but just the right amount of each. The characters are great and interesting, their motivations are fascinating, and they keep you guessing. And I love the setting. I definitely recommend it.
January 21, 2019
“Triplicity” is a mystery, romance and “finding yourself” type of YA book all in one. I assumed the romantic pieces early on and was pleasantly surprised by the twists the mystery angle brought in throughout the book. Many of the characters are likeable with some thrown in that make you want to tip your head because you don’t know what to think of them, but that makes the book even more a literary picture of lives around us.
The three main teens in the story are complex and raw which makes you feel for them as the twists and turns of their lives intersect and wind around them. Through their eyes, we see how the same situations can be read differently through different life experiences and none of these characters apologize or hide from the people they are. Through the entire story, their individual voices are clear and strong as they navigate the entire journey….on the boat and in their own lives.
The three main teens in the story are complex and raw which makes you feel for them as the twists and turns of their lives intersect and wind around them. Through their eyes, we see how the same situations can be read differently through different life experiences and none of these characters apologize or hide from the people they are. Through the entire story, their individual voices are clear and strong as they navigate the entire journey….on the boat and in their own lives.
January 28, 2019
LOVE these characters and the way that their lives intertwine over the course of an Alaskan cruise. The conflict starts on page one and doesn't let up until the very end. Fantastic read!!
December 25, 2018
#★★★★★ for Triplicity, a Young Adult Mystery by J Mercer where three unlikely characters become friends when they are all connected through thefts happening on a cruise ship.
I really liked how Mercer connected every one of the characters in this novel when at the beginning they were nothing but strangers. We were taken through their journey of each day on the cruise and the sections were broken down by which character was talking at the moment, but done in such a way that it wasn’t confusing but was easy to follow. Each main character brought something to the story and you really felt for them and the kind of life they led. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah were my favorites and Mercer wrote them in such a way that you felt as if you knew them for ages.
This book had me guessing up until the end who could’ve been doing the robberies, Mercer making sure to not give it away too soon.
I couldn’t stand the adults in this story. Isaiah’s grandmother didn’t seem to care about what made her grandson happy. Delilah, Guy, and Eliza didn’t have any moral grounds that I was disgusted when reading about what they were doing.
I would recommend this book to all those who love a little bit of mystery mixed in coming of age books.
I really liked how Mercer connected every one of the characters in this novel when at the beginning they were nothing but strangers. We were taken through their journey of each day on the cruise and the sections were broken down by which character was talking at the moment, but done in such a way that it wasn’t confusing but was easy to follow. Each main character brought something to the story and you really felt for them and the kind of life they led. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah were my favorites and Mercer wrote them in such a way that you felt as if you knew them for ages.
This book had me guessing up until the end who could’ve been doing the robberies, Mercer making sure to not give it away too soon.
I couldn’t stand the adults in this story. Isaiah’s grandmother didn’t seem to care about what made her grandson happy. Delilah, Guy, and Eliza didn’t have any moral grounds that I was disgusted when reading about what they were doing.
I would recommend this book to all those who love a little bit of mystery mixed in coming of age books.
November 29, 2018
I highly recommend this book. J Mercer made me fall in love with the characters right from the first chapter. I wanted to keep reading to find out each of their stories, starting with who would get that first kiss. The story became more complex with each chapter and I read the whole book in one sitting as I didn't want to put it down. Thank you for creating this fun and intriguing story J Mercer, I can't wait to pick up your next book!
March 24, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Triplicity by J. Mercer and I have to say that I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who wants a fun, short, enjoyable read to keep them occupied for a few hours. It didn’t have me on the edge of my seat but it definitely kept me interested.
Triplicity is a book about 3 teenagers who make friends with each other while on a one-week cruise. The story follows Navy, a preacher’s daughter with a semi-attentive mother, an intense fear of germs and a headstrong attitude. Isaiah is a cowboy looking to escape his grandmother’s clutches and make it back to the ranch his father worked on before all hell came loose and Jesse is struggling to cope with the loss of his mother who has decided to leave both him and his father for a better life.
Bern is also mentioned quite a bit though he’s no main character. He’s portrayed as gay which bumped the book up on my scoreboard because I’m a fan of representation though I wish there could have been more ethnic diversity aside from Danilo, the Philippine, and that one Australian bride mentioned close to the conclusion.
A string of thefts is committed on the ship and it’s up to the protagonists to prove their innocence on more than one occasion. As with anything else in life, it’s not smooth sailing (pun intended) and it’s not long before they find themselves tangled in a web they unknowingly created. With everything from comedy and romance to suspense, this book has a number of things working for it.
Each one of characters is facing their own battle and what I really enjoyed about this book was the characterisation. It’s not easy to juggle several characters, especially when each one of them has a consistent POV (point of view), but the author did it expertly in this case. I particularly enjoyed Navy’s headstrong character and her unwillingness to compromise her integrity for anything, even if someone really close to her betrayed her trust.
I also enjoyed Isaiah’s POV much as he was portrayed as self-serving and indifferent to other’s problems. I felt like his character would have benefited from something akin to a redemption arc but after seeing the turn taken by one of the antagonists, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see it reduced to something trivial.
It’s also worth mentioning that I really enjoyed the writing style used in this book immensely. The sentence structure was crisp and enchanting with few distractions especially from punctuation which is common in most books.
There were not so many typos in the book that it was difficult to get through but I would have appreciated a bit more editing and perhaps a little more by way of description from the author. Sometimes I struggled with picturing characters and scenes in my head because the language was either lacklustre or insufficient.
Based on everything I’ve mentioned above and my experience with the book, I chose to rate this book 4/5 stars. I would have given it a 5 but for the typos and the lack of a redemption arc for Isaiah did not sit well with me. Nevertheless, I respect the author’s decision to take the story in the direction she did and applaud her good work. I look forward to reading more from her.
Triplicity is a book about 3 teenagers who make friends with each other while on a one-week cruise. The story follows Navy, a preacher’s daughter with a semi-attentive mother, an intense fear of germs and a headstrong attitude. Isaiah is a cowboy looking to escape his grandmother’s clutches and make it back to the ranch his father worked on before all hell came loose and Jesse is struggling to cope with the loss of his mother who has decided to leave both him and his father for a better life.
Bern is also mentioned quite a bit though he’s no main character. He’s portrayed as gay which bumped the book up on my scoreboard because I’m a fan of representation though I wish there could have been more ethnic diversity aside from Danilo, the Philippine, and that one Australian bride mentioned close to the conclusion.
A string of thefts is committed on the ship and it’s up to the protagonists to prove their innocence on more than one occasion. As with anything else in life, it’s not smooth sailing (pun intended) and it’s not long before they find themselves tangled in a web they unknowingly created. With everything from comedy and romance to suspense, this book has a number of things working for it.
Each one of characters is facing their own battle and what I really enjoyed about this book was the characterisation. It’s not easy to juggle several characters, especially when each one of them has a consistent POV (point of view), but the author did it expertly in this case. I particularly enjoyed Navy’s headstrong character and her unwillingness to compromise her integrity for anything, even if someone really close to her betrayed her trust.
I also enjoyed Isaiah’s POV much as he was portrayed as self-serving and indifferent to other’s problems. I felt like his character would have benefited from something akin to a redemption arc but after seeing the turn taken by one of the antagonists, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see it reduced to something trivial.
It’s also worth mentioning that I really enjoyed the writing style used in this book immensely. The sentence structure was crisp and enchanting with few distractions especially from punctuation which is common in most books.
There were not so many typos in the book that it was difficult to get through but I would have appreciated a bit more editing and perhaps a little more by way of description from the author. Sometimes I struggled with picturing characters and scenes in my head because the language was either lacklustre or insufficient.
Based on everything I’ve mentioned above and my experience with the book, I chose to rate this book 4/5 stars. I would have given it a 5 but for the typos and the lack of a redemption arc for Isaiah did not sit well with me. Nevertheless, I respect the author’s decision to take the story in the direction she did and applaud her good work. I look forward to reading more from her.
February 6, 2019
Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Book Blog
I haven't read a whodunit in quite some time so the blurb for Triplicity easily caught my eye, especially since I really liked mysteries when I was younger. I was intrigued with the setting for the story being a cruise ship, having so many people around to mask who was doing what, but also being a place where you were trapped with no where to go. This heightened the drama when something did take place because it was so difficult to figure out suspects and motives but making the fact of solving the case that much more fun. The first half of the book I got into no problem. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah become fast friends and quickly have each other's backs when a stolen purse ends up in their possession. Other thefts take place throughout the story and it was almost like the Scooby Doo gang with these three trying to solve the mystery. But then the pace slowed way down and became a bit too dramatic for me. Navy was very obsessed about who would be her first kiss and kept flipping between the guys. Jesse did everything in his power to prove he wasn't gay and that he belonged on the ranch he worked on half the year even though his methods weren't always kind. Isaiah with his tattoos seemed to be the main suspect to any wrong doing despite there being no evidence and thousands of other people on board. He was also very soft and didn't know how to stand up for himself. The ending did shock me though but was instantly downplayed into almost nothing. For a young adult story Triplicity was cute with the relationships between the three characters and as a mystery it was pretty interesting and I liked that J. Mercer kept me guessing the entire time.
I haven't read a whodunit in quite some time so the blurb for Triplicity easily caught my eye, especially since I really liked mysteries when I was younger. I was intrigued with the setting for the story being a cruise ship, having so many people around to mask who was doing what, but also being a place where you were trapped with no where to go. This heightened the drama when something did take place because it was so difficult to figure out suspects and motives but making the fact of solving the case that much more fun. The first half of the book I got into no problem. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah become fast friends and quickly have each other's backs when a stolen purse ends up in their possession. Other thefts take place throughout the story and it was almost like the Scooby Doo gang with these three trying to solve the mystery. But then the pace slowed way down and became a bit too dramatic for me. Navy was very obsessed about who would be her first kiss and kept flipping between the guys. Jesse did everything in his power to prove he wasn't gay and that he belonged on the ranch he worked on half the year even though his methods weren't always kind. Isaiah with his tattoos seemed to be the main suspect to any wrong doing despite there being no evidence and thousands of other people on board. He was also very soft and didn't know how to stand up for himself. The ending did shock me though but was instantly downplayed into almost nothing. For a young adult story Triplicity was cute with the relationships between the three characters and as a mystery it was pretty interesting and I liked that J. Mercer kept me guessing the entire time.
February 4, 2019
For me, I have to admit I struggled to finish this book as it was too much on a slower pace than I tend to read and I found the book itself too busy with the different characters tales intertwining and at times I was a tad confused on what was happening and more importantly which teen character was who and even at points found myself going is this character a guy or a girl ? Is he straight or gay? I found it hard at points to distinguish. However, this story was very much if you love character development, then perfect for you as the author goes into detail to provide readers with a strong background on every character. Triplicity is set on a cruise ship and follows a group of teens who have met for the first time on the cruise ship to Alaska. Each from a different background and each being forced for one reason or another to be a part of the cruise ship manifesto. During the book, a series of thefts occur on the ship and somehow each one point to the teens one way or another. Who is setting them up and why or is one of the teens the thief? Find out in Triplicity by J. Mercer as I leave you with this quote that featured at the beginning of the book "There are three sides to every story: Yours, Mine and the truth.
February 6, 2019
The nature of a cruise ship is to seat strangers together for meals and, based on my own experience, that can be awkward and the people at a given table bent on not enjoying each others company or it can be the source of some real friendships. In Triplicity, it’s the reason three teens are thrown together; in a normal world, they’d be very unlikely to pal around with each other.
The mystery here is pretty light and attention is focused more on personalities but that’s okay. The interesting thing, to me, is that Navy, Jesse and Isaiah are not especially likeable—Isaiah, in particular, was frequently obnoxious—but I enjoyed spending time with them as they tried to figure out who the thief was. Really, this is a bit of a character study of teenagers in an artificial situation and a small look into how people can create relationships of sorts when you might not expect them to.
The mystery here is pretty light and attention is focused more on personalities but that’s okay. The interesting thing, to me, is that Navy, Jesse and Isaiah are not especially likeable—Isaiah, in particular, was frequently obnoxious—but I enjoyed spending time with them as they tried to figure out who the thief was. Really, this is a bit of a character study of teenagers in an artificial situation and a small look into how people can create relationships of sorts when you might not expect them to.
February 26, 2019
I received this book after winning a drawing when I attended J Mercer's Facebook book-announcement event. I'm so glad I won! I'm typically a one-trick pony when it comes to books (mystery), and even though Miss Mercer is primarily a YA author, this was a mystery that I LOVED. The characters were authentic, and I was able to get inside each of their heads, as Mercer brilliantly jumps from character to character like a pro. The pace was perfect, the lovables were lovable, and the creeps were creeps. I try to pride myself in guessing "the bad guy or gal" before the end of the book, but Mercer had some twists that I didn't see coming at all. Well done, J Mercer, I want a sequel please!
M. M. Silva
Author of Two Out of Three
M. M. Silva
Author of Two Out of Three
April 6, 2019
Wonderful Story for Any Age
J. Mercer hit all the nail on the head with this book. It was a totally original story of three teens on a cruise, none of whom really wished to be there, and how their lives became entwined in adult issues they weren’t prepared to handle. However they all rose to the occasion, perhaps not quite as an adult would, but succeeded in their own ways. The characters were portrayed to be quite believable, and I found I had to read Triplicity in one fell swoop. J. Mercer is definitely an author to be followed!
J. Mercer hit all the nail on the head with this book. It was a totally original story of three teens on a cruise, none of whom really wished to be there, and how their lives became entwined in adult issues they weren’t prepared to handle. However they all rose to the occasion, perhaps not quite as an adult would, but succeeded in their own ways. The characters were portrayed to be quite believable, and I found I had to read Triplicity in one fell swoop. J. Mercer is definitely an author to be followed!
June 3, 2019
I won the Kindle edition of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed the characters and the J. Mercer's writing style very much. The plot was OK. I thought the mystery of the theft on the cruise ship was fun and could have been developed more. But overall I think this is a wonderful book for YA readers.
January 21, 2019
Review coming mid February (Blog Tour: daxwrites.com)
April 27, 2019
This was a great young adult read.
January 15, 2019
Told in multiple points of view, Triplicity moves quickly and is a fun read. Jesse, Navy, and Isaiah meet on the first day of a seven day Alaskan cruise. Each one has extra baggage they bring abroad. Jesse’s mom sent him and his father on the cruise so she could move out. Isaiah desperately wants to prove to his grandmother that he’s not who she thinks so he can go back to the one thing he truly loves: the ranch. Navy’s almost seventeen, and she’s never been kissed. She really wants that first kiss to be special. When a series of thefts begins to happen, all three fall under suspicion and doubt seeds their newfound friendships. They’ll each do whatever it takes to get what they want, but would any of them steal?
Each character is unique and well rounded. Jesse is honest and good-natured. Isaiah has the fierce determination of a cowboy. Navy is closed off for good reason, and she’s struggling to find solid ground to stand on. Of all the characters, Jesse and Isaiah are solid and true to their goals. They don’t waver from who they really are to get what they want. Sometimes that makes one of them unlikable, while other times one seems too good to be true. Navy is the weak link. Her motivation isn’t strong enough and a little childish for what could’ve been such a strong character. When she shines, she shines. When she whines, it’s hard to listen.
The minor characters add depth to the story. Isaiah’s grandmother initially seems to be overprotective, but as Isaiah’s backstory unfolds, her motivations are sincere and kind. Navy’s mother isn’t what she seems and neither is Navy’s future stepfather Guy. Jesse’s dad deals with his demons in an unfortunate way, which adds pressure to Jesse dealing with his own feelings. They were all strong secondary characters that supported the main characters great.
Setting a novel on a cruise isn’t unique, but making it an Alaskan cruise definitely raised the bar. The story moves swiftly, and the writing is solid. Mercer balances the character’s flaws well with their motivations. There are some problems with the way the thefts are announced during the cruise. It didn’t ring true to how a cruise line would handle the situation, but fiction isn’t always about factual truths. In this case. The emotional truths of each characters’ situation is what really stands out. The emotional truths of the side characters such as Jesse’s father and Navy’s mother are also gut-punching.
Overall, Triplicity is a fun read. The descriptions of Alaska are vibrant and enjoyable. The characters keep the story moving in ways that are expected and unexpected. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Miranda Kenneally, and Ally Carter will enjoy this novel
I received a copy for an honest review.
Each character is unique and well rounded. Jesse is honest and good-natured. Isaiah has the fierce determination of a cowboy. Navy is closed off for good reason, and she’s struggling to find solid ground to stand on. Of all the characters, Jesse and Isaiah are solid and true to their goals. They don’t waver from who they really are to get what they want. Sometimes that makes one of them unlikable, while other times one seems too good to be true. Navy is the weak link. Her motivation isn’t strong enough and a little childish for what could’ve been such a strong character. When she shines, she shines. When she whines, it’s hard to listen.
The minor characters add depth to the story. Isaiah’s grandmother initially seems to be overprotective, but as Isaiah’s backstory unfolds, her motivations are sincere and kind. Navy’s mother isn’t what she seems and neither is Navy’s future stepfather Guy. Jesse’s dad deals with his demons in an unfortunate way, which adds pressure to Jesse dealing with his own feelings. They were all strong secondary characters that supported the main characters great.
Setting a novel on a cruise isn’t unique, but making it an Alaskan cruise definitely raised the bar. The story moves swiftly, and the writing is solid. Mercer balances the character’s flaws well with their motivations. There are some problems with the way the thefts are announced during the cruise. It didn’t ring true to how a cruise line would handle the situation, but fiction isn’t always about factual truths. In this case. The emotional truths of each characters’ situation is what really stands out. The emotional truths of the side characters such as Jesse’s father and Navy’s mother are also gut-punching.
Overall, Triplicity is a fun read. The descriptions of Alaska are vibrant and enjoyable. The characters keep the story moving in ways that are expected and unexpected. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Miranda Kenneally, and Ally Carter will enjoy this novel
I received a copy for an honest review.
February 5, 2019
This book is really good. I liked the story line very well. What could be better then reading about young teens on a cruise ship through Alaska? Add in a mystery thief, and not knowing if any of the teens are hiding the truth that they are one. Navy talks about being almost 17 and never having a first kiss, she hopes that she will have one on this week cruise. And wants it to be romantic and everything. She spends the better part of the book wondering about two guys. I wondered throughout the book if the author would mention any other young teens in passing, like to say oh they are cool or something. I get the book is mainly about these 3 teens though. Jesse I really liked his character, he didn't lie so much to make himself better. He lied mainly because he couldn't accept the truth of his family life. He really likes Navy, but doesn't think he has a shot with her. And people think less of him because of his tattoos and his father's drinking and tattoos. Then we come to Isaiah whom I just didn't like throughout the whole book. I get that he wanted to just go back to the ranch and that's fine. But I feel this character is very selfish. He found out something that could possibly figure out in helping Navy, but instead picked to use her to get what he wanted. And that's to prove to his Grandmother that he isn't gay. He had a chance to redeem himself and help out others but instead not so much. Then let his jealousy get in the way. I never truly felt he liked Navy just saw her as means to an end. And then I started to wonder if he was the criminal behind everything for awhile. This book kept me thinking it was one person and then later another. And then when I found out the whole thing and the kind of why and what. I was like what the hell are you serious the whole time?? I would for sure recommend this book for a quick read and some fun.
May 23, 2020
Triplicity by J Mercer drew me in right away with an engaging voice and vivid characters direct the plot seamlessly. I was not sure if this book was suspense or just a variety of YA drama, and it took me at least half the book to decide. In the end I really enjoyed it, although I’m rating it 4 out of 5 stars because for suspense the stakes were not quite high enough, and for drama it did not reach the level of emotional intensity that I was hoping for.
The story is told with a rotating point of view between three teen characters on an Alaskan cruise. The characters were well developed and their intentions clear. A delicious love triangle forms almost instantly. As teens Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse begin to interact the plot develops with a slow burn. I could follow these characters around for hours and just listen to them talk and watch them react to each other, but each scene also takes baby steps forward in developing the plot. Thefts begin taking place and suspicion falls on many different characters as the story progresses. Jesse’s father drowns his sorrows at the bar while Navy’s mother gossips and casts blame here and there. By 75% of the way through the book family secrets are being spilled, identities are broken and reformed, moral compasses tested and skewed, and true characters revealed. There were a few unexpected twists as well.
This book was woven together beautifully and the plot was satisfying. I have very few negative things to say about it, except that I enjoy a little more excitement and lots of ups and downs rather than subtle development with calculated reveals. I would’ve liked a little more life breathed into it, a little more emotion and drama. While the characters experience dramatic events, I did not necessarily feel emotionally moved by it. Overall I enjoyed it very much!
The story is told with a rotating point of view between three teen characters on an Alaskan cruise. The characters were well developed and their intentions clear. A delicious love triangle forms almost instantly. As teens Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse begin to interact the plot develops with a slow burn. I could follow these characters around for hours and just listen to them talk and watch them react to each other, but each scene also takes baby steps forward in developing the plot. Thefts begin taking place and suspicion falls on many different characters as the story progresses. Jesse’s father drowns his sorrows at the bar while Navy’s mother gossips and casts blame here and there. By 75% of the way through the book family secrets are being spilled, identities are broken and reformed, moral compasses tested and skewed, and true characters revealed. There were a few unexpected twists as well.
This book was woven together beautifully and the plot was satisfying. I have very few negative things to say about it, except that I enjoy a little more excitement and lots of ups and downs rather than subtle development with calculated reveals. I would’ve liked a little more life breathed into it, a little more emotion and drama. While the characters experience dramatic events, I did not necessarily feel emotionally moved by it. Overall I enjoyed it very much!
February 8, 2019
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 2/8/19.
An enjoyable read from a new-to-me author!
Triplicity is told from the POV of the three teens, Navy, Jesse, and Isiah. Some of their sections are longer, but quite a few are short, keeping the action moving and often letting us see the same scene from multiple viewpoints. Each chapter is a day in the cruise ship's itinerary, which was pretty neat. Even though the characters go off ship for sightseeing, though, most of the book's action takes place on board where the mystery thief (or is it thieves?) is.
Ms. Mercer did a nice job of keeping readers on her toes here. We're trying to figure out the mystery as Navy, Jesse, and Isiah are, and we're as much in the dark about Navy's big plan at the end as poor Jesse is. All three main characters feel like real people--they have their good points as well as their flaws--and Ms. Mercer really shows us what motivates them and why they're making the choices that they're making so that we get it even when we don't agree. (Especially when we don't agree!)
There is a bit of a love triangle here, but it's not overly angsty, and the ending wraps some things up but others aren't quite ready for the bow to be tied on top--if the author wanted to revisit these characters again (and I'd be on board for that!) she's definitely got some material here to work with.
Based on this book, this is one author I'm going to keep an eye out for!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
An enjoyable read from a new-to-me author!
Triplicity is told from the POV of the three teens, Navy, Jesse, and Isiah. Some of their sections are longer, but quite a few are short, keeping the action moving and often letting us see the same scene from multiple viewpoints. Each chapter is a day in the cruise ship's itinerary, which was pretty neat. Even though the characters go off ship for sightseeing, though, most of the book's action takes place on board where the mystery thief (or is it thieves?) is.
Ms. Mercer did a nice job of keeping readers on her toes here. We're trying to figure out the mystery as Navy, Jesse, and Isiah are, and we're as much in the dark about Navy's big plan at the end as poor Jesse is. All three main characters feel like real people--they have their good points as well as their flaws--and Ms. Mercer really shows us what motivates them and why they're making the choices that they're making so that we get it even when we don't agree. (Especially when we don't agree!)
There is a bit of a love triangle here, but it's not overly angsty, and the ending wraps some things up but others aren't quite ready for the bow to be tied on top--if the author wanted to revisit these characters again (and I'd be on board for that!) she's definitely got some material here to work with.
Based on this book, this is one author I'm going to keep an eye out for!
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
May 10, 2019
While on an Alaskan cruise, three teenagers meet each other, each with a different motive. During the trip, passengers start to report that some of their items have been stolen. The crew start to look for a thief among the passengers. Navy, Jesse, and Isaiah keep a lookout for the thief, especially after one of their own is accused of being the thief.
Isaiah came off as creepy. It was very rare that he did not come across as creepy to me. He was always so fixated on Navy’s hair. He also kept comparing Navy’s movements or actions to that of a horse. It was obvious he really didn’t care that much about Navy herself, but more about how she could help him get his ranch back.
I really enjoyed that the story was told from three different sides. However, the three voices that told the story started to blend together. I sometimes had to go back a few pages to be able to tell who was telling the story at that point. I also didn’t enjoy the ending that much. It just kind of wrapped things up too quickly. Navy’s mother was really hard to read as a person after the end. It just seemed an odd way for her to act after all that had happened in such a short amount of time.
Despite the mystery seeming to take place in the background for much of the story, I enjoyed it. The cruise setting was really interesting, and I loved the descriptions of the places they went to. Navy’s point of view really stood out with her love of the various places they went. Jesse was great character and I would have loved to see more about how Jesse’s relationship with his mother.
I won a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.
Isaiah came off as creepy. It was very rare that he did not come across as creepy to me. He was always so fixated on Navy’s hair. He also kept comparing Navy’s movements or actions to that of a horse. It was obvious he really didn’t care that much about Navy herself, but more about how she could help him get his ranch back.
I really enjoyed that the story was told from three different sides. However, the three voices that told the story started to blend together. I sometimes had to go back a few pages to be able to tell who was telling the story at that point. I also didn’t enjoy the ending that much. It just kind of wrapped things up too quickly. Navy’s mother was really hard to read as a person after the end. It just seemed an odd way for her to act after all that had happened in such a short amount of time.
Despite the mystery seeming to take place in the background for much of the story, I enjoyed it. The cruise setting was really interesting, and I loved the descriptions of the places they went to. Navy’s point of view really stood out with her love of the various places they went. Jesse was great character and I would have loved to see more about how Jesse’s relationship with his mother.
I won a copy from a Goodreads giveaway.
February 5, 2019
This review can also be found on my blog: https://phanniethegingerbookworm.word...
# What I liked
First of all, I really liked the fact, that Triplicity was perfectly realistic. It is written in the point of views of our three main characters, Jesse, Navy and Isaiah. They are all teenagers and currently on a cruise ship with their parents or other members of their family. All of them had their flaws and weren’t the typical mainstream teenie characters that are perfect and can do anything! Sometimes you have books in the YA category, where the main character is a teenager, and they are Mary Sues (we all hate Mary Sues) but here everything was perfect. The main characters were questioning themselves constantly. Which is exactly how I remember my teenage days and I’m still like that today.
Next thing I liked was the fact that three strangers met each other in the dining hall because they shared the same dining table and therefore had to connect with each other. And all this without using their phones. It was kind of refreshing to read how they actually got to know each other while talking constantly and actually doing things together. I have a feeling that in our current society we actually don’t do these things anymore. I mean doing things together without always having a phone in hand. And simply connecting with other people. Which is kind of sad.
# What I disliked
One thing I did not like was that the novel was pretty slow paced. At least for me. Even though there are different days in the book (from day one of the cruise ship until the end of it) I still found that it was very slow paced.
I even found that it wasn’t that suspense-packed. I expected more of a mystery novel. So I’m kind of disappointed by that fact. I wanted more action. The three of them tried to hunt down the thief, however, for me, that was not enough. I wanted more. But that’s my personal preference.
I also didn’t find myself attached to the characters. Mercer found the perfect way to describe the three teenagers, but unfortunately, I found Isaiah quite annoying and didn’t understand Navy and Jesse. Howeverthat’s my personal feeling. I didn’t like the characters but maybe you will.
Another thing that annoyed me was the romance. I think that by now you surely know that I rarely like romance in books. I only like them when they are working with the storyline. Here however I found the romance unnecessary. It definitely wasn’t needed.
# Favourite Character
As I wasn’t attached to any of the characters I have to say that I don’t have a favourite character.
# What I liked
First of all, I really liked the fact, that Triplicity was perfectly realistic. It is written in the point of views of our three main characters, Jesse, Navy and Isaiah. They are all teenagers and currently on a cruise ship with their parents or other members of their family. All of them had their flaws and weren’t the typical mainstream teenie characters that are perfect and can do anything! Sometimes you have books in the YA category, where the main character is a teenager, and they are Mary Sues (we all hate Mary Sues) but here everything was perfect. The main characters were questioning themselves constantly. Which is exactly how I remember my teenage days and I’m still like that today.
Next thing I liked was the fact that three strangers met each other in the dining hall because they shared the same dining table and therefore had to connect with each other. And all this without using their phones. It was kind of refreshing to read how they actually got to know each other while talking constantly and actually doing things together. I have a feeling that in our current society we actually don’t do these things anymore. I mean doing things together without always having a phone in hand. And simply connecting with other people. Which is kind of sad.
# What I disliked
One thing I did not like was that the novel was pretty slow paced. At least for me. Even though there are different days in the book (from day one of the cruise ship until the end of it) I still found that it was very slow paced.
I even found that it wasn’t that suspense-packed. I expected more of a mystery novel. So I’m kind of disappointed by that fact. I wanted more action. The three of them tried to hunt down the thief, however, for me, that was not enough. I wanted more. But that’s my personal preference.
I also didn’t find myself attached to the characters. Mercer found the perfect way to describe the three teenagers, but unfortunately, I found Isaiah quite annoying and didn’t understand Navy and Jesse. Howeverthat’s my personal feeling. I didn’t like the characters but maybe you will.
Another thing that annoyed me was the romance. I think that by now you surely know that I rarely like romance in books. I only like them when they are working with the storyline. Here however I found the romance unnecessary. It definitely wasn’t needed.
# Favourite Character
As I wasn’t attached to any of the characters I have to say that I don’t have a favourite character.
February 16, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I have been on many cruises myself and the author captured the cruise atmosphere pretty well. There are three points of view: Navy is the girl on the cruise with her mom and soon to be stepdad. Isaiah is a cowboy that lives on a ranch during the summer times and is trying to convince his grandma that he isn’t gay so he can return to the ranch. Jesse is here with his dad while his mom is home moving out of their house at home.
Navy
Navy is caught up in a love triangle between Isaiah and Jesse who pursue her for different reasons. She doesn't like people who lie and wants to find out who is stealing from people on the ship. She is very likable person and I totally hate her mom and soon to be step dad because she is also trying hook Navy up with someone.
Isaiah
Isaiah is the cowboy. He has a agenda and his only goal is to prove to his grandma that he isn't gay so he can go back to the ranch. He does come around some but really do not like him and the whole book I hope Navy doesn't fall for his crap.
Jesse
I really like Jesse and he is definitely different from Isaiah. He actually cares for Navy and takes his time to get to know her. He is going through alot right now with everything going on at home. But he looks like the bad boy with tattoos but he really isn't the typical bad guy.
I am giving Triplicity by J. Mercer a three-star rating. I liked this book. Each of the characters had me rooting for them in a way. Some more then others. I want everyone to have their HEA and find their way
Navy
Navy is caught up in a love triangle between Isaiah and Jesse who pursue her for different reasons. She doesn't like people who lie and wants to find out who is stealing from people on the ship. She is very likable person and I totally hate her mom and soon to be step dad because she is also trying hook Navy up with someone.
Isaiah
Isaiah is the cowboy. He has a agenda and his only goal is to prove to his grandma that he isn't gay so he can go back to the ranch. He does come around some but really do not like him and the whole book I hope Navy doesn't fall for his crap.
Jesse
I really like Jesse and he is definitely different from Isaiah. He actually cares for Navy and takes his time to get to know her. He is going through alot right now with everything going on at home. But he looks like the bad boy with tattoos but he really isn't the typical bad guy.
I am giving Triplicity by J. Mercer a three-star rating. I liked this book. Each of the characters had me rooting for them in a way. Some more then others. I want everyone to have their HEA and find their way
March 19, 2019
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book! It had a slow-ish start, simply because the story had to introduce the three main characters and a few other less important characters.
Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse are spending a week on an Alaskan cruise. Each of them has some secrets, and then there's a theft on board the boat. Nobody really thinks much of it after the first, because it's just an old lady's purse that has gone missing. But as more thefts happen, the three new friends start blaming and accusing each other. Navy ends up holding someone else's purse. Isaiah wants money to get back to his life. Jesse has the look of trouble. All of them are suspects.
I really connected with the realness of Navy. She has demons. A sixteen year old who has never been kissed. An issue with germs. She's just human. Jesse and Isaiah have human issues too. Isaiah lies. A lot. Jesse is trying to cover up his pain of his mother abandoning him and his father. Three teenagers struggling through some teenage type issues, with a mystery they want to solve, if only to clear their own names.
There are twists and turns in this book and I did not see some of it coming. It pulled me in, and I stayed up late because I was determined to finish the book and know if everyone gets a happy ending.
I highly recommend this book. J. Mercer has created an intriguing story and a mystery that doesn't include a murder.
I absolutely loved this book! It had a slow-ish start, simply because the story had to introduce the three main characters and a few other less important characters.
Navy, Isaiah, and Jesse are spending a week on an Alaskan cruise. Each of them has some secrets, and then there's a theft on board the boat. Nobody really thinks much of it after the first, because it's just an old lady's purse that has gone missing. But as more thefts happen, the three new friends start blaming and accusing each other. Navy ends up holding someone else's purse. Isaiah wants money to get back to his life. Jesse has the look of trouble. All of them are suspects.
I really connected with the realness of Navy. She has demons. A sixteen year old who has never been kissed. An issue with germs. She's just human. Jesse and Isaiah have human issues too. Isaiah lies. A lot. Jesse is trying to cover up his pain of his mother abandoning him and his father. Three teenagers struggling through some teenage type issues, with a mystery they want to solve, if only to clear their own names.
There are twists and turns in this book and I did not see some of it coming. It pulled me in, and I stayed up late because I was determined to finish the book and know if everyone gets a happy ending.
I highly recommend this book. J. Mercer has created an intriguing story and a mystery that doesn't include a murder.
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