Torn

Torn Trilogy #1

by Erica O'Rourke

Everyone has secrets.
Even best friends.

Mo Fitzgerald knows about secrets. But when she witnesses her best friend's murder, she discovers Verity was hiding things she never could have guessed. To find the answers she needs and the vengeance she craves, Mo—quiet, ordinary, unmagical Mo—will have to enter a world of raw magic and shifting alliances. And she'll have to choose between two very different, equally dangerous guys—protective, duty-bound Colin and brash, mysterious Luc. One wants to save her, one wants to claim her. Which would you choose?

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2011

About the author

I write books about girls who make their own fate and fall for boys they shouldn't.

I live outside Chicago. I like to travel but I'll never really leave this city.

I prefer cookies to cake (even cupcakes), television to movies, and autumn to all the other seasons.

I like sushi, naps, coffee, and driving stick shift.

I hate fish, emoticons, bridges, and talking about myself.

Click here for more about me.

Reviews

[Jenelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess I should have looked more closely to see that the 4 star rating only came from 200 and some readers, but c'mon people, where are your standards?

A great looking cover (even if the girl does have a slightly droopy eye which is charmingly realistic instead of photo-shopped to the Uncanny Valley), does not mean a great book.

Neither does the tension of two out-of-her-league hot guys, competing for the perpetually nerdy/clumsy/under-appreciated/unconsciously attractive shy girl who is determined to be a reckless, impulsive Nancy Drew Supergirl.

Especially when that 'tension' is pretty non-existent... unless you count all the arguing, which reads simply like arguing, not thinly veiled flirtation or even attraction.

Don't tell me it was the drawl. Seriously?

Wait. It was because they were both over 20, isn't it? I admit, not many YA novels venture to let a jail-bait high schooler hook up with an older, dangerous, *experienced* hot guy, let alone two. She must be pretty amazing to be that tempting-- I mean, character's keep saying it, but there really isn't much proof it's actually true. Luckily, the guys fail to live up to their descriptions as well, so as long as your standards are sufficiently mediocre, and all you need is a little lustful kissy-face to stir your tender teenage longings, than this lackluster love triangle may have been intoxicating enough to muster up the 4 stars.

Certainly it wasn't the story. I mean, the first 11 chapters were so. slow. Blah, blah, blah-- useless, repetitive dialogue on top of inconsistent details and gaping plot holes. Yeah, and what was with the paranormal element in all this? It is just so...vague. I guess that's how the flat, lifeless characters accept it all so readily: they don't need any more justification than the author happens to hint at. Lucky them.

Really, it's all so vastly pointless-- the characters, the story-- the whole bland mess of it. I can't even force myself to care about it, but I made myself finish it, the 4 stars giving me false hope the book would somehow be redeemed by the end. See? I got suckered into it too.

[Jennifer Armentrout · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite reads of 2011

[Angela Fristoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so from the blurb it sounds like the book is going to open with some action, right? Well it doesn't, because guess what? The first half of the blurb happens before the book even starts! Yeah, how exciting. I don't even care that this wonderful friend is dead, because I never even meet her.

This though, is the least of the problems I had with Torn. I'd like to start with something positive and I'm finding it hard. That's not to say the book was horrible. It wasn't. It was just okay. I received this from a LibraryThings give away and it's taken me almost a month to read it. I finally forced myself to take it to the gym and read on the treadmill, just so I could finally get it out of the way.

There were so many things I wanted to like about it, but I just couldn't. So, starting there, the first thing was the cover. The cover put me off, right away. I know I shouldn't judge the book by the cover, and in this case I truly didn't. I hate the cover. The girl looks boring, and pasty, and I hate the weird part in her bangs. And what was up with the cloth wrapped around her head? The blurb is what made me want to read this book, and I hope that the next book in the series has a better cover, because this one didn't do the book any favors.

Moving on from the superficial...

The characters, oh how they drove me nuts. Mo, or Mouse as random people call her, is supposed to be nice. Yes, nice. We're told multiple times throughout the novel that she is nice one, while Verity is the energetic, pretty, vibrant, friendly, outgoing, special one. The problem with nice is that it's boring and we never really see Mo do anything or even say anything that would label her as super nice. She has very few interactions with people her own age, other than her love interests. She doesn't seem like the nice type. She's mildly rude to her mom, her uncle, her lawyer, the police and even her love interests, and only hangs out with another friend because she doesn't want people to talk about her not being nice and normal.

Luc is the first love interest to appear, and oh what a tangled mess she gets into with him right away. He's weird, and is pretending to be a doctor, and he might have been dating her dead friend Verity. But what's so bad about that? It's perfectly normal, and nice of course, to lust after your dead friend's boyfriend at her funeral, right? (See why I don't buy the whole, Mo is sooo nice aspect?) For the first half of the book, Luc is weird, annoying, frustrating and filled with a superiority complex. Nothing appealing at all about him, yet apparently he's hot and that is enough for Mo. The second half he gets a bit better, although he becomes a bit boring and predictable then. O'Rourke, it seemed, couldn't decide who Luc was. One moment he's talking as if he were an old fashioned, middle aged man, and the next he's using the word ain't. Considering the sometimes unusual (not is a good way) vocabulary O'Rourke chooses to use instead of a well placed common noun or verb, I'm thinking she was often pulling words from the dictionary just to sound smart. Maybe this is what happened to Luc.

I did like Colin. He was independent, distrustful of everyone, even Mo, and he seemed to have a believable attitude to the world he was living in. Too bad O'Rourke had to ruin his consistency by having him fall for Mo. Considering he's a few years older, and obviously has more maturity from his life experiences than Mo, I couldn't figure out why she appealed to him in the least. The kiss between them was steamy though and I'll give O'Rourke props for that.

The plot dragged. Seriously dragged. Like cut the first hundred pages of Mo flip flopping between lusting for Luc and then trying to focus on her dead friend's death all while lusting after Luc just to remind us that Mo is a mature high schooler who doesn't want to be trapped in her hometown forever (Oh, sucks to be you, Colin, who will never leave his hometown. He's SOL in the sequel.)

The action, once it starts in the last few chapters, is confusing and lacking specific details. The magic blasted into her, the magic blazed around them. The nebula consumed her. Let the nebula consume her. (Yes, that nebula consumed her twice within two pages!) There was also something about lines and they were actually an infinity of worlds and lives that crisscrossed, and they were beautiful. I wished I could have visualized what O'Rourke was seeing as she wrote the final scene, but alas, she didn't give me any details!

This is obviously part of a series, but sadly I will not bother picking up the next book. I value my time too much to be bothered spending another month of my life struggling to be interested in these characters and a magical world that I have to create on my own.

You can find other reviews by my on my blog Turning the Pages

[Joy (joyous reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two guys. Two worlds. Two destinies. One Choice.

Yikes. I know right? The love triangle alarm is blaring in my ears. I should've really ran for the hills. Let me be honest and say I didn't see that blurb when I started reading. Otherwise, Torn would've been thrown in a pile of maybe-never. I have an aversion to love triangle but for once, this book actually handled it in a way that didn't incite some self-inflicted eyes gouging.

This book was quite a pleasant surprise. In a way, it was reminiscent of Holly Black's Curse Workers' series. Mafia and magic - seems like an odd combination but they somehow worked.

Maura Fitzgerald just witnessed the horrifying murder of her best friend, Verity. She tried to convince herself that it was only a case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time. But deep inside, she knew that there was no such thing for someone like her. After all, her family’s ties to the mob was as notorious as her father’s reputation as a money-laundering felon. They have enemies - seen and now, seemingly unseen. She made a promise to avenge her death but there are forces in the works that her usually quiet existence didn’t prepare her for. With a hired bodyguard keeping an eye on her every move, and a shady boy who keeps on popping in places when she least expects him to, Mo’ finds out eventually that getting entangled with the mob would be a walk in the park compared to the world that she’s about to stumble into.

It's quite funny...and weird how the fated saviour of the entire world as we know it was killed right off the bat, so the story focused on the second-fiddle. I hard a hard time accepting it first because of the numerous times I was told that Mo' (hate that name, by the way!) would never amount to anything as glorious as saving the world. But as the story unfolds, Mo's determination to find Verity's killers became the spine that she initially lacked.

If you ask me, I think the blurb on the front cover was a bit misleading. The love triangle wasn't really the focal point of the story until closer to the end when Colin questionably and without warning, started to change the way he saw Mo and how he acted around her. The author eliminated much of the agony that I go through when I read love triangles - and to which, I'm very thankful. The lead charater didn't even waffle about the two love interests until...well, like I said, until closer to the end. Mo spent the majority of the book, angsting over what amounts to betrayal had she return Luc's advances. You see, like her, I was under the impression that Luc and Verity had a thing and to some extent, they did. The author didn't really spend too much time explaining about the complexities of their relationship nor did she do a good job of convincing me that Luc could just fall in like with Mo based on Verity's stories about her alone.

I do wish that the magic and incantations or spells were a bit more evolved. I don't know about you but I tend to like magic books filled with words I can't quite pronounced. When an author describes the spell as something fluid, indiscernible and foreign, without really divulging more about it, I feel like it's a cop out way of saying, I couldn't be bothered with research...or being original for that matter.

Despite my grievances, I found Torn to be an enjoyable read. It had action set in two worlds that had no business intersecting, a reluctant heroine bound for greatness, and a promising romance which is sure to give me future headaches :). But hey, I feel that we barely scratched the surface of this mystical world and Mo's 'inherited' powers has barely been tapped. I have the second book and rest assured, it's going up a notch or two in my insurmountable TBR pile.

[Amelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich war sowas von überrascht von diesem Roman! Das ganze klang für mich wie der durchschnittliche 0815 Urban Fantasy Liebesdreieck SCHROTT. Wenn ich das Buch nicht kostenlos und im Rahmen einer Aktion hätte lesen könne, hätte ich es wahrscheinlich nie angefasst. Aber (!) glücklicherweise ist es so gekommen, denn das Buch war so gut, dass ich beschlossen habe, auch den zweiten Band lesen zu wollen.
Was das Buch eigentlich hauptsächlich trägt, dass ist der Hauptcharakter Mo. Sie war sehr natürlich, vor allem aber willensstark und ich mochte es auch sehr, dass der Roman nicht so vollkommen typisch und vorhersehbar abgelaufen ist. Mo war nicht die Erwählte mit den supertollen Zauberkräften, die langsam in die Welt der Magie eingeführt wird um dann von den Mächten des Bösen gejagt zu werden. Nein, sie stolpert da eher rein, so ganz ausversehen. Das einzige, was sie will, das ist Rache. Sie will eigentlich nichts mit dieser ganzen Sache zu tun haben und erklärt sich nur deshalb dazu bereit, weil sie glaubt, dass es ihr hilft herauszufinden, wer ihre beste Freundin ermordet hat. Dabei verhält sie sich sowas von sympathisch und jede einzelne ihrer Handlungen ist super nachzuvollziehen!
Das "Liebesdreieck" ist lange Zeit nicht einmal ein Liebeszweieck... ehmm... Liebesstrecke. Gleichzeitig hatte ich immer das Gefühl, als empfinde Mo so rein gar nichts für Luc und das war ziemlich erfrischend. Klar, mit der Zeit hat sich das geändert, aber mit der sympathischste Satz war noch immer, als sie etwas sagte im Sinne von "Hallo?! Ich will doch nicht mein ganzes Leben an ihn gebunden sein!" Einfach herrlich.
Trotz diesen vielen positiven Punkten, gab es doch einige Aspekte, die ein bisschen zu vorhersehbar gewesen sind und auch einige logische Knicke gab es hier und da...

FAZIT


Ein Roman, der mich auf sehr positive Weise überrascht hat! Damit dass mich vor allem anderen der Hauptcharakter so gut unterhalten würde, hatte ich hier nicht gerechnet.

[Meagan Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard some people say that the cover didn't really pull them in. For me the cover had absolutely nothing to do with me picking up this book. I have an advanced review copy. It is green and simply says "Torn" on the cover. I grabbed this book simply because the title caught my attention. Simple yet powerful, I was curious to see what this book was really about.

From the very first few pages I was hooked! Mo's loss and quest for revenge paired with her growing (and often confusing) feelings about two very different men in her life, make readers fall in love with her. With every page I found myself becoming more and more wrapped up in her and in this intriguing and original story. I also found myself conflicted, along with Mo, over which guy was really right for her.

First there is Luc, who knew her friend Verity and is directly connected to all the magic that has now taken over Mo's life. Mo is sure that he had a thing for Verity and is constantly overwhelmed with doubts. Does he really want her or is she merely a substitute for the girl he can no longer have? Then we have Colin, who has been hired to protect her but who is slowly letting his guard down. From the beginning I knew that something would happen between these two and I am glad it did! Colin simply wants to keep her safe and will do whatever it takes to protect her. I have to admit, I can't decide who I want her to be with!

If you like supernatural/fantasy books then you should definitely check this one out. Even if you don't I say check this out anyway!

[Lee Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a character torn between two dangerous worlds and two risky guys? The only thing safe about this book is how good it is.

I can't decide who I think Mo should end up with. Probably Colin, but Luc may win me over. Two of my favorite romantic love interests this year!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Murder, magic, and the Mob. That’s TORN in a nutshell. Well if you add in one of the better love triangle I’ve read this year with two very different, but equally appealing guys, and a hidden magical world that lies at the brink of destruction.

I have no comment on the cover, but the title of TORN is perfect. Maura “Mo” Fitzgerald is torn. Torn between her incarcerated father and the uncle who stepped in to take care of her and her mother. Torn between the life she led in the shadow of her vibrant and beautiful best friend and the future she must embrace in the wake of her friends murder. Torn between a new world of magic and the mundane world she’s always known. Torn between the human guy assigned to protect her and the magical guy who needs her to save his people.

As much as I liked the romances and the choices Mo had to make, I did have a couple issues. The first half of TORN reads like a contemporary YA with only the barest hint of anything paranormal going on. I wish the author had speed up the narrative and kicked in the paranormal elements much earlier as the excitement, danger, and romance really took off once they came into play. I also never got over the protagonist’s name. Her name is Maura but everyone calls her Mo (or even Mouse). It never stopped sounding weird every time I read it.

Overall, despite the slow start and odd name, the last half of TORN rocked. The love triangle works exceptionally well and, like Mo, I felt torn between Collin and Luc too. There is so much more to learn about the magical world that hides along side our own and Mo’s role in saving it. I’m already looking forward to how it all plays out in TANGLED, the second book in the Torn Trilogy, which will be published in February of 2012.

Sexual Content:
Kissing

[Svenja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich finde, "Die Erwählte" hätte auch nach diesem Buch enden können. Es ist ein abgeschlossenes Ende und ich weiß auch nicht, was in den nächsten beiden Büchern passieren soll. Aber ich lass mich überraschen.

Der Anfang beginnt sehr schleppend, die Geschichte baut sich langsam auf und dann passiert plötzlich so viel auf einmal, dass man gar nicht aufhören kann zu lesen. Die Beschreibungen rund um die Magie usw. fand ich ab und zu ein wenig schwammig.

Mo ist eine sympatische Hauptfigur, die eigentlich als schüchtern beschrieben wird, aber meiner Meinung nach ist sie wirklich mutig, auch was den Umgang mit Männern angeht.
Den gut aussehenden Luc fand ich irgendwie nicht sympatisch und das hat sich auch im Laufe der Geschichte nicht geändert. Colin hingegen fand ich seeeehr sympatisch.

Insgesamt ist "Die Erwählte" ein gutes Buch. Mit einem Kauf macht man auf jeden Fall nicht viel falsch. Schade, dass das Buch nicht nach diesem Teil einfach endet. Ich mochte den Ausgang :)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first start-to-finish fabulous book I have read this year -- every moment rang true. Delicious heros, chilling villains, and a main character who is relatable, loveable, and admirable. This book is beautifully written and action-packed -- executing both those elements flawlessly is an amazing achievement. WOW!!!

[L.j. Duett · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, about the Cover.

I liked it. The girl's bangs are a bit weird but I feel as if I'm looking at an actual person, someone with character rather than just the same girl thats on every other single YA book out there. This image sticks out.

Also, Torn's plot held such promise. Instead of taking the usual YA book formula and creating the main character with all the power/ability/destiny, O'Rourke went and killed that person off. No joke, the one with the destiny was dead from the start of this book. Well not just dead, but rather killed off. How kick ass is that? Not something you read often let me tell you.
The main character, Mo (yes that is her name) is the best friend of the deceased and ends up becoming the fill-in heroine during the story. Mo has no power. Zip, nada. All Mo has going for her is a deep friendship for her deader than dead friend and a need for vengence.
This idea is refreashing and different but thats about the only thing that stands above for this book.


What I didn't like:

Mo annoyed me. I mean immensely annoyed me. The first few chapters of the book, she's all gung ho for vengene since her friend was killed. Constantly, she's thinking about justice and then just as swiftly in the midst of her, 'I have to find the killers cause I promised my dead friend' inner musings, she switches to 'Ooohhh cute guy' mode. This is freaking annoying! I don't want to shift gears that quickly. How about sticking to one theme and wondering, what's my motive? Well, Mo's motive should have been about finding her friends killer. She starts off that way but then quickly zigzags into insta love with not just one boy but two!
Another thing that annoyed me about Mo. She's supposedly this smart, shy, and reserved girl; a side kick to the dead best friend. That's how every character in the book described her but she acted nothing like that in the book! Rather, she reminded me of a tiny toy dog constantly yipping at the heels of someone bigger. In the book, she was immature fighting with her family about her independence yet sulking like a baby when she didn't get her way. She was also constantly being told to do something and she always agreed and THEN did the opposite. Hell, why even act like you agree in the first place? It's a waste of my time.

Another thing that I didn't like, was the love interestS. Yes, you see the S? There was two of them. As if, one wouldn't be enough. Mo endes up with two cute guys in her life (yes, lots of times to be distracted from what should have been her motive) one guy is a regular human and the other one has special abilities. I didn't care for the whole love intereest parts simply because they didn't seem real. Being cornered against a wall over and over again is repetitive, not romantic.

I also didn't care for the slow beginning of this book. I'm usually the type that can finish a sizable book in the span of three days. For Torn, I had to force myself to read cause I was simply that bored. Now, it did pick up speed into the second half which made the pace a little better but the word building was lacking in this book. The paranormal aspect (the magic, etc) was only partially explained in this book and often times it felt as if the author just added the paranormal scenes in when the whim arose. It was much like this:

"I''m doing my daily chores. Eating my daily meal. Aww, look a unicorn and there it goes. Back to doing my daily thing."

No joke. This was probably the most irksome part of this book for me. I hated it. Especially towards the end of the book, with the big fight scene with the bad guy. I felt this part was rushed and the author really had no clue how she was going to end the dang story. I think this, cause I often write by the seat of my pants and my stories always end up like Torn when I do.

To summarize my feelings on this review, Torn was an okay book. Not great and not horrible, just okay which is why I gave it two starts. If anything, the finalized version of this book seemed more like it was still in it's first draft stages. The author could have put some more time into this story. Tweaked the writting a bit, smoothed out the ending and maybe dumped one of the love interests and then Torn would have earned more stars.


This review was originally posted to my blog:
http://ljduett.blogspot.com/

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A refreshing perspective from someone who was never supposed to be the one to save the world. A story of love, fate and chance – beware, once you start, you won’t be able to put it down.

Opening Sentence: I woke up to the smell of Lysol and the end of the world.

The Review:

When Mo Fitzgerald wakes up in the hospital, all she wants to know is what happened to her best friend Verity. Mo remembers everything that happened the night her best friend died. But she doesn’t understand any of it. Everyone keeps avoiding her questions – except the mysterious Luc. He tells her answers she doesn’t want to hear – that Verity died and it’s best if she just keeps on living her normal life. But Mo won’t let it go. It becomes her mission to find out who or what killed her best friend and to make sure they pay. When the magical world of Arcs needs another Vessel because Verity died, Mo (a Flat, someone who can’t use magic) is the only one who can help. But she’s not only in danger from the magical world, but whatever business her uncle does, besides owning and tending a bar. Nothing is as it seems, and Mo’s normal world of senior year and college is about to be thrown out the window.

I devoured this series in three days (what else are you supposed to do when you’re snowed in for a whole week?). It is one of the best and refreshing trilogies I’ve read in a while. From the intrigues of the Chicago Mob to the broken world of Arcs, O’Rourke takes you on a journey that will have you on our toes for the entire ride.

Mo is such a relatable character. She’s normal, she has straight A’s, is known to be a “good girl,” plans on going to college and being successful. But she has secrets, reasons she needs to move away. In New York, no one will know her father is in jail for embezzlement from her Uncle’s pub. No one will know the rumors of her Uncle Billy – how he really works for the Chicago Mob and controls their entire neighborhood. But when Verity dies, Mo is thrown into a world she was never supposed to know about, a world that needs her because she has Verity’s blood in her. I really love the perspective O’Rourke took. Instead of a heroine that was always meant to save the world because of some prophesy or whatnot, this is a heroine by chance, a heroine that doesn’t possess any magical powers, but is surrounded by those who do. I admire her spunky and determined attitude despite all the obstacles she must overcome throughout the entire novel. But her choice in a guy? Not so much.

Luc and Colin are almost complete opposites of each other. Both are bound by duty to be close to her and protect her. But where Colin is as stone cold as a statue (seriously, you could punch the guy in the stomach and he wouldn’t flinch), Luc is as fiery and warm as a campfire in the middle of winter (which makes sense since he can control fire). Luc is by far my favorite, but despite my constant yelling at Mo to change her mind, the solid, yet tender Colin wins this round. Did I mention he is 5 years older? Ick.

Overall, this book blew me away, despite the not so appealing cover and synopsis. Both of Mo’s worlds – the magical and the “normal” – are so complex, I cannot wait to delve deeper into them. And what’s even better? All the books are out! No cliffhangers here to worry about!

Notable Scene:

He touched my cheek, where the flying glass had cut me, “Looks like you caught it pretty good. Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“So I can fix it. Can’t take you home looking like you were in a bar fight. What’s Cujo gonna say?”

I had a pretty good idea of what Colin would say – none of it good, all of it loud. “I meant, why do I have to close my eyes?”

He shifted. “Feels strange to have you looking at me, I guess.”

“I like to,” I said without much thinking. “Besides, it’s not fair. You’re looking at me.”

He held back a smirk, only partway successfully. “Suit yourself.”

“I will.”

FTC Advisory: Kensington provided me with a copy of Torn. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Seriously. I haven't given many 5 star ratings to new, contemporary books, but this is one that really deserves it.

I'm not a huge fan of love triangle stories because it's so hard to show the two choices in a way that makes them both equally appealing. (If one's a clear winner over the other, the one who's debating looks stupid. And even if they're both equally good, the chooser too often comes off as flighty.)

HOWEVER, the author did a great job here. She portrayed both men well, and Mo's debate felt realistic. (I think Luc should have done a better job of communicating his feelings/intentions, but maybe that's just not him. And I loved Colin's reasoning to her. Yeah, I think I'm Team Colin. :) )

I loved the author's choices's plot-wise. Having the protagonist be a "Muggle" in the middle of a "wizard" war was brave and awesome. The resolution was strong and beautiful--like so many aspects I loved about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

I also loved how both in the human world and the magic world, Mo was between a rock and a hard place. Mob issues and end of world issues--stakes don't get much better than that. Especially when she had to choose between them.

Many things other reviewers didn't like about it were things I loved, so let me explain my reasons:

- Other reviewers complain about the slow pace/lack of paranormal at the beginning.

This story grabbed me from the first page and never let go. However, much of the sense of dread and paranormal is developed in subtext in the beginning, so I can see how some readers might not pick up on those elements.

We see weirdness happen from the first couple pages with Luc--if we're paying attention. Yes, Mo doesn't realize it's weird, so she can't point it out to us with blinking lights, saying "Wow, that's weird." That reading between the lines was one reason I loved this story. It's NOT all spoon-fed.

- Mo's character development: Is she nice or not?

Another thing I loved about this story is that it didn't have huge chunks of backstory, even though the past is incredibly important to the current story. In fact, I think I'll recommend this book to any writer who says they need loads of backstory. :)

We're shown Mo's behavior now and her internalization tells us the old Mo would never have done xyz. We see enough shock from other's reactions to know she's telling us the truth. The whole point of her arc is showing us how she's tired of being "nice."

And don't confuse "nice" with "kind." Nice girls would do things a kind girl wouldn't and vice versa. Nice does not mean putting others first or looking out for the little guy. Nice simply means that she was always expected to do what she was told, not make a scene, don't question her mother/uncle, etc. The being invisible kind of nice. The damning praise kind of nice. (A mom setting up her daughter on a date with the class dweeb because "he's such a nice boy" kind of nice.)

Her family had stifled her, and this story is about her coming into her own. Kindness has nothing to do with that. That said, I found Mo extremely likable, and I could relate to both her nice past and her self-assured future. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and that's more than I can say for many books I read. :)

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In most fantasy books, there's a hero (or heroine). Someone with a hidden destiny, great powers, etc. Well, that girl gets killed off before the book begins. I honestly love that idea, but I did't love this book.

We start in a Chicago hospital emergency room. The savior's best friend Mo (who survived the bad-guy attack), is coming to terms with the idea that Verity (did her name annoy anyone else? Truth. Okay, we get it.) is dead. Mo is an ordinary, shy girl with no powers. We know she is ordinary because she has brown hair (Verity was a blond) and her nickname is Mouse. Still, "ordinary" is pushing it. Mo's family is in the Mob, but she (somehow) doesn't know that, even though her father is in prison and her uncle is obviously a Goodfella. At the hospital, a hot Southern guy named Luc in a lab coat tells her to keep quiet about what she saw during the attack and "everything will go back to normal." Except she won't and it won't, because this is a YA fantasy novel.

Mo swears vengeance on her friend's killers. This is something that would only happen in a book. What 17 year old girl in real life would do that? Any relationship between Mo and her Mom and Uncle Billy is completely absent in this story. Newsflash: your daughter (niece) was nearly killed in a violent attack that left her best (only?) friend ripped apart on the pavement. She held her hand while the kid bled out. Maybe you should talk to her about it? Or send her to a counselor? Or do ANYTHING? I know that this is not written to appeal to my age group, but come on!

Anyway, Uncle Billy hires an (illegal) gun-toting bodyguard (can we be honest and say, hit man?) to shadow Mo to keep her safe. Colin is 22, hot, in an earthy sort of way, cranky, and fiercely protective of Mo. (He is Jacob to Luc's Edward.) Luc is an Arc (magic-user) who was supposed to help Verity save magic by keep the "Torrent" from happening. Luc is emotionally distant, literally pops in out of thin air and never really tells Mo what's going on, although he is fiercely possessive. (Like I said, Edward.) Mo will take Verity's place, although she has no powers and can't stay out of trouble. (and so, she is Bella, though not as clumsy.)

Will Mo save the day? Which hunky guy (who has appeared out of nowhere) will she choose? Why do so many of these books remind me of Twilight? The only real surprise is that Ms. O'Rourke wraps up the Torrent storyline in this book. I expected her to draw it out to fill the next few books. The last few chapters seemed rushed. The identity of the big-bad person was obvious from the start. I don't know what's left to fill more books, but I, for one, don't care.

[Nerissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maura “Mo” Fitzgerald has just gone through what could be considered the worse day of her life, she just witnessed her best friend, Verity’s murder and finds herself laying in a hospital bed. Her life will never be the same again. Mo has been surrounding by secrets her entire life; she just didn’t realize it until now. Her world begins to fall apart as the one constant she knows has been violently ripped away from her. Mo struggles with dealing with her best friend’s death, wanting to seek revenge and trying to find out who she is.


I loved that Mo was an ordinary girl that was dropped into a magical world and there was nothing extraordinary about her, she was just “Mo” a shy, 17 yr old girl who has lost her best friend. This book has magic, deceit, and romance. It’s about a girl who has to get over her insecurity issues in order to seek the revenge that she so desperately wants. Everything Mo does she reverts back to the question what would Verity do. She has lived so much of her life in the shadows, and is trying to set her own path.


The title of the book is excellent and very fitting for the story as Maura is torn between two worlds and two guys. The love interest tension is very high and believable but I’m not sure how I feel about Colin. Luc I could completely see the relationship; the struggle to choose whether or not they should fight what they feel. But, with Colin I’m not so sure I knew when it shifted from friends to something more, it almost seemed forced. But, don’t let this derail you, this book is definitely worth picking up.

This story was unique with its mob references and the magical world built around the four elements, fire, water, earth, and air. I love the author’s use of flashbacks; they transport you from the here and now to the past in an instant without any difficulty or choppiness in the reading. This story was fascinating and full of suspense; with each page that I turned I was eagerly waiting to find out what piece of the puzzle Mo would discover next. I really enjoyed this story and would give it 4 stars.

Mo’s journey isn’t over, it’s just the beginning and I am eager to see where the author takes us next. The next book in the series will be released in February 2012.

[Chrystal Grcevich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! Sure, the plot is predictable in places, it's a light read, the scenario is unlikely (nerdy girl gets two hot guys??), but I find it so refreshing to have these things once in awhile. The purpose of a fantasy book is to be fun and extreme. I like the concept! Why not make it grandiose? Kudos to the author for taking the road less followed. I love to read about the not-so-likely heroes and heroines because it brings the impossible down a notch or two. Maura is a good girl who follows the rules, but she snaps when her best friend dies and begins to take control of her own destiny. She makes some terrible choices, but she learns throughout the story that, while it's nice to have a normal life full of normal things and normal decisions, sometimes going out of the way to make her own choice has its rewards. Unfortunately, she realizes the consequences of her hasty and selfish decisions a little too late.

I think that we all do this, to some extent, right? The best part of the book is that Maura does realize at the end what it is she has to do to repair a bit of what she caused. She turns from a selfish little girl who only wants what SHE wants into a young lady who does something for the better good. If you want a quick but engaging story, then I recommend this book wholeheartedly. If you're looking for something complex with overly detailed (and unnecessary) characters, well, look further. This is not one of those books, and it is the perfect type of novel for me! Remember that this is a young adult novel. Vapidity and simple themes always run rampant in this genre. That's why I go for them; my life is way too complicated to read a book that requires flipping back and forth because you haven't picked up the book in a day or two.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well . . . I can't say I liked this book, but I never got so mad I had to force myself to keep reading. So that's something. But there were a few things that did annoy me. One: Why are girls in YA novels always flat-chested? And what is with the focus on cleavage? I assure you, girls, boys are going to be looking if your shirt is low-cut enough. Or even if it's not. Two: The focus on Verity was a little weird, bordering on worship. She was beautiful, charming, popular, yet nice. Why does the best friend always have to be so dang perfect? Oh, Mo mentioned she had flaws, but never cited any. Three: The so-called love triangle. I didn't see it. For the vast majority of the book it's all about Luc, and then it's like, oh, hello, Colin. Let's kiss. Take off your shirt. The romance[s] could have been woven into the story a little better.

I'm not counting this as an annoyance, but I never cared about the book's mythology. Okay, the end of the world is happening, yet I have no idea who these opposing factions are or what motivates them. Mo just believes everything two people tell her about the prophecy or whatever, just because she witnessed a bit of magic. I felt the world of the magic people should have been better developed—or, well, developed at all—but maybe that will be done in the second/third books of the trilogy.

I really have no desire to read the second book, but maybe I'll change my mind if I have nothing better on my list.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story! I was drawn to this book by her eyes on the cover. The main character, Mo, is a "normal" girl living in Chicago and attending Catholic school. Her family is involved in the mob, although that does not have too much effect on her life (in the beginning of the story). I like that she is not a total outcast/ underdog like the protagonist in many paranormal series.. I also like that she is self-reliant and resourceful on her own (no magic, no guy).
It is the typical pattern of magical boy vs. other boy to "get the girl." But with Mo, she is not primarily focused on the guy (although she is aware of them- of course, they are both gorgeous in very different ways). She is TORN between the two worlds- her regular life and the magical world into which she is thrust. Her family (at least her mother) is a priority to her, as is her deceased best friend's sister (who blames Mo for the death). Mo is far from the "oh my, whatever shall I do" female character- I wouldn't mess with her, magic or not!
I also like the type of magic used in thisI series- pulling on energy lines that already exist. This must be a trend in pararnormals because I have read/ am reading three other series with this idea.
I shared this with some of my female students-- they read it as fast as I did and waited with me for the sequels (of course, I read them before I let my students borrow them). I would LOVE to see this as a movie!

[Reading Vacation · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mo and Verity had been best friends for years. They shared everything, or so Mo believed. After Verity is murdered, her secrets come out and there is magic involved. Evil magic. It doesn’t stop there. When Mo seeks revenge for Verity’s murder, Verity’s secret becomes her own. If you are thinking wow, you are right, WOW!

Torn’s take on magic is that it is centered on the four elements – fire, water, earth, and air. I love how the magic is tied to nature. This magic is powerful and very unstable; just like nature with its lightning, tsunamis, earthquakes, and tornadoes. Magic takes center stage in Torn.

Mo may be the main character, but my favorite character is Verity. Although she is murdered early on, her presence is strong. Mo often asks herself “what would Verity do” when she is in a tough situation. I hope there is a prequel in the works to give Verity more time in the spotlight.

Protective Colin and dangerous Luc are on this adventure with Mo. They really could not be more opposite, but they are both believable love interests for Mo. There is just enough romance, but not enough to take away from the action.

Read Torn for fast-paced action amid unsettling magic and surprising secrets.

RATING

5 Loved

COVER COMMENTS

Wow, I love Mo’s striking green eyes. She looks so mysterious with the purple swirling around her face.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd not read or heard of Erica O'Rourke before reading this book but she is an excellent writer. The book begins with Maura, or Mo in the hospital after an attack she can't describe. She was with her best friend, Verity, when they were attacked and Verity was killed. Turns out, Verity had some magical secrets and a fateful place in the world of magic.

Maura's family has deep roots in the mob. Because of this attack, it appears that someone is trying to reach Uncle Billy via Mo. He stations a bodyguard for her safety. The love triangle is complete with the introduction of Luc, Verity's secret partner in magic, from New Orleans.

The components of magic are destabilizing. With the shifts, one group wants the power and control which would throw much of the world into chaos. With Verity dead, Mo is out for revenge. She may have more power within her to change fate, however.

The story is interesting and kept me turning pages. The pace is perfect with enough down time for introspection to better understand the protagonist but not so much I wanted to strangle her. In fact, I liked all of the characters in the book. The protagonist and the two love interests are all interesting and unique people.

This book is part of a tour organized by the Teen Book Scene. My review is based solely on my impressions and are not endorsed in any way.

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not reading Torn by Erica O'Rourke is the biggest mistake of your life and it was almost mine.During my senior year of high school i found the Torn giveaway on goodreads. Can you believe i almost didn't enter the contest.I didn't like the main character name but for some reason or another i submitted my information anyway.Looking back i'm glad that i did and i'm kinda embarrassed because i love Mo.She is my favorite character and she will be your too.She tops Bella and dare i say any other female character in our YA amusement park .she is vulnerable,smart and strong.The boys in her life are amazing.i have to say that after reading Torn i didn't know whose team i was on cause every time she was with one i thought he was the one for her and then the other guy would come onto the scene and i discovered i loved him too.Torn gives you sense of urgency like you've never felt before.It makes you feel a thirst for the next word that Miss Erica O'Rourke writes. Honestly, i couldn't put torn down which is why i pre-ordered Tangled.Torn is the type of book you don't lend out because once you do it wont occupy your bookshelf again. Unfortunately i know what that's like which is why i need to re order it so that i could re read it and continue reading Mo's story.Torn was an amazing story and i know the Tangled will not dissapoint

[Jessica Saylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Torn felt like a really long read for me. It is really strange though, because it isn't in a bad way. It feels like every once in a while I would tune into someone else's life, and the whole story took place over several days. Confusing? Probably.

The characters, while fun, felt a little generic to me. I really like a lot of brooding and depth to my male characters, especially in a triangle, and I didn't get that. And truthfully, I didn't see what was so special about Mo that made these two guys become so attracted to her so quickly. All she did was defy everyone, which is what they said they liked about her, but I never really got the sense that she was a good human being on top of not taking crap. Granted, I never got the sense that she wasn't either.

The story was really good though. I can't say much without spoiling, but the new spin they take on it was really interesting and plays into reality very well I think.

All in all, I enjoyed it but won't be thinking about it for weeks.

First Line:
"I woke up to the smell of Lysol and the end of the world."

This is a book for you if you like:
New series; love triangles; light mystery

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Two guys. Two worlds. Two destinies... One choice.'
-- let's be real, it had me at 'Two guys.'

In the very first page of this book, we find Mo in the hospital, having barely survived an attack that took the life of her best friend in the entire world, Verity. Remembering only pieces of the evening, she sets out to avenge Verity's death, and finds herself thrown into a world she never knew existed. One that even her best friend was keeping secret from her.

I felt bad for Mo in the beginning - being the girl who wants nothing more than just to blend in, to get through school unscathed, and being constantly thrown under the spotlight is a bit unnerving. But, thankfully, we see her come into her own by the end of the book. It was refreshing to see that she was able to stand-up for what she believed was right, and that she finally was able to see herself as something other than Verity's shadow.

I thoroughly enjoyed both guys in the story. Luc and Colin -- honestly, I'm not sure who I want her to be with, I love them both!
Both are fiercely protective of Mo -> swoonworthy.

I can't wait for the sequel to come out!! God, I need to know who she picks!

[Dorian Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 100 pages or so into this book, I genuinely liked it. I found it getting a bit crazier nearing the end of the book though. Like many others, I found the world very confusing and hard to relate to. Mo was a pretty enjoyable character, but she did seem very pathetic at times. She would rant on and on about how she was nothing compared to Verity. I didn't really understand how she basically become the replacement vessel either. The love triangle seemed very forced. I definetly could see the chemistry between Mo and Luc. Although I viewed Colin as more of an older brother figure to Mo. That love story didn't even seem to come in until the last 50 pages of the book. However, I did enjoy reading about a character that didn't really have anything special about her. Overall, I thought the story was a good idea, but it was too confusing at times.

[Kathriona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Als "Weg in die Dunkelheit" erwies sich für mich leider die Lektüre dieses Buchs: extrem naiver Hauptcharakter, unglaubwürdige Liebesgeschichte(n), zu viele Fantasy-Klischees, öfters unpassende Wortwahl und mein Liebling, der mehr als perfekte Luc ;-)
Aber dadurch, dass Bou das Buch zum Kommentieren hat herumgehen lassen hatte ich trotzdem ganz viel Spaß beim Lesen (und war ehrlich gesagt auch vielleicht etwas kritischer als sonst) :-)
Eine richtige Rezension folgt hoffentlich noch in den nächsten Tagen.

[Cecilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. The main character was kind of quiet ("mousy"), but equally determined and loyal. The story-line had good interaction between a few of the characters (Luc, Mo, and Colin mostly) and it added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. There was also a little bit of heat between Mo and the two guys, which is always appreciated. Seeing Mo's decisions and settling into the type of person she wanted to be was also enjoyable. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

[Brigid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Not your typical love triangle at all, the guys were insanely hot, and even at the end of the book, I still can't decide who Mo should end up with. Great read. I flew through the whole thing in 24 hours, and with a full time job and a preschooler, that's saying something.

Definitely pick this one up.

[Lora]

This sounds interesting except for the love triangle. *annoyance*

[Tina ♥ Bookaholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

English Review:
Reviews for average books are always the most difficult ones to write – as well as it’s also with the book ‘Torn’. But this fits equally well on the subject, because this story is about an average girl, or about one that tries everything to remain invisible and ordinary.

Where we got already to the storyline, all around Mo (Maura) who has up to now quite well managed to remain in the background – silently, quietly and nice – as long as, until her best friend and the luminous star in her life is killed before her eyes. But not from ‘normal’ humans, but from some supernatural beings. With what it’s immediately clear for the reader that this book is about fantasy, but which Mo isn’t able to admit to herself for a long time, and therefore at first it’s a little dull and the author ‘beats about the bush’. I think not until at the half of the book finally some questions get answered, which the readers could already make sense of from the beginning by themselves. Unfortunately, the same one happens not only with the fantasy aspect, but also with the conclusions from it. But also the family story and the business of her uncle Billy were no surprise for me, as well as the thing with two guys.

Yes, you’ve read correctly – Mo: a quiet, insignificant, average girl, not especially attractive, never had a real boyfriend before, gets suddenly the attention of TWO really hot guys and I can only ask myself ‘Why?‘
For me Mo doesn’t have many aspects which they would make her special or particular. She whines a lot, doesn’t manage the loss of her friend – what is also understandable – but it is not quite clear, why she now constantly tries everything to act like her friend Verity would have, or why she suddenly wants to be so much like her and nevertheless feels always like the seconds quality. Mo also often cries, is constantly unconfident and has several long monologues which fill the pages and where I often could only roll my eyes.

To my luck there were these two hot guys in the book with whom the author has taken more care to describe them positively, even if it often happened by the portrayal of the external attributes. Nevertheless I liked Colin and Luc much better than Mo and I hope to read even more about them. The irritating thing is only that Mo has to kiss both guys – yeah, because she’s so shy – and therefore it was difficult to get really embed with one of this two and make a choice between them.
At least Mo changed a little till to the end and luckily became more snappish, headstrong and didn’t put up with everything anymore and stood up to herself and her decisions. A plus factor for this change, which was really necessary.

Unfortunately the writing style wasn’t my taste, because I felt that it was written very simply and sometimes a little bumpy. Whereat the normal text passages were still okay, but the dialogues didn’t work at all. The chats and the dialogues were often absolutely without any connection and they sometimes showed little sense to me. Not only, the answers to some questions or indications, but also in the middle of a dialogue of a person. For example, at first Mo says something to Luc, something personal, and then she changes from that to a completely other subject – so fast, that I became dizzy.
And there were also sometimes word repetitions and some stuff in the book unfortunately seemed to me like a raw version, instead like a real finished book.
For more Info: http://martinabookaholic.wordpress.co...

Deutsche Rezension:
Rezensionen zu durchschnittlichen Büchern sind immer am schwierigsten zu schreiben – so wie es mir auch hier geht. Aber das passt dafür gleich gut zum Thema, da diese Geschichte über ein durchschnittliches Mädchen handelt, bzw. über eines, dass alles versucht unsichtbar und mittelmäßig zu bleiben.

Wo wir bei der Handlung wären, rund um Mo (Maura), die bisher ganz gut damit zurecht gekommen ist, im Hintergrund – still, leise und brav – zu bleiben, solange, bis ihre beste Freundin und der leuchtende Stern in ihrem Leben, vor ihren Augen getötet wird. Aber nicht von ‚normalen‘ Menschen, sondern von übernatürlichen Wesen. Womit dem Leser gleich von Anfang an klar ist, dass es sich hier um ein Fantasiebuch handelt, was aber Mo längere Zeit nicht wahrhaben will und somit wird länger um den heißen Brei geredet. Ich glaube, erst bei der Hälfte des Buches werden endlich Fragen beantwortet, die sich der Leser bereits von Beginn an selber zusammenreimen konnte. Das gleiche passiert leider nicht nur mit dem Fantasieaspekt, sondern auch mit den Schlussfolgerungen daraus. Aber auch die Familiengeschichte und die Geschäfte ihres Onkels Billy waren keine Überraschung, wie auch die Sache mit den zwei Kerlen.

Ja, richtig gelesen – Mo, ein stilles, unscheinbares, durchschnittliches Mädchen, nicht besonders hübsch, hatte vorher noch nie einen richtigen Freund, bekommt plötzlich die Aufmerksamkeit von ZWEI wirklich heißen Typen und ich frage mich nur ‚Warum?‘
Mo hat für mich nicht viele Aspekte, die sie für mich besonders machen würden. Sie jammert viel, kommt mit dem Verlust ihrer Freundin nicht klar – was auch nachvollziehbar ist – aber es ist nicht ganz verständlich, warum sie nun ständig alles versucht zu tun, wie es auch Verity gemacht hätte, warum sie plötzlich so sehr wie sie sein will und sich trotzdem immer nur schlechter fühlt, die zweite Wahl in allen Belangen. Mo heult auch oft, ist ständig unsicher und führt seitenlange Monologe, wo ich oft nur die Augen verdrehen konnte.

Zum Glück gab es dann doch diese zwei heißen Kerle im Buch, bei welchen die Autorin sich dann doch bemüht hat sie positiv darzustellen, auch wenn das oft durch die Schilderung der äußeren Attribute passierte. Trotzdem konnte ich Colin und Luc um einiges besser leiden als Mo und ich hoffe noch mehr von ihnen zu lesen. Das irritierende ist nur, dass Mo mit beiden rumknutschen musste –sie ist ja so schüchtern… – somit es schwer ist, sich auf einen von den zweien einzulassen.
Wenigstens verändert sich Mo doch noch zum Ende hin eine Spur und wird zum Glück etwas kratzbürstiger, widerspenstiger und lässt sich nicht mehr alles gefallen und steht zu sich selber und ihren Entscheidungen. Ein Pluspunkt für die Veränderung, welche sehr notwendig war.

Der Schreibstil war aber leider nicht nach meinem Geschmack, da ich es sehr einfach geschrieben empfand und manchmal etwas holprig. Wobei die normallen Textpassagen noch okay waren, die Dialoge dafür aber überhaupt nicht funktioniert haben. Die Gespräche und die Dialoge daraus waren oft total zusammenhangslos zusammengewürfelt, dass sie für mich manchmal wenig Sinn ergaben. Nicht nur, die Antworten auf manche Fragen oder Andeutungen, aber auch mitten in einem Dialog einer Person. Zum Beispiel sagt Mo zuerst etwas zu Luc, etwas persönliches, und dann wechselt sie davon zu einem komplett anderen Thema – so schnell, dass mir schwindelig davon wurde.
Auch kamen manchmal Wortwiederholungen vor und einiges wirkte auf mich leider wie eine Rohfassung, anstatt wie ein fertiges Buch.
Mehr Info auf: http://martinabookaholic.wordpress.co...

[Karri · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a great book. Not horrible but not great. It had many elements from other books so it felt like I was re-reading those other books but in a less well written way. Maybe that is too harsh. Maybe it was just too much of a mish- mosh of other ideas. I just don’t even know. It did get better at the end, so that helped. I am not a huge fan of love triangles and from the start this one is there. It impedes on the story when it is a main focus or the girl is so frivolous she can’t make a decision so she just goes between the two.
I don’t think I will read the other 2, especially since I barely got through this one. Even putting it down deciding I just couldn’t finish it... just to go ahead and finish it because I hate quitting books even when they are not great.
If you want a quick, kind of brainless read then this one is for you. If you are tired of that kind of stuff ol then it’s not.
2 stars cause I felt bad for giving it 1 when I know the author did her best.