Chasing Atlantis by Kelly Coughlin – a Review

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Description:
Chasing Atlantis is riveting, and exciting until the very end. A story that keeps you guessing and questioning the very framework of humanity. One girl’s courage to face the truth about her family and her past will reveal the truth about what Atlantis really represents. Amy believes her yearly pilgrimage to the beach will be just like every other time but she is wrong–dead wrong. As she comes of age she finds herself surrounded by people who want to use her, but for what purpose is still undecided. Who can she trust? Her family friend since childhood? Or this strange mystery boy who can drown her with his eyes?Only time will tell.

Review:

I try to approach any novel I have yet to read with an open mind, even if it is compiled of a style I am unused to reading in. Despite knowing that the book Chasing Atlantis; written by new author Kelly Coughlin, appeared to be out of my comfort zone, I sat down; made myself comfortable, and began.  I came away from the completion of the book pleasantly surprised in some ways, and in other ways, exactly how I was expecting to feel.  Moving on to the review….

It is easy to tell that teenagers who enjoy the Fantasy genre will love this book. Amy, our heroine is full of vibrant energy.  Although as an adult, I could not relate and connect on a personal level with her fierce, opinionated nature, I found myself amused at her antics, and thought processes.  I struggled a bit with the first person perspective, as I tend to prefer receiving third person P.O.V while navigating a novel.  However, Chasing Atlantis had a nice steady pace flowing from the introduction of the heroine, (and her humorous breakup of her current boyfriend) to the location of where our journey will take place.

In no time at all, I found the fantasy buff within me intrigued with the mystical “beings” of Ms. Coughlin’s world.  It was piercingly clear once Amy arrived at her Mother’s home, that things were not as they appeared.  Including her Mother, and her stepfather, Steve themselves.  Feeling out of sorts and an instinctual need to put space between herself and the parents who feel like strangers…Amy gets into her vehicle and drives.  Finding herself inexplicably drawn towards the beach. 

What would any YA premise be without a mysterious, darkly handsome boy?  Enter Ty and his two brothers. Patrick, the eldest, silent and brooding by nature, and Henry, who is quite the jokester.  All three present a veneer of civility to hide their secrets, and all three seam to know exactly who Amy is.  How could these brothers know her when she only just met them?  And why does Ty feel familiar?  It is only a matter of time before our heroine finds herself in the middle of personal agenda’s, coming at her from many different directions. 

I enjoyed attempting to discover who was friend, and who was foe alongside our female lead.  The backstories of Ty, Amy, the brothers, and the frightening Adam, was well written.  Yet I found it all a little too far on the vague side.  It feels as if this was deliberate on the part of the author? Perhaps there are plans for more adventures with Ty and Amy.  By the end, I felt as if I lacked a complete grasp on why Amy was caught between the power struggle.

Despite no specific “Ah-ha” moment; where all the pieces of the puzzle fell in place for me, the ending was filled with action, and suspense.  Thank you Kelly Coughlin for showing me that sometimes it is okay to step outside of my literary bubble and look around. I will be keeping an eye out for Ty and Amy in the future.  🙂 

Reviewed by Miranda

Copy provided by Publisher