Title: Fathomless
Author: Jackson Pearce (Twitter)
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: September 4, 2012
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 291
Source: Publisher

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

Celia, Jane and Anne are of the sea. Each sister is armed with their own distinctive power. Celia sees your past, Jane understands your present and Anne can see your future. Celia has always been the least powerful and important of the three, or so she thought. When Lo appears with no recollection of who she once was, Celia can connect her past to her present and might just be able to give Lo the greatest gift of all - one that she might just need. But all gifts and powers come at a price, and Lo's price...is high.

Fathomless is the latest installment in a promising series of fairy tale retellings. This time, readers are treated to an imaginative underwater world filled with mermaids, sea creatures and a dark retelling of the children's classic, The Little Mermaid. Interestingly enough, author Jackson Pearce has given us another novel that is a companion the Sisters Red and Sweetly, giving us little hints as to how these stories are minutely enmeshed with one another. With a cold, swirling underwater world as a backdrop and characters that keep you guessing for days, Fathomless moves swimmingly (pun intended).

I have to admit, guys, that I'm a little bit torn on this installment in the series retellings. I wanted really, really badly to love Fathomless, and while there are elements that I thought were done exceptionally well, there were a lot of things about the book that left me wanting more. The book is told in alternating viewpoints from Lo and Celia, which I thought was done quite well. It can be difficult to keep the pace of a book moving if you don't feel a connection with their voices, or if they're not distinct enough. Fathomless did well in terms of distinguishing between both their voices and, therefore, really allowed me to see deeper into their characters, which was a highlight for me. However, I felt that their attraction to the human boy, Jude was a bit cloying and while, yes, it is that way in the classic tale, let's be honest...don't we all want a real reason? There was also a bit of information overload with Fathomless. We're given a great setup, awesome characters and a winning synopsis, but establishing the connections between the companion novels felt a bit too convenient and too forced at times. It also threw the pacing for a bit and drew me out of the world beneath the waves into a mess of confusion, which kind of pulled me away from my love of the story. Thankfully, a winning element, yet again, is the author's ability to create a rich world with vivid words and fantastic prose throughout.

I'm by no means saying that this is a bad book because it's not, and the author's writing style really does shine, as always. I give Fathomless a 3 out of 5, and I'm sure it will work better for other readers than it did for me. I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy fantasy and fairy tale retellings.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Purity
Author: Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Publish Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 224
Source: Publisher

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

Shelby lost her mother at a tender, impressionable young age, and she promised her mother a few things before she died. She would always listen to her father, love as much as possible and live life without restraint. Life has changed a lot since her mother’s passing, but those promises haven’t. When she and her father’s worlds collide with the Princess Ball – a place where she’ll make a purity pledge she knows she can’t break – Shelby begins to question things. She will not break her vows, but she realizes there’s a loophole. If she loses her virginity before the ball, she’s not breaking any covenants after all. The vows, however, are just the beginning.

I’ve read a few of Jackson Pearce’s books now, and I’ve loved them all. She has this way with words that’s both completely illustrative, but also extremely straightforward and honest. Purity was no exception. With a protagonist that is human with flaws and all, a supporting cast of characters that are entertaining and engaging and a theme that’s tricky and tension-filled, the novel doesn’t back away from potential controversy. Fearless and evocative, emotional and heartfelt, Purity doesn’t back down, and it gives new light to those grey areas that religion and society so often like to gloss over.

Guys, there’s always going to be controversy when it comes to novels that touch on religion, purity, teen sex, death and more. I think the mistake these books often make is taking the situations and painting them in the authors’ points of view, rather than the mindset of the character. Purity, however, did something I found rather refreshing. Shelby was flawed. Trust me. She wasn’t a bad apple, but she wasn’t the nicest to those around her, she was a bit conniving at times and she made rash and often snap judgments without giving thought to the potential consequences. Rather than being obnoxious and cloying, however, I found Shelby almost endearing because she was so very human – flaws and all. Furthermore, Purity doesn’t shy away from the topic of religion and manages to display to very polar opposite sides without being preachy or attempting to sway you to one viewpoint. As readers, we’re allowed to see what we want to see within the novel, as it illustrates the story but has a sort of top-level ambivalence that prevents it from being obnoxious and overbearing. I will, however, state that as a religious person, I did feel my upbringing (my moral high ground, if you will) clashing with parts of the story at times. That, however, is not a flaw of Purity and, as a reader, I’ll choose to look at it as a strength because it made me both think and feel.

All in all, I think that Purity was a great book, and I believe the author brought a fabulous new voice to the topic and issue. I do have to note that those with strong religious convictions, aversions to teen sex and religious themes will probably find issue with this book. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy issue-driven contemporary.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.