Book Recap: Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Cover Inspection:
Yes! This cover fits the story perfectly!

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
To New Yorker Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic, and wholly unknown. But when tragedy strikes, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where her sister and aunt have built their lives and where centuries of family secrets await her. Once there, Rosa wastes no time falling head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both intrigue and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.
Ancient myths brought to life in the Sicilian countryside, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a long history of familial bloodlust prove to Rosa that she can’t trust anyone—not even her own family. Torn between loyalty to her aunt and love for her family’s mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love . . . or run as far and as fast as she can.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	3.5
Plot	3.5
Writing	3.0
Characters	3.5
Ending	3.5
Overall Rating	3.5 Superior! (93% to 96%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The main character moved from the States to Sicily.

MAIN CHARACTERS:
The main character is Rosa Alcantara. She is a very strong character. Stealthy and edgy. Not afraid to speak her mind. A bit rude especially when pissed. Steals things "for the thrill of it."

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
Rosa Alcantara, the heir to the Alcantara Clan travels to Sicily. Then she meets the handsome Alessandro Carnevare, fell in love with him, and found out that he is actually the son of the rival mafia boss. This is the story of how they found out about their family's secrets, how they fought their way to the top and how they struggled for their love.

LOVE:
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

The setting. The story takes place in Sicily. I am a sucker for books that are set in any European country. I find them fascinating. Alluring. Exotic.

The mafia theme. I am also a sucker for all things mafia. And this book is IT. Kai Meyer integrated all the necessary gangster story ingredients that I am looking for: treachery, crime, cruelty, deceit, and of course a good romance. This is not to say that this is a full blown mafia book like the Godfather by Mario Puzo. It's not. It's still very tame and mild. Still completely YA.

The Romeo and Juliet theme. Forbidden romances! The main character is in love with the enemy's son. Now, this may seem pretty common in today's YA literature. But let me tell you that the romance in this book is not forced and fake, unlike the other YA couplings. There is no instalove here. The romance is gradual and steady. In fact, this story is not driven by the hormones of the characters. There is a very good story behind the sweet romance.

The originality. I am impressed. The author managed to weave mafia, shape-shifting, and Greek mythology into a very detailed, very intricate, very intriguing story. What can be more original than that?

NO LOVE:
I have issues with the way some of the sentences were formed. I feel like there are not enough transition sentences. Hence, it is not as smooth as I would like it to be. Also, there were some sentences that I found a bit strange. It tried to be all ornate, fancy, and metaphorical, but it just didn't come out right. However, keep in mind that this book is originally in German, and was just translated to the English language. So, it's not the author's fault at all. How I wish I could understand German so I can read and devour this book in its original language.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:

Alessandro. Aside from the fact that he's a handsome Italian boy, he's also gentle, and kind. Despite his mafiosi background, he is compassionate, and actually has a heart. Oh yes... he's also rich and powerful. He has a strong sense of justice, although some may view this as a drive for revenge.

FAVORITE LINE:

“No,” he said. “I like you. It’s the truth."
She swung her arm back and slapped his face. Hard.
He didn’t move a muscle. “It is true.”
She did it again. Then she looked at him for a long time without saying a word.

MUSINGS:
I just have to say that the characters in this book seem more mature than their counterparts. This may be attributed to their exposure to crimes and all the other mafia business. Nevertheless, I love how the main character transformed from being "just a girl" to a very powerful mafia boss. Her determination and will power is just impressive and beyond her years. I have nothing more to say except that, this is my first Kai Meyer book and it has made my favorites list.

DOODLES:
**Thank you Miriam, the blogger behind I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To A Book for letting me know about this book trailer.

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Kai Meyer

SIMILAR READS:

It's difficult to lump this book with other books. Like I said, the story is very original. But it has some paranormal elements (shape shifting).

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: moderate
violence: heavy (as expected as it is a mafia book)
sexual content: mild (but the main character was previously raped)
mature themes: moderate - heavy (stealing, abortion, murder, rape)
age recommendation: 14+