Book Review for Updrift by Errin Stevens
Updrift, by Errin Stevens, is a paranormal romance that tells the story of two lovers. The book is reminiscent of a children’s story, shrouded by innocence and magic, as their love unfolds.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part introduces Kate, a young girl who meets the enigmatic Gabe and his family, as well as illustrates their budding friendship. The second part focuses on Kate struggling to grow up, and not only addresses her growing romantic feelings towards Gabe, but also explores the relationships she has with her family members. The last part describes how Kate reacts when she finds out Gabe is a siren, and how she adjusts to his world.
The main lovers, Kate and Gabe, have always been together since they were little; there wasn’t any real source of conflict between them. Although Stevens makes it clear that Gabe and his family are keeping something from Kate, she simply allows them to tell her at the right time, which was admirable, to say the least. The two then go to focus on their own careers and academics, before getting together again. But what’s more, there’s a sense of wonder whenever Kate describes the things around her. Even when Kate becomes an adult, it’s clear that neither she nor Gabe loses this wonder.
The book is reminiscent of a fairytale. Two love interests meet, grow to love one another, and then finally living Happily-Ever-After. There is a dark force lingering near, but through love, Kate and Gabe manage to be together in the end. What makes the book so relaxing is that there is a clear definition of good and evil, along with the age old lesson that love conquers all. It’s hard to remember lessons like that, so the story serves as a good reminder.
Still, there were instances in the book where I was a bit confused. I would’ve preferred more details both in the setting and Kate’s life, rather than just summarized it. Some of the interactions between the characters were eerie; there were times where it got to the point when I half-expected Gabe to draw a knife and kidnap Kate, or any other unfortunate character who got in the way.
Overall, the book had a wonderful fantastical atmosphere to it, as well as the strong bond between the two love interests, made the story endearing. Though it could use more detail, it maintains a sense of innocence that adults sometimes take for granted. I would give this book a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this book to lovers of fairy tales in general.
