Tuesday 17 January 2012

1 Year, 100 Books Challenge: The Crossing of Ingo

This review is the 6th of my 1 Year, 100 Books Challenge. For more info on this challenge and how I'll be going about it follow the link http://spasticsquirrelsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/01/1-year-100-books-challenge-about.html 

Book Number: 6
Title: The Crossing of Ingo
Author: Helen Dunmore
Date of Completition: 9/1/2012
Rating: 4 stars


This The Crossing of Ingo was IMO the best in the Ingo series. Although I gave this book 4 stars, I won't be putting the Ingo series on my recommended shelf, but, if you are already part way through the Ingo series then make sure you read this. I was impressed by the character development in here and a good closure for the series. I wasn't sure if I was going to be reading Stormswept or not, but since I liked this book I probably am (also the characters sound more interesting. 

Why I Read It: Well I have read all the other books in the Ingo series.


Summary:
Sapphire and Conor join Faro and Elvira in Ingo to complete the Crossing of Ingo, a rite of passage that all young Mer face. Adding to the danger of a trip around the world's oceans are Ervys and his followers, who are determined to stop them from completing the Crossing and removing human blood from the Mer race.


The Characters: 
Sapphire - Totally awestruck by the amount of character development that has happened to Sapphire since the first book, Ingo. She has grown from a whiny, annoying, stubborn and impulsive kid to a less annoying, less stubborn and impulsive teen. Before I got annoyed when reading about her (especially since it was her POV, so it was inescapable) but now I don't mind at all. **SPOILERS AHEAD:** I'm surprised, but not unhappy, that Sapphire decided to stay on Earth, throughout the whole book it was hinted that she would stay in Ingo, with all the calling-Ingo-my-home thing. **END SPOILERS**

Conor - the nice older brother has been my favourite character from the start of the series. He has logic!! and although logic can frequently be a sucky thing it isn't in this series, since everyone else(besides Granny Carne, Saldowr and Roger) is like I want this, therefore it is true and I am right, so everyone should think this way so Ima go right ahead and do it, especially those with Mer blood, where as Conor thinks things through and considers consequences. I predicted thatConor wouldn't end up with Elvira because he loves his Earth lifestyle more than he loves her and **SPOILERS AHEAD: ** I was right, especially with the whole North thing. **END SPOILERS** I still don't see him with Rainbow though (it probably seems that way mainly because it is from Sapphire's POV and that's what she wants). 

Faro and Elvira - Sapphire and Conoro's Mer friends. Faro is the most annoying character in this series, he annoyed me all through the first 3 books (made worse by Sapphire taking his every word for fact) but in The Crossing of Ingo he was bearable. Elvira has pretty much always been a character that I have neutral feelings towards I did think her whole North craze was annoying, but it wasn't really her fault. 

Other - I think Ervys as a antagonist wasn't explored enough, like he has a goal and a drive (which all villains should have) but he lacks depth (which separates the good villains from the ordinary); he has no backstory, he just hates humans, hates Saldowr and wants to lead, but there is no reasons given for this, he just hates them and there was plenty of times to add a backstory in the several hundreds of pages that Ervys has been the antagonist. I liked the closure on Sapphy and Conor's dad and I felt that it was very appropriate.

The Plot: 
The plot was decent and definitely an improvement on the previous book, The Deep. But the thing I like most about the plot was the closure: the ending and the battle, it was really that which made me give it 4 stars, I liked that part more than the actual Crossing of Ingo part. I also found that part where Sapphire sees her mum in Australia totally weird but quite cool at the same time. 

The Writing: 
The writing style for this was decent, much like the writing in the previous books.


Recommendation: For anyone who likes the rest of the Ingo series, and anyone reading it

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