Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Arrows is an intriguing concept from the very beginning. We have Araryn, who is a god that is essentially a cupid-in-training. He messes up big-time during his final exam and his huge mistake results in a major change in Karma’s(the other main character) life. Because of the calamity, he is forced to return to earth as a human in order to fix his mistakes. On earth, we are introduced to Karma who is struggling with a baby, going to school,and her crumbling relationship with her boyfriend all the while she is trying to obtain a dance scholarship for college.
What’s nice about this book is that offers alternating perspectives in every chapter. It gives readers a view of how Arryn’s goof up affects him, Karma, and the constant choices the both of them make. How will they choose to make things right again?

Even though it is Aaryn’s goal to get Danny back together with Karma, I didn’t want their relationship mended. Danny is a jerk, who can’t seem to give Karma the respect she deserves, he hardly spends time with his daughter, and he’s constantly partying. I felt that Karma could find a much better boyfriend and father for her daughter. Throughout the entire story, I and other readers will wonder if his character could be redeemed in any kind of way.

Overall I thought Arrows, was a very smooth read. I liked the writing and how it mixes a realistic plot with a bit of Greek mythology. It’s a light read, but it also still manages to deal with some serious issues. Most importantly, it tells its readers to never settle for anything less in life. The only downside is that I wish the book was longer and that I got to see more of the mythology world intertwined with the human world.… (més)

Aaryn, son of Eros, is a cupid. One day, when he was trying to make a couple fall in love, he accidentally shoots the guy, Danny, with a dead arrow. Now, the girl, Karma, is head over heels for a guy who doesn't love her. She even unintentionally gets pregnant with his baby, and this is all Aaryn's fault. A year later, Aaryn is sent to Earth to fix his mistake by convincing Danny to marry Karma. But it's not easy at all, especially when he starts to fall in love with her himself.

The issues in this book were portrayed realistically. As a high schooler who is working for a dance scholarship, Karma would've had a busy schedule, even without her baby. But she does need to balance school, dancing, and her baby, and to top it off, Danny isn't as supportive as he should be. However, Karma is forced to love him because of the arrow, so she pretends that everything is alright. When Aaryn comes into the picture, both of them are struggling mentally: Karma with Danny, and Aaryn with the guilt of disrupting Karma's life. Both of them need to deal with those problems, and it only gets more complicated when they start having feelings for each other.

This book explores the concept of love and decisions. It teaches that you control your own life. I liked that message, and I also loved the romance between Aaryn and Karma. But I hated Danny for most of the book, although I felt a little bad for him at the end when Karma rejected him once he was finally in love with her. I guess he had it coming, though, with his mistreatment of her.

This was a wonderful book! It gets you thinking about love and its mysteries. I'd recommend it to people who enjoy romance, YA, and maybe fantasy or mythology.… (més)

I received an audio copy of this book from the Early Reviewers program. I thought the audio was well done, I liked the inclusion of 2 narrators and the switching points of view during the story. In fact the inclusion of different points of view was probably my favorite part of the book, knowing what both main characters are thinking is always an added bonus in a novel. As for the story, it was ok, I didn't really find a connection with either main character. I thought Aaryn was a good character but I didn't love him and I found Karma to be a bit one note in her devotion to Danny. The addition of the mythology element was interesting but in my opinion it wasn't enough to elevate the book beyond just ordinary.… (més)