Tris and Izzie

DNF Thoughts

I was really excited when I started this book. I loved the idea of a Tristan & Isolde retelling. Sadly this one just did not live up to it's potential. I could not connect with any of the characters. Even for teens they seemed exceptionally naive and showed incredibly poor judgement to the point of being extremely annoying. I just could not relate to them at all and many times I found their actions to be confusing. Harrison didn't always explain very well why they were doing what they were doing...which also increased my frustration. As a reminder, I am a 30-something adult reading some YA. Perhaps this might appeal to a younger audience.

Amazing

I honestly thought this book was great another well writtten story. Also it is a great story to read if you enjoy romance and action. This is the kind of book where the character discovers something new about themselves...just my style.

Not my cup of tea

This book is a retelling of the Wagner opera Tristan and Isolde with a paranormal twist. It definitely sounded like an interesting premise but the execution was not great. I really do love retelling of classic stories but I like when the story blends into whatever is the new time period is. With this story, it just seems like it was plopped into modern times with no real adaptation. The names have been modernized a little bit but not much, which sort of takes you out of the world of the book.

The paranormal element of the book really has to do with the different powers that some of the characters have. Izzie's mother is a witch who can make magic potions for a variety of maladies. Izzie steals a love potion meaning to get her best friend, Branna, together with the guy of her dreams. But instead she and Tristan, the new guy at school, inexplicably drink it instead and fall in love, which is sort of strange. The magic is sort of sprung on you and isn't really woven into the story at all.

Also, none of the characters are really likable. Izzie is sort of naive and doesn't seem to care that her best friend, Brenna, seems to really hate her. Tristan is just a little strange. Not long after she gives Tristan the potion, she's trying to figure out ways to get rid of him, which is also very strange.

This book was just not my cup of tea.

Awesome and weird

There's a lot of slapping... i can't really relate to the characters. It takes a while to understand the main problem.

Highly Recommended

This book is a cute new twist on the old tale. I love the little nosy witches that get themselves in trouble because they are wanting to help someone else. I just wonder if Izzie needed a potion in the first place to enhance the pull to Tris.

Izzy being right where she thought she wanted to be finds herself wanting her cake and to eat it too with Mark and Tris in the beginning. But by the end she knows what will work out the best for everyone. Even her bestie, Brangane.

Also I love the Knight in Shining Armor image that I get with Tris. He is wonderful and knows the true meaning of being blinded for love. The connection pulls you in and wanting you to follow them on their quest.

I recommend this book to YA Paranormal lovers.

Review from MajiBookshelf Blog

As you can see from how i rated it, which is 1 star out of 5, i have not enjoyed this book. It felt childish for me, and unbelievable.
The way how Tris and Izzie fell in love, EVEN though it was by a love potion, still didnt sound that convincing. It was too dramatic, and i felt like i was reading Romeo & Juliet. A book that was not from this century. Sometimes i would be reading, and i wouldnt even understand what happened. She would be doing something, and then suddenly she is somewhere else doing something else, and im just like, what?
While i was reading, everything was expected. I actually knew everything that would happen. There was no action, suspense, excitement or anything that gave me an adrenaline rush like some books do. There was nothing to keep you wanting to keep going on and finish the book.
Overall, i didn't even want to finish it, because it was very unrealistic. I am disappointed, and i truly expected that it would be much better. Therefore i do not recommend this book if you have the same taste as me. But, go ahead and read it if you want :)

review courtesy of One Book At A Time

I confess, I'm not really familiar with the story of "Tristan and Isolde." The idea sounded interesting, but what really got me was the cover. And this book proves that a book I didn't like can be hidden by a beautiful cover just a much as the opposite is true.

When I finally decided to read this book, I decided to look up it's rating. I was shocked by this one, and thought to myself it can't really be that bad. For me, it really is. I disliked Izzie from the start. For a young adult book, Izzie is shockingly immature. She makes rash decisions regarding just about everything. The whole situation surrounding the love potion just proves how she really only thinks of herself. She goes over what her mom has told her about them and how they can take away free will and still decides that its perfect for her best friend. I really don't think she a very good remodel in the female heroine category.

I didn't like Mark anymore. He's like everything a bad boyfriend is, but yet Izzie still sees him as this perfect guy. I'm not sure if this is what she thinks a normal relationship should be, or is using him as an excuse to prove she's normal in the first place. I was indifferent to Brangane. I didn't like how it seemed like she was plotting against Izzie. But, I understood her feelings. I did like Tristan. The only bright spot in a very dismal story line. He seemed to genuinely care for Izzie. Although he professions of love seemed very out of place when compared with Izzie's immaturity.

I also thought the subject matter of magic was really trivialized. I understood the constant need to hide it from regular people, but the way it was done seemed really bizarre and fake at times. I also feel like it was thrown in there for a way to bring Izzie and Tristan together.

Overall, a huge disappointment for me. I hate writing negative reviews, but sometimes they happen. I hope this story works for someone more than it worked for me.

Way too immature for me

I couldn't stomach it long enough to finish it, I only made it to page 160. One minute Izzie is in love with Mark, her super hot, popular b/f (gag) and the next minute she is shacking up with Tris. Not to mention after her BFF confesses her love for Mark, he professes his feelings for her in return. Badda Bing Badda Boom, swapparoo! Uh... excuse me, what just happened? No joke, this all went down in about a page and a half, and that was pretty much how the entire books consistency went.

Izzie is superficial and shallow, so much so that she makes the Housewives of Orange County seem humble. I don't know who talks or even thinks like this but all the references to "exile" another kid from their group of "popular" friends just because you don't get along with them seems a bit extreme and unreal. Another thing that irked me was that Izzie does a love potion for her friend, Branna, because she doesn't think that she can attract any guys on her own. Since she doesn't wear make-up, dresses or do her hair. REALLY!? Not to mention her and Branna's bullying scene where they smash this kid's magic wine bottle. I just could not seem to get around the pettiness of this book.

Even with the bad guys attacking Izzie and Tris, I just could not seem to care. I kept reading hoping that at some point it would get better but in the end I had to call it quits to keep my sanity.

Very Disappointing

I love Arthurian legends, so when I heard that this was a re-telling of Tristan and Isolde I jumped at the chance to read it. Tristan and Isolde was never one of my favorite stories, but I was very interested in how an author would modernize it. I must say that Mette Ivie Harrison did a good job of keeping to the original in many ways while making it much less depressing. I liked how she worked all the names and places into the story. In many other ways, though, she failed completely. The characters are just as idiotic as they were in the original.

Izzie was an irritating heroine. I wanted to yell at her many times because she was just so stupid, especially at the beginning. She is in a steady, solid relationship with Mark, who is a great guy and possibly my favorite character in the story. She is so oblivious to her best friend's feelings that she tries to give her and the new boy, Tristan, a love philter. Of course, she messes this up and ends up taking it herself. I could sympathize with her fighting the effects of the potion, but she still ended up treating Mark terribly.

Tristan was not a very interesting hero. He was naive and not very believable. The romance in this book was weird, with couples breaking up and switching around in a matter of minutes, even without the interference of a love potion. The abrupt changes left me unsatisfied; the characters were too quick to recover from heartbreak. It would have been better if there had been a little more development when it came to the main character's relationships.

Loved It!

Tris and Izzie is a great story about life and love and the magic we all wish we had a little bit of.

It is a quick read but there are lessons of how we should treat each other and the importance of people and relationships in our lives.

I highly recommend this book.

Tris & Izzie

Tris & Izzie has a beautiful cover. I have to say that's what pulled me in to read this book. I'm not familiar with the German fairytale of Tristan and Isolde, but what I did find out about it was that it's close to the story of Lancelot and Guenevere, but with a love potion. Tris & Izzie is a good read, but for me, the storyline is written too young. I would recommend this book for younger YA (12, 13, and 14) The older teens will probably find it too gushing and ridiculous to take serously. I know I did. I found myself laughing and rolling my eyes, but that's not to say that the younger teens might find Tris & Izzie's story an interesting one. I'm just too old for this kind of flowery romance lol!

Izzie's mother has hid Izzie from Gurmum, a serpent that killed Izzie's father, because he wants Izzie's magic. Tristan has come to help Izzie fight and save the people of Curvenal from the serpent Gurmum. Tristan is Izzie's shiny knight in armor to stand by her. Izzie had no problem with self-confidence and her sexually, that's for darn sure. I found myself agreeing with Branna who was suppose to be Izzie's best friend (could have fooled me) that Izzie is a selfish, self-centered little witch ( no punt intend their lol).

I think this book would've been more believable if it was done in a fantasy setting instead of a contemporary. I recommend Tris & Izzie to younger YA readers, and for those who are older that like overly dramatic, somewhat cliche' romance.

Good book

I had some really high expectations about this book. I thought it was going to be all lovey dovey and it was, but just not in the way I expected it to be.
What I like most about this book are the characters. Fresh out this world, the characters are what makes this book. I loved their loyalty, the fierceness to fight, and their willingness not to give up. I loved that this story is not only filled with love but with magic.

The plot line of this book is what got to me. I felt like the pacing of it was too slow and so I hard a hard time keeping up with it. I found myself just wanting to turn the pages to get to the good stuff. What I also didn't like was that it had to do with magic and whole other world. I guess my expectations for this book was that there will be no magic but more of a fierce undying love.

Overall, this book is good. I loved watching the characters grows and become who they are meant to be. It does take a while to get into the story. But if you give it a chance, you will find action, magical creatures and undying love.

Darcus @ Starcrossed

Alright, first off I absolutely adore the cover of this novel! I think it's one of my favorites! It's so beautiful in a romantic, serene kind of way. It definitely gets an A+ in my eyes. It's everything I'd want a cover to be (for this story anyway).

I was introduced to this novel a little while ago on other book blogs. It was being reviewed and author interviews were popping up everywhere. As soon as I took a look at the cover, I knew I wanted to read it. So to GoodReads I went. The summary for Tris & Izzie had me hooked as well. I desperately wanted to read this book. So after a little research, and finally delving into the world of NetGalley, it was once and for all in my hands (or on my computer screen, I should say...).

When I opened it up, I quickly lost myself within the pages. I could not stop reading it. I was instantly hooked. I ended up sitting on the computer for hours doing nothing but reading Tris & Izzie. I finished it the same day and was a little sad when I was done. I wanted to keep reading.

There was so much about this novel to love; interesting characters, romance, magic, and teenage angst. I have to admit though, the romance and magic is what got me and held my attention. When I read the first few chapters, I was instantly intrigued by the magic and how it was used and portrayed. It made the story desirable and even more interesting to the reader.

The only thing I can think of that could have made the book better is if it had gone a little more slowly. I feel like the book itself, as well as the characters and the situations they were put in, were a little bit rushed. Everything happened a bit quickly. But hey, I don't know anything about other-wordly beasts and a magical whirlwind romance.

I loved this novel.

Witches, Magic, and Love Potions

TRIS AND IZZIE (Review)

By Mette Ivie Harrison

EBook courtesy of Net Galley and Egmont

Take witches, magic, and love potions, add tangled romance along with two-headed dogs and giant serpents, and you have a magical tale that will likely leave you dreaming about weird creatures that devour their victims, if you dream at all.

In author Mette Ivie Harrison's ya novel, TRIS AND IZZIE, Isolde's (AKA Izzie) mother is a witch, but no one knows it. Izzie is just a normal girl. Or is she? Anyway, her best friend, Branna, needs help with love. So Izzie, of course, decides to take matters into her own hands and find true love for Branna. To do this, she makes a love potion. Things don't work out the way she planned, however. And what about Izzie's relationship with her boyfriend, Mark? It's suddenly changing and Izzie doesn't want it to. Or does she? After all the new guy in school, Tristan, is a hottie that she can't keep her hands off of. The lesson here, I think, is don't mess in your best friend's love life because you may end up discovering things you don't want to know. Humor, well-crafted monsters, and a likeable heroine make for an interesting read.

Even with the monsters and disasters at the school, the tone of this story is light and fun. If you're in the mood for a quick read with characters that are sometimes as confused as real teens are, I think you'll enjoy Ms. Harrison's TRIS AND IZZIE. Why don't you pick up a copy and see for yourself.

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Courtesy of Readergirl Reviews a Teen Book

My feeling about this book was a little mixed. First, I'm not really sure how much of this story was actually a retelling. I have read pretty much all of the various literary writings on the story of Tristan and Isolde, and I didn't really see many parallels, except for the names really. That could, however, be due to bad back cover copy. Sometimes whoever writes that back cover blurb doesn't always have a thorough understanding of a book's actual storyline, as they should.


Setting that aside, the book had a lot of entertaining elements that got me interested and kept me going. I always enjoy a story with a little bit of magic in it, and this one definitely had that...and it had it in some unique ways that I havent' seen a lot of books previously.

The characters were good, but I did feel that a couple of them could have been a bit more thoroughly fleshed out. I have read some reviews from other people who felt that the two protagonists (Tristan and Isolde "Izzie") fell in love with each other a little bit too quickly. I don't agree. Their quick love didn't really stop me or pull me out of the story, and due to their background, it actually made sense. What did give me some pause was the speed in which one of the other characters (a guy) fell out of love with one girl, and instantly into love with another girl just as soon as he found out she had feelings for him. So much so that he was willing to actually "punch" the first girl in the face?? Really? Five seconds ago, he was expressing deep love for her and now he's punching her in the face for the other girl? Sorry, that one stopped me a bit and stretched my suspended disbelief a little too far. It was too quick of a switch, and on top of that, I'm never going to like a guy that hits a girl. And yet, we're supposed to forgive him just as quickly as the girl who was hit forgave him. She almost didn't react at all.

Once I got past that, things got better again, and all in all, I did enjoy the book. Once things got back on track and the story shifted back onto the important elements, things got good again, and I was able to root for the characters.

Depsite one or two small hiccups, this was a good, entertaining story. I would recommend it and its author.

A refreshing new story behind the legend

Review By Alaiel Kreuz:

True to be told, I've never read "Tristan and Isolde"'s legend, of course I've heard of it, but never truly look for it since I believe the end is not going to be happy, how can it be? But after reading this book I think I can handle a sad ending. This book is going to be the happy ending I need.
The book was engaging and a complete new story using the names of characters and places of the original legend. A fresh start. One that I liked a lot.
We are set with Izzie, a teenage girl that is 16, has the perfect boyfriend (hot guy of the school, basketball leader and of course, the popular guy) Mark King. Her best friend is Brangane or Branna (ringing bells already?), a tall girl who is part of the swimming team.
Izzie's past is sad, her dad died of a flu and she herself was about to die but luckily for her her mom was a witch and she managed to save Izzie, but not her dad, it was too late for him. Since then her mom had be single, and for a very good reason: Izzie's parents had drunk a love philter which in their case was completely normal, they were deeply in love and knew that nothing was going to change that... but love philters are for ever and if one of them dies the other one will never fall in love again. Pretty hard, huh? I think it is...
The story begins with Izzie thinking that, since her love life is so perfect she is the one that can help her bestfriend to find a boyfriend. Why not? She can even give them a love philter to make sure they have their happily ever after, right? Right?
Wrong.
First of all, she has no magic, for some reason magic skipped her generation so she can't make a love philter. Second, hello?! You can't go and decide someone else's life!!! But well, I think she didn't get that part... and she didn't need to do a love philter... her mom had one on her cabinet, so why not go and take it? And so she did.
But the day she was going to give it to Branna and the boy Izzie thought was the right for her - she still needed to figure out wich one was that- a new boy had transfered to their school: Tristan. Yes, our handsome hero had finally arrived! But after a few misunderstandings Tristan and Izzie are the ones who drink the love philter.
What to do now? She already had the best boyfriend ever and although Tristan was handsome, very attractive and well, PERFECT, she needed to stay away from him. Somehow.
On top of that, there was a two-headed dog going after her, Branna was acting very strangely, Mark was very sweet and nice to her (and that annoyed her so much!) and Tristan had a magic sword. Oh, and there was a giant, a naked giant going after her too.
Don't forget to add the truth behind her dad's death.

Maybe the only thing that I didn't like too much was the final battle. Too quick and a little simple for my taste I think. But still, I'm sure I'm going to buy this book as soon as it comes out. And don't let me begin with the cover because I think it's gorgeous!

Enjoyable but disappointing

I was absolutely ECSTATIC to get this book for review from Netgalley because the cover was so pretty and I loved the movie Tristan and Isolde. So needless to say I had high expectations for this book. When I finally got through with it, I was so so disappointed. The first thing that bugged me was Izzie. I hated how she was such a snob in the beginning. With just the snap of her fingers she could get her oh-so-popular-captain-of-the-basketball-team-king-of-the-school boyfriend the outcast anyone she wanted just because she didn't like them. That's so awful! I already don't like snobby popular people in real life, so why would I like reading about them? I feel like this part of her personality was so out of line with who she really was in her relationship with Tristan and how she acts for the rest of the book. It just didn't make sense. What also didn't make sense was the introduction to the whole magic aspect of the book. At first, it seemed like this book was a normal YA book, but then WHAM! Izzie and her mom know magic! What what? It was just really random and didn't flow at all with what was happening in the beginning. I wish it wasn't all so oh, but they way and that the book started with the magic instead of just threw it in there. I really liked how the book ended, I just didn't like the build up to it. What happened seemed way to easy to actually have happened in the end. I feel like it should have been more of a struggle and adventure than it actually was. The idea and relationships of Tris & Izzie were really good, but the book as a whole did not meet the high expectations I had for it.

It was enjoyable...

This book was a remake of the legend "Tristan and Isolde", which is a very cute, classic love story. I felt like the story itself wasn't really that similar to the legend aside from the names and love triangle. I enjoyed the style of writting, and I felt like all of the characters were strong and well written. My only problem was with the main character. At 16, I was very responsible and I like to think of myself as being mature for my age because I was very involved in my community, and I hardly acted out. Izzie was the complete opposite. Her character complained a lot, was whiny, and was very immature. She didn't really act like a 16 year old, in my opinion. Also, everything was very abrupt. Relationships happened in a snap without any backing. Yes, I know a love potion is involved, but it was still strangely fast. But on the other hand, the story didn't drag on, which is a plus for me. I hate when I hate when books just drag on and on and on and on and on and on and...you get the point. The scenes were abrupt, but it didn't drag on. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.