Annotation:
After
tragedy strikes, seventeen-year-old Rosa Alcantara leaves her home in New York
City and moves to Sicily to live with her aunt and sister. The Alcantaras are
one of the most powerful Mafia families in Italy, and Rosa doesn’t know what to
expect by moving to Palazzo Alcantara. When she happens to meet Alessandro
Carnevare, the heir to a rival family, however, the quiet life she was hoping
to begin in Sicily is turned upside down.
Personal
thoughts: This was one of those books that really left me stumped on what
to expect. I knew it was about the Mafia, I had a pretty good guess that it had
to do with shapeshifting of some kind, and I knew it was by a German author. What
I didn’t know, and was pleasantly surprised to find out, was that it was one of
the most unique books I’ve read for the young adult audience this year. The
Mafia isn’t something you find too often in books for teens, and I really
enjoyed the way the author dove headfirst into creating a very Godfather-y tale. The mythological and
paranormal aspects of the story kind of took a backseat for me as I was reading
the book, but I am hoping they will be expanded upon in the second and third
installments because I think they hold loads of potential. One minor (and
annoying) detail that I felt compelled to mention, was the frequent use of the
word “supple” in the novel. I don’t have a problem with this word and maybe it
had something to do with the book being translated from German to English, but
it seemed like everything in the novel was “supple.” A little strange. There is
also a decent amount of swearing, violence and gore in the book, which would
make it hard for me to recommend to middle school-ers. For older teens,
however, I would definitely suggest Arcadia
Awakens as a unique and enjoyable read, chock full of romance and
adventure.
Plot summary:
Life
for seventeen-year-old Rosa Alcantara has never been simple. Part of one of the
most powerful Mafia families in Italy, Rosa’s parents moved her and her sister
Zoe to New York City to escape the crime and murder that is part of everyday
life for the Alcantaras. After tragedy strikes, however, Rosa decides to move
to Sicily, and join Zoe, who already left New York to live with Florinda in the
Palazzo Alcantara. As head of the Alcantaras, Florinda is far from warm and
fuzzy, but Rosa hopes that a new life in Sicily will be what she needs.
Everything changes, however, when Rosa happens to meet handsome and charming
Alessandro Carnevare. As the son and heir of the Carnevare family, Alessandro
is an enemy of Rosa’s, but the two are instantly attracted to one another.
Alessandro’s father has recently died, and he is set to become the next head of
the Carnevare family. Alessandro informs Rosa, however, that he believes his
father’s advisor and right-hand-man, Cesare , wants to overthrow him and
becoming the new leader of the Carnevares. Rosa wants to help Alessandro, much
to the distress of Florinda and Zoe who don’t want her anywhere near members of
a rival family. Things are further complicated when, one evening, Rosa
encounters a massive, powerful tiger in the forest surrounding the Palazzo, a
tiger with very human-like eyes who seems to know who she is.
Review: Originally
published in Germany, this novel from renowned author Kai Meyer is the first installment
in the Arcadia Awakens trilogy. Part Godfather part paranormal romance, Arcadia Awakens is a truly unique book
for teens. While there are paranormal elements to the story, the bulk of the
novel is made up of the conflict between the Alcantaras and Carnevares, two
rival Mafia families and members of Cosa Nostra. Readers who are unfamiliar
with the Mafia might be slightly confused by many of the terms and references,
although the novel could be incentive to learn more about one of pop culture’s
most commonly depicted organized crime groups. For those who aren’t as
interested in the Mafia aspects of the story, the very Romeo and Juliet romance
between Rosa and Alessandro, as well as the paranormal elements, will be
intriguing enough on their own. The author does a good job of creating a story
that appeals to a broad audience, and one that definitely has enough potential
to warrant a trilogy. The second book in the trilogy, Arcadia Burns, has been released in Germany and will be released in
the United States in the near future.
Genre: Science-Fiction
Reading
level: Grade 9+
Similar
titles: Tiger’s
Curse series by Colleen Houck, Sweet
Venom by Tera Lynn Childs, Starcrossed
series by Josephine Angelini.
Themes: The Mafia, Sicily, Italy, shapeshifting, Greek mythology,
Atlantis, loyalty, murder, rape.
Awards/Reviews:
Positive reviews from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and VOYA.
Series
Information: First novel in Arcadia
Awakens trilogy. Second and third novels, Arcadia Burns and Arcadia
Falls, have been released in Germany, will be released in USA in the
future.
Discussion
questions:
-
What is the significance of the song ”My Death”
in the novel?- Explain why Rosa moved to Sicily. Do you think it was the right decision?
- Why do you think Rosa is so drawn to Alessandro? Why is Alessandro so drawn to Rosa?
- Would you describe Zoe as a protagonist or antagonist in the novel? Florinda? Fundling? Pantaleone?
- Who is your favorite character in the novel? Why?
- What would you like to see happen in the sequel?
