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LISA T. BERGREN
Age Range: 14 and up
Gabriella and Evangelia Betarrini are not your average American teens. Every year they went to Italy with their parents and found a way to time travel to medieval times, and now they fight in battles, go to balls, and fall in love with handsome knights. The girls feel as if they are finally living, and when they have a chance at getting back their dad by time-traveling, who was dead, they take it. When they return, they find that it has been a little over a year since they last left, and almost nothing is as it was before. As the Betarrini family tries to decide what to do and if they should stay or go, Gabi is captured, and everything is taken away from her. As Gabriella desperately tries to escape her new, unexpected fate, Marcello and her family pray to God and try to rescue Gabi before her new and scary fate is sealed.
This was the second time I have read Torrent, and I am sad to say that I liked it better the first time. Usually, after I read a book for the second time, I get more insight into what the author is trying to make the reader understand, and I enjoy it more, but this did not happen with Torrent. I found some parts of the book exciting and entertaining, but there were others that I was either yelling at Gabriella in my head for something she said, though, or did, or I was a bit bored. Torrent is a Christian book, but there was not a lot about God, and when there was, it was not as respectful as I would have liked. There was one part in particular that I thought was completely wrong. Gabi believed that it doesn't matter what religion you are but that you are saved as long as you believe in God. This is wrong, and if the whole book were about this, I would not be recommending it, but as it is, this part was one small paragraph in the story.
My review so far has made it seem like I didn't enjoy Torrent at all, but I did like most of it, though I liked it better the first time. The book was suspenseful and thrilling at times, especially when Gabriella was captured and a whole new life was placed in front of her. My favorite character is, once again, Marcello for his kindness, loyalty, bravery, love of God, and ability to forgive (he forgave a main character for something that I would have a hard time forgiving, but I won't say anything more not to spoil the book). There is a newer male character that we learn more about, and he was coming up close, as was one of my favorite characters in the book also, but if I say anything more, I will be giving too much of a spoiler. Also, like the last book, I didn't love Gabi and some of her choices. She didn't like doing what Marcello said because she didn't want to be a meek woman who followed a guy, which I thought was stupid. Everything Marcello did and said was for Gabi, and she did the exact opposite of what Marcello wanted her to do. Overall, Torrent was exciting but not one of my favorite books with some ups and some downs.
Things to Mention: There is violence, including fighting, people dying, some talk of people being tortured, Gabi being taken against her will, and other minor things. After Gabi is in a fight, her dress is ripped and ruined, and random people in a random town stare at her, and she realizes that people think she is a prostitute. There is one 'losers.' There are some kisses with little detail and talk of the desire of kissing and being with another person. Two main characters get married and have a honeymoon, so certain things are implied, but there are no details.
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If you have read Torrent, let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do you have a book you want to be reviewed? Let me know, and I'll add it to my list! Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you're here.
