Tessa's Blog
My two best friends and I are extreme book nerds. Especially for YA books. Since we are viewed as weird in the real world, we decided to go to the Internet, where everyone is weird. It has been going pretty well. Our original blog is Crazy for YA
 - Lizzy Ford)
Review | Omega by Lizzy Ford
I received a free copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion of the book in any way.
In all of my exploits with young adult Greek mythology, I have never read a story like Omega. The most unique and intriguing part of this story is the setting. It is set in a future where the Greek gods and mythology are real and fully incorporated into modern life. So, there are teens surfing Tumblr and taking selfies alongside sacred temples dedicated to the gods. The fusion of modern and ancient Greek culture was done well. (The quotes from classic Greek philosophers were nice touches.)
The cast of characters was dynamic and ever-changing to keep up with the action of the plot. Alessandra, the kick-butt protagonist, was extremely relatable (despite her prophetic powers) and I liked her from beginning to end. She was sassy, strong, and stubborn, which is basically the formula for a great female protagonist. But, she was also insecure and prone to a little bit of whining, which got on my nerves for some of the book.
The secondary characters were also well developed due to the effective use of multiple point of views throughout the story. Even with the enormous cast, I was never confused with the switching of the POVs. With such a complex plot, that feat is quite impressive.
For most of the book, I was in the same boat as Alessandra while she tried to navigate the dangerous political schemes of the real world. I never really figured out who to trust, which kept me on my toes for the entire book. On the other hand, the frequent switch between viewing a character as trustworthy, then finding out how deceptive they really are was quite exhausting. There was a constant flip-flop of "Who can I really trust?" that was never really solved. Such a large part of the book was centered on this question of trustworthiness, and nothing was really made of it. I admire that suspense and intrigue that Ford tried to infuse with the unreliability of the characters, but I wish there was more character stability for me to grasp.
All I will say about the ending is that it definitely succeeded in making me want to continue the series when Theta comes out next year.
Omega is an intricate and action-packed twist on the culture of Greek mythology in the modern world. The plot and the characters were equally dynamic, if a little bit hard to keep up with at times.
I would recommend Omega to any Greek mythology fans out there who have to satisfy their cravings for brave heroes, cunning gods, and ancient prophecies.
