Everblue (Mer Tales #1)Published March 22nd 2012 by Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Free Ebook
304 pages
"She wanted her life to change... he wanted his to stay the same.
Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.
Ashlyn is about to discover what she'd thought to be true her whole life, wasn't, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever." ~ Goodreads
Review
Everblue had the potential to be great with its own take on the mermaid world, but it fell short in quite a few ways.
Ashlyn, Ashlyn, Ashlyn. It was easy to relate with certain aspects of her personality, especially the timid side. However, as time went on I sadly came to a point where I didn't care what happened to her. (On a bit of a side note, I have no idea what the synopsis means by her "doing something drastic to find them", I don't remember her doing anything. She was a complete bystander.) Her initial crush on Fin was cute and her loyalty to Tatiana endearing. The biggest issue for me was the lack of relationship development . Not enough page time to get a deep connection or understanding of her friendships with these people. There is only one scene with Tatiana and Ash in the entire book. I couldn't get a feel for why they were friends - there wasn't even a childhood flashback.
Same goes with the romantic relationship between Ash and Fin. In the first half they have one brief interaction. There were no real reasons given as to why Ash and Fin had a crush on each other other than the obvious physical attraction. Then, later on when things get a bit more interesting with their relationship it feels so forced. They may have known each other since childhood, but it totally felt like insta-love. On a positive note, it was refreshing to see two sets of parents in the picture! The character that I loved most was Ash's father because he was so understanding and caring. It was beautiful.
The mer society was interesting and sufficiently developed. Aspects such as the "promising" were very loyal to mermaid lore and made Everblue stand out from the crowd. However, the first half of the book left me waiting for something - anything - to happen. Even after the pace picked up slightly and more substance was added to the plot, it became a chore to finish reading. That really saddens me to say. The dual POV's (Ash and Fin) were done well and it was great to see the difference between worlds.
I (don't know if I should) suggest Everblue to readers who like mermaid tales. It is important to mention that many, many people love it and I am in the minority. So, the choice lies with you.
Excerpt
“Would I like this boy?"
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. "Yeah. I think so. He's nice."
"So I imagine you'll need a dress?"
"Yeah, probably."
"And I'll need a gun."
"Dad!”
