Saturday, October 27, 2012

Review: Mers

Title - Mers
Author - Ami Blackwelder
Series or standalone - Book 1 Mer Chronicles
Genre Young Adult Dystopia Mermaid
Publication - June 25th 2012
(Goodreads) & (Amazon)
Rating 5 out of 5

Synopsis

A Mermaid Dystopia
What lies beneath the surface? One hundred years from now, the world has changed and brought with it, new forms of life. Who are the Mers? Who is Mira? Mira always knew she was different. Growing up with Mers, she never quite fit in. When Mira breaks the rules and takes Niren across the border that divides Ellis Island and New Jersey, a border that divides two vastly different worlds, she thought the journey to find out who she really is would be an easy one. 

But as the world in Jersey proves to be a convoluted mix of Aristocrats who hate the Mers, Pirates who want to sell them, and Magi who want to use them...finding her true identity will be a challenge, especially when her best friend Niren is a Mer willing to fight to the death. 

Opening Teaser 


On the abandoned shores of what was once Ellis Island, Mira watched the pink horizon blend with the subtle tones of grey and muted purples until the broken sky became an endless abyss of blackness and countless stars. Only the faint tip of the Statue of Liberty’s torch stuck out of the brazen waters, a reminder of what once had been New York. 

     Mira only knew of a few livable places still in existence, such as the states of New York and New Jersey. Certainly the Rocky Mountains and Mt. Everest survived. She had heard rumors there were bits of land in what would have been Africa, Europe, and Asia, but she had never traveled outside of North America to know for sure. Besides, she would miss Nerin too much if she ever left, and she had everything she would ever need right here, right now. Didn’t she?    

    

Review

I received Mers from the author Ami Blackwelder in return for a honest review from a giveaway on Librarything. The book is set 100 years in the future,over that time the earth has changed dramatically, causing humans to adapt to survive. Humans took to the water growing webbed feet and hands, gaining the ability to breath and swim under the water, these people are now called Mer. Mira isn't a mer, but she grew up among the mers even raised by mer parents. However Mira has always wondered who where she comes from because she's the only one of her kind living on Liberty Island. 

Mira decides to set out for the human colony even though they are forbidden to venture there she still has to know even if it means leaving the mer she loves. Nerin knows Mira maybe better then herself and he knows she's up to something but he's not going to let her go alone, so he goes with her, his little sister tags along with them. The trio journey to Jersey to find out who Mira really is. Since Nerin and Nerissa both have webbed feet and don't look like humans because they have adapted to the water it's up to Mira to explore the colony. 

While exploring the city Mira learns that Mers are treated like more like slaves while the royals rule the city. She meets Ethan the son of the king and instantly form a connection with him, wanting to learn more about the humans. However the more she learns the less and less she likes about the royals, they see the mers as nothing more then a product that they can use like wigs, skin cream, and they are hunted by pirates. 

I was super excited to win Mers because I've recently gotten hooked on mermaid books.  I found the concept unique and fascinating, I had a hard time putting it down to do real life stuff. I really found Mira easy to connect with, she's likable with a good heart which is something I love in a character plus she's also a little kick-ass. I found the story well written, it flows smoothly, and the characters are well developed. I like the idea of the Mers I can see it happening if things were to change which brings on the question maybe we do have mermaids in the water. Mer's really played to my imagination and I loved that so much. I loved it and can't wait for the next one. 

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