Emerge by Tobie Easton Pages: 300
Published by Month9Books, LLC on April 19, 2016
Series: Mer Chronicles #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance
Source: eARC from Publisher
Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid but she’s never lived in the ocean. War has ravaged the seven seas ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality. Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk.
So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right? That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with him, the harder it is for her to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.
Emerge is a young adult mermaid fantasy by Tobie Easton. It is the first in the Mer Chronicles series. I absolutely love the cover of Emerge. Seriously, it just does it for me. I love the way the dress is the same color as the ocean. It has an ethereal feel to it. Sadly, and I really hate saying this, but the story did not quite live up to the beautiful cover for me. Don’t get me wrong, Emerge was still a good read. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. And it is hard for me to pin down exactly why.
I liked the idea behind Emerge a lot. A Descendant of the little mermaid- umm yes please! And one of my favorite things about the story was also one of the things that caused me a great frustration. You are just dropped into this very imaginative and fanciful world that Tobie Easton created. And I loved that it kind of did have a little mermaid vibe. With all of its strange names for things, and the hectic excitable writing and characters. But it was hard for me to fully get my bearing and get a grasp on everything that was going on, which was difficult for me as a reader at times. Overall, I thought the world was a cool and different world, and I thought the characters were very true to their young adult age. That was spot on and well done.
The main character, Lia, is a mer that has grown up on land. I really liked that the mers that grow up on land have to basically come into puberty before they get their legs. There were a lot of neat ideas scattered throughout the book that I enjoyed reading about. It made the story fun. The romantic interest was also good. I liked the crush that Lia had on Clay. I thought it was cute the lengths that she was willing to go to to save him from the new girl. Lia did get on a nerves a bit. She was so indecisive. But she is a teenager after all. Let’s just say she was very age appropriate.
Bottom line: Emerge is a cute young adult fantasy book, that may be good for fans of mermaid action and adventure stories. It falls squarely in the young adult genre, maybe erring on the younger side of the spectrum. There is a lot of action and the pace picks up as the book goes on. It was a decent start to what could be an interesting series. Check out Emerge if you love mermaid tales.
Come explore the Mer Chronicles with Emerge by @TobieEaston @Month9Books & Enter to win an Amazon Fire Tablet @BookBriefs Click To Tweet
To enter, fill out the rafflecopter below to win
- An Amazon Fire Tablet (US Only)
- Emerge stickers and bookmarks, one set of mermaid flash tattoos, a seashell necklace, and a signed paperback of Emerge (US Only)
- Three (3) digital copies of Emerge by Tobie Easton (INT)
Note: Book Briefs Contest Policy applies. All of the prizes, terms and conditions of the giveaway should be contained in the rafflecopter below. No Purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law.
Tammy V
My granddaughter has been watching The Little Mermaid lately and I forgot how much I loved that story. Granted I wish Ariel was a bit older before she got married – lol. We watch LM II also. Excited to read this book and read the author’s take on it.
Jen
I am SO glad you were able to enjoy this book more than I was! It’s such a cute tale, and the ideas she had throughout Emerge were so unique. Fabulous review, Michelle, and here’s hoping you love the 2nd book even more when it’s released. 🙂
Nina
Sounds good. I’ve honestly never read a mermaid book, but you convinced me to make this my first!
Lily M.
Hi thank you so much for the opportunity ??
Jessica @ a GREAT read
Oh nice! I had this one on my watch list! I love a good mermaid story and to have it be related to The Little Mermaid intrigues me even more! Sorry to hear that something just didn’t quite mesh with you and the story. That also makes me nervous. As there’s some hesitancy on my part as well, because I haven’t picked up a copy yet! But still, it sounds like it might be a fun story! Nice review!
william gossage
This book sounds like it be a great read
erinf1
this looks and sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Angelica Dimeo
This book sounds good love books about mermaids 🙂
Victoria
I love the cover. Thanks for sharing your honest review, I’m looking forward to checking it out myself
Sara Stevens
The Little Mermaid was/is my fave movie. This book sounds good. I will still read it. Thanks for the review.
Kara Lauren
It’s weird that my favorite Disney movie is the Little Mermaid, but I have never read the original story or any mermaid book. I look forward to reading this one!
Beth Miller
I love mermaids
czai
I’ve been thinking about this book. I’ve never read one that involves mermaids so I’d really love to try one. Great review!
sherry butcher
Love to read this one! Thanks for sharing.
Nancy Burgess
Sounds like a great read thanks for the review.
Rachel B
I’m not usually a fan of mermaid books, but this one sounds pretty interesting. thanks for sharing!
Kathleen P
I love the premise of this book! The cover is stunning too!
hannah
Thanks for the giveaway!
john
nice giveaway/deal, thanks for the chance
John
Laura
I love the cover! This sounds like a book I would really enjoy! 🙂
Kathy Davis
Best of luck with your book. I looks great, and I’m sure it will be a success.