Review: Mermaids make a good storyline
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2012
I must admit "The Mers" was quite different than what I normally read, but when the author presented me with the opportunity to review it, and I was then able to get on the tour with "Bewitching Tours", I hopped on it.I adore dystopians & mermaids are cool. I have never read a mermaid book, until now (have another for review in my box as we speak) that is.I did not know what to expect upon cracking it open..This is the East Coast of the future, a horrible flood overcame the Earth & over the years humans began adapting physically to the flooded earth to survive.These obviously radical physical changes instilled fear in the "normal" humans & a terrible war ensued.The Mers, despite their gills & webbing, have extremely beautiful skin, hair, eyes, features. They are coveted by jealous humans.The Mers were forced to live in exile on Liberty Island while humans remained everywhere else. Mers forbidden to go over the border.We have Mira, a strong, rebellious, idealistic, teenager who knows her looks make her different than her brethren, yet she is not treated different.Nerin, a true Mer, is her BFF & is in love with her too.She trusts him with her life & secrets.When she reveals to him she's planning on border hopping to get some questions answered he will not let her go alone.If caught a war would most likely ensue & he could be killed or worse.The Mers is a sweet mix of fantasy, dystopian and romance. They all balance themselves out so one is not more dominant than the other.I appreciated that. It drew me into the story after I was hesitant to read it.I loved the world The Mers lived in. It was quite descriptive & blended what would be a typical mermaid world & human world into one.It reminded me a little of a seaside village like Mystic, Connecticut.The relationship between Mira & Nerin is a typical teenage one. It's not overly complicated & pretty predictable.Not to make them sound boring, but Nerin loves Mira & she wants to deny her feelings for him, he stands by her side despite dangers, etc.etc.It's not as shallow as I make it sound, but it has been done before, with a few different twists to make it original to this story.Their reactions to the city "over the wall" are sweet, naive, & innocent. Very refreshing.The main characters were well developed, I appreciated the integral role Nerissa, (Nerins sister) played in the story. She "fit in" she was not forced upon us.The supporting characters were colorful & added to the story without overwhelming me.Overall this was a delightful book & I am happy I gave it a shot.