Book Review: Everblue by Brenda Pandos

 

Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos

3.5 Mermaid Stars

Summary

Twins, Fin and Tatchi, have never spent much time in the underwater merworld of Natatoria. Spending most of their time on land has given them a distaste for the ways and culture of Natatoria. But when their dad is called on by the King for a secret mission, Fin, Tatchi and their mom are forced to live in Natatoria till he returns.

When her best friend (and crush) leaves without even saying goodbye, Ash feels abandoned and slightly worried for her friends. But when an accident happens, bringing Fin back to help, Ash gets drawn into the secrets of the mermaid world.

Thoughts
This was my first mermaid book, and surprisingly enough, it was very well done. Even if the world building felt rushed or confusing at the start, the details of Natatoria eventually smoothed out to created an awesome underwater world. The POV jumps back and forth betwen Ash and Fin. The writing flowed well, keeping me captivated in both of their lives, and curious as to what what going to happen next.

It was also super cute and had a lot of moments that just made me smile:

“Don’t you be filling this boy with nonsense. I won’t have it in my house.”
“Oh quiet, woman! Let me talk—you stick to cookin’.”
“You better not speak to me like that! I’m not your mermaid!” I cringed, expecting a fight to erupt when a ruckus of laughter poured from both rooms. I wrinkled my forehead, unsure what was so funny.
Badger winked. “Get it? She’s not me ‘mer’ maid? What a sense of humor she’s got.”

It was nice to see a YA novel -- especially in the paranormal genre -- that have parents actually involved in life of their kids. Both Fin and Ash have both sets of their parents that love them. It was a nice change from the "norm" usually seen. And even though Ash's mom annoyed me at times, it was clear that she cared for Ash. And her dad:

“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.”

A romance built on years of previous friendship was nice. And even if I found them a little too young for the whole "you're my everything, and only" view point on romance, it built to that point and explained the "mermaid connection." And they were cute.

The plot builds slowly and separately, but ends with a boom and a few twists (One that I'm still a bit mad about). I enjoyed reading about Fin, Tatchi, and Ash -- and even though this is not a book that I'd normally pick up -- I'm gonna read the rest in this series. If you like paranormal YA, mermaids, or just looking for something different, give Everblue a try. (It's currently FREE on Amazon).

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