The Bursting Bookshelf

A kingdom on the brink of war. 
A king on the fringes of insanity.
A family running for their lives.

Ash and Fin’s only desire is to be together and dive into their happily ever after, though their conflicting worlds work to pull them apart. Neither is ready to convert to the other’s life: become a human or a mer. Little do they know that somewhere in Natatoria a secret holds the fine fabric of everyone’s lives together. If the truth is discovered, Ash and Fin will no longer have the luxury of waiting. They’ll be forced to choose. But will it be for loyalty or love? Or will someone else make the choice for them if they can’t decide?

Enter the watery world of treachery, greed, and the binding mer kiss as the story continues with Evergreen, book two of Mer Tales.

Review:
I was completely thrilled and grateful when I got the news that I had been invited to be a part of the blog tour for Evergreen (for those of you who are new, or just don't remember, I participated in the tour for Everblue and the Onyx Talisman as well). I loved the first book of the series and I couldn't wait to dive straight into this one. When I did, I found myself not loving it quite as much as I loved the first one.

As always, the cover is simply gorgeous, following the tradition about Brenda's covers. I really love the cover model's eyes in this picture, the way they are so vibrant and well made up. Also visible is a headdress of sorts, beautifully setting off the lack of other jewellery with the exception of the ring. The makers of this cover didn't just pay attention to the bigger details, though. They also put in small ones like the reflection of the trees in the water. I hope on the next cover that we'll get to see Fin instead of Ash, but as long as it follows the beauty of the first two, I'll be a happy book blogger.

Ash and Fin were the two characters whose points of view were used to narrate the novel. I tended to enjoy Ash's side of the story more simply because it seemed like more of the action happened to her instead of him. Both characters were relatively the same as they were in the first book, though both seemed to get a tad bit more distant from their families. Relationship-wise there wasn't a whole lot of growth between Ash and Fin, but that was to be expected with the long distance nature that their relationship retained throughout the majority of the book. One fact I'd like to highlight is the fact that their romance is of the instant variety, though it is a well justified sort of instant love that I didn't end up minding. The lesser characters were great to read, too, but some of them were able to elicit stronger reactions from me than others (namely, Colin).

My biggest concern with this book was the writing. Though Brenda's writing is usually stellar, this time it just didn't quite keep up to her standards. That being said, it wasn't a terribly written book, but just not a particularly greatly written one. The story continued right from where Everblue left off without any stop or break before getting into the action. So far in this series, the story has been well balanced between the two books without creating a stereotypical sequel. Though I'm not usually a fan of books containing the instant love I mentioned above, this one seemed to pull it off with more grace than most books are able to. Whether that can be attributed to the story or the characters, I'm not sure, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out how the story of the star crossed ends and how the series wraps itself up.

I'd recommend this book to anyone in the mood for a book featuring a different paranormal creature or who have read and enjoyed any of Brenda's other works. I will be continuing this series when the next book comes out, but until then I give Evergreen a 3.5/5 for, unfortunately, not quite living up to it's predecessor.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:
As everyone in the book blogging community knows, this is a book with a pretty cover and not a lot of substance with a lot of drama surrounding it. Author vs. blogger drama aside, I went into this book prior to hearing about the conflict about it and having just read the summary and seen the cover. As you can clearly see, the cover is gorgeous and the summary sounds interesting enough, likening it to both The Hunger Games and the Bachelor. In hindsight, that should have set off warning lights as the Hunger Games is one my favorite  books and the Bachelor is, well, the Bachelor. The writing was where most of the faults in this book, it just lacked any sort of finesse. It was very ordinary, boring writing that didn't aid in keeping my interest in the slightest. The story was predictable and dull, just a typical teenage fodder book featuring a lot of angst over nothing in particular. I didn't understand why America was so against being a part of the competition, why she put up such a fight over everything. She was just too whiny for my tastes, she never stopped and looked at what she was gaining from the situation versus what she was uncomfortable about. Not many of the other were fully developed and explored, they seemed like they were there just to fill the background.

The end wasn't very eye catching, in my opinion. It was really predictable and set up what was going to happen for the next book fairly obviously. It's this predictability that really sealed this book's fate as mediocre at best. Almost the entire time I was able to accurately guess what was going to happen, really taking away from any suspense or gripping factors of the book. I'll probably finish this series off, but probably from the library instead of buying them. I give The Selection a 2/5. That score is without considering all the drama around this book.

***Brenda is hosting an awesome! Brenda giveaway is for a chance to win $50.00 amazon Gift card, Signed set of Everblue & Evergreen and 3 vials of Essence Necklace. Also Brenda is looking to choose one winner from each blog stop that either leaves a question or comment for her to address on her blogs, she will award that winner an ebook copy. ***

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill over at Breaking The Spine! It's all about those books you just can't wait for and are counting down the days till they come out.  

This week I chose:
Jackson Meyer has thrown himself into his role as an agent for Tempest, the shadowy division of the CIA that handles all time-travel-related threats. Despite his heartbreak at losing the love of his life, Jackson has proved himself to be an excellent agent. However, after an accidental run in with Holly—the girl he altered history to save—Jackson is once again reminded of what he's lost. And when Eyewall, an opposing division of the CIA, emerges, Jackson and his fellow agents not only find themselves under attack, but Jackson begins to discover that the world around him has changed and someone knows about his erased relationship with Holly, putting both their lives at risk all over again.

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Review:
I know I'm a few months late in reading this book, I had seen the cover and decided to give it a pass. That is, until I happened across signed copies available at a nearby Chapters. When I actually started it, I really fell in love with the story and, eventually, it's cover. The cover is very different, it features a very, very pale cover model with one blue eye and one grey one. I think it's the oddness of the cover that is what will set it apart from others on the shelf; it's bright against the legions of dark covers. I wouldn't say there was too much hype for the book, but I wouldn't say it was quite as good as the hype said. The story was quite good, a little tedious at times, but overall it was good. The story followed the main character during a time period where she rented her body to a complete stranger, not being conscious while the other person was occupying her. The worst part of the plot was the fact that not all the characters were used to their full potential; some of them were, but most were not. The ones that were were amazing; they grabbed my emotions and hauled them throughout the entire ride of the plot.

The ending was one that left the reader with the option of not reading the sequel or continuing on with the series when the next book is released. Writing-wise, the book was stellar. The style carried out by the author  was amazing; it was descriptive and just the right amount of grittiness to give the book the perfect dystopian feel. I know I'll be continuing on with the series, but the option of stopping was nice to see, though I doubt many people will stop with Starters (pun intended). I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a unique take on the dystopian genre or to someone hoping for a good book. I give Starters a 4/5.