Emerge: Immortals of Indriell (Book 1)

I was hooked from the first page an unwilling to put this book down. Its an innovative and unique story with loveable characters.

Allie is such a strong female lead and I loved that she didn't need a man to define her or her abilities, as a matter of fact romance was not even really a factor in this story which is really really refreshing. Sure, there are love interests but that does not make pr break the story. I really can not find enoug words to describe how utterly awesome this story was!

I'm really happy I had the opportunity to read and review this book and I am anxiously awaiting book 2 in the series. Unfortunately, I could find no info on the release of that novel or even a working title so sadly I in the dark completely BUT based off of the 2 I have read, I have high hope for the sequel. If you are looking for a great read with strong and loyal character that you will most probably fall in love with, then look no further! Emerge: The Awakening is an action packed, emotionally driven story that is sure to draw you in.

“I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher for my honest opinion. I was in no way compensated for this review and all opinions are expressly my own”

Fifteen-year-old Allie isn't exactly a social butterfly, but then her parents move every few months and for some reason, people don't like to be around her. When she finally does find a boyfriend who accepts her (although he still flinches at her touch), her parent's move suddenly again, this time for good.

First, I enjoyed this story. The more I read it, the more I fell into Allie's world and by the end, I couldn't put it down and ended up staying up much too late into the night. However, the first chapter or so was a little rough to get through. The first scenes are okay--we see Allie at a bonfire with her boyfriend, shunned by his friends. It wasn't clear to me why the others saw her as weird...but then she doesn't know herself. Which was odd (most of the story through). I missed something solid during this first part to prove this--to hold on to because it kind of flapped out there as an 'accept it, it is so.' And the sudden move of the parents was too quick as well as the reactions.

But the rest of the story grew on me. And now, I can't wait to get my hands on book two.

Allie is awesome. A little difficult to grasp at first and sulky, but as the pieces fall together, so does she. It takes awhile to know exactly what's going on with her and those around her, but the author does a great job of letting us feel our way through the uncertainty with her. There are times where I didn't understand Allie's sudden reactions, but this could be hacked up to her coping with her abilities, I guess. Allie's special-ness isn't something she embraces right away (but she's not completely sure what she's embracing). This hesitation and her need to cling to normal life seems very realistic.

The pace in this story is great. I did wonder when the 'evil' guys would get involved, but until they did, the author kept the action running. Allie doesn't get much sleep, and neither did I as a reader. There are a few moments which slow down as the information concerning other character's pasts and the history of their people is brought to light. But I like the way these small dumps were done--as a story time, making the history itself into a mini-adventure. There are some logic holes in the powers and how this all works, but I was willing to slide over them and cheer for Allie as she learned to accept the new her.

I really enjoyed the character depth, not only with Allie, but the others as well. Allie's falling into a big family, which loves her and immediately accepts her as their own. They are all willing to give their life for each other, and learning their histories made it easier to understand this devotion. Allie learns to love them, and so did I, the reader.

Summed up, this is a fast-paced, fun read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book and see where Allie and her friends are headed.

In Emerge: The Awakening, we meet Allie, a diminutive teenage girl with fiery red hair and a snarky attitude. She has been on the run, moving from place to place, her entire life, and she's had nary a clue as to why.

But that changes when she meets Aidan, a handsome boy who explains to her that she is an Immortal, a being of incredible untapped power who is about to undergo a change that will transform her life completely.

A fantastic premise, to be sure, and I dove right into the story, which caught my attention with its great characters and dialogue. Allie is wonderfully snarky, which I love, and the interplay between Allie and Aidan was the highlight of the book.

The reason I could not give this book five stars was because, in my opinion, there were time when I felt that there was too much dialogue and not enough exposition. There were many flashbacks, and there were many, many characters (too many to keep track of), and there were a couple of times when I found myself a little lost.

This is a fantastic book, and definitely worth reading. My advice: don't get caught up trying to remember all the characters. Just focus on Allie and Aidan and a few other main characters, and you'll be fine.

Can't wait to see what happens to Allie next. Well done, Ms. Craven!

Wow, what an entertaining read!

Allie and Aidan have had very different upbringings but have always lived with a similar sense of isolation and loneliness. Allie has always just believed people thought she was weird- that she was just your average outcast. Aidan knew the truth. They each had an immense amount of power that people could sense. He was surrounded by people that loved him but he still always felt alone.

All of this changed when Allie's family moved to Kelley's island, bringing Aidan and his odd group of family and friends into her life. It isn't until Allie's sixteenth birthday that she finds how like all of them she really is.

They are all part of an ancient race that both gives them certain powers and also puts them in danger.

How do you still live your mortal life when you are becoming so much more?

I think Allie is now one of my favorite fictional women. She is strong, sarcastic, and witty but also soft and caring. This isn't an easy balance- many strong characters are portrayed as hard. It's a testament to the writing.

The writing itself is witty and clever. I can't count the number of times I laughed out loud at the exchanges between Allie and Aidan.

The only issue I had was the huge amount of backstory. I'm sure it'll come in handy in the next two books but, in this one, it took me out of the action and I found myself getting bored on a number of occasions.

To the books credit, the other parts had me going to the point where I was staying up late because I couldn't stop reading and then I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about Allie and Aidan and the things they had just said. I'm looking forward to a more action packed book two!

I absolutely love this book and cant wait to read more!

I had one quibble only. Though we were given many explanations for Lex making her choice of love-interest, I kept looking for something more to explain why she didn't choose the other guy. In places it seemed this story strand was purposely drawn out - I put this down to my impatience in general :)
Get Emerge and you are assured of a professional copy, a great story, an addiction to Melissa A. Craven's writing, and frustration at the wait before book two is out! Get it now!

I couldn't put it down! Allie is an excellent strong female character, and I'm excited to see how she develops in the future!

This is self published? No way. I wouldn't believe it if the author hadn't sent me a copy. It in no way feels self published. Everything flows perfectly and the characters are authentic. I also love how this is such an original novel. It never gave me the vibe that some books do. Never once when reading did I stop and think, this kind of reminds me of (whichever book insert here). I also love how it's set in Ohio as I used to live there and miss it a lot.

Allie, our main character is awesome. She feels real and she's very strong. I love that more YA is starting to have strong female characters. We need them and I just love reading about them! I also love the romance in Emerge. It's not rushed to me nor does it feel like insta-love. I enjoyed the world building and there is a lot in the beginning. So if you don't like slow beginnings then don't get this book. I didn't mind, I actually like it. Let's me get a feel for everything before jumping into the action.

I love the urban feeling and just how real it feels. This author made superpowers as real as they could seem and it worked perfectly. I could see it happening in the real world. Bottom line, get this book. It's amazing and worthy of your time. Warning though... you might get obsessed.

Emerge, The Awakening – is an inspiring story about a young girl who works very hard at the attempt of a normal life, but she always ends up moving to another country, another city and another school and another, new attempt at normal. It is so easy to identify with Allie Carmichael in that search to find “normal” in an ever changing world. So many girls struggle to find acceptance in a school full of people who have known each other for years, but with Allie it is different. People react strongly to her presence, but mostly to her touch.When Aidan walks into her life, “normal” becomes the least of Allie’s worries. Her life changes so quickly, she feels like she has been reborn as she finally learns why the world treats her so harshly.
From the first page to the last, Melissa A. Craven has a talent for keeping her reader’s attention as she reveals Allie’s story, layer by interesting layer. And when you get to the last page, you are left wanting more!

I read a lot of indie books and I usually overlook the weaker parts and give the writer props for going it alone. I like the originality of indie books, but Emerge blew my mind! The author did an amazing job putting this together and she did it so well I completely forgot it was an indie book! I read the extended sample on scribd and I had to buy it I just couldn't put it down.

The thing I loved best about Emerge is that the world the author has built is so believable and realistic. She obviously worked very hard to create a unique, secret world of ancient immortals and plopped it right in the middle of the real world so effortlessly she made it look easy. If immortals with (non-cheesy) special abilities existed, this is exactly how it would be. I loved it!

There are so many unpredictable moments with twists and turns I never expected. I read a lot and it is very rare that I find a book where I can't guess what is going to happen. I cannot wait for book two because I have no idea what's going to happen next! That tells me this indie author knows what she is doing! I especially liked her writing style. The dialogue was so natural and never felt forced. The characters were well developed and completely relatable. Allie is outrageously funny at times and serious and level headed when she needs to be. Aidan is a good balance to her character and the two have great chemistry. There is something of a love triangle, but it makes sense and it isn't a major part of the story. I think Allie a great, realistic character the reader can relate to. She is strong and determined but she has flaws and insecurities.

The secondary characters were well developed for book one, but I hope to learn more about them in book two. Sasha, Quinn, Chloe and Graham each have their own identity and individual personality and a lot of potential for the series. There is a prequel novella coming out this summer and I hope we'll get to learn more about these characters. The teachers, Gregg, Naeemah, Daniel, Emma, Jin Jing and Ming Lao, were all amazing. You really get a sense of their individual stories and I love how their lives have all entwined over thousands of years. At the beginning of the book, you think they are just the kids parents, but by the end you really start to see how they are all one big family.

Like I said, the world building is crazy good, and the story moves along at a pace that will keep you turning the pages until you realize you are sleep reading and you have to put it down before you drift off and knock yourself out with your ipad. And the end! OMG the end was not what I was expecting!

I'm giving this five stars and I recommend it to anyone who loves YA, especially if you are looking for a break from dystopian stories. Don't let the fact that this is an indie book turn you off! You don't want to miss this book!