Jul 5, 2012

{Review} of Once: An Eve Novel by Anna Carey

Once (Eve, #2)Once by Anna Carey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
GENRE: Young Adult
THEME: Dystopian
RECEIVED: Review for Harper Collins
AUTHORS BLOG: Anna Careys Site

BLURB:
When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.
REVIEW:
Since reading Anna Carey’s first book Eve I was biting my nails thinking about what was going to happen to Eve who was left at the all-women’s haven. And then there is Caleb who was left to fend for himself with an injured leg. I was thrilled to get back into this dystopian series, which was my first novel in the genre. Carey did a fantastic job keeping me hooked till the very end.

Once starts off right where Eve left off. Eve has now been at the haven Califia for some time now, worried about what happened to the boy Caleb whom she cares very much for. But even the haven doesn’t seem like a safe place, when the king’s soldiers are getting close to discovering her whereabouts. But when she finds out Caleb is in trouble she sets out to find him, but is caught by the king’s soldiers in the process and brought to the City of Sand. When brought in front of the king she is shocked with one big secret about her past and how the king is connected to her mother.

Eve is a fantastic character; she is given a new life in Once, one that all the readers will be shocked about. I for one was surprised on the twist Carey gave her lead character. But this twist brought on one heck of an adventure for Eve. I really wanted Eve to have some sort of happiness in her life, even though it’s full of complications, but she doesn’t get a break. Her relationship with Caleb is really put to the test and she has to once again sacrifice a lot but this time to protect him. Another complication is the introduction of another guy named Charles that may become a big part of Eve’s future.

Caleb is dealt a big shocker from Eve that changes their relationship and also puts another block in the road for being against the King. I was bummed that he wasn’t as prominent in this book as he was in Eve, plus I felt that he wasn’t perceived as tough as I viewed him before. But each moment he was in the book was extremely important and emotional for Eve, she gave her heart to someone that she’s pretty much is forbidden to be with.

There are a ton of new characters introduced that bring attention back to the school where Eve escaped from. I was interested to see what happened to the girls she left behind and if she could help change the horrible situation each girl has to look forward too. In the end the new additions such as the King, Charles, and really snooty girl named Clara make for a lot more drama and intense scenes.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, every moment was something that surprised me, though my only issue was that there were really no happy moments or if there were they only lasts a second. Eve was just as tough and independent and I look forward to seeing what happens with her next with the big ending, that’s a bit of a cliffhanger. I highly recommend this series!


RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that about our world trying to recover from a tragic plague. Fans of Marie Lu’s Legend series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series will love Anna Carey’s Once.
View all my reviews

1 comment:

  1. I'm anxious to find out about Eve's new life!! I really enjoyed Eve and have been anxiously awaiting Once! (I need to hurry up and finish my current read so I can start it!)

    Thanks for the great review :)

    -Jac @ For Love and Books

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