Book Review & Giveaway: Once

Once (Eve #2)

By: Anna Carey

Published by Harper Teen

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Genre: YA dystopian

320 pages

Buy it on Amazon, IndieBound

 or Barnes and Noble
Source: kindly provided by publisher
Read my review of book #1, Eve.

My thoughts: 

 I was a reader who really enjoyed book 1 in this series, so I've been eagerly anticipating this book for nearly a year. I remember being impressed with the tough-as-nails storyline, which somehow allowed the heroine to still behave like a girl. I loved the epic journey, and the discovery of truth. I was left wanting resolution, and hoped to find it in book 2. 

When I picked up Once, I was aware that the series was planned as a trilogy- so the resolution would have to wait. Still, I was hoping to get some good character development and expository description. Instead, I was left feeling like it was all plot, with not enough description- or maybe the description was there, but the breakneck pace just overpowered it. The plot didn't arc as much as I would have liked; I didn't feel like I was allowed to sit in scenes long enough to really feel what the characters were experiencing. The pacing just felt off, even though I really like the concept and characters.

So what did I like about the concept and characters? I still really like the epidemic-driven post-apocalyptic North America. I like that the main character discovers an evil fate and escapes it. I really enjoyed that the King got plenty of opportunity to present his viewpoint and reasons for having rebuilt the country as he did. I loved that the mistrust that Eve was taught to give males carried over to the King himself- despite a specific major plot twist. I liked that Eve met even more engaging, enjoyable characters. I liked that the characters who carried over from book 1 felt like old friends.  Most of all, I liked the development of Eve's relationship with Caleb.

I think the hardest part of reading and reviewing this book is that it is not what I was expecting at all. If that sort of surprise is what you look for in a good read, this will definitely be a good pick for you.

Summary from GoodReads:

Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?

Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.

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