Author: Anna Carey
Publisher: HarperCollins
Hardcover: 336 Pages
Published: October 4, 2011
Amazon Summary:
Where do you go when nowhere is safe?
Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.
In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.
My Thoughts:
Eve was a very fast read, I could have easily read it in a few hours (length-wise), however it took me a few days to read simply because I felt like the same thing happened over and over and over again for 150ish pages. Eve's being chased. Eve's hiding from the bad guys. Eve's captured. Eve's being chased. Eve's hiding....on and on.
When I found out what happened to the graduates of Eve's School, I was horrified, yet strangely interested. The "can't look away from the car wreck" voyeur in me would like to know a little bit more about what went down across the lake on the compound. I wanted more information about it. What happened to the girls, who were the fathers, where did the babies go, who cared for the babies? etc. That part seemed HUGE to me and I would have really enjoyed more of an explanation.
It made me sad how they were treated so coldly at the school and how warped their views of men became. I think that Eve and Arden adapted very quickly to their new environment. To go from living in an all girls school for 10-15 years, then in just a few days you are living with a band of "lost boys", I'd say they adapted almost unbelievably well.
One of my favorite scenes in the book was when Eve was teaching the boys to read! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED that part! I thought that scene was really sweet, and it's still sticking out in my mind. There was also a scene with the younger boys towards the end of the book that broke my heart. I wanted to hug those poor little mother-less kiddies. So sad.
I didn't LOVE this book but I can't exactly put my finger on what I didn't love. I just didn't feel compelled to keep turning the pages. I liked the plot, the characters were good. I would have liked to see a little more length to the book maybe. I enjoyed that it was a quick read but I just wish I could have gotten more. I also liked that it wasn't set in the very far off distant future. I think it's set in the year what 2032? So not that far away.
If I had read Eve before the current wave of dystopians, y'know before EVERYONE and their mother had written one, I would have been more impressed. All the dystopians I've read lately have been blending together. So I did like that most of the story was set in the wilderness, which is a lot different from the other dystopians that have debuted in 2010/2011. This one stepped out of the normal cliche. It kept things interesting since she was basically on the run throughout the whole book, even though it did get slightly repetitive.
My big problem was with the ending, I just was NOT happy about it. I wish I could DISCUSS it but y'know....spoilers and all. ARGH. But seriously. Super frustrating. In one of the very last scenes, Eve makes a stupid and very selfish decision, that results in the deaths of a few people that did not deserve to die. Then the last scene like blew my mind and I was seriously mad at the book. I am excited for book two, hopefully the cliffhanger will be resolved and we'll learn more about this world. The author has laid the groundwork for what could be an epic trilogy.
Judge a Book By It's Cover: The cover is part of the story, so it's always nice to see a cover that has SOMETHING to do with the story. I love Eve's hair, it looks like a shampoo commercial.
3 STARS!
I wanted Eve to die at the end of the book because she was such an idiot who got everyone killed.
ReplyDelete^whoa, a little violent there, Sara... but deep feelings for a character, regardless of good/bad, is always a somewhat good sign.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great review! I really wanted to read this book, but annoying/selfish heroines bother me, so I think I'll wait a little. The teaching boys to read scene sounds very cute! And yes, Eve's hair does look like it's from a shampoo commercial. :)
I felt the same way! I didn't love it either and I felt like it either could have been simplified or the story should have gone elsewhere instead of her always running and hiding! Great review :)
ReplyDeleteCrystal @ Elegantly Bound Books
I'm sorry you were a bit disappointed, I've heard a few have been. And it really sucks when it feels like a book is repeating itself! I'm definitely curious about it though and want to find out myself what is going on too! I love that trailer too. Intriguing! Great review. :)
ReplyDeleteRebecca from Kindle Fever
Lol yes everyone is writing in the dystopian trend lately, it was the same thing a few years ago when everyone was writing about vamps due to Twilight.
ReplyDeleteI have heard very mixed things on this book and I'm not sure it is the right read for me. Thank you for your review, it has helped me to make up my mind about this book.
Aww man now I'm worried but I will still check it out anyways. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review. I like post-apocalyptic stories and this one looks interesting. Thanks to your helpful comments and thoughts on the book, I don't have ungrounded illusions about it:) But I won't be disappointed either when I read it.
ReplyDelete