Friday, August 24, 2012

Once (YA)

Once (Eve #2) Anna Carey. 2012. HarperCollins. 368 pages. 

I started over the rocks, clutching a knife in one hand. The beach was strewn with sun-battered boats, long since wrecked on shore.

Once is the sequel to Anna Carey's dystopian novel, Eve. It has been a month or two--at least--since Caleb left Eve in Califia--a safe refuge solely for women. But Eve, our heroine, has not forgotten Caleb, her feelings for him have not gone away, and she's beginning to realize that they may never go away, that time will not make it easier. Califia may be an amazing place for some women, but not for her.

Once, for the most part, is about what happens to Eve after she leaves Califia. It is about her time spent in the City of Sands--the newly rebuilt Las Vegas. It is about what happens AFTER she is found by the King's soldiers.

Once is a suspenseful fast-paced dystopian novel. It definitely surprised me in several crucial places, which was great. The romance didn't thrill me exactly. It may just be the weakest element in Once. I seemed to like Caleb's character more in the first novel. I'm also not sure how I feel about Eve. She reminded me of Princess Buttercup, in a way. But it was an intense read for many reasons--the politics, the secrets, the lies, the big reveals, etc. So even though I didn't "love" every little thing in this one, I just couldn't put it down!

Read for Presenting Lenore's Dystopian August.  

Read Once
  • If you've read and enjoyed Eve by Anna Carey
  • If you enjoy dystopian series
  • If you don't mind reading series books with unsatisfying endings...
  • If you like a little romance with your science fiction 
© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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