Recent Reads - Eve by Anna Carey

Eve (Eve #1), by Anna Carey

 3 of 5 Stars

Buy It:  Barnes & Noble  /  Amazon


Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Pages: 318

Publication: 10/4/2011, HarperCollins

Why I Chose It:  I received an ARC in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  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 Review:  Let me start by saying that 3 out of 5 stars is not a bad review. It's a good review. And just because a book isn't my favorite, it doesn't mean others won't love it. Other than that, I'm not sure what to say about this one. It wasn't bad, well some of it was bad, but for the most part it was just meh. I don't hate it. It just wasn't extraordinary. And in a year filled with extraordinary reads for me, I was left wanting.

Let's start with what I liked:

1) World Building - I felt some things were left unexplained or grazed over, but I see all sorts of potential and I'm excited to see where it goes in the remainder of the series.

2) Arden - Eve's rival at school, she takes off, fleeing school before Eve discovers the truth about her future. Once Eve escapes, she runs into Arden in the wilderness and they team up to survive. Arden was strong, brave, complex. All the things I want from a heroine. She has a back story that's more than simply her life at the school. It gave her character a depth I failed to find in Eve. I probably would have liked the story more had it centered on Arden.

Some things I found lackluster:

1) Caleb - I didn't fall in love with Caleb. Nothing about his description appealed to me. In fact, I kept thinking how dirty he must have been. Not exactly a guy I want to snuggle up to.

And now for things that really bugged me:

1) Eve - This girl was annoying. She was supposed to be super smart and special, but she made stupid mistakes. She was naive. And not in a cute, isn't-she-so-adorable sort of way. In a dangerous sort of way. She got people killed.

I get it. She is the way she is because of the life she lived and the way she was brought up, but I just couldn't get behind her and root for her. Too often I wanted to smack her.

2) It was slow. I know not everything can be told at a break-neck pace, but I found myself able to put this book down quite a few times. And when I did, I rarely had the desire to return to it. I could leave it sit for days on end without craving another paragraph, just one more chapter. That for me is how I know a book has hooked me.

3) The Ending - Really?! Seriously?! Come on now. If I'd been through all Eve and Caleb had been through, if I'd loved him the way Eve was supposed to, I never would have accepted what happened at the end. No way. I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil it, but really, come on.


I will cautiously recommend this book. It's worth a read. I've seen rave reviews. And while I personally cannot gush about it, I will definitely read the sequel to see where the story is going.

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Recent Reads - Enclave

Enclave (Razorland #1), Ann Aguirre

 4 of 5 Stars

Genre:   Young Adult, Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian

Pages:   259

Published:   4/12/2011, Feiwel & Friends

Why I Chose It:   It was recommended by a friend who assured me I would love it. I like the cover. It might not stop me in my tracks in a store, but it definitely has the whole post-apocalyptic feel to it.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):   WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first, she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

My Review:  I am actually surprised by how much I liked this book. I mean I knew going into it that there were zombie-like creatures known as Freaks and that alone should have appealed to me, but for some reason I went in thinking that there was no way the author would pull it off in a way that would satisfy me.

I was dead wrong. Deuce is kick-ass from the start. She wastes no time trying to find her inner strength. She's been trained from a young age to kill freaks, and that she does. And does it well. She's been taught to be strong, hard. To not let little things like emotions get in way of the greater good of the enclave. Yet there are moments when her innate compassion boils to the surface and you see that there is more to her than just being a Huntress.

Her relationship with Fade builds over time as the two are forced through one life threatening ordeal after the next. I loved Fade. Physically he may not have been my type (I think it was mostly his hair. I don't like guys with long hair and his was described as falling into his face at one point) but he's strong and complex. He's a fighter. A survivor. There was no doubt in my mind at any point in time that he would die if it meant saving Deuce.

I will tell you that it wasn't perfect. There were moments where I felt the author was repeating herself. Almost as if she didn't trust that I was intelligent enough to remember something she'd said just a few paragraphs/pages back. And on occassion events transpired to help our heroes that seemed a little too convenient.

Then of course there was the love triangle. I didn't like it. The third player should never have been able to come between Deuce and Fade. There was absolutely nothing redeemable about him. Although Deuce may have found things in him to respect and admire, I found him deplorable and never would have been able to forgive his actions and/or inaction the way she was able. In fact, I found myself waiting and wanting for the Freaks to get him. But there was enough action and suspense to warrant a higher rating.

Bottom line, if you like a kick-ass heroine and a fast paced thrill ride, Enclave is for you. I was through it in just a few hours and hungry for more. Highly recommended.


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Recent Reads - Matched

Matched, Ally Condie

 5 of 5 Stars

Genre:   Young Adult, Sci-Fi Dystopian

Pages:   384

Published:   11/30/2010, Dutton Juvenile

Why I Chose It:   Um, look at the cover. Pretty. And shiny. Do I need to say more or are you guys starting to understand my addiction?

Synopsis (from Good Reads):    Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Review:  Oh. My. God. I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved this book. It was everything I could have ever wished for from a dystopian and more. I just want to squeeze it. Or sleep with it under my pillow until I'm clever enough to dream up something as brilliant.

It was tender and touching in a way that reminded me of my profound love of Lois Lowry's The Giver. The Giver is the book that changed my life. The one I read at a young age that made me want to be a writer. Made me want to affect people with words. So to find a book reminiscent of it has made me insanely happy.

Condie's writing is superb. Beautifully crafted. Every word has a point. A purpose. And was specifically chosen to create a society that is easy to understand, destined to be hated, and impossible to forget. From the very beginning, there were parts that made me tear up. Which is not something I do easily. My heart ached for Cassia and for Ky. For the choices that were seemingly beyond their control.

I do have to warn you that this is not a Hunger Games-style dystopian. The pace isn't slow, but it's steady. Gradually building until the final climax. There is no overt action, it's all done very subtly, but the story is intense nonetheless. It's haunting and thought provoking. It's an incredible love story set against the backdrop of a society that believes choice leads to failure. And in a way, they're right. The instant Cassia begins making choices her once "perfect" world begins to crumble. But it is the freedom to choose that makes us human.

I was always intrigued, wondering when the Society would exert their control and attempt to destroy the growing love between Cassia & Ky, but in the end, it all comes down to choice and the consequences of those choices.

It's just amazing. I can always gauge my love of a book by my willingness to lose sleep over it. This one I read in one sitting, staying up until about 3 am to finish despite the fact that I was ill. Recommended to everyone. I personally feel it should be read and adored by the world.

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