Title: Ever
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Teen Fiction, Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5
From the back cover:
Falling in love is easy…
…even for Kezi, thouhg she knows her days are numbered. And head-over-heels, come-what-may love is inevitable if her heart’s desire is Olus, the Akkan god of the winds.
But accepting death is hard, especially when romance is new.
Attempting to thwart her fat, Kezi and Olus embark on a series of dangerous and seemingly impossible quests. If they succeed, they will be together, but if they fail, Olus will have to endure the ultimate loss, and Kezi will have to make the supreme sacrifice.
Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning new world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens. Her story is one about love, destiny, and belief is spellbinding.
I will admit upfront that Gail Carson Levine is one of my favorite authors. I have reread Ella Enchanted countless times! So when I saw this new book of hers, I grabbed it and starting reading it as soon as I got home.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like Ever was up to the normally high standards I have for Gail Carson Levine. The writing felt far too simplistic, and the constant switching back and forth between Kezi and Olus’s points of views was irritating, particularly because the chapters are so short.
The story itself is a wonderful concept, with the god Olus falling in love with the mortal Kezi, who only believes in one, invisible god, Admat. The plot is a lovely combined hero’s journey, complete with trips to the underworld. But I feel like Gail Carson Levine gave everything short shrift. The beginning was too long, and then when the action finally picks up, the book is practically over!
I understand that this is not necessarily aimed at people my age (though I’m only 20!), but I read young adult books all the time, and enjoy them. So I don’t think that my criticisms of Ever are simply the result of a different set of expectations for a different age group. I would simply love to see Gail Carson Levine give the story of Ever the attention and development that it deserves.
