August 19, 2012

Review: Once by Anna Carey

Once (Eve #2)

Author: Anna Carey
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: July 3, 2012
Pages: 368
Source: Hardcover/Library

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.

Review: This is a fantastic sequel to Eve! I felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions at times with this book! It was like I was happy, then scared, then pissed, then a little happy, then more pissed etc. I was so happy at the beginning when Arden found her way to Califia. And I was even more excited when they decided to leave Califia after what they heard the leader planning. I was quickly disappointed though with how easily they got captured and then sent Arden back to the school and sent Eve to the City of Sand. I really thought there would have been more a fight to get away from the troops. I was shocked when we found out though that the King was actually Eve's father! I totally wasn't expecting that! It definitely made the book interesting, though much harder for Eve. I felt like everyone in the City of Sand was brainwashed. They had no idea what went on outside the walls for real, though when people actually come into the city and tell them from experience, they dont believe it. It annoyed me to death. Everyone knows in someway in these books the government lies to you but everyone is to brainwashed to see it! 

Caleb. Man, this guy couldn't get a break at all in this book! First he's still got his infected, cut up leg he had at the end of Eve. Then at that, the soldiers used him to trick Eve into being caught by coming to find him. And that was only the beginning. Then he had to hide in the City of Sand because if he was caught out in the open there he would have been arrested. Which I thought was BS! Eve admitted to being the one who shot the soldiers yet just because she is the Kings daughter she gets a free pass and Caleb gets blamed for it! WHAT!?! How is that even fair? And then how he gets shot in the end! I was seriously upset with how bad Caleb was treated in this book! It was harshing my mellow because I really liked Caleb! And then this Charles guy... Not a fan! Especially Eve being forced into marrying him because "That's what the people expect." Ehhh. No. I'm really not a fan of how this book ended except for one thing. We found out one of the Kings men isn't exactly who the King thinks he is. Despite not liking the ending, it definitely left you wanting the next book! 

5 Stars!