Title: Once
Series: Eve #2
Author: Anna Carey
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance
Format: Hardcover 320 pages
Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012
Published by: HarperCollins Canada, Harper Teen
Source: ARC provided by publication for review









Recently I have been having very good luck with sequels, and I sometimes find that when reading a sequel there tends to be high expectations and in the end I feel a little disappointed. But thankfully, Once by Anna Carey delivered, and there was no disappointment registered. In Once we continue to follow Eve on her journey to save Caleb from The City of Sand. I will not divulge anymore than that because Anna gives us a very large plot twist VERY early in the book, so anything I say will ruin the surprise, and I am all about surprises. To be honest, I can usually see a surprise coming, especially in YA. But this time it was quite different, what Anna told us seemed to come out of left field for me, I don't know about you, but I totally did not see it coming. I think I actually stopped reading for a few minutes just to let the information sink in. I was shocked, in a good way of course.

Not only did Anna shock us early, she also wrote a sequel that is full of action and desire, something that most sequels seem to lack. I have to say that I was surprised when I came to read a certain scene in the book. I will not spoil it for anyone who has not read the book yet(considering it does not hit shelves until early July), but what I will say is that it is a scene that most YA authors shy away from, especially at this point in a series. I find that a lot of authors don't have the guts to fully describe this scene the way it deserves, and I give Anna two thumbs up for doing an amazing job. She had the guts to describe what every reader wanted to see, and I commend her on that. It was amazing to see something different in a Ya novel, and it made the connections between the characters stronger and more realistic.

I read this book in one sitting, which I regret now because I wish I had let myself savor the story and take in everything at a slower pace. It probably would have made enjoyment of the book that much more concrete. The end, I thought, was well done for a sequel. It left me wanting more without a huge shocking moment that left me hanging. Sometimes I am all for cliffhangers, some books need them, but then again not every book needs to end on one. The shock and awe effect can only last so long in a series and I feel Anna addressed this well, and gave an ending that was simplistic, believable and shocking enough to make me want to read the last of the series.

Speaking of the last book in the Eve saga, Anna recently released the cover and title of the last installment of the series. She has called it Rise, something that makes you think what the title means. When thinking about her titles I am always stumped as to what they mean. But we will know soon enough, when Rise is released. So without further ado, here is the gorgeous cover of Rise:

Isn't gorgeous! I just love it :)