REVIEW: RISE (EVE #3) by ANNA CAREY

Series: Eve #3
Category/Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 4/2/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 332
Source: Received from publisher for review

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.

I fell in love with this series from the moment I began reading Eve. Everything about the story appealed to me: the characters, led by the incredibly endearing Eve; the history that created this world; the danger, action and adventure; and most of all Anna Carey's incredible writing. And I have to say that throughout the series, Carey has never been afraid to take risks with the story. No one was safe, and I found myself heartbroken more than once.

So having read Eve and Once, I was extremely anxious for Rise. I mean, the ending of Once was so brutal, and I had to know what happened next. Now that I have read Rise, I can say that I did like the story, and Carey's writing is still gorgeous.

In an effort to keep this spoiler free, I'm not going to go into the plot. At all. I can say, though, that the story is surprising, intense, and brutal. And I do applaud Carey for not making the story easy, and for not holding any punches. And though I felt it was authentic to someone of her age and circumstance, I know that some readers have felt Eve was impulsive and reckless. I think they would appreciate her character growth in Rise.

At the conclusion of the series, I can say that I am satisfied. I thought the story was extremely well-paced and well-written. Did everything I want to happen come to pass? I won't say, because if you've read the series, you'll know what I'm talking about. I did feel the ending was extremely abrupt. In fact, I was about to tear my ARC apart looking for missing pages. I didn't like that it just stopped, though I can maybe see why that happened. I will say that I would love if an epilogue had been added. Having said that, I still think Rise was a very satisfactory ending to the Eve Series.


Favorite Quote:

  He'd left so much space in my life. The expansive, hollow feeling seemed impossible to fill with anything else. In the past weeks I felt it in everything I did. It was in the shifting current of my thoughts, the nights now spent alone, the sheets beside me cold. This is where he used to be, I'd think. How can I possibly live with all this empty space?

The Eve Series 

 

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

 

My Reviews of

Eve  |  Once

 

 

Purchase the books at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

 

 

 

Visit Epic Reads' The End is Here Page for all things Eve!

 

 

 

About the author

Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.

Connect with Anna at:

Website  |  Twitter

 

 

THE END IS HERE: THE EVE SERIES ~ LETTER FROM ANNA CAREY TO HER READERS

 

 

The End of the Eve Series is here, and I am thrilled to be able to share a letter from author Anna Carey to her readers.

 

Visit Epic Reads' The End is Here Page for all things Eve!

 

 

 

Dear Andrea,

            It’s been over three years since I imagined one of the first scenes in Eve—a girl and boy on horseback being chased by a grizzly bear. Since then the series has been written, sold, published in the US and abroad, and now, apparently, THE END IS HERE. Love and thanks for following me this far, for your support for Eve and Once, and for hosting me for one of the last EpicReads events I’ll be doing for the trilogy.

            And now…cue the violin music…

            As you may have noticed, RISE is dedicated to Eve’s readers, but those two lines feel like a cheap imitation of all the gratitude I’m feeling now. When I started writing I wanted to tell the story of an incredibly sheltered, proud girl who was completely certain of the world around her. What happens when she finds out everything she learned is a lie? How can she possibly reconcile her education with what she’s discovering every day? Will she have the courage to leave all she’s ever known?

           I have long believed that strength isn’t something we have or don’t have—it’s something that grows from experience. I never wanted to write someone who wasn’t scared, who never made mistakes or faltered. I wanted to write someone true, someone with real flaws who feels weak and terrified at times, but manages to scrape together all the courage she has to push through.

         Emails and tweets, facebook posts and schools visits and signings and panels—I’ve seen how much Eve’s story has resonated with readers. I’m grateful that people have related to her and that they have loved her as I love her (and all these characters). I’m grateful that they’ve followed her, and the series, as she’s` grown into the strong, confident woman of RISE.

XO
Anna

 

 

 

The Eve Series

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

My Reviews of

Eve | Once

Purchase the books at:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

 

 

About the author

Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.

Connect with Anna at:

Website | Twitter

 

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

 

**The blurb is very spoilery if you haven't read ONCE.**

The fate of The New America rests with Eve in this stunning finale to the Eve trilogy.

Eve is trapped in the City of Sand, married to a man of her father’s choosing, but she can’t forget her love for Caleb—or her passion for the rebel cause. When rebel armies invade the city, Eve uses her position as princess for the ultimate act of rebellion—to kill her father, the king. Then tragedy strikes, and Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight in this final battle for freedom. ~From GoodReads

Why I'm Waiting ~ I loved Eve. The ending of Once was brutal and heart-breaking. I can't wait to see if Eve can get out of the terrible mess she's in.


Expected publication: April 2nd 2013 by HarperCollins

Review ~ ONCE (Eve #2) by Anna Carey

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.~From GoodReads

**I've managed to make this spoiler-free for ONCE (I think), but there may be spoilers for EVE.**

I don't even know how to write this review. I guess I could start by saying that I stayed up until 3am reading ONCE. And I'm exhausted from lack of sleep, but I have no regrets. There was no way that  I could possibly stop reading until I finished. ONCE was that wonderful.

What can I say about ONCE without spoiling it? I honestly feel like nothing. But I'll try. Luckily the blurb does a lot to help me out, because it pretty much lays out the story. ONCE picks up three months after Caleb leaves Eve at Califia. Eve is managing, but her moments are spent wishing for Caleb, to simply be with him again, even if it means living in the wild. As it turns out, no matter where Eve ends up, she's always trapped. After ending up in the City of Sand, Eve is dealt the king of all shockers, spinning her into a whole new orbit. Determined to fight for her own future, Caleb's future, the future of all New Americans, Eve's sense of loyalty, love, and sacrifice are put to the ultimate test.

Many times, middle books in a series are a letdown, a filler. That is not the case in ONCE. This story had so much packed into the pages. The dramatic revelations were shocking. I seriously didn't see any of it coming. The action was intense. Eve is a continual force, never halting her search for an escape. What got me most of all was the love story. Sadly, Caleb and Eve are separated for most of the story, but he is always in her thoughts. When the are together, it is absolutely magical. I literally held my heart while reading several particularly beautiful moments. They were subtle, and breathtaking.

After finishing ONCE I had one single thought: My heart hurts. I won't say the ending was cruel. In fact, as far as cliffhangers go, it was quite brilliant. I am already counting down the days until April 2, 2013, the day book three, RISE, releases.
Favorite Quote:

"I was convinced we would return to one another - it was only the how and when that had yet to be decided." (pg 56, ARC)

"I'd spent so many years preparing for this moment, just so I could steel myself against it. But it didn't feel like that. Not now - not with Caleb. He was asking for permission, his face mirroring all the nervousness I felt. I want to be closer to you, he seemed to say, as he bit down on his bottom lip. Will you let me?" (pg 183-4, ARC)
Expected publication: July 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins

You can purchase ONCE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


Source: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review ~ EVE (Eve #1) by Anna Carey

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, 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 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. ~From GoodReads

Unlike approximately seventy-five percent (I made this number up) of other readers, I am not a big fan of dystopian books. I often find the plots to be formulaic and predictable. And although EVE may be follow that path, to some extent, I found the story to be engaging and beautifully written.

After most of the population was demolished by a plague, the orphaned children have been separated by gender. Eve, and all the girls around her, have been taught to fear boys and men. The girls are raised in a strict school setting, and then will move on to another school to learn their trade. Eve believes that once her training begins, she will become a true artist. What will actually happen is more like a nightmare. Unwilling to succumb to that life, Eve runs away, unsure of where she is going, but determined to try. When she meets Caleb, her eyes are opened to the fact that the people she trusted, not men, are the enemy.

This story is led by a remarkable heroine, Eve. I found her to be admirable, and relateable. Eve was intelligent and thoughtful. She doesn't waste time in denial, or not seeing the truth for what it is. She is ever-evolving. Her reaction to the horror of her world was realistic. She doesn't react like a cyborg when something bad happens. She does what most of us would do: curl up in a ball and cry, get the emotional breakdown out of the system, wipe the tears away and move forward as best we can.

The relationship between Eve and Caleb undergoes a natural progression. Though she is taught to fear all males, she's not blind. Eve can quickly see that Caleb is not her enemy. That doesn't mean that she throws herself on him at the first chance she get. They move ahead with caution, yet trust. It was a nice-building relationship that felt true.

EVE was a briskly-paced story. Anna Carey doesn't waste time, but dives quickly into the plot. I felt like I could never let my guard down, the action was constant. I loved that the story progressed so quickly. And the ending? Broke my heart. But not in a bad way. It was just so emotional and unexpected. I'm so happy I had book two, ONCE, to begin immediately.

EVE felt similar to UNDER THE NEVER SKY to me. I think if you enjoyed that story, you would enjoy this as well.


Favorite Quote:

"Tomorrow, and the next day, and every day until we left I would send out more messages. My voice would echo in that cavern, the words wound together in coded sentences, recited over and over until they reached him, there in the night." (pg 251)

"In School, and out of School, I had believed that love was a liability - something that could be wielded against you. I began to weep, finally knowing the truth: love was death's only adversary, the only thing powerful enough to combat it's clawing, desperate grasp." (pg. 270)

Published October 4th 2011 by HarperTeen

You can purchase EVE at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


Source: Personal Purchase.