Everless (Untitled #1) by Sara Holland Published by HarperTeen on January 2nd 2018
Pages: 336
Goodreads
In the kingdom of Sempera, time is currency—extracted from blood, bound to iron, and consumed to add time to one’s own lifespan. The rich aristocracy, like the Gerlings, tax the poor to the hilt, extending their own lives by centuries.
No one resents the Gerlings more than Jules Ember. A decade ago, she and her father were servants at Everless, the Gerlings’ palatial estate, until a fateful accident forced them to flee in the dead of night. When Jules discovers that her father is dying, she knows that she must return to Everless to earn more time for him before she loses him forever.
But going back to Everless brings more danger—and temptation—than Jules could have ever imagined. Soon she’s caught in a tangle of violent secrets and finds her heart torn between two people she thought she’d never see again. Her decisions have the power to change her fate—and the fate of time itself.
4.5 Nuts
In Everless time is money. Literally. This concept is fascinating. So when I heard about this book I knew I was going to have to pick it up. Then along comes the Booked All Night podcast, one of my favorite bookish podcasts I know of, and they didn’t like it! “oh no,” I thought “what if it’s bad?” But it didn’t sound awful, mostly just a bit predictable. So I listened to the whole episode and did something I never do: I let it spoil me.
Because of this I went into the book having a vague idea of where it was going to go and the basic twists it was going to hit. What I was most concerned about was how they were going to get there. Was the journey worthy of the pay off?
The answer is yes, for the most part. For a person who reads a lot of YA and is very familiar with the tropes and mechanics of story telling, yes, this book will be very easy to suss out. You’ll probably be able to see where its going just by following the clues. HOWEVER, Everless does take a twist and turn it around on its head. Yes you’ll see something coming, but what you’ll see won’t be exactly what you thing. And that is what I appreciated most out of this book.
If I were asked what I thought the theme or lesson of this book was I guess I would say “Things aren’t always what they seem.” The casual reader will not expect at least 3 of the major twists in this book. Holland takes this theme and weaves it throughout Everless, creating a beautiful story from it.
While the story and plot are probably my favorite parts of this book, don’t think I didn’t enjoy the characters as well. While they may not be the most complex characters ever written they are really enjoyable to read about. Everyone from the heir to the lowliest servant has a role to play, and they’re all fairly interesting.
I really enjoyed this book. Once I got into the meat of it I couldn’t put it down. It’s a very compelling read. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one since this is definitely a series I’m going to be continuing with. Proof that predictability does not a bad story make.
What did you think of Everless? Share your thoughts in the comments.
From my shelf to yours,
Erin
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