Review by Emily, head mama of DCR and ...whimsy...
Ever is a brand new fairy tale brought to you by the author of Ella Enchanted, Fairest, and many other great stories.
Ever is told from both the perspective of Olus, god of winds, and the mortal girl he falls in love with, Kezi.
Olus lives a lonely life. None of the other gods are even close to his age. When he turns 17, he leaves the Akkan gods and seeks a life with the mortals. He becomes a goatherd for Kezi’s father. He watches Kezi and grows to care for her. The other gods tell Olus that it is a waste to care about mortals because they are soap bubbles. They are here one moment and die the next. But when Kezi’s life nears its end, Olus can’t stand the thought of it. He and Kezi embark on a hero’s journey to save her.
As I mentioned, Ever is an original fairy tale. The characters are fun and interesting, but I’m not sure they are as fleshed out as I would have liked. The plot is fresh. Seeing from each character’s point of view is intriguing, although occasionally confusing.
I definitely recommend Ever to teens and preteens who enjoy fairy tales. I didn't love it as much as Fairest and Ella Enchanted, but it is still worth reading.
Ever is a brand new fairy tale brought to you by the author of Ella Enchanted, Fairest, and many other great stories.
Ever is told from both the perspective of Olus, god of winds, and the mortal girl he falls in love with, Kezi.
Olus lives a lonely life. None of the other gods are even close to his age. When he turns 17, he leaves the Akkan gods and seeks a life with the mortals. He becomes a goatherd for Kezi’s father. He watches Kezi and grows to care for her. The other gods tell Olus that it is a waste to care about mortals because they are soap bubbles. They are here one moment and die the next. But when Kezi’s life nears its end, Olus can’t stand the thought of it. He and Kezi embark on a hero’s journey to save her.
As I mentioned, Ever is an original fairy tale. The characters are fun and interesting, but I’m not sure they are as fleshed out as I would have liked. The plot is fresh. Seeing from each character’s point of view is intriguing, although occasionally confusing.
I definitely recommend Ever to teens and preteens who enjoy fairy tales. I didn't love it as much as Fairest and Ella Enchanted, but it is still worth reading.
Thanks for the review. I've seen mixed reviews for "Ever", but I'll be reading it! "Fairest" is my favorite so far, and I chose it as my pick for an LDS Mom's book group I am a part of.
ReplyDeleteFairest is still my favorite, too.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Emily! "Ever" was a little dark for me. But it was original. However, I really missed the humor in Levine's other stories.
ReplyDeleteI know this is way after the fact, but I didn't really like this one either. The writing felt really choppy to me - nothing like her other books.
ReplyDeleteGood review.
I have to say Gail Carsons Levine either completely hits the target as with Ella Enchanted or misses it. Ever was not as good as Ella or Fairest. Also there was some inuendo about a night together I didn't like.
ReplyDelete