One of my favorite things in life is picking up a book I can’t put down and then pondering that book for hours, days even, trying to decide how I feel about it. Evermore, by Alyson Noel, is one of those books, thus making this YA novel one of my favorite things in life. Before I decided to write this entry, I read the book again to finalize my decision. The verdict: I love this book!
As a child, I used to sit with my dad on the couch and watch reruns of Highlander on TBS or TNT or one of the super-stations of the 90s. And while Evermore brought back the memory of eating Vermont extra-sharp cheddar on Town House crackers while watching TV with dad, the book was certainly better than any rerun I’ve seen starring Adrain Paul.
The ironically-named Ever Bloom is an angst-ridden teen trying to recover from the “profound loss” of her family, along with the freakish distraction of hearing people’s thoughts and seeing their auras (a condition resulting from her own near-death experience). Armed with baggy hoodies and a loud-music-blaring iPod, Ever pretty much captures the persona of the average teen outcast. But Damen Auguste waltzes into the scene (or shall I say, waltzes into the scene again) to bring her out of the walking nightmare she has been living for so many months. However, with his hot and cold affection and unsettling presence, Ever is more confused than ever, as she is led through a life-threatening maze of deceit and danger. In the end, however, Ever discovers the mystery behind the accident that should have claimed her life, along with the sacrifices that can only be made for eternal love. Evermore is certainly an edge-of-your-seat nail biter that will leave the reader keeping the faith in Ever, Damen, and of course the symbolism of a simple red tulip. As for the writing, Alyson Noel’s prose is somewhat different than I am used to, using present tense most of the time, rather than the past, which works well, considering subject matter of the book. After adjusting to it during the first few pages, I decided that I love it! Noel’s prose is conversational and for those who spend lots of time around teenagers as I do, classically adolescent! She captures the vulnerability and skepticism of young adults so perfectly that in several places, I was reminded of some of my own dark high school moments. So five stars for Evermore and Alyson Noel. This will definitely be on my list to recommend to my students by Monday morning! I eagerly await the release of Blue Moon, the second installment in Noel’s The Immortals series, which is set to debut in August.
Subscribe
