11.20.2009

Review: Evermore


Book Description:
Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

My Opinion:

I've been seeing Evermore around for a couple of months and been meaning to read it for ages. So when I saw that shiny, lovely $5.99 price sticker, I was powerless to resist. I was immediately intrigued by the mention of Ever's pyschic powers, and the aura color chart in the front of the book sealed the deal.

You know that tingly feeling you get when you buy a book and you're pretty sure it's going to be amazing? Well, I had it.

The first few pages were promising--the premise of Ever dealing with the death of her family and the advent of new powers certainly has potential. Unfortunately, that's where the interesting part ends. What follows is little better than a regurgitated retelling of Twlight, minus the sparkling.

Bella Ever moves to a new town, doesn't quite fit in, and has a somewhat awkward relationship with her dad her aunt. In her biology English class, she meets Edward Damen, who is she is forced to sit next to and who wants to eat her like a chocolate chip cookie. He is the oh-so-mysterious brooding boy that every single girl in the school immediately falls in love with after one glimpse, because he is "so gorgeous and sexy and hot and smoldering." Damen is definitely Ever's soulmate, because he makes her feel like she's touching a cold perfect marble statue warm and electric inside, and they have nothing in common. In short, they're a match made in heaven.

What can I say about Damen? The Edward-wannabe, the abusive bad boy, the subject of this entire book? I feel like I know every inch of what he looks like, but nothing about him. But who cares about character development, plot, or any of that stuff in a novel? Of course, the only thing a good young adult book needs is an idiotic, spineless female main character and a hot, significantly older and abusive love interest. Add in some obnoxious minor characters and a lackluster storyline, and we'll just watch the trainwreck unfold from there.

As a narrator, Ever started off as tolerable, progressed to brainless, and by the 200th page, was so annoying and loathsome that I couldn't take it anymore.

This, in essence, is Ever:

DAMEN IS SOOO AMAZING. I mean, what can you not like about this guy who is so hot that he is a model and has pictures on himself on the internet modeling and has a cool car (but still wears motorcycle boots) and and sunglasses and dark shiny hair and white teeth and Cupid's lips and OMG OMG OMG I can't stop staring at him and I can't even speak in his presence and I think he likes me but he's being a real jerk but whatever I still want to go out with him because he is SOOO HOT!!!!! And everything is ALL my fault.

Delightful sort of person, isn't she?

When Edward Damen leaves Bella Ever for a short period of time, Bellver can't deal. Bellver turns to alcohol as a way to ease the pain of separation. Because real life certainly isn't worth living if your boyfriend breaks up with you. You should get suspended from school, mope around, and drink vodka. Or jump of a cliff--either one is an acceptable way of coping.

I don't know, I just don't. Evermore's similarities to Twilight are so striking that I would expect lawsuits, not New York Bestselling status. But perhaps I've been reading too much paranormal romance lately with the same tired premise. I enjoyed reading Shiver, but the more I think about these sorts of books, the less tolerance I have. They're almost like guilty reads--when I'm reading, I get sucked into the story, which I suppose is a good thing. Once I stop reading and take a break, and once I really reflect on the components of these kinds of novels and their inherent message, I can't understand why I even enjoy reading any of these books. Evermore is the book that finally made me snap--and perhaps I am being unfair by taking out my dissatisfaction with the girl falls in love with [insert paranormal creature] trend with this review.

I think I'll stop now, before this gets out of hand. I know a lot of you really enjoyed this book, and I don't want to a take a negative review too far. I really could say much more on this matter, but I won't.

And I won't rate it either.

I'll end on a positive note; I did like the cover. I love the idea of seeing auras for people's emotions, I mean, just LOVE. And the writing is very accessible. If you're a twi-hard, you'll probably love Evermore--but this book just wasn't right for me.

16 comments:

Natalie said...

Definitely agree with you here. I was expecting great things of this book after all of the hype, but I was extremely disappointed. I really wanted to like it. I really did. But I couldn't. I actually did like Noel's writing style, but I had so many issues with the plot and characters and overall unoriginality with the book that I just couldn't enjoy it. (Though the cover IS nice-looking)! Thanks for the review!

Natalie @ Mindful Musings

Ellz said...

Funny review. I agree this does have Twilight similarities. It also reminded me of Blue Bloods. I liked the story. I am a Twilight fan, maybe I haven't had my fill of the storyline yet. The second book really departs from the twilight theme and was actually pretty good. I am waiting to read the third book. I did enjoy your review, thanks for being honest.
Elie (Ellz Readz)

Stormi said...

I have this book but haven't read it yet and now I am wondering..hmmmmm

yuan said...

AHAHAHAHAH hilarious review. Also, I'm never touching this series.

Jenn (Books At Midnight) said...

Hm, I read this book a few months ago, and it was okay... I did sort of like it, though I noticed a lot of Twilight parallels (hilarious review!), but it was really the second book, Blue Moon, that I couldn't stand. *sigh* I'll probably read Shadowland just for the sake of it though.

Vee said...

Oh, well. Guess this is one for me to steer away from, since we're book twins. Lol. All the Twilight parallels would definitely tick me off. And yeah, there's an overload of books like this, so I suppose so fair enough to get a bit...cranky...about it. Haha. I laughed at several points during this review. "Belver" -- such an awesomely funny name!

Sandy said...

LOL Bellver?

Jessica said...

I really enjoyed the Twilight Series... I, however, detested this book. I had a really hard time finding good things to say about it. You handled it really well.
Great (and entertaining) review! :D

Allison said...

Haha awesome review! I won this book in a contest, but I haven't read it yet.

ninefly said...

I almost physically ran from the book first time I saw the cover
the influx of Twilight-ripoff stories are killing my will to read any new paranormal romance from the female perspective, and that's kind of sad...then again, most of the time if the girl is narrating, no matter how strong she is, she's just there to admire the stronger, sexier, broodier male love interest
they're still subject to the Gaze maybe especially when we're seeing the story through her eyes =T

ParaJunkee said...

Your review cracked me up. I'm so glad I found your blog, even if a contest sucked me. in. I read this one before I read Twilight. I think. I can't remember I've read so many of these YA novels I can't keep straight who is a fairy and who is a wolf.

I don't remember seeing the similarities with Twilight though. But I did think the vodka was ridiculous. Which is why I never read the second. Reading good reviews of Evermore and the second book (can't remember that name either) I kinda forgot that I didn't like Evermore - but your review reminded me. Thanks!

Audrey (holes In My brain) said...

lol, hilarious review. This was one of the very few books I couldn't finish, I just wanted to smack Ever/Bella constantly..aahh.

La Coccinelle said...

How did I miss this review? Bellver. *snicker*

I pretty much agree. This was just Twilight... only worse. I have no idea how the publishers managed to call the second book in the series Blue Moon and not have Stephenie Meyer's lawyers breaking down their necks.

Oh, well. On to better books, eh?

La Coccinelle said...

Oops... I meant "breathing down their necks".

I don't think lawyers are that aggressive.

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

lmao I love that you caught that the books are a lot a like.

Ammietia (a girl you once knew) said...

I borrowed this book from my friend. She had devoured it in only a day or two. Said it was totally awesome.

I should have known right there that it would be everything you said it was (you captured it perfectly, really) Because, well, my friend isn't much of a "deep reader." She can't get through a book that has any real underlying tones. And sexy vampires in a book? Automatic 100/10.

*sigh* I love auras as plot devices, and hate it so much when they are put to waste on a bad book...

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