Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publisher: HarperTeen
Published: January 2nd, 2018
Page Count: 362 pages
Format: eARC
Source: From publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review
Summary:
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.
*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 5/5 stars
.This review can also be found on YA Books Central.
Everless was my first read of the year and I do indeed feel guilty for reviewing it just now. The guilt comes with the fact that this turned out to be an AMAZING read for me, and as a book reviewer, I should 130% shout into the void until my lungs hurt in order to support and make more readers fall in love with this read. However, there are times when you just cannot find it in you to review a book you love. It’s so daunting to sit down and wait for amazing words to slip out of your brain and make your fingers type, right? I’m sure I’m not the only one!
I certainly don’t feel that I’m ready (are we ever ready?) but I feel it’s been long enough so here I am.
What I Liked:
Everless by Sara Holland will always remind me of starting the year with a bang. I remember I was HOOKED right from the start and how it kept me wanting to keep reading and ignore all my other duties. The idea that time is currency is not a new invention, but its take is certainly refreshing, especially in YA literature! I enjoyed the urgency of the novel, it made me feel stressed and constantly wondering how the main character, Jules, would manage to avoid her time slipping away, just like a lot of the characters who have the misfortune of not having enough time on their hands. Like her father.
I raged how, like in any society, some people had the upper hand in this world and obviously are rich enough to have too much time. The Gerlings (part of the royalty in this world) get to live hundreds of years while the rest of the society has to go to pawn shops and sell their blood and then convert it into iron so they can be consumed by others (diluted in tea, for example), shortening their life out of need. It’s heartbreaking and although our currency is not as extreme, it certainly reflects on how our own world works (loans and debts that swallow you whole).
I must admit I was actually expecting Everless to be action-packed, but instead it focuses on the main character and in understanding the whole world. I sincerely didn’t mind how it’s not full of the usual action in YA (our heroine is yet to be a warrior) since being privy to her thoughts as we spend much of our time inside her head and her time inside the Gerling’s Estate turned out to be pretty enjoyable for me. But worry not, action-lovers! It comes in due time and the end is enough to have you at the edge of your seat!
One thing is that Jules does seem to have a slight obsession/crush with her childhood friend and one of the Gerling “Princes” and I never understood what she saw in this first crush. I disliked the interactions with this character, though I didn’t mind reading about it. I was already too in love with this book! Oh, but just you wait to see how it all pans out. It did end up giving me the necessary swoons in subtle ways. 😉
Final Verdict:
To say that I’m excited for the sequel to Everless is an understatement. This stunning novel came and firmly placed itself on my shelf of favorite reads and it will take a lot for it to be bumped down. You must read it!
I'm so excited to read this one! I'm so glad you loved it, it makes me even more interested in picking it up soon. I am fascinated by the idea of time as a currency so this book sounds perfect. Great review!
I've seen this several times over, but never bothered to even look at it. At five stars, seems like I need to. Great review, Meli!