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Of course, it doesn't help that he's dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.
Frustrated, and desperate to move on, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever's life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.
Some girls lose their hearts to love.
Some girls lose their minds.
Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.
Ever's story took me by surprise and blew me away. The emotional entanglement captivated and held me throughout the story. I am vested in these characters and am hanging on for the next installment, because OMG Jessa Russo can write a cliffhanger. Whether you're for or against being left dangling and anticipating the return to a certain world and its characters, this book is definitely 100% worth a try.
Going into Ever I was excited, and wary. Excited for the original plot and creative story line. Wary for the word of mouth; I had heard some mixed feelings on the book but I always like to test the waters myself, and my oh my I am glad I did. It was an excellent read, one that I know a lot of Paranormal YA readers will love. Having just read Betwixt (which was also phenomenal) by Melissa Pearl I was already in the mood for some more ghostly adventures. The story is Ever's, it is her crazy life and the way she copes with the hand she is dealt. Loving a boy she can't touch and lusting after a boy she can.
Not only does this talented writer excel at story telling but Jessa Russo also knows how to make an effective and nail biting love triangle. She knows how to move her readers and make them fall in love and then add this element that I personally never saw coming. She pretty much pulled the rug out from under me, and personally I am team Frankie all the way, but I can't help but feel sad about that. Like most, it's a book you have to experience first hand to get the full effect.
The main reason I love Supernatural and Paranormal books is that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. This book was such a glorious escape from reality, even if it was heart breaking at times, it was worth the ride. I say 4 stars (closer to 4.5) because of all the questions I still feel are unanswered, as always occurs in the first book of a series. I am definitely looking forward to book 2!
I will be on the lookout for more books by Jessa Russo but in the mean time here's a little something something to keep everyone satisfied! So share the book love!
AlwaysYAatHeart1
Posted November 7, 2012
Seventeen year old Ever Van Ruysdael leads a somewhat different type of life than most teenagers. You see, two years ago, she was in a car crash with her best friend, the boy next door, the one she had a crush on forever, Frankie. Frankie died in that accident, and Ever has never been the same since. There is one catch, he doesn't move on. He's a ghost and he lives in Ever's house, and has since the accident. Not only can she see him, so can her family and her friends. It doesn't help that she still loves him and has never been able to move on, yet knows that she can never touch him, never have a real relationship. Still, she plays the game, they play the game, not openly declaring their feelings, secretly in love with each other, never really saying it out loud. Ever craves the physical touch of another, and she knows she never have that with Frankie, yet she can't seem to move on. That all changes when she sees the new neighbor, the one that is moving into Frankie's old house, who is one of the hottest guys she has ever seen, Toby.
Ever and Toby end up going out, though she feels guilty, yet she is so attracted to him. Things begin to get intense between them. Frankie isn't too happy and begs her not to see him, but yet he won't give a reason. Ever has nightmares, nightmares that involve Frankie, and they get worse, especially after she experiences another tragedy. Frankie ends up showing up in her room every night to comfort her after the nightmares, and their true feelings for one another begin to surface. Still, she knows she can't be with him, not for real. Meanwhile, Toby's ex-girlfriend shows up on the scene, Her best friend Jesse has a new guy in her life, and things begin to get really complicated. She finds out Toby has secrets, big secrets, his ex-girlfriend has secrets, and her nightmares becomes more clear, and very, very fearful. Then on Ever's 18th birthday, she get the biggest surprise of her life, a surprise that will change things forever.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Though not unique, the plot and premise for the book were interesting. I liked Ever's character, though I wasn't overly impressed with her. I really enjoyed Frankie's character and would have liked to have heard more from his point of view and know what was going on in his head, and hope to see more of that in the sequel. Toby was just plain hot, he is the classic bad boy in the story, the one with a mysterious secret, the kind you just can't keep your hands off of. My favorite character was Jesse, Ever's best friend. She was funny, outspoken, and just had a great personality, adding a lot of humor to the book. As far as the romance, you have the classic love triangle going on. Ever can't make up her mind who she wants, wanting both Toby and Frankie, and they both want her, and there are several hot romantic scenes. There is a twist at the end of the book, one which you had a feeling might be coming, but it is presented in such a way that it leaves you hanging and ready for the next book. If you are a paranormal romance fan then you may want to check this book out.
I liked it, and it felt like a great uncomplicated book that was easy for me to get into. I suppose the problem was that is was just that: simple. For starters, I wish there was a prologue, or even a prequel, that elaborated more on Frankie and Ever's relationship and his tragic death; also how she coped with his death and ghost resurrection.
"Sane people do not fall in love with dead people, plain and simple. Regardless of his many good traits, or his rockabilly good looks, I could never have him." (loc. 294)
I enjoyed this book, however I felt that I had basically already figured out the main plot line when I was only a quarter through the book. The characterizations are great, and the names being used give foreboding on what's to come, and hint at who these people are that's suddenly coming into Ever's life. With that said, I really loved Jessie's character, she's my favorite of this book. The constant repetition of events throughout the book became tiring as Ever decided to replay everything that's happened over and over again, as if we (the audience) didn't just read that scene in the previous chapter, and then again on the previous page. There are a couple shockers, but one that happens a little before the halfway mark really doesn't seem necessary, unless it was used to as a catalyst to fuel the future scenes, or things to come in the second book. Ever's neediness and desperation got a bit annoying at times because it made her look impotent and immature. Hopefully she'll grow out of that in books to come.
In all, the book is a great book to lay back with. The characters are relatable, in a sense, and there's that great paranormal aspect that I love in books. The plot gets a lot better as it goes on, and although there may be just the little shockers throughout the book, the ending is the best and greatest shocker.
First Line: "One glance at the calendar was all I needed." (loc. 34)
Last Line: "'See, I'm nothing if not fair.'" (loc. 3414)
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Quotes
"Ugh, I seriously needed to get a life. Or a real boyfriend. Preferably both." (loc. 244)
"One of us had a life to live, and I needed to actually live it." (loc. 1220)
Galley provided by Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted October 4, 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Of course, it doesn't help that he's dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.
Frustrated, and desperate to move on, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But ...