BOOK REVIEW | Everless by Sara Holland

Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Series? Yes, Everless is the first book in a duology.
Pages: 362
Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: I checked out the audiobook of Everless from my local library via Libby. 

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.

Goodreads

Everless might just be the most hyped debut of this year in the YA community. I have read countless reviews, and all but two were four or five stars. After reading the synopsis and seeing all the reviews, I was intent on reading it. Unfortunately, I did not love Everless. I don't think the audiobook was a good choice for this book, and I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I suspected. 

My two main issues with Everless was it's pacing and world building. Personally, I didn't like how slow the book was. A lot of time was spent on the world building. While the world set up in Everless is complex and it was great to get a feel of Everless (the city), it slowed down the book. The inner workings of the society are important, but I got bored. I need more action in my fantasy books, or at least tension so that when the action does come, it is worth it. Jules does entrench herself in a world her father explicitly warned her of, but I never felt any dread or worry for her. My lack of connection to Jules is due in part to the book's focus on world building over characters. As a reader, we get an in-depth look into Jules and how society affects her life, but we don't learn much about any other characters. They remain a mystery. This could potentially lead to intrigue, but since the pacing was so slow, I at times confused characters, didn't care about them, or even forgot about their existence. More time on characters and action would have made the book much more rounded in my opinion. 

A small difficulty I had with the book is unique only to the audiobook. The narrator of the book, Eileen Stevens, wasn't bad, but she didn't blow me away either. There are some books where I have found the narration compelling and have added to my reading experience. Everless was not one of these books. Jules' voice didn't stick out to me. Personally, I need more intonation to keep me focused. Since the narration didn't impress me, my focus strayed often, and I had to frequently rewind 30 seconds. 

My last point of issue about Everless is the romance. The romance was barely there, but I would have much rather preferred if it was non-existent. I wouldn't say Jules has romantic interests in this book, but she does have two potential romantic interests. When one couple came to fruition, I thought their relationship was underdeveloped. I never thought their interactions were that romantic, and didn't root for them at all. Since I never bought their relationship in the first place, what happens to them in the third act didn't have an emotional punch for me. The other relationship has a bit more promise, but is merely hinted at in the last act, which is my favorite section of the book. 

The last act of the book is by and large, the best part of the book. Threads that Sara Holland introduced throughout the book all came together for a great climax. There is a great twist here, which I - and from the reviews, many others - were not expecting. Though I don't necessarily understand all the backstory regarding the twist, it did turn the book in a direction I much preferred. After reading the ending, I was convinced to continue on with the series. 

Unlike many fantasy books in the young adult genre, the concept behind Everless is unlike anything I've ever read. The only two books that came to mind when reading Everless were Firstlife and Wither. Firstlife by Gena Showalter also has timepieces on the cover, and Wither by Lauren DeStefano also features many untimely deaths as people's time runs out. These similarities surface level. Holland's idea of time as currency, which is taken when binding blood with copper, is unlike anything I've ever heard. Even though I did take issue with the time spent on world building, it was a world unlike one I have read before, and that itself is impressive.

Thought the plot itself was interesting, the execution was lacking. The world building, while rich, slowed the book down to the point that I was bored. When compounded with a middle of the road narrator, I lacked focus and often had to rewind. The last act of the book does show promise, and for that reason I am going to continue with the series. I hope that in the sequel the romance will be more believable, as there were little to no romantic scenes between Jules and either of her love interests. I wouldn't necessarily recommend Everless, but I don't urge you to stay away either. 

With that, I give Everless
2.5 out of 5 Hourglasses!