Evermore

I have discovered the new Twilight series, and I'm sure a lot more people are going to be jumping on the bandwagon as these books become known. Stephanie Meyer faces some stiff competition from Alyson Noel's new series, the Immortals. The series has already been optioned for the movies.The cover, those two stark red tulips against that field of purple, claimed my attention the first time I laid eyes on it. I tried to ignore it, but it was just one of those covers that wouldn't go away. It haunted me, especially when I couldn't remember the name.When I got a copy, I sat down to read it, intending to only read a chapter or two. Instead, I blazed through the first hundred pages before I knew it. I got introduced to Ever (and isn't that just the coolest name...well, ever?) and Damen, and then I didn't want to put the book down. Except I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. So I picked it up the next morning and finished it. Now I can't wait till July for the second book to see what happens next.I really enjoyed the story. The characters are fun and feel real. Teen angst drips on every page without becoming offensive even to a grownup like me. Especially since I'm male and teen angst isn't an everyday language for me.It won't be a spoiler to mention that Damen's nature isn't exactly revealed in this book, but it promises to be a doozy. He's not a vampire. He's something different, which earned the novel a gold star my book. And also caused me to invest much curiosity. But I think I'm going to get a good return on that investment, and how often have you been able to say that these days?I enjoy Ever's psychic powers and the way that Alyson Noel has built them up. They make sense and adhere to their own logic. They make Ever strong and vulnerable at the same time, which is interesting as well. The romance between the two is a gimme. There's no way two people like this wouldn't be interested in each other.Just like there's no way that romance isn't going to experience some bumps and pitfalls along the way. Damen's ex-girlfriend turns out to be a major fly in the ointment. The back and forth play between Ever and Damen did get a little annoying, but that's just because it's so expected.Ever's friends at this point are kind of one dimensional, but the story is all about the romance. With the series progressing as it is, I expect the friends to step into the limelight more as things go along. One of the best characters in the book is Ever's little sister, Riley. Riley is just awesome and a lot of fun to spend time with. However, it looks like she may be going away. When she does, I'm going to miss her.But there are plenty of other mysteries to keep you turning the pages. I want to know more about Damen, Ever's powers, and what exactly they're going to be called upon to do. With everything going on, you know it has to be big.Alyson Noel can really write. Her words flow effortlessly and her dialogue rings true. This book is a breeze to read. I will offer the caveat that the f-bomb gets dropped a couple of times, which kind of surprised me because I didn't think it is truly necessary, but the teen market this is aimed for have definitely been exposed to that language. I wouldn't put this book into the hands of naive 9 to 12 year old, though.EVERMORE is a crackerjack read for teens and teen-at-heart adults looking for more teen angst and a gushy love story with some action and mysteries spread throughout.

Evermore is the first book in The Immortals series. Sixteen year old Ever goes to live with her aunt in Southern California after her parent’s little sister and family dog are killed in a horrendous car accident. Ever, the sole survivor suffers more than just survivor’s guilt…ever since her near death experience, she has gained psychic powers. Now, she is forced to endure the constant thoughts of the people around her. She also sees auras, glimpses of the future and the ghost of her little sister who is her closest companion.When the girls at school (and half of the boys) go into a tizzy over a hot new guy, Ever is most intrigued by his lack of an aura and her inability to read his thoughts. In fact, when the boy, Damen, touches her, all of the voices are blocked out, sending her into a blissful silence. Ever is confused by Damen. Some days he seems to pursue her aggressively; others he ignores her completely. Then, there are the flowers. Even though it is completely the wrong time of year for tulips, Damen keeps doing these magic tricks where he makes red tulips appear from behind her ear, in her lunch bag, in her locker, etc.I don’t want to give too much of the story away in my summary. Let’s just say that I really liked how you didn’t know whether Damen was good or bad. The author did a great job at making him beautiful and dangerous at the same time. I also liked how Ever didn’t chase after him. When Damen would act like a jerk, Ever didn’t pander to his crap like a lot of teen girls might. Fair or not, some readers criticized Bella Swan in Twilight for being too passive with Edward. (I didn’t think she was that bad…) No one will say those things about Ever. She is a great role model for females. Even when she does bad things (like a typical teen), she gets punished and learns from her mistakes.I also enjoyed how Noel handled the emotional trauma of Ever’s story. Ever is a severely damaged girl. She hides from the other kids under hoodies and sunglasses. She maintains a selfish and co-dependent relationship with her ghostly sister. She blames herself for living when her family died. I’m glad that Noel didn’t try to sugar coat anything that Ever experienced. It made her seem like a real person. I’m excited to see where her journey will go in the next books.Overall, I give Evermore…Plot – 3 ½ bookmarksCharacter Development – 4 ½ bookmarksLove Story – 4 ½ bookmarks (The scene at the end of chapter twenty-six about broke my heart!)Age Appropriateness – A strict, Puritanical parent might find issue with some alcohol use and mention of teen sex, but for the most part, I found it realistic and appropriate for most kids thirteen and older.Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Anastasia Baranova (Ever), a less pale Rob Pattinson from the first Twilight movie (Damen), Kelsey Batelaan (Riley), Christian Siriano (Miles), Deborah Ann Woll (Drina), Malese Jow (Haven)

Excellent book. Exactly as advertised. Required to complete the trilogy

I never expected this book in such a good quality

Bellissimo libro, molto coinvolgente mia moglie l'ha letto in 4 giorni, regalo apprezzato

It’s not for all people but I personally loved this series.. I have the whole collection and the story and the connection between the characters is really sweet and the visuals you get while reading it are quite amazing

I have already read these books and now I'm re reading them again. Love them. Can't wait to read Blue moon.Gail