ONCE
Anna Carey

Hardcover: 320 pages

Published:  July 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins

ISBN: 0062048546

Source: Publisher

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥

For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.

But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.

Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.

My Thoughts:

Upon finishing EVE by Anna Carey I was intent on discovering what would happen next. I was surprised and pained by how things ended and I wanted to know more about this fascinating world that was created and was not disappointed.

ONCE beings several months after EVE concluded and in that time we understand what Eve has done while adjusting to Califia. Her spirit remains unbroken but unfortunately her heart is not for Eve cannot rest until she is with Caleb again. Then rumors about a stray man reach her ears and she is convinced it is Caleb and goes out to find him, but her plans are foiled and soon she is within the clutches of the king. What happens withing the city walls is surprising for I truly did not expect her encounter with the king to play out as it had, but it all is explained and makes sense.  Yet, to Eve she can only remember her mother and how they were abandoned and left to perish, alone the glamorous city and all it's fine trappings mean nothing to her. Until she realizes that Caleb is alive and now she has to use her power and wits in order to escape and be with Caleb forever.

I was completely sucked into this story from the get go and I could not stop until it was done. I was so immersed that I barely stopped and was freaked out on how it ended...ahhhhhh!!!! While there were some moments that I could see coming there were a few good ones that snuck past my radar and I was shocked. Those are the ones I like the best. I love being duped. I also loved the moments between Caleb and Eve this time around because the urgency of their forbidden trysts were heart squeezingly perfect and I was left pining for more. I also like a well done evil-bad-guy and the king does quite a good job of making me hate his guts

As I have always mentioned a second book in a trilogy can either make or break the series for me and I was so happy to see ONCE become a novel that was not fillerish in the least and that it had some very clever surprises that I did not see coming. Now I am sitting on pins and needles for RISE and it will be a very long wait. 

  RISE
An Eve Novel, Book Three
by Anna Carey
Coming 04/02/13
ISBN-13: 978-0062048578
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 320