EVERMORE by Alyson Noel

At Amazon

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.