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Once (Eve #2)

by Anna Carey (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 4,276 ratings · 590 reviews

When you're being hunted, who can you trust?

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...more

Hardcover, 354 pages

Published July 3rd 2012 by HarperCollins

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Apr 28, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Eve

Recommended to Steph by: Myself

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult, 2012-release, ebook, edelweiss, e-arc, harpercollins, 2012-reads, all-the-wrong-choices, books-i-should-hate-but-i-don-t, could-have-been-better, disappointment, heroines-i-want-to-shake, i-didn-t-see-that-coming, i-liked-it, it-wasn-t-all-that-but-enjoyable, omg-that-ending, what-kind-of-ending-was-that

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

This is a difficult review to write. Most of the things I want to talk about (good and bad) involve giving away huge spoilers. Once has a pretty big plot twist early in the story - one that I'm almost ashamed to admit I didn't see coming - making it close to impossible for me to adequately express my thoughts. But I'm going to try really hard to give a nice little run down of the book without ruining it for you.

Once picks up a few months after the events in Eve and our pr...more

25 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Isamlq rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley

It’s still a little more of the same of a girl head over heels over a guy she knew next to nothing about, a lot of hiding and seeking then one (or two) improbable moments thrown in. It had me wanting to head /desk, face/palm then maybe even body/floor. (Yes, I'd likely be black and blue now.)

She’s a (view spoiler) I didn’t see that coming. When I first read Eve, I recall how gullible she could be, how unthinking she could be… and how follow the leader she some...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

NOOOOO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT! Once again, Carey has managed to rip out my heart and leave me tortured for the next few months.

This book was a bit different in that the first was about Eve and Caleb surviving in the wild, and this was about Eve trying to escape her situation inside the city. But I loved it almost as much. I'm sure some will even say this book is better than the first.

One of my favorite scenes in the first book was when Eve first met Caleb and she insisted she knew what he wante...more

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss-arc, 2012-favorites, 2012-reads, didn-t-see-that-coming, exceeded-my-expectations, gimme-the-next-book, hand-me-some-tissues, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, read-reviewed

I’ll admit, I went into Once with some slight trepidation. I read Eve a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it, and was instantly captivated by the scarily familiar world it took place in, the characters and their struggles and the great emotional impact it had on me. With all of that praise for Eve, and more, I looked forward to Once immensely, having high hopes for it, but was also a bit worried, wondering if it could live up to its predecessor.

And now, the big question: did it live up to Eve?...more

7 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2012 A marked it as fake-ya-dystopian

is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games...
ick. can't take this seriously.
NO
THIS BOOK IS NOT AND WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS THE HUNGER GAMES
STOP
COMPARING
YOUR
CRAPPY
"DYSTAUPIANNN"
STORY
TO
THAT
FLAWLESS
BOOK
this is a skim "to read" Eve bored the heck out of me.

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, romance, fantasty

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Book cover :

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...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: futures

I liked the first one better than this one.

For one, there was more adventure there, and more happiness. This one seemed just all doom and gloom, there were only patches of writing were Eve was ever happy, and even that didn't last long. And the way it ended was so sad and depressing, that it almost made me not want to continue the series, but of course I will, after all, it makes it so much more exciting to see what happens next. The journey Eve had didn't have as much adventure as the last on...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, finishedreviewcopy

Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

This review is for the audiobook.

Eve was a book that I was mostly meh about. I try to read all of the dystopias, or at least the first book in each series. Obviously, I liked it enough to want to continue with the series. I read Eve around the same time as I read Wither, which I thought was better. With the sequels, though, I think I like Carey's series better, at least for consistency's sake.

The basic society seen in Once is interesting enough. I am a...more Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

This review is for the audiobook.

Eve was a book that I was mostly meh about. I try to read all of the dystopias, or at least the first book in each series. Obviously, I liked it enough to want to continue with the series. I read Eve around the same time as I read Wither, which I thought was better. With the sequels, though, I think I like Carey's series better, at least for consistency's sake.

The basic society seen in Once is interesting enough. I am always horrified by dystopias about women being demoted in society again after some cataclysmic event. Let's be honest: I can imagine women being forced to breed if that's what the people in power thought was necessary. The divide in the society, between the wealthy and the poor also seems a fitting theme. Once added this by showing that as part of the whole rebuilding effort, the King is trying to rebuild a theme park, instead of trying to help the poor. Much as I love roller coasters, I'm going to have to go with bad plan.

I wish more had been done with Califia, but we really don't get much of a feel for this haven for women. Anyway, she's quickly captured and taken to the city, where she learns 'a shocking secret' as the description says. That certainly was surprise to me as a reader, but my reaction was mostly 'of course she is.'

The main thing that kept throwing me out of the story was the romance. I do not ship Caleb and Eve at all. Though I remember that they were not instalove, it sure reads like it. Eve is so freaking sappy and she thinks about him CONSTANTLY. Caleb this, Caleb that. I mean, at the beginning, her friend shows up bleeding and Eve wants to know what happened. The girl tells this terrifying story about what happened to her on the run. Eve listens and then responds with "CRY FOR ME BECAUSE I HAD TO SEPARATE FROM CALEB!" Girl, hold up for a moment, okay. What an awful friend. I would like them better as a couple if I didn't have to hear about how much she loves him all of the time. SHOW your love for him; don't just moan about it all the time.

Also, Caleb and Eve are so stupid together. She does all sorts of dumb stuff to see him. Their situation is made so much worse, because of how they behave. Admittedly, they have big problems, but if they weren't so rash about everything, they could have managed. For example, I chose this song because of this scene where she sneaks out to see him and THEY ACCIDENTALLY FALL ASLEEP for too long despite the fact that this will, of course, get them caught. When your life is on the line, you set an alarm. *headdesk*

The saving grace of the book was that Anna Carey is willing to make some of the tougher decisions. The ending definitely kept my attention and guaranteed that I'll be reading the next book.

Narration:
Tavia Gilbert's voice worked really well for the character of Eve. She has a voice that really sounds like it could belong to a teenager, especially a naive, innocent one like Eve. Gilbert did a fantastic job of conveying emotion with her voice and pacing.

However, her attempts at doing voices for the other characters were made of fail. She does a horrible impression of a man's voice. Seriously, I laughed every time. I could not take these supposedly-intimidating characters, like the King, seriously, because they sounded so absurd. Ditto Caleb's romantic lines. The audiobook would have been much stronger had she not tried to do voices.

Since I read Eve and listened to the audiobook, I wanted to compare which worked better for me. All things considered, I think it came out about the same. I think the audiobook made a nice change. I do love when people tell me a story. (less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, signed-by-author

At this point, the first book is my favorite of the two. Even though I did love the progression of the Caleb/Eve relationship in this one, a few aspects of the plot were predictable and I just wasn't as thrilled or intrigued by what was going on as much as I hoped to be.

That being said, I believe this is a good book. Unfortunately, my reading experience this time around was one where personal issues got in the way (perspective on certain things, bad moods, etc.) So, I still want to give this a...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Step Into Fiction rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jessica

If you’ve read my review for EVE you’ll know I LOVED the book and I read it in four hours. So when ONCE arrived at my house RIGHT before Christmas, I couldn’t have been more excited. But I was afraid to read it because I’m impatient and I hate waiting. EVE doesn’t come out until July so I knew it would be at least a year from now (if not more) until we saw the next book but I couldn’t resist reading it. I am kicking myself now because the ending is just plain torture.

Review originally posted at...more

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May 05, 2013 Kathleen Kaufman rated it 2 of 5 stars

As a big fan of dystopias and young adult lit, the premise of this soon-to-be trilogy appealed to me. Anna Carey has created an intriguing setting. A world, destroyed by illness, struggling to rebuild and going to radical lengths to ensure there will be a future generation of children to repopulate the country. The writing is above par for young adult literature. Carey manages to write a romance without a hint of scandal, making it an age-appropriate book for younger readers while keeping everyo...more As a big fan of dystopias and young adult lit, the premise of this soon-to-be trilogy appealed to me. Anna Carey has created an intriguing setting. A world, destroyed by illness, struggling to rebuild and going to radical lengths to ensure there will be a future generation of children to repopulate the country. The writing is above par for young adult literature. Carey manages to write a romance without a hint of scandal, making it an age-appropriate book for younger readers while keeping everyone else intrigued.

That’s the good part.

The Eve series reeks of lazy world building. The premise in book one is so flimsy that it creates an unstable ground for the rest of the series. In a world where you desperately needed compliant, fertile girls to be breeders. Why in the world would you provide them with the finest education? Teach them to paint? Expose them to fine literature? Just so they can be shuttled across the river and breed? A more realistic breeding stock would have been a bunch of illiterate girls who had been fed propaganda about the noble nature of repopulating the country. A bunch of illiterate girls who couldn’t even read a road sign if they ever escaped, much less a map or a coded message. But no. In the Eve books, the breeding stock is made up of the finest, best-educated girls in the country, for apparently no other reason than Carey wanted to have an interesting, well-read protagonist.

That’s book one.

Book two brings its own issues. Carey has created a world where Eve was orphaned in the plague at age five and is now eighteen. Thirteen years have passed and the United States has abandoned all premise of democracy and crowned a king. Like the extra-educated breeding stock, this decision seems to be entirely for the purpose of creating a pseudo-fairy tale world where we can call Eve ‘Princess’.

There is also absolutely no reason why Eve would be ‘playing along’ with the princess act. She supposedly does not want to live a newly revitalized Vegas (which is an odd place for the new dawn of society given its water access issues which require considerable labor and energy, which would be sparse in a world where 98% of the population had been wiped out…) but plays nice for reasons unknown. I would have loved to see her blow the top off the breeding farms, she really has no reason not to. But instead, she acts out a dystopian version of ‘What a Girl Wants’ with her cousin Clara.

That being said, I read books one and two in a week’s span. The writing is appealing enough that these glaring plot holes didn’t stop me from reading, just gave me cause for eye rolling. (less)

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Apr 14, 2013 Kayt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-apocalyptic

One might wonder why I have a habit of picking up sequels to books I didn't enjoy. That is an excellent question, and I don't really have an answer, except that, well, it was there, and I was there, and now here we are.

And actually, I enjoyed Once more than I enjoyed Eve. Eve is a better character now, and her love interest is gone for a large part of the story, which actually allows the story to be interesting.

I wasn't surprised by a lot of the revelations in the book, but to its credit some of...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Bonnie McDaniel rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fiction, dystopia

I'm listing this book as "read," but the fact of the matter is I didn't finish it. I made it about two-thirds of the way through and realized that I really don't like the main character, don't believe in the world, and couldn't care less what happens to these people.

This is a young adult dystopia, specifically of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, which in this case is the aftermath of a plague that wipes out ninety-some percent of the American (and, by implication, the world's) population.

To pul...more I'm listing this book as "read," but the fact of the matter is I didn't finish it. I made it about two-thirds of the way through and realized that I really don't like the main character, don't believe in the world, and couldn't care less what happens to these people.

This is a young adult dystopia, specifically of the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, which in this case is the aftermath of a plague that wipes out ninety-some percent of the American (and, by implication, the world's) population.

To pull off this type of book successfully, you have to sit down and work out just how your post-apocalyptic society will develop. It takes a great deal of worldbuilding and asking hard questions. For example, will the survivors try to maintain their country's form of government? Will they merely scavenge from the ashes of the old world, or will they temporarily revert to an agricultural society, and once they're growing enough food to keep themselves alive, will they then try to rebuild an industrial civilization? How will the survivors divide their labor, and who will decide? How will questions of gender and race be solved? How will conflicts be handled? These and a thousand more questions need to be worked out, and thoughtful solutions proposed, for your dystopia to succeed. (See as examples: Veronica Roth's Divergent, Ann Aguirre's Enclave, and, of course, the mother of them all, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games.)

Unfortunately, Anna Carey did almost none of this, and the few answers she came up with are the most superficial possible.

Without spoiling too much, let's just say her post-plague world is unbelievable, to say the least. It's only twelve years (as near as I could figure) after the plague, and some joker has already set himself up as King? In the United States, where there would still be some people living who remember the Constitution, and approximately 300 million firearms lying around to support it? Where there would still be survivors of the military, who would certainly support the chain of command? I daresay there would even be a few feminists remaining who also know how to operate said firearms, and who would most strenuously object to consigning women to chattel, reproductive slavery.

The characters are also as dull as dishwater. Neither the heroine Eve nor her boyfriend Caleb inspire much sympathy, and aren't particularly likable. At one point, Eve veers perilously close to being Too Stupid To Live when she walks into what is obviously a trap, and succeeds in getting herself and her best friend captured, and the best friend's dog killed. (Actually, I reacted more to that dog's death than I did the entire rest of the book, or at least the portion I read. This is not a good sign, if your reader likes a dog better than your protagonist.) She is then whisked off to a rebuilt Las Vegas, where her boyfriend follows and they hook up again. Quite literally, which for me was the last straw: she has sex with Caleb but neither mentions or is concerned with the possibility of getting pregnant, when being reduced to a babymaking machine, strapped to a bed, is the reason she ran away in the first place.

Good Lord. Talk about cognitive dissonance and betraying the entire premise of your story, such as it is.

I don't know why some people (at least from the reviews I saw on Amazon) are raving about this. Eve is not a likable character. This world does not make sense, and this is not a good story.

I need a good dystopia, dammit. Anybody got any suggestions? (less)

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Nov 24, 2012 YA Novelties rated it 2 of 5 stars

Check this review out at our blog!

1.5 Stars

After reading Eve, I was at a sort of a loss. Eve ended with such a perfect ending to keep the reader dying for Once, I remember reading an excerpt of this book and thinking "Meh...." There was nothing truly spectacular about Eve. After all, many of its themes and plot devices were ones already used in dystopians for years, and all of the characters bugged me. So now I really wonder why I read Once because honestly, it was worse than I expected.

Once beg...more Check this review out at our blog!

1.5 Stars

After reading Eve, I was at a sort of a loss. Eve ended with such a perfect ending to keep the reader dying for Once, I remember reading an excerpt of this book and thinking "Meh...." There was nothing truly spectacular about Eve. After all, many of its themes and plot devices were ones already used in dystopians for years, and all of the characters bugged me. So now I really wonder why I read Once because honestly, it was worse than I expected.

Once begins a few months after the epic cliffhanger we were left off on. Eve is kind of off on her own in the women's haven, Califia, and suddenly, she discovers that the women there are willing to betray her for the safety of the rest of the women. OMG! Big shocker, isn't it? I mean, sacrificing one girl is an awfully cheap price for the safety of at least 100 women, so anyone with common sense can understand. The girl's new, doesn't really contribute much to Califia society, but Eve treats this news like it's the end of the world. Like, 'WHO DOESN'T LOVE ME ENOUGH TO KEEP ME?' Everyone, Eve, everyone. Basically, I just hate the protagonist of this series with a burning passion, which kind of causes my hatred of the series.

I know I'm being a little harsh (OK, extremely) harsh on Eve. For most characters, I'm willing by bypass the sudden case of selfishness. However, for Eve, this has been a ongoing issue from Day 0. By now, I've been hoping for some form of her maturing, to make her seem relatable. Unfortunately, this just never happens. Throughout Once as well, Eve is still the same bratty girl who ran away from school the previous year. Not thinking anything through and believing that she's faultless when she causes tragedy to strike others.

Additionally, the plot of this book sort of fell flat as well. We find out the secret behind Eve's past, and it's not that shocking. Many plot devices overused and repeatedly used in YA are used in Once. While I was reading this book, I felt like the plot was flowing similarly to how Torn by Amanda Hocking did. (Kind of a spoiler). Although there genres were different, Torn and Once are similar in plot and building up momentum for a sort of deadpan climax. The plot is almost identical to Torn, yet I loved Torn way more than Once, surprisingly. The thing is, Wendy in the Trylle trilogy matures and becomes a competent ruler over her people. Good luck with Eve managing to lead anyone, let along to not lead them into a trap, which she does repeatedly.

There was just something crucial missing in Once that didn't allow me to appreciate anything. The writing was decent, but just couldn't hook me to this book. Many times, I nearly gave up on reading this because I was so frustrated with Eve, as you probably have guessed. Now, I'm just really disappointed with this series and the author, and really just can't imagine myself trying to finish the series with Rise.

Angie @YA Novelties
(less)

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Oct 31, 2012 Savannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story well enough. This book really felt like it was just trying to bridge the gap between the first and what will be the third. Certainly, there were enough plot twists to keep things from getting too boring, and we are seeing Eve move from the naive and scared girl she was in the first book, but even I was a little disappointed. (And I'm generally easy to please when it comes to YA Fiction.)

The writing could really use a little help, and I partially blame her editors for not catc...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Better Read Than Dead (Kelly & Kristin) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kelly-s-reviews

The sequel to Eve proved to not just be a filler book like most sequels in a trilogy are. The same amount of action and events occurred during the course of the story as well. The twist in the story that you are represented with is a complete shocker. It was something that I honestly never expected. Luckily the sequel wasn’t as depressing as the first book. It had a more determined feel and you see Eve grow as a character, from a scared little girl to a woman who should not be underestimated.

It...more The sequel to Eve proved to not just be a filler book like most sequels in a trilogy are. The same amount of action and events occurred during the course of the story as well. The twist in the story that you are represented with is a complete shocker. It was something that I honestly never expected. Luckily the sequel wasn’t as depressing as the first book. It had a more determined feel and you see Eve grow as a character, from a scared little girl to a woman who should not be underestimated.

It starts basically where we left off. Eve is still in Califia, adjusting to the refugees’ camp that is just for women. She works in a bookstore and is under the impression that she is safe and well cared for. That is until Arden finally shows up looking like a man. The women panic and start saying that if Arden could find them and Eve so easily, why shouldn’t the King’s army not be able to? Eve and Arden overhear them plotting to give Eve up to the army if the time ever comes so they end up running away again. Only this time they do get caught. Arden is sent back to the schools and Eve is taken to the King where she learns the shocking truth about why she is really there. And to me it was quite a shocking revelation. If I was drinking water I would’ve done a spit-take worthy of legends. Thank God I didn’t coz my book would’ve looked like something out of the Lost Library Of Alexandria, not in excellent condition.

I really loved where the story ended up going and was surprised a few times, but some of the things were also a bit predictable, like arranged marriages, suspicion of certain people and so forth. Eve wasn’t as naive and infuriating as she was in the first book and I ended up really loving her. I ended up felling really sorry for her because most people who she meets ends up betraying her in some way or the other.

Caleb and Eve do reunite’ thank the Lord, but way to few times for my liking. They do end up doing the horizontal mambo (as Kristin would say =P) but the effect is short lived and does end quite tragically in a sense.

Anna Carey did what some authors lack in doing. She kept you captivated through the entire book, which is difficult to do in a sequel book. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it to everyone. Give it a try. It might surprise you.

~A Kelly M Review(less)

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Oct 15, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Note: This is Book Two of the “Eve” Series. Book Two has a Big Reveal but I'm not going to spoil it! On the other hand, my review will necessarily have spoilers for Book One, so skip to the Evaluation Section if you have not read Eve.

In Book One we meet Eve, one of many children left orphaned by the plague that killed 98% of the population. Eve attends an all-female orphan school, where the girls are taught that upon graduation, they will take up exciting careers to help rebuild the planet. But...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: With an unexpected plot twist, Once is guaranteed to go in a direction you aren’t expecting–but if you didn’t love Eve, this installment doesn’t have a lot to offer you.

Opening Sentence: I started over the rocks, clutching a knife in one hand.

The Review:

I looked forward to reading Once after the almost-cliffhanger at the end of Eve where we left Eve in Califia. Picking up a few months later, we notice right away it’s obvious that Eve is mise...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars

About the Book:

This book was so not what I expected. I'm going to be completely honest, after I finished Eve, I wasn't sure if I would end up reading the sequel. I felt like Eve's actions at the end of the first book were extremely selfish, and it made me dislike her. So, you're probably asking yourself, "Why on earth would she read the sequel to a book she wasn't crazy about?" And the answer to that is: I have no idea. I honestly cant remember what made me listen to Once, I have a mile high TB...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Sarah Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

This second-installment in the Eve series delivers to its readers what most, I think, would expect.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it is predictable. The characters stay true to themselves, but not without revealing a few surprises. The plot trajectory continues to remain open, in ways where many things seem possible and any particular turn of events isn't much more unlikely than the other. All of this keeps readers guessing, and certainly makes them hold their breath at the ending.

But all in all...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Oana Ungureanu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I: Propun să începem cu detaliile despre copertă, synopsis şi modul de scriere al autoarei. Din perspectiva mea, coperta este extrem de drăguţă, în momentul în care am văzut-o prima oară am rămas şocată. Şi cea din SUA este frumoasă, dar a noastră are un strop de strălucire care te încurajează atât să o cumperi, cât şi să o şi citeşti. M-am îndrăgostit de culoarea de verde utilizată pentru copertă. Drăguţă! Descrierea cărţii a fost interesantă, ce pot spune, cred că am citit-o de 10 ori până cân...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was quite good in my opinion. I found it a very interesting book and I haven't even read the first book. I know what you guys are thinking,"What! You cheated! You didn't read the first book!" However, I had no way of getting a hold of, Eve, the first book. The only reason I had Once was because I was given an ARC copy. But, I recommend reading the first one first. You should always do that. ;)
This book is about a girl named Eve who is brought to the City of Sand to live with the Kin...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Wendy Godding rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Eve

After reading the other reviews on here I agree with most that is hard to write a proper review without giving away too much of the plot and the huge twist which - like everyone else it seems - I didn't see coming and is a great addition to the plot.

First the good. The premise is excellent. The writing is good too, Carey has a talent for getting the reader to read on, to always want more.

Now, the negatives. Eve is the most selfish character fathomable. I didn't actually find her that selfish in...more After reading the other reviews on here I agree with most that is hard to write a proper review without giving away too much of the plot and the huge twist which - like everyone else it seems - I didn't see coming and is a great addition to the plot.

First the good. The premise is excellent. The writing is good too, Carey has a talent for getting the reader to read on, to always want more.

Now, the negatives. Eve is the most selfish character fathomable. I didn't actually find her that selfish in the first book, even though she had been reviewed as such, but in this book she really is selfish. She spends an awful lot of time in a 'woe is me' head space with barely a thought to her friends left at the school or the danger Caleb is in. And again she makes poor decisions that are so obvious, trusts everyone that opens their mouths to her and seems to take risks with everyone's lives without ever really seeming to take that guilt on or even acknowledge the consequences of her choices. I didn't feel sorry for Eve at any point which was a shame as she did make a sacrifice, but if she hadn't harped on about it so much I might have felt it.

And Caleb.... he seems to have been dumbed down for this book, making some questionable decisions.

The plot and world building was also questionable. Set only thirty years in the future they talk about a world where there were once buildings a hundred stories high. What happened to them? How did a plague get rid of skyscrapers? I didn't get it. The plague is only fifteen years old, surely there are still people alive who remember the world 'before'. Maybe Carey needed to set it further in the future, or have something else change the world as I didn't understand how a plague brought down buildings.

In all, it was an enjoyable read and I will look out for the next book in the trilogy simply because Carey has left us with another cliff hanger. If you loved Eve you will enjoy this, if you didn't love Eve, I'd say give it a miss.(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Claire added it

Once follows Eve after a few months in Califia, an all woman refuge just north of San Francisco. We previously have learned that a virus has wiped out huge portions of the population - A King has emerged with an iron fist and a fanatical vision of a new america that he will do Anything to protect and bring to pass. The first book of this trilogy, Eve, annoyed me, I am not sure why I picked this one up. I liked it better, but...
In Eve's plot, Eve has been raised in an all girls convent-like schoo...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Thania Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved Once. There were so many shocking part that ruined my life. First, when we find out that the King is Eve's biological father and turns out Eve is the Princess of the New America. I dislike that. Second, the sneaking parts of Caleb and Eve were so beautiful. Specially when they were on the plane. And they totally had sex there. I loved how Anna described their sex scene. It wasn't like sex but it was more into making love. It showed us how much they're gentle with each other and how much...more

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Oct 09, 2012 April rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: part-of-a-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have sat here for an hour trying to write a review of Once, the problem is that I’m not sure what to say about it. I loved Eve, but I’m not quite feeling the same love for this second book. Which I’ve found lately is how I’ve felt about a lot of second books in series I’ve read. It seems that authors are using their second book as a way to move the story along, it’s a gap filler.

In the start of Once we are a few months from where Eve left off, and Eve is safely ensconced in Califia. She seems...more I have sat here for an hour trying to write a review of Once, the problem is that I’m not sure what to say about it. I loved Eve, but I’m not quite feeling the same love for this second book. Which I’ve found lately is how I’ve felt about a lot of second books in series I’ve read. It seems that authors are using their second book as a way to move the story along, it’s a gap filler.

In the start of Once we are a few months from where Eve left off, and Eve is safely ensconced in Califia. She seems to be making a new life for herself all the while still missing Caleb, and maybe even regretting leaving him a little. For a few short moments we are introduced to a couple of new characters, the women of Califia, but soon Eve is reunited with Arden. I was happy to see that Arden had survived and they were back together. That was short lived though as we found out that the woman of Califia weren’t really happy to have Eve there, as they talked about using her as a bargaining chip with the King of the New Americas.

I wasn’t too surprised when Arden and Eve decided to make a run for it, especially after someone said they saw Caleb in the city. I was a little shocked to find out it wasn’t Caleb but some guards who were there to take her to the City of Sand. The fact that they took Arden back to the school first bothered me, especially when Eve saw Ruby and Ruby was barely able to recognize her.

My biggest shock came when Eve finally met the King. Their relationship shocked me, however it didn’t shock me as much as it did to find out Caleb was inside the walls of the City of Sand, or Las Vegas as we call it. Eve and Caleb wanting to be together and finding a way to be together was nice, but maybe a bit rushed.

When Caleb gets arrested for the murder of the two guards Eve killed in book one, I was very sad, but then for Eve to make the sacrifice she does, only to find out that King didn’t do what he promised saddened me, and the end of the book made me mad.

I’m not going to anxiously await the third book Rise and pray that it actually gives us the happy ending that these characters deserve.
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Jun 25, 2012 Lea (YA Book Queen) rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first read Eve, I found myself torn - there were aspects I enjoyed and others that frustrated me. With Once, Carey proved herself capable of delivering a strong sequel filled with surprises. There is no sequel slump here. Instead, Eve journeys to reunite with the boy she loves while also discovering that sometimes the right choices are the most difficult ones to make. I'm going to keep quiet on specifics, because this is one story that is better read without knowing the big moments.

Carey'...more

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May 28, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases

So, I wasn't ever completely sold by Eve. It's hard to explain, but I always thought that Eve had a somewhat weak concept, but some decent ideas that had potential, but it was just never realized. Yet, I thought I should to give Anna Carey and the Eve trilogy another try since I had the opportunity (or maybe I was just in a good mood that day, so I requested it).

Now that she's no longer in the oppressive anti-male school, Eve has fled into the wilds and taken up residence at a haven for women -b...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think the story line of this series is a very interesting one. When starting this, the second book, I guess I didn't really think that Caleb and Eve knew each other that well. I mean, sure, he'd helped her out of a few situations but I guess I didn't see him as being so connected to her, willing to die for her at any and every moment.
The problem I have with strong female leads in young romance is that the woman and man almost seem to switch roles. She is stronger and he is weaker, giving hi...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Donna {Book Passion for Life} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-dystopian-scifi-thriller, own, kindle

**Spoilers if you haven't read Eve**

As soon as I finished Eve late Saturday night, I picked Once up straight away because after that ending, I had to know what was going to happen I'm so pleased to say, Once is a fantastic sequel - if not even better than Eve and once again, Anna Carey leaves me completely breathless with that killer ending.

After the shocking events in Eve, Eve is now safe in the lands of Califia. Unfortunately Caleb wasn't granted access because he is a male but even though he'...more

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Crazy for Young A...: Once by Anna Carey → Start Date: April 24, 2013	27	31	Apr 28, 2013 10:52pm
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About Anna Carey

Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.

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Quotes from Once

“We stood side by side, and for that minute, in the stillness of that room, he was not the King. I was not not the Princess, taken against her will to the City. We were two people trying to forget.” — 14 people liked it

“You do anything for the person you love,” she said finally. "And then when you don’t think you can give any more of yourself, you do. You keep going. Because it would kill you not to.” — 14 people liked it

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Once (Eve #2)

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