Eve, is the story of a girl who has been raised in a School, to be educated and well rounded. She is eager to cross the lake/bridge and learn a trade. She wants to paint. She thinks that nothing is impossible. Until Arden, the outcast at her School, runs away, telling Eve the truth. When Eve goes across the lake at night to if Arden is telling the truth, she learns that everything she's been up to believe is a lie. So Eve does the same thing Arden does, and runs from the School. Into the wild, that is full of men who only see her as something to be owned and used, of a long ago society and abandoned towns and houses, of roads with soldiers who are coming after her. Eve finds Arden again in the wild, and they team up with Caleb and a group of boys who have escaped labor camps. But the leader of the boy has dangerous black eyes, and nowhere is safe.Caleb and her fall in love, but don't trust each other, causing them both to fall into traps, and for Caleb to make dangerous choices. Eve struggles in her journey to Califi, a refuge and safe house across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco by the ocean, traveling on road 80 west, with Caleb and Arden. And Eve will eventually have to cross the bridge, but she might have to do it alone.
Let me first say that I had heard many things about Eve, but I really didn't know what to expect. Sixteen years after a virus has killed 98% of the population, Eve is an orphan at a School. Until she receives some shocking news, a shocking truth that sends her out in the wild. Eve reminds me of The Maze Runner and the Hunger Games. It's dark and scary and there's questions unanswered. And there is death and danger everywhere. I liked it just as much as I like the Hunger Games, if not more. I hope Carey keeps it up in the next book, Once, to come out July 3, 2012. I hate it when trilogies go downhill (like the Hunger Games). A note on the names, I liked them, because they all seemed to fit together, and I love the name Arden, so that was nice. A note on the cover: I like it; it suits the book. Eve is headed into the unknown, and I can't wait to see what Califi is like. And I like the writing of the letters. I liked how the book was told from Eve's perspective, because it helped me understand her feelings. Eve also fulfills the A-Z challenge letter E and the Read Dystopia Challenge.
The main reasons I liked Eve novel are the symbols and themes. Obviously the bridges. One represent a life that Eve longs to live, but on the other side there's only a lie and that life would be like living in a torture chamber/prison. To leave the school represents the loss of Eve's innocence and desire to know. The second bridge, crossing to Califi, represent Eve's freedom. The two juxtapose (I love that word). There's also the road--dangerous, but necessary, guides but isn't to be trusted, isn't safe. The road is a symbol of Eve's journey and her life in the wild. And finally, water. Water is a symbol. It's needed to live, but Eve fears it until she learns how to swim. Oh, and also books. Books are the source of Eve's knowledge and all she knows about the world, outside of what her instincts tell her. As for the themes, the obvious one is having the freedom to make one's own choices, even if it effects others negatively, and by accepting that we make mistakes, but are not controlled by outside forces. The other one is love. In the book, Eve says, "You can love anyone. Love is caring about someone very deeply. Feeling like that person matters to you, like your whole world would be sadder without them in it." Well said and well written Anna Carey.
Here's the summary for the sequel, Once below. (from the offical website)
Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?
Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.
