Eve, the savior of humanity?

Title and author: Eve By Anna Carey

Date: October 4, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 9780062048509

Source: NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her. 

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life. 

In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.

My Thoughts:   

An interesting read, Eve brings to light a future that is quite possible, and only a few years away. The idea of a plague wiping out the population is what makes this story terrifying.

Eve is thrust into a life she has never known. While she may be the Valedictorian, she has not acquired the knowledge necessary for survival in the wild. That is, until she meets Caleb. Their relationship shows her that she is tough, that she is capable, and that she is ready to take on whatever the wild may bring.

I found the ending quite a surprise and yet not at the same time. At the novel’s conclusion I had flashbacks to certain parts of the novel that I realized were foreshadowing what was to come, and this made me smile. I almost felt “tricked” because as an English teacher I should have honed in on it; instead, I found myself dismissing those tidbits of information.

As a whole I enjoyed the novel. The author does a great job developing the plot at Eve’s level, not the reader’s. The novel lulled in places for me because I was ready for more action, but Eve was not. This was an interesting tactic because many contemporary dystopian novels are all about the action, but this is not. This is very much character-driven in a different way than the others. Think a milder version of The Hunger Games. While I found HG full of action, it too was character-driven. For me, this makes Eve a strong contender in the dystopian genre.

I don’t know what the author has planned in the second novel, but let me just say that I am ready to see where she takes us next.

Eve is currently available at your local bookstore. Definitely check it out!

P.S. When you finish the novel, look back at the cover carefully. It will come full circle.