Mundie Moms

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Book Review: Once by Anna Carey


Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: July 3rd, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
5 stars: I LOVED This Book!
Purchase from:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Series: Eve book #2

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 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.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar-quoted from Goodreads

A riveting sequel with surprising twists, suspense and a heartbreakingly beautiful romance that will leave you clinging to each page.

ONCE is book that takes readers deeper into Eve's vivid and chilling world, uncovers some shocking secrets and will lure you into a city full of danger. It's a story that surprisingly got to my emotional side more than I thought it would. Anna doesn't hold back on all that takes place in ONCE. Talk about surprises, this is one book who's unpredictable plot line will leave you re-reading the ending just to make sure you read what happens correctly. I did NOT see that one coming at all! WOW! 

Anna's writing is AMAZING! I love it when I can pick up a sequel and not have an author spend a good portion of the first chapter rehashing everything that happened in the previous, which is not the case with Once. Anna threw me right back into Eve's journey and richly detailed world, and made me feel like I didn't miss a beat with her series. Similar to Eve, I found myself just a fascinated with Anna's world building, as I am with her writing. The world in this series is beautiful, intriguing, and dangerous. This times the story goes from being set in the wilderness and moves to the city. It's here that the danger ironically is higher than it was when Eve was on the run. There's shocking discoveries, secrets that are uncovered, and some heartbreaking sacrifices that are made here, which adds to the feeling of dread and entrapment that encompasses the city for Eve. 

Eve is stronger and more resilient than ever. She's a girl who will do what ever it takes to hold onto what she believes/knows to be the truth, and will do anything to protect those she loves. Some of her actions completely caught me off guard and unexpectedly take this storyline into a whole new direction. Eve and this series's storyline is far more unpredictable than I first realized, and I loved what Anna did with this book. I can't give all the credit to Eve, because Caleb (go ahead and sigh) does some equally surprising things in this book as well. I am such a sucker for their romance! It's sweet, breathtaking and one that's full of incredibly heartbreaking sacrifices. That's one of the things I admire about both of these characters. They will do whatever it takes, and defy all the odds against them to save/protect one another. 

Caleb and Eve are just two of the characters I enjoy in this series. Anna pulls out some shocking revelations with some of the characters we met in Eve, as well as with the introduction of some new key players into the series. Let me just say, "Let the conspiracy theories begin!", because nothing in this series is what it seems. Every shocking revelation that gets revealed in this book only twists up the plot line that much more to where I don't even fully know what is going to happen next now. It's so fabulously crafted, and well written that Anna's fans will be begging her for more when they finish this book. If you loved Eve, wait till you pick right back up with the adventure and uncover the danger that awaits you in ONCE. I HIGHLY recommend picking this sequel up!

Don't miss my interview with Anna Carey talking about ONCE here

Once Blog Tour: Interview with Author Anna Carey

I'm thrilled to be the next stop on Harper Teen's blog tour for Anna Carey's ONCE. Today author Anna Carey has stopped by the blog today to talk about her newest release, ONCE which was released on July 3rd, 2012 from Harper Teen. I seriously LOVED this book (you can read my 5 star review here), and I highly recommend picking up this sequel. My interview questions for Anna were asked prior to my reading the book. All I can say is if you loved EVE, wait till you read ONCE!



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 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.

In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar-quoted from Goodreads



I really enjoyed Eve, and I'm looking forward to reading about her adventures in Once. Did she surprise you with any of the choices she makes in Once? 

The sequel is filled with twists and turns, and there are several moments that took me off guard. It’s hard to say anything without revealing something, but I was most surprised by the final chapters of the book. The series turns in an unexpected direction.

Eve was a fabulous debut. Do you feel it's harder to write a first book in a series or the sequel?

For me, writing the sequel was a more challenging process. When you have a trilogy, there’s always the fear that you will paint yourself into a corner with the second book. I really felt the end of Eve’s story while writing Once, and that was scary. Did I really want to push her towards this place? Was I certain this was how the story should unfold? I struggled with those questions as I moved forward, and it took more time for me to just let go and write.

What's something you've learned about yourself while writing Eve's story?

My definition of courage has evolved as I’ve gotten older. It’s tempting to mythologize bravery, to see it as some inherent trait you are either born with or you lack. It’s easy to dig your heels in and say ‘I am this way, I am not that way’, ‘I could never be that brave, that strong, that [insert adjective here]’. The truth is just living and breathing in this world requires courage. I’ve grown appreciative of the little acts of strength that occur everyday and are so specific to each individual’s experience. Maybe it’s the woman who breaks off a relationship that is functional but dispassionate, maybe it’s the boy who comes out to his parents. Maybe it’s something small but in its own way courageous—stepping in and telling that guy who’s cursing out the Panera cashier to back off. Writing Eve’s evolution has shown me that more than anything else, courage is something people learn. Strength isn’t something you have or don’t have—it’s something that grows from experience.

You incorporate a lot of great elements in your series with the adventure, suspense, romance, and an incredibly detailed world. What's been your favorite element to create/write about?

When I wrote Eve I wasn’t as interested in creating a completely new world as I was in showing our world in the wake of an unfathomable disaster. Would we stay true to the values our country was founded on or follow the first leader with a clear vision? Would we use the opportunity—this second chance—to right the mistakes of our history or repeat them? Maybe the earth wouldn’t just survive without us, maybe it would thrive. What would that look like? Considering these questions was essential in creating the series, and helped expand my own understanding of the world and everyone in it.

If you could include one of your favorite fictional characters into Eve's world, who would that be and why?

Eve and Caleb could use a few friends with supernatural powers. Hermoine Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter would all be great support. Avada Kedavra would’ve come into good use at certain points in this series.

What's been one of the best compliments you've received as an author?

Whenever someone tells me they cried reading my book (which happens often), I know I’ve succeeded. I hear “I was affected by your book” or “your book made me feel something”, which is exactly what any good art—book, movie, or song—should do.


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Thank you Anna for stopping by Mundie Moms today! 

You can purchase your copy of Once from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Visit Anna via her: Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

About the author:


Anna Carey is the author of EVE, which is now available wherever books are sold. The sequel, ONCE, hits shelves July 3rd, 2012. She grew up on Long Island, the daughter of a special education teacher and an astronomer.  Early on she talked of being a painter, district attorney, flutist, physical therapist, or graphic designer, but eventually pursued writing—the one thing that allowed her to be all of the above. She studied Literature and Creative Writing at NYU, and took part in her fair share of snowball fights in Washington Square Park. After college, she worked as an editor in children’s publishing before getting a Masters in Fiction from Brooklyn College. She now lives in Los Angeles, where the apartments are bigger and the weather is sunnier, but she still misses New York.


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You can follow the entire blog tour by visiting these blogs here:

YA Book News: Cover Love & A Book Trailer

Last week there were a few cover reveals and all I have to say is AWESOME covers! Harper Teen has done a fabulous job with their covers, and keeping those in a series similar. I love that. Here's the covers that were revealed:



Veronica Rossi revealed her lovely cover for her sequel to Under the Never Sky, Through the Ever Night. Say hi to PERRY! Seriously, this cover makes you wish you could go pick up the book doesn't!?! Here's a little bit about the book's cover per Veronica's cover reveal post:

Some of you might notice that Perry got a hair cut. Truth is, it's near impossible to find someone with the hair I picture for Per, which can best be described as post-apocalyptic surf-shag? I think he looks pretty good with shorter hair, too.


I really love the colors in this cover and how it compliments the first book... Thank you, HarperCollins design team! You've outdone yourselves! Thank you thank you thank you!

Veronica mentioned her short story about Roar and Liv *dances around with excitement*

I'm almost finished with my first draft of the Roar and Liv short story and I'm really, really starting to wish it were a full-length book. There's something about Roar that's so fun and interesting to me--not to mention that his love for Perry and Liv is pretty darn disarming. I have absolutely loved being in his point of view and I can't wait to share this short piece with you. Stay tuned for more details!

Through the Ever Night will be out on January 8th, 2013 from Harper Teen! You can add it to your Goodreads lists here.


The third and final installment in Lauren Oliver's Delirium trilogy, REQUIEM, was revealed a few days ago. Check out this lovely cover! I seriously love the covers in this series, and how each book's cover compliment each other. I also love it when a book series's covers match. 

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that “like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale.”
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.  -quoted from Goodreads

Requiem will be hitting bookshelves on March 5th, 2013. Add it to your Goodreads lists here.


The fourth installment to the Body Finder series, DEAD SILENCE was revealed this past week on Kimberly's blog. These covers are just as fabulous as Kimberly's books! I think this might be my favorite cover out of the series! I love how that little bit of light shows through the petals. DEAD SILENCE will be released by Harper Teen on April 16th, 2013.


The Forsaken by debut author Lisa M Stasse (published by Simon & Schuster), is hitting book store shelves on July 10th, 2012, saw it's book trailer reveal this past week. Before you watch the awesome trailer, here's a little bit about the book:

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.



Look for my review and interview with Lisa to be up within the next two weeks. 


What do you guys think of the covers?

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