Evermore

In this opening volume of The Immortals series, Evermore, Alyson Noel brings the paranormal into the life of an otherwise normal teenager girl, Ever Bloom. After a terrible car accident leaves Ever practically alone (well, other than the ghost of her dead sister, Riley), she is taken in by her aunt, Sabine. If only adjusting to this new life was the only thing to worry about. When Ever wakes up after the traumatic accident, she finds that she can not only see people’s auras, but hear their inner thoughts. This certainly doesn’t make fitting in at her new school simple, especially since she now lives life with her headphones in order to block the sounds of her peers’ thoughts. Then a new boy transfers to her high school, and when she’s with him her powers don’t feel so overwhelming. She can’t help but feel drawn to this Damen and his secrets (and it’s not just because of his handsome looks).

With Evermore, Alyson Noels begins what’s sure to be an addicting series of mystery, powers, growing up, forgiveness, and love through the ages. As a long time fan of Alyson Noel’s books, I can honestly say that this is one of my favorites. I love the way colors are featured in this book with such importance. From auras to flowers, Alyson Noel puts a lot of emphasis on the meanings of different colors, using this to more subtly reveal emotions. Ever is a fascinating narrator, and as a reader I was able to connect with her easily. Though I have little in common with Ever, Alyson Noel did a great job writing from her perspective, so that when Ever was lost I felt just as confused, and the same when she was excited, heartbroken, and so on. On the other hand, Damen felt a bit flat to me, but I’m hoping to see him developed more and learn more about his long history in future installments.

Now, a lot of comparisons have been made between this book and Twilight, and all I can say to that is, yes, they’re sort of similar because they deal with similar topics (and how is that surprising considering how popular literature about vampires/witches/zombies/etc. has become?). But the similarities ended there for me. Alyson Noel’s writing is better, the characters more interesting (and realistic), and the powers different. As a whole, I give Evermore 9 out of 10.

P.S. You can win your own copy of Evermore over at Taste Life Twice. The contest runs through July 31st.