Everless – Sara Holland (Review)

Title: Everless (Everless #1)
Author: Sara Holland
Publisher: HarperTeen, 2018 (Jan 2)
Genre: YA Fantasy

**I received a copy of this book from the author and/or publisher and my review is in no way affected or influenced by receipt of this book**

This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA’s Tumblr, or my Goodreads page

My Review:

I waited awhile after reading Everless to review it. It’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book because I did. It’s mainly because when a book is hyped, I want to see if it has “staying power.” You know when you read a book and you’re like, “Wow, that was cool!” And then a couple days later you can’t really remember much about it? That’s what happened with Everless. This is why I do this.

We can all appreciate the gorgeousness of the cover (and we all know I’m a coverlover through and through):

Left: US Cover, Right: UK Cover

I have both covers (I literally have the US ARC, the UK ARC, the US HC, and the UK HC…that’s how much I love this cover!)

The book is beautiful. And the synopsis makes you want to run out and read it, especially if you enjoyed a little movie with Justin Timberlake called In Time. (Look it up because I will just gush and gush about how amazing that movie is and we won’t get anywhere)

Jules remembers a time when she lived in luxury – but now she lives a pauper’s life with her father, just trying to make ends meet in the kingdom of Sempera. Her father bleeds time for the rent…time is a currency and he doesn’t have much left. Jules tries to hunt to help make ends meet, but she is not old enough to bleed her time to help out. When they lived at Everless, the palatial estate of the richest family (the Gerlings), She never had to worry about these problems.

But a fire pushed them out of Everless. And her hatred for the young Gerling that started it keeps her bitter toward Everless.

But when she needs money fast, and her father’s health declines fast, she hears that men are coming to choose women to work at Everless. Jules figures she can go for a couple months and make enough time to pay the bills and help her father. But her father won’t let her – the fire, and the secrets…it seems he is dead-set against Jules ever returning.

So instead Jules sneaks out…it’s just for a couple months, right? She will have more time and her father will live. Everything will be fine.

But little does Jules know that there is a reason her father fled Everless, and the fire was just a symptom, an excuse. There is more at play here…and Jules comes face to face with the Gerling responsible for all of it. Jules wants answers.

But does she have enough time?

Is it Classroom-Appropriate?

Yes. Undeniably yes. It’s a great topic of conversation for discussion: if time is a currency, how would you use it? Is it fair that some live forever while others live short lives? Imagine if they were to extract time from blood! It is a great book for use and I would happily use any materials provided to incorporate it into the curriculum. It is rich with potential.

The writing as well is rich and poetic!

I could stay out here all day, or just keep walking through trees glittering with webs of fine ice, through the sunlight sifted into daggers.

Most people find the forest frightening, believing the old tales of fairies who will freeze the time in your blood, or witches who can spill your years out over the snow with only a whisper. Even the spirit of the Alchemist himself is said to wander these woods, trapping whole eternities in a breath.

Excellent prose. Just amazing.

So on that front, I will give a rare rating of ★★★★★ for classroom use!

If you ever come up with a discussion guide, HarperTeen, let me know!! 😉

Age Range

So I’m actually surprised there isn’t a Lucile score for Everless. However, considering how the book came out only three months ago, there will probably be one soon. So I have to go with my own assessment here. This is extremely hard when the book doesn’t stick. Just for the synopsis alone, I had to go to Goodreads and pull info to add to my memory of the book.

The language is mild: there is one instance of calling someone a Bitch, but that’s pretty mild in comparison to most books nowadays. I would recommend as young as thirteen could enjoy and understand Everless…it’s like a fairy-tale mixed with a Dystopian world. It really could be enjoyed for all ages, but with the content being Young Adult, I would say either ambitious young readers or a minimum of 8th grade English would be key for an enjoyable reading experience. The book is not short, but it does keep a young reader’s attention.

End Result:

I wanted to give Everless ★★★★★…I really did. But it didn’t stick! I loved it when I was done and I look forward to the sequel….but I can’t remember a lot of it. And when I love a book, I remember it. I can still remember most of Zero Repeat Forever (that review is coming btw)…I can remember Splintered and Children of Eden like I read them yesterday. But I can’t seem to recall Everless. So I deducted a star. Which means it’s still good!! It just had to be deducted for lack of staying power to me. So I give Everless ★★★★☆. And I think that’s really good still.

I am honestly looking forward to the next book and will prob go crazy when it comes out…and I’m hoping I still remember what I do remember now so I don’t have to reread it. But I love my books and I think anyone else who reads it will love it. It’s definitely a book I recommend: it’s not anyone’s fault that it didn’t stick well in my brain. 🤷‍♀️

My ARC collection of the book. I would get the German cover if I could read it just to have them all. (I would share the HCs but they are pretty much the same lol)

I was obsessed with this book before I ever read it.

Stay turned for more glowing book recommendations…there are a LOT as I have been reading a lot. I have also been asked to participate in the Winter Glass blog tour and I’m very excited to read Lexa Hillyer’s sequel to Spindle Fire!!