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Ever | 
 enlarge | Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperCollins
Category: Book
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.50
You Save: $7.49 (44%)
New (36) Used (7) Collectible (2) from $9.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 6376
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 1
ISBN: 0061229628
EAN: 9780061229626
ASIN: 0061229628
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: in excellent condition
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| • | Library Binding - Ever | | • | Hardcover - Ever |
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Product Description
Falling in love is never easy, but falling in love with an immortal god while your days on earth are numbered is almost more than a young girl can bear. Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine has created a stunning new world of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens in this spellbinding story of Kezi, a girl confronted with a terrible destiny. Attempting to thwart her fate, Kezi and her love, Olus -- the god of wind and loneliness -- embark on a series of dangerous and seemingly impossible quests.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 Not up to Par July 14, 2008
Whether a blessing or a curse for a writer, their work will be judged much by the quality of their previous work. Sadly for Gail Carson Levine, this is far below her usual splendid books. The improbability of the story (even for a fairy tale) is absurd-the god of the winds and Kezi immediately falling in love and living happily ever after. Anyone who noticed the scripture at the beginning should immediately pick up that this is supposed to be a retelling of the story of Jeptha's tragic vow-a different take than Ms. Levine's normal fairy-tale retelling. I found myself arguing with her conclusions more than enjoying the book. Her insinuation that the forbidding of human sacrifice was inserted into Mosaic law after the sacrifice of Adina was absurd, and even though she tried to leave the ending of the story open, I left it with a bad taste in my mouth, and went and listend to O.T. Action News: Jeptha's Vow, to try and get it out.
Though the story itself was interesting enough, it was fairly predictable and I found myself wondering how much longer until the end. When the end finally did come, I discovered that the character development was so lacking, I didn't particularly care if Kezi lived or died, and was just ready to get it over with.
Possibly the main drawback was not that it was lacking Ms. Levine's lovable humor, but that her attempt at delving into the doubt of the monotheistic God fell absolutely flat. This book, in summation, was a disappointment, especially compared to Ms. Levine's other excellent books.
 Why??? June 25, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I absolutely LOVE Gail Carson Levine's books. I have read Fairest and Ella Enchanted too many times to count. I was dying in anticipation to read this and was sorely dissapointed. This book has a completely different writing style. I suppose I can appreciate diversity, but I felt in all there was very little character development and that the story was rushed and the romance. Why? What happened?
 A fantasy love story June 19, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Reviewed by Neha Kashmiri (age 13) for Reader Views (6/08)
"Ever" by Gail Carson Levine is a fantasy love story about Kezi, from Hyte, and Olus, the Akkan god of winds. Kezi is a beautiful almost 16-year-old with talent for rug weaving and dancing. Olus, in his travels of the mortal world, can't help but fall in love with her. Olus is only 17 -- hundreds of years younger than all the other gods, and they all tell him that it's useless to care for mortals, that they're like soap bubbles. They're there one moment and gone the next. But Olus doesn't listen and pursues Kezi anyway.
But their love wasn't meant to be. When her father makes a deadly oath, Kezi pays the price. Now her days are numbered and her fate set. Olus, unwilling to let Kezi die, reveals himself as a god, and offers her an immortal life. Both, now, have to take the tests and trials of champions and heroes (and heroines in Kezi's case). Alone. Can Olus and Kezi defy fate and create a new life for themselves?
To me, Olus and Kezi fall in love unrealistically and too quickly. I love Gail Carson's other heroines but Kezi lacked depth and the story was over too fast for me to get to really get to know her. It was an okay book, I liked it while I was reading it but it made me feel slightly dazed when I finished it. The mythology was interesting and I liked the fact that it subtly questioned Kezi and her family for believing in the great and terrible Admat. It's not a deep story but it makes you think -- I mean Kezi was going to be sacrificed over an oath a desperate husband had made. Not as good as "Ella Enchanted" and "Fairest," but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. "Ever" is recommended to lovers of subtlety and the trials of lovers.
Love to question everything.... June 18, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
In a world with blatant obsesive cult-following of pop-culture and other trivial "worldly" matters, this text is an excellent tool for introducing the notion: "question everything." Unless the reader is profoundly committed to blind faith, this text allows the reader an opportunity to see how individuals who don't question the world around them make dire mistakes. While other Levine texts may be more enjoyable to those who aren't interested in expanding his/her world-view, those who are capable of thinking beyond cheesey hollywood-esque love stories, this text will be satisfying.
NOT AS GOOD AS MISS LEVINE'S OTHER BOOKS June 9, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
"Ever" by Gail Carson Levine. Review by a 15 year old girl.
Introduction: The gods in this story have powers over specific elements of nature. A young god named Olus rules over the wind, and he is very lonely because he is so much younger than all the other gods. Because of his youth he relates better to mortals, and falls in love with a mortal girl from another land named Kezi. In Kezi's land people believe in one all powerful god named Admat, and her father foolishly makes an oath to their god which results in him agreeing to sacrifice his daughter Kezi. Olus must find a way to save Kezi from being sacrificed, but even if he succeeds Kezi will live a mere human lifespan while he will live thousands of years. What can they do to be happy?
My recommended age to read: I think 9 years old is way too young; I'd recommended the child to be at least 11 or 12. They should have an understanding of reality, and be old enough to read about other religions with confidence. (This book portrayed the monotheistic god (which seems to be modeled after the old testament God) as cruel, impersonal, unforgiving, not really all powerful, and non existent.)
Things I liked: During the later part of the book I was able to escape reality and enter the world of the book, and I also liked Kezi's challenge and the way she handled it.
Things I disliked: I prefer past tense, rather than the first-person present tense used in this book. I really didn't like the beginning; I found the writing style very confusing and difficult to get used to. If it had been a complicated story I would have been lost. Luckily (or unluckily) the story is somewhat shallow; most of all the love story. They had such strong love for each other (never fighting a single time), but it had no basis! It just didn't seem realistic at all to me! Why do they never get irritated by each other? It's like a crush, except unlike real life it's idealized to be just what you daydream about. Perhaps that was the problem. Although the characters are likable, the two main characters don't really have any flaws. Sure they have fears and doubts, but they remain almost perfect throughout their dificulties. During the first half of the story I couldn't get into the book at all, I just popping back to reality saying "God being everywhere (omnipresent) isn't ridiculous." or "how can you be kissing already!?" or "why do you love someone that much who you just met?".
Conclusion: At first I thought it would be a waste of my time, but later on things got better. I was surprised how much spiritual stuff was in this book, and it made me want to find out Mrs. Levine's beliefs, either religious or secular. I think if I could find information on her opinions about life, maybe I could understand what her purpose was in writing. I'm inexperienced, but my impression was that she believes "god" is something humans have to attain by finding it within themselves.
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