"He left so much space in my life.
They expansive, hollow feeling seemed impossible to fill with anything else.
In the past weeks I felt it in everything I did.
It was the shifting current of my thoughts,
the nights now spent alone,
the sheets beside me cold.
...How can I possibly live with all this empty space?"
--Anna Carey, Rise
Genre: YA Dystopia
Publisher: Harper Collins, 320 pages
Publication Date: April 2nd, 2013
Goodreads Description
How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?
When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.
Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?
In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.
How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?
When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.
Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?
In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.
My Thoughts
Here we are again, another series binge read. This review is really hard to write. I have so many mixed feelings about the story and how it ended, I'm still thinking about it and pondering. I waited a few days to write it which I NEVER do. I read, write reviews, when review it written I rewards myself with starting another book. Vicious cycle, I know. But I wanted to give myself a little time for my thoughts to percolate and I've come up with this: It was okay. I really, reallly wanted to love this book. I liked Eve, I loved Once and I had such high hopes for Rise but unfortunately it just didn't pan out :(
SPOILERS ABOUT EVE AND ONCE IF YOU HAVE NOT READ EITHER THEN PROCEED WITH CAUTION. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
Let me talk about what I liked first. Eve. Her transformation is one of the most drastic I have ever read. She starts off in book 1 naive, pathetic, weak, and all around useless. In book 2 she grows into this fierce, confident and kickass girl. In Rise she continues to kick ass. She is working with the resistance. She has lost Caleb. And she does not roll over and die because of it. She works harder in order to take down her father and make Caleb's death worth something. I was so surprised at her strength in this book that this aspect blew me away. Eve is one badass chick, dude. She is now the one taking care of other people. Making decisions. Sacrificing her own health to aid others. Taking charge and being in control. LOVED this. She really stands her ground and fights for what she believes in.
Besides that...I don't know the plot just fell flat for me. The beginning was quite good but then the story takes a turn that finds Eve travelling at one point and the entire scenario of this seemed pointless and just there to fill space. And the book isn't long to begin with, only about 300 pages. It seemed so unnecessary and not linear with the rest of the plot...it was just there. And I know this was collateral damage from Once but I missed Caleb. While I did like seeing Eve stand on her own to feet without him, I really was sad not to have him around.
And the ending...meh. Less than meh. It was a non-ending. Is the ARC version missing the last chapter? That's what it felt like. Stopped just short of any real resolution. And the political aspect was swept under the rug and resolved so quickly and in a way that made it feel like an afterthought. I don't know. I was not happy with this ending. I shut the book like what? That's it? *sigh* I just don't know. I wanted so much more from this book. And I wanted to love it SO much more than I did and I am really sad it didn't really live up to the second book. Since when is the second book the best in a series? Yeah, never. I still love Eve the character and the ending was decent enough but I wanted just a little more to leave on. Maybe Carey will give us some insight in future interviews...I sure hope so.
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