EVERLESS - Review

Book Review:
Title: Everless
Author: Sara Holland
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: 4th January 2018 (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Fox,” said Snake, curling slowly around her friend’s heart. “It’s time we face the truth.”

Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire - a perfect read for fans of The Red Queen.
In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.
Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.
There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever ... and possibly the future of time itself.


If you've read my Favourite Reads of 2017 blog post, you probably already know how I felt about this book. If you haven't, let me tell you, I loved this book!

The concept of this book is one I've never seen before. In the Everless world, time is a currency that is extracted from your blood. The more blood you have, the richer you are and the higher your life expectancy is. The less blood you have, the poorer you are. I, for one, have never seen a YA book with this plot or a similar one and that in itself made me love this book. It was so unique, which nowadays is rare to see in books.
And even though it's all fictional, some parts ringed true. Yes, no one is extracting their own blood and converting it into coins in order to pay the electricity bill, but many people do metaphorically bleed themselves dry in order to provide for their family. There's this one quote I read that really touched me:

"An older couple, two women with backs curved with too much work and too few years, hunch over a small table in the corner, taking turns cutting each other's palms and letting the blood flow into empty vials. I wonder if they're putting time away for their children."

It's not a huge inspirational quote that you're going to tattoo on your skin, but it really makes you think - or at least it made me think - about the sacrifices parents make for their children.

Jules, the protagonist, was such a selfless character. She cared for her father a lot after he got weak and ill from having to sacrifice a lot of blood to survive. Even when she arrives at Everless trying to provide for her and her Dad, she still is trying to help and look after everyone.
One thing I loved about Jules and this story is that she has relations with people of all ages. I find that in YA novels the MC is pretty much surrounded by people their age, and they hardly ever communicate with other people. In Everless, Jules befriends people much younger than her, but also people much older than her. It was so good to see.

The side characters were all amazing as well. They were well developed (Caro, Ina etc.) and played important parts in the progression of the novel. I have also ended up with a soft spot for a certain Gerling brother, though I won't say who...I leave that for you to figure out once you've read the book, because you should. Read the book, I mean.

Yes, it did have some typical cliches that you see in MANY young adult novels (brooding male, kind of 'the chosen one' scenario), but Sara Holland managed to include them in such a way, that they didn't bother me as much and combine that with how fresh this novel was, they didn't really read like cliches.
This is also Ms Holland's debut novel, so I'm willing to overlook them, because I truly did think this was one fantastic debut!

The world of Everless was, without a doubt, my favourite part of the novel. Like I said before, I have never read a book similar to this.
I loved the way Sara Holland dropped little tidbits about the world which slowly came together, until the end where it all hits and you're just like...OH! Each drop of knowledge added more mystery, more intrigue and I didn't want to stop reading at all.
The myths and legends incorporated captivated me, and I loved seeing how they actually weaved into the story. I don't want to say much about them, because duh spoilers, but I really enjoyed them.

Overall, Everless was a fantastic debut novel filled with mystery, intrigue and one of the most unique concepts I've seen in a YA novel.
It's officially out in the US and in the UK, so go pick up a copy!
(Can I have book 2 now?)

Thank you to Orchard Books for sending me an ARC 🎔

5 Stars
Goodreads