EVERLIFE by Gena Showalter

Grade: A-
Synopsis:
STAND TOGETHER OR FALL ALONE.

THE FATE OF THE EVERLIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE.

At seventeen years old, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood had to make the ultimate choice—where to live after she died. Loyalty to her selected realm has not wavered…until now. She is out of time. Sacrifices must be made, and a terrible price must be paid. But is she too late? 

As the Everlife descends into darkness, a single truth becomes clear: Troika and Myriad must unite—or perish. In order to bring sworn enemies together, Ten must enter forbidden territory…and destroy the powerful Prince of Ravens. But there’s only one way inside—bonding with Killian Flynn, a deadly rival who sets her blood aflame.

When nothing goes as planned and betrayal leads to the edge of utter defeat, Ten and Killian will have to rebuild trust from the ashes of their hearts. Victory seems impossible, the odds stacked against them. In the end, how far will they be willing to go for the sake of their realms and the Everlife?

My thoughts on the book:
Everlife is a very uplifting conclusion to the series. The characters all grow in this last installment and become who they were meant to be. The novel is an action-packed rollercoaster from start to finish, and the writing is well done. There were still some things I didn't like about the book, and the series, but overall, I really enjoyed this novel. 

Ten, our leading lady, switches between mature, capable, and strong to annoying. I really didn't like her number obsession and recitations that she kept doing, but at least there were fewer of those in this novel than the previous one. For the most part, she was a strong and selfless character, and I enjoyed watching her grow. Killian disappointed me some in this book, but he disappointed himself, so I guess I can forgive him. None of the other characters really stood out to me, aside from Biscuit. I effing loved Biscuit. The guardian animals were my favorite addition to the storyline. 

The story itself had some moments where I couldn't achieve willing suspension of disbelief. They were just too far-fetched. For the most part, though, the story and the world were believable. The pacing was a little slow, and there were some over descriptions, but things moved relatively smoothly. The action was pretty much nonstop, so that kept me engaged. It was tragedy after tragedy after tragedy for poor Ten. The ending was bittersweet. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to people who are looking for a squeaky clean YA read filled with mythology and fantasy and that discusses important topics such as free will and morality.