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/ Past Monthly Featured Review

Everlong

Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
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Title: Everlong

Author: R. Raeta

Publication Date: March 19, 2021

Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Contemporary Literature, Romance

Cover:

This is one of the most stunning covers I have seen in recent months. The wary yet somehow vacant expression on the woman’s face, combined with the shadows and the veil, had a captivating effect on me.

Premise

Each night, Lily goes to her bench in the park to write stories and find solace among the solitude and the stars. When Sam stumbles across her, a cautious friendship forms, and each day brings them closer to each other and to discovering the truth about Lily’s past. Everlong explores what it means to love unconditionally, holding nothing of oneself back, even when it would be easier to walk away.

Why I chose this book:

Author R. Raeta requested this review. I have never read a single book about vampires, but Raeta piqued my curiosity after looking at the cover and reading her description.

First Impression:

“She sits at the same bench, in the same park, every night.” Just one sentence in, and I was enthralled with this book! What follows is a whimsical writing style filled with detailed descriptions and easy-to-love characters. The closing of one chapter made me long to start the next.

What I loved:

Everything. I loved everything about Everlong. One of the aspects that stands out the most to me is the dialogue. In the beginning, Lily is shrouded in mystery, and when she speaks to Sam, it is almost as if she uses riddles to communicate, leaving him bewildered. Her words are raw as she speaks from her soul in a way that makes sense to her, even if others struggle to understand. As more characters are introduced, the dialogue picks up, with individual quirks and habits of speaking becoming apparent. In one scene, Sam and Lily are eating dinner with another couple, Finn and Julia, and the banter across the table sounded so authentic that I could easily imagine it.

Spoiler Alert! I am a sucker for happy endings. Give me the “they lived happily ever after.” In many ways, Everlong has this for multiple characters. But how does a love affair between a human and a vampire unfold? How does a mortal love someone who will never die? I’m not going to say it was a happy ending or an unhappy ending. But it was the perfect bittersweet ending that left me feeling sad yet somehow content, knowing that this was the only ending that would do the story justice.

Additional Thoughts:

This is a slow-burn romance and worth every single second. Raeta masterfully moves the reader through an unconventional, paranormal love story while making the characters and their situation still feel real and relatable. This is not my preferred genre, and I suspect that I am not alone in that sentiment. However, I was utterly mesmerized by every aspect of the book. So, if you are on the fence, take the leap and enjoy the ride!

Also, adult themes are referenced that may not be appropriate for some younger readers. These include nudity and some violence.

Quotable Quotes:

• Mostly it rains, every now and then it snows, but the clear, cloudless nights are her favorite. She has made friends with the stars, has made a mother out of the moon, and she greets them all like the old friends they are.
• She paints the past so he can tell her the future.
• She stops trying. Instead, she lays with Sam’s heartbeat thrumming under her ear and watches the slow and steady rise of his chest. If she focuses on him, then the other things don’t seem so overwhelming. If she embraces the way his breath fans her hair, the way the long callused fingers on her waist occasionally twitch, she feels more calm. Stray thoughts and unpleasant memories still surround her, but with Sam it is more like floating on the surface of the ocean and less like drowning in it.
• “Being ready is…knowing that you have lived your life well. It’s taking every moment as it comes and being grateful for it, and knowing if you were to die tomorrow you would die content.”
• Books are something that time has not erased; humanity will always crave a world outside their own.

Who might enjoy this book:

Everlong is ideal for older young adults and adult readers willing to embrace a nontraditional romance with paranormal aspects.

Overall Impression:

Five stars (and then some!) Everlong is a hauntingly beautiful story that explores the question, “Can true love conquer all?” Raeta’s unique writing style leaves the reader feeling as if each word was carefully weighed until she found the perfect one to express her thoughts. With her closing line, Raeta slyly brings the reader full circle by taking them right back to the beginning, and when I finally closed the book, I couldn’t help but smile. Raeta has entirely won me over, and I look forward to carving out a spot for her books on my shelf.

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