The cover for Gail Carson Levine's "Ever"

I adore fairy tales.  I grew up on them.  Some may say they’re violent and teach sexist values, but personally I see nothing wrong with teaching kids about honor, helpfulness, obedience, and that good is rewarded while bad is, inevitably, punished.  Every kid needs some magic and  hope in their lives.  Those things, coupled with imagination, are vital components for life.

One of the modern storytellers is Gail Carson Levine.  She specializes in telling her own versions of familiar fairy tales, such as Ella Enchanted (“Cinderella”) and Fairest (“Snow White”).  People who can take old stories like those and put a fresh, new twist on them amaze me, and so for that I really like Gail Carson Levine.  I just finished her book Ever, which is her take on a Biblical story from Judges chapter 11 in the Old Testament.  I went back to reread it, myself, after reading the interview with the author at the end of the book.  I recommend you do, too.  Even if you don’t believe in the Bible, it’s a fascinating tale to read.

Levine’s take on the story was great!  It’s about how Olus, god of the winds, leaves his homeland, as the Greek gods often would, to pretend being human.  He becomes a shepherd and rents some land to live on, and falls in love with Kezi, his landlord’s beautiful daughter, who loves to dance and weave rugs.  When Kezi’s father makes a very foolish oath, Kezi must be taken to the priests for sacrifice.  Olus’s remedy for that is to have Kezi become immortal, which begins their quest to save Kezi’s life, while also fulfilling her father’s foolish promise.

Levine created and entirely new mythology built on two existing ones, and it worked really well.  The gods and goddesses were as human and imperfect as the Greek ones, while also incorporating the Hebrew culture and traditions at the same time.  And unexpected mix that she pulls off.  This book also differs from her previous ones in that it’s still first person, but alternating between Kezi and Olus.  The two voices are nicely distinct, hard to pull off, which shows her experiences and growth as a writer since Ella Enchanted.  However, it must be said that Ever doesn’t have quite the pull of, say, Fairest, which I wanted to reread as soon as I finished.  It’s still a good, fun, and short read.  A great romp in the ancient world full of magic and mysticism.  I certainly liked it and had an enjoyable time within it’s pages.

3/5