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theenchantedlibrary's reviews
620 reviews
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
3.0
...The book switched between the two perspectives of our two protagonists, Laia and Elias, every other chapter. The best part about this is that they each have their own clear and distinct storylines that could stand alone. Each of them start extremely defined in who they are and they manage to grow together without having to depend on them actually meeting. Through reading the synopsis, I had anticipated them meeting sooner or at least their meeting would propel the story but it really didn’t matter because there was constantly something major happening in both plots. Any time the two would come together, there was a reason. Both of their transformations as characters was extremely satisfying for me and while I started out not liking Laia a whole lot, everything seemed real about her. From her choices and decisions to where she eventually ends up can’t help but make me think that I may have followed the same path. Elias’ character I immediately liked and felt empathy for. You can’t help but root for him!
There is so much more to the story and I will eagerly await the fates of Laia and Elias.
For my full review, check out my website!
http://nerdsview.com/?p=402
There is so much more to the story and I will eagerly await the fates of Laia and Elias.
For my full review, check out my website!
http://nerdsview.com/?p=402
Contagion by Erin Bowman
DNF
Sadly I cannot make it through this one. Book #3 that I have DNFd this year :(
It really just felt too forced and was trying too hard. I can see how some people may enjoy it but, compared to other books I've read, it has fallen fairly short of my expectations.
Sadly I cannot make it through this one. Book #3 that I have DNFd this year :(
It really just felt too forced and was trying too hard. I can see how some people may enjoy it but, compared to other books I've read, it has fallen fairly short of my expectations.
Evermore by Sara Holland
3.0
Since this is a sequel, I won’t get to detailed so as to avoid spoilers.
After reading the first book, Everless, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn’t necessarily what I had originally expected and, going into Evermore, I was expecting much of the same.
Something that I appreciated about Evermore was that Sara Holland was able to give another level to the story with providing glimpses into the history of the Sorceress and the Alchemist. There were a fair number of times that this aspect got a bit muddy for me and I felt it could have been written a bit clearer but the idea was interesting and it did succeed in having me (as the reader) feel as confused as Jules in those moments. Whether it was on purpose or not.
I did like that, as a sequel, it still included a lot of learning for Jules. It was not as though she learned everything somewhere between books 1 and 2. Sometimes it did get a bit frustrating but we were given enough growth to balance out some of the more annoying parts about Jules’ character. I also wish that she had more opportunities to grow through what she did in the present as opposed to having to piece together the past.
The relationship between Caro and Jules is definitely a complex one. They have centuries of history together! This is a part of the book that I was not expecting to be such a large aspect of the plot but I did enjoy it because it gave more depth to the story over all. As for Jules’ love life… there is far to much for me to say about it in a written review. Long story short, I could have done without it as it was written.
In the end, the conclusion was a unique one that I appreciated but again wish was written a little more clearly.
This duology was a fun, quick read and an interesting story about reincarnation, time, magic, relationships and currency. I will admit though that I did enjoy Everless more than Evermore… ironically enough.
After reading the first book, Everless, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn’t necessarily what I had originally expected and, going into Evermore, I was expecting much of the same.
Something that I appreciated about Evermore was that Sara Holland was able to give another level to the story with providing glimpses into the history of the Sorceress and the Alchemist. There were a fair number of times that this aspect got a bit muddy for me and I felt it could have been written a bit clearer but the idea was interesting and it did succeed in having me (as the reader) feel as confused as Jules in those moments. Whether it was on purpose or not.
I did like that, as a sequel, it still included a lot of learning for Jules. It was not as though she learned everything somewhere between books 1 and 2. Sometimes it did get a bit frustrating but we were given enough growth to balance out some of the more annoying parts about Jules’ character. I also wish that she had more opportunities to grow through what she did in the present as opposed to having to piece together the past.
The relationship between Caro and Jules is definitely a complex one. They have centuries of history together! This is a part of the book that I was not expecting to be such a large aspect of the plot but I did enjoy it because it gave more depth to the story over all. As for Jules’ love life… there is far to much for me to say about it in a written review. Long story short, I could have done without it as it was written.
In the end, the conclusion was a unique one that I appreciated but again wish was written a little more clearly.
This duology was a fun, quick read and an interesting story about reincarnation, time, magic, relationships and currency. I will admit though that I did enjoy Everless more than Evermore… ironically enough.
The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala
4.0
Well this book was certainly an entertaining ride!
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the politics that followed the story throughout. Each of the characters had clear, unique views and I could understand each of their motivations which is refreshing in a genre where it can typically feel trope-y. Esha is a badass who is conflicted but ultimately determined while Kunal is questioning but fiercely loyal and when you put these two together, it’s wonderful. Their chemistry is clear and their back-and-forth - while sometimes repetitive - was so much fun to read.
In terms of the politics, I am not sure how much of it is based on history or how much was fictional but it was very interesting to see how everything played out and how the outcomes of this book will play into the next two.
As someone who admittedly has limited previous knowledge of Indian history or Hindu mythology, I found that Swati Teerdhala was able to bring the reader along and introduce them to a multitude of information without info-dumping or spoon feeding. When reading a fantasy with nods to true history or mythology, I appreciate them all the more when the author is able to integrate these details without detracting from the main story and I found that successfully done here.
I managed to read 80% of this book in one sitting and, if I did not have to work the next day, I would have easily stayed up to finish it. Sometimes you pick up the exact right type of book when you are in the exact type of mood to read it and that was certainly the case for me here. I know that a lot of young adult fantasy revolves around a political threat and two characters from opposing sides being thrown together but there was just something about The Tiger at Midnight that had me hooked and I cannot wait for the next installment.
For a debut, this story was well thought out, had a unique take on the standard young adult fantasy genre, elevated itself by including history and mythology as well as having well thought out characters and motivations. There were a few things that I could critique, such as the repetitive interactions, but even those didn’t overshadow how much I enjoyed these characters and their story.
I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters and the politics that followed the story throughout. Each of the characters had clear, unique views and I could understand each of their motivations which is refreshing in a genre where it can typically feel trope-y. Esha is a badass who is conflicted but ultimately determined while Kunal is questioning but fiercely loyal and when you put these two together, it’s wonderful. Their chemistry is clear and their back-and-forth - while sometimes repetitive - was so much fun to read.
In terms of the politics, I am not sure how much of it is based on history or how much was fictional but it was very interesting to see how everything played out and how the outcomes of this book will play into the next two.
As someone who admittedly has limited previous knowledge of Indian history or Hindu mythology, I found that Swati Teerdhala was able to bring the reader along and introduce them to a multitude of information without info-dumping or spoon feeding. When reading a fantasy with nods to true history or mythology, I appreciate them all the more when the author is able to integrate these details without detracting from the main story and I found that successfully done here.
I managed to read 80% of this book in one sitting and, if I did not have to work the next day, I would have easily stayed up to finish it. Sometimes you pick up the exact right type of book when you are in the exact type of mood to read it and that was certainly the case for me here. I know that a lot of young adult fantasy revolves around a political threat and two characters from opposing sides being thrown together but there was just something about The Tiger at Midnight that had me hooked and I cannot wait for the next installment.
For a debut, this story was well thought out, had a unique take on the standard young adult fantasy genre, elevated itself by including history and mythology as well as having well thought out characters and motivations. There were a few things that I could critique, such as the repetitive interactions, but even those didn’t overshadow how much I enjoyed these characters and their story.
The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
2.0
I think I will start off by saying that this book was unfortunately a bit of a disappointment. I was extremely intrigued by the synopsis and excited to read it when I received it as a Christmas gift and I wish that I had loved it.
There were a few things that this book had going for it including how much Amy Meyerson clearly loves literature. The premise of the scavenger hunt that brought the joy from her childhood into her adulthood seemed like such a fresh idea and I wanted to uncover the secrets that Billy was hiding just as much as Miranda… well, maybe not quite.
What really upset me while reading The Bookshop of Yesterdays was that it really just wasn’t well executed. The scavenger hunt which I was so excited about became lost amongst all of the other trivial plots of the story and made me lose interest quite quickly. A massive part of the plot was meant to be a story of self-discovery for Miranda but I disliked every single part of her as a character that I could not find reason to care about this journey she was going on. The characters themselves were flat and not really written to my taste - meaning that none were like-able and none had depth.
Through much of my time reading this book, it felt like work.
I was working too hard to understand the relationship Miranda and her boyfriend had. They seemed to like each other and live together but absolutely could not stand each other aside from one or two moments that they seemed to tolerate one another. Miranda focused so much about what she did not like about him (can’t even be bothered to remember his name) that their relationship just seemed pointless and only really existed to provide a false sense of conflict regarding staying or going. This really could have been accomplished by just emphasizing how much Miranda loved her job and school.
I was working too hard to figure out why I should care about how Miranda’s parents felt. They were both cagey and obviously keeping secrets just for the sake of keeping secrets. Miranda seems to think of herself as a modern day Nancy Drew, and I say that with the utmost hesitation because Nancy does not deserve that, as she seems to find a secret in the lives of LITERALLY everyone. Even if there is no secret, she believes whole-heartedly that there is one and she NEEDS to know it.
Additionally, every character that she comes into contact with who has a part in her uncle Billy’s past, seems to have this amazingly uncanny ability to give her a play-by-play flashback of a moment in his life that they weren’t even there for 30+ years ago but can tell you word for word everything that happened after presumably being told all of this from Billy. Conveniently though, one person’s flashback from their own memory was incorrect for… plot point reasons…
As I have said many times, mystery books aren’t really my cup of tea because the mystery is usually fairly obvious and the mystery of this book was much of the same. Less that 30 pages in and the book is pretty much hitting you upside the head with what the Big Twist is. Oh, it tries to make you second guess yourself (refer to incorrect memory flashback as mentioned above) but there really is no other answer.
Clearly you can tell the many aspects of this book that I did not like and, to be honest, there are more but I feel like you get the point. As I said at the start though, it is clear how much Meyerson loves books - The Tempest in particular - and she worked very hard to have that shine through in her story. I think it just missed the mark and got lost amongst subplot after subplot and poor character development.
There were a few things that this book had going for it including how much Amy Meyerson clearly loves literature. The premise of the scavenger hunt that brought the joy from her childhood into her adulthood seemed like such a fresh idea and I wanted to uncover the secrets that Billy was hiding just as much as Miranda… well, maybe not quite.
What really upset me while reading The Bookshop of Yesterdays was that it really just wasn’t well executed. The scavenger hunt which I was so excited about became lost amongst all of the other trivial plots of the story and made me lose interest quite quickly. A massive part of the plot was meant to be a story of self-discovery for Miranda but I disliked every single part of her as a character that I could not find reason to care about this journey she was going on. The characters themselves were flat and not really written to my taste - meaning that none were like-able and none had depth.
Through much of my time reading this book, it felt like work.
I was working too hard to understand the relationship Miranda and her boyfriend had. They seemed to like each other and live together but absolutely could not stand each other aside from one or two moments that they seemed to tolerate one another. Miranda focused so much about what she did not like about him (can’t even be bothered to remember his name) that their relationship just seemed pointless and only really existed to provide a false sense of conflict regarding staying or going. This really could have been accomplished by just emphasizing how much Miranda loved her job and school.
I was working too hard to figure out why I should care about how Miranda’s parents felt. They were both cagey and obviously keeping secrets just for the sake of keeping secrets. Miranda seems to think of herself as a modern day Nancy Drew, and I say that with the utmost hesitation because Nancy does not deserve that, as she seems to find a secret in the lives of LITERALLY everyone. Even if there is no secret, she believes whole-heartedly that there is one and she NEEDS to know it.
Additionally, every character that she comes into contact with who has a part in her uncle Billy’s past, seems to have this amazingly uncanny ability to give her a play-by-play flashback of a moment in his life that they weren’t even there for 30+ years ago but can tell you word for word everything that happened after presumably being told all of this from Billy. Conveniently though, one person’s flashback from their own memory was incorrect for… plot point reasons…
As I have said many times, mystery books aren’t really my cup of tea because the mystery is usually fairly obvious and the mystery of this book was much of the same. Less that 30 pages in and the book is pretty much hitting you upside the head with what the Big Twist is. Oh, it tries to make you second guess yourself (refer to incorrect memory flashback as mentioned above) but there really is no other answer.
Clearly you can tell the many aspects of this book that I did not like and, to be honest, there are more but I feel like you get the point. As I said at the start though, it is clear how much Meyerson loves books - The Tempest in particular - and she worked very hard to have that shine through in her story. I think it just missed the mark and got lost amongst subplot after subplot and poor character development.
Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
4.0
Why did I not read this book immediately??
That is the question I asked myself the moment I started reading Soul of the Sword. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC of the first book in the series and absolutely loved it, then purchased the sequel when it released and it just sat on my shelf up until a short while ago… when I absolutely devoured it.
The brilliant thing that this book does, as a sequel, is that it keeps the stakes high, it elevates the characters and brings you right back into the action where you just cannot wait to see where this adventure will go next. I am not sure how Julie Kagawa does it, but she continues to place these characters into new situations and keeps the story fresh. I said this when I read Shadow of the Fox and it still proves true in the fact that while I read this series, I am able to imagine the story play out in my mind and it is pure Anime goodness.
This book essentially picks up shortly after where we left off with the crazy ending of book one. Battle scars are still fresh and emotions are high to figure out which task should take precedent: 1) Keep up their journey to get their piece of the scroll to the temple or 2) Save Tatsumi. It’s a real struggle that Yumeko in particular has to deal with and I think it was done very well.
Additionally, the book continues to be split up into different POVs which includes a new one: Hakaimono. This POV was particularly interesting to me because it allowed the reader to really learn the motivation and thought process of the Big Bad while still giving us insight into Tatsumi’s struggle. The only chapters that fell a bit flat for me were Suki’s but I understand the purpose behind them and they were short and did not make up many of the chapters.
Kagawa was also able to add new aspects to the world in a very cool way that I hope we get to see more of but I don’t want to delve into for fear of being too spoilery. There is a character that we get to see a little bit more of as well and I am fairly certain I know his purpose and have a feeling I won’t be overly surprised when it - most likely - will be uncovered in the next book but that doesn’t really deter me. I know, it’s shocking that I won’t be disappointed by knowing a twist before it’s discovered by the characters but I don’t even care in this case because I have SO much fun with this series.
If you are looking for a unique adventure series that is inspired by the history and lore of Japan, particularly if you are a fan of Anime, then I could not recommend this more. I cannot wait to see how everything comes together in the final book of this trilogy, Night of the Dragon.
That is the question I asked myself the moment I started reading Soul of the Sword. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC of the first book in the series and absolutely loved it, then purchased the sequel when it released and it just sat on my shelf up until a short while ago… when I absolutely devoured it.
The brilliant thing that this book does, as a sequel, is that it keeps the stakes high, it elevates the characters and brings you right back into the action where you just cannot wait to see where this adventure will go next. I am not sure how Julie Kagawa does it, but she continues to place these characters into new situations and keeps the story fresh. I said this when I read Shadow of the Fox and it still proves true in the fact that while I read this series, I am able to imagine the story play out in my mind and it is pure Anime goodness.
This book essentially picks up shortly after where we left off with the crazy ending of book one. Battle scars are still fresh and emotions are high to figure out which task should take precedent: 1) Keep up their journey to get their piece of the scroll to the temple or 2) Save Tatsumi. It’s a real struggle that Yumeko in particular has to deal with and I think it was done very well.
Additionally, the book continues to be split up into different POVs which includes a new one: Hakaimono. This POV was particularly interesting to me because it allowed the reader to really learn the motivation and thought process of the Big Bad while still giving us insight into Tatsumi’s struggle. The only chapters that fell a bit flat for me were Suki’s but I understand the purpose behind them and they were short and did not make up many of the chapters.
Kagawa was also able to add new aspects to the world in a very cool way that I hope we get to see more of but I don’t want to delve into for fear of being too spoilery. There is a character that we get to see a little bit more of as well and I am fairly certain I know his purpose and have a feeling I won’t be overly surprised when it - most likely - will be uncovered in the next book but that doesn’t really deter me. I know, it’s shocking that I won’t be disappointed by knowing a twist before it’s discovered by the characters but I don’t even care in this case because I have SO much fun with this series.
If you are looking for a unique adventure series that is inspired by the history and lore of Japan, particularly if you are a fan of Anime, then I could not recommend this more. I cannot wait to see how everything comes together in the final book of this trilogy, Night of the Dragon.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry, Patti Callahan Henry
3.0
As a lover of The Chronicles of Narnia, I was fascinated to learn that there was a story written about the life of C.S. Lewis’ wife. I was intrigued to get some insight into the author from someone else’s point of view. To see the inner workings of his life and writing process… and I got it, but I also got so much more.
The main aspect of the synopsis that stood out to me was the love story but there was another, and almost MORE, prevalent plot point in the way of discovery of faith. It was not something I was expecting and did cause me to have to wrap my mind around the fact that this story was more about Joy Davidman finding God and, in finding Him, leading her to finding Lewis. Or Jack to his friends.
When all is said an done, there really isn’t much of the story where Joy and Jack are even in the same room but he is always on her mind. Becoming Mrs. Lewis follows Joy’s life from a glimpse of her childhood at the start, to learning about her early years after college, to growing her family and living in fear. Joy’s story is one of heroism, of finding her voice in a time where women were seen more as property than as people, of taking ownership of her life and uprooting everything to truly live.
I was humbled by Joy’s journey and everything she dealt with. I could not get over the amount of strength that she possessed in light of everything. As a hopeless romantic, I was heartbroken at times but also left hopeful after reading other chapters. It was a lovely story to read and one that I am grateful to learn from.
With all of the praise I give this book, I will admit that it did take me some time to get through. It was a good read but a long read. The chapters weren’t written in a way that lent itself to quick consumption for myself in particular. They were short but one chapter did not immediately lead into the next, it was more that each chapter was a snapshot of a moment in Joy’s life.
In the Author’s Notes at the end, Callahan does state that much of the story was a fictionalized retelling of the life of Joy Davidman but she also used a ton of works as reference which included those provided by Joy’s children. Some parts of the writing could not fully be ‘known’ but if even half of it is true, I would consider Joy an inspiration to women as she was written so real and flawed but also strong and loving.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading the history of a strong leading woman, historical fiction, C.S. Lewis, literary history of the mid 1900’s (more than just a couple big author name drops), a coming of age story for those later in life… honestly, this book hits so many great points.
The main aspect of the synopsis that stood out to me was the love story but there was another, and almost MORE, prevalent plot point in the way of discovery of faith. It was not something I was expecting and did cause me to have to wrap my mind around the fact that this story was more about Joy Davidman finding God and, in finding Him, leading her to finding Lewis. Or Jack to his friends.
When all is said an done, there really isn’t much of the story where Joy and Jack are even in the same room but he is always on her mind. Becoming Mrs. Lewis follows Joy’s life from a glimpse of her childhood at the start, to learning about her early years after college, to growing her family and living in fear. Joy’s story is one of heroism, of finding her voice in a time where women were seen more as property than as people, of taking ownership of her life and uprooting everything to truly live.
I was humbled by Joy’s journey and everything she dealt with. I could not get over the amount of strength that she possessed in light of everything. As a hopeless romantic, I was heartbroken at times but also left hopeful after reading other chapters. It was a lovely story to read and one that I am grateful to learn from.
With all of the praise I give this book, I will admit that it did take me some time to get through. It was a good read but a long read. The chapters weren’t written in a way that lent itself to quick consumption for myself in particular. They were short but one chapter did not immediately lead into the next, it was more that each chapter was a snapshot of a moment in Joy’s life.
In the Author’s Notes at the end, Callahan does state that much of the story was a fictionalized retelling of the life of Joy Davidman but she also used a ton of works as reference which included those provided by Joy’s children. Some parts of the writing could not fully be ‘known’ but if even half of it is true, I would consider Joy an inspiration to women as she was written so real and flawed but also strong and loving.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading the history of a strong leading woman, historical fiction, C.S. Lewis, literary history of the mid 1900’s (more than just a couple big author name drops), a coming of age story for those later in life… honestly, this book hits so many great points.
Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters
3.0
3.5*
If you are a fan of rom-com films of the 90’s and early 2000’s, boy is this going to be a winner for you!
For some reason, 2019 included a lot of contemporary reads for me. I am not generally one to enjoy something outside of the fantasy or historical fiction genres but the number of fluffy contemporary romances certainly increased on my shelves. I was surprised to see that I had missed out on this particular book late last year but very happy I picked it up in February.
I have always had a soft spot for romantic comedies and regularly rewatch some of my favourites - such as Serendipity, You’ve Got Mail, The Holiday and Kate & Leopold along with many, many more. I am fully aware that these aren’t earth shatteringly stunning works of art, but I find a happiness in them. Much like I found with this book. Much like, our lead, Evie does. I immediately found a connection with the character of Evie, her drive, her passion for writing, the trials she has faced… I just wish that I had her gumption and boldness.
Rachel Winters has managed to tell a story that is both relateable and over the top. It truly is a love letter to the rom-com. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and I was second-guessing who the true love interest would be for the first quarter of the story but quickly had a favourite and settled in to see what happened. Each of the characters had such a clear voice and opinion in a way that you wouldn’t normally expect of this genre. It is also nice to see a familial element that is not generally used but was done so perfectly.
I will say, I was profoundly grateful that while most leading ladies in rom-coms make the most ridiculous decisions or could make their lives so much easier for themselves if the just did this One Simple Thing, I did not feel the need to hit Evie upside the head. And that is a big plus for me. Her motives and reasoning were always clear to me even when I (as the reader) could see another avenue, the fact that she did or didn’t do something made entire sense.
The movie references added perfectly to the inspiration of each of Evie’s meet-cutes and you can tell that Rachel Winters is a true rom-com fan. I also cannot help but mention how great it is that Winters took inspiration from a typically ‘down moment’ in her life and turned it into such an uplifting and fun story.
While I do not want to give away the ending, I will admit I was over the moon happy about it and certainly has me wanting to follow Anette’s advice to Be Like Evie.
Who knows, maybe I will continue my foray into contemporary fiction this year. It’s nice to have a break from heavy fantasy or dense historical fiction… which I guess is partially the point of the genre, in film or literature, according to Evie.
If you are a fan of rom-com films of the 90’s and early 2000’s, boy is this going to be a winner for you!
For some reason, 2019 included a lot of contemporary reads for me. I am not generally one to enjoy something outside of the fantasy or historical fiction genres but the number of fluffy contemporary romances certainly increased on my shelves. I was surprised to see that I had missed out on this particular book late last year but very happy I picked it up in February.
I have always had a soft spot for romantic comedies and regularly rewatch some of my favourites - such as Serendipity, You’ve Got Mail, The Holiday and Kate & Leopold along with many, many more. I am fully aware that these aren’t earth shatteringly stunning works of art, but I find a happiness in them. Much like I found with this book. Much like, our lead, Evie does. I immediately found a connection with the character of Evie, her drive, her passion for writing, the trials she has faced… I just wish that I had her gumption and boldness.
Rachel Winters has managed to tell a story that is both relateable and over the top. It truly is a love letter to the rom-com. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and I was second-guessing who the true love interest would be for the first quarter of the story but quickly had a favourite and settled in to see what happened. Each of the characters had such a clear voice and opinion in a way that you wouldn’t normally expect of this genre. It is also nice to see a familial element that is not generally used but was done so perfectly.
I will say, I was profoundly grateful that while most leading ladies in rom-coms make the most ridiculous decisions or could make their lives so much easier for themselves if the just did this One Simple Thing, I did not feel the need to hit Evie upside the head. And that is a big plus for me. Her motives and reasoning were always clear to me even when I (as the reader) could see another avenue, the fact that she did or didn’t do something made entire sense.
The movie references added perfectly to the inspiration of each of Evie’s meet-cutes and you can tell that Rachel Winters is a true rom-com fan. I also cannot help but mention how great it is that Winters took inspiration from a typically ‘down moment’ in her life and turned it into such an uplifting and fun story.
While I do not want to give away the ending, I will admit I was over the moon happy about it and certainly has me wanting to follow Anette’s advice to Be Like Evie.
Who knows, maybe I will continue my foray into contemporary fiction this year. It’s nice to have a break from heavy fantasy or dense historical fiction… which I guess is partially the point of the genre, in film or literature, according to Evie.