Review: Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston (BLOG TOUR)

Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston

Published: June 14, 2011

Publisher: Penguin Canada

Pages: 312

Received: ARC for blog tour from Penguin Canada

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Clarinet Reid is a pretty typical teenager. On the surface. She’s smart, but a bit of slacker; outgoing, but just a little insecure; not exactly a mischief-maker … but trouble tends to find her wherever she goes. Also? She unwittingly carries a centuries-old Druid Blood Curse running through her veins.

Now, with a single thoughtless act, what started off as the Summer Vacation in Dullsville suddenly spirals into a deadly race to find a stolen artifact, avert an explosive catastrophe, save a Celtic warrior princess, right a dreadful wrong that happened centuries before Clare was even born, and if there’s still time— literally—maybe even get a date.

This is the kind of adventure that happens to a girl once every … never.

Okay I'm going to be honest and let you know that I have been secretly holding out on reading the Wondrous Stange Series until I could get all the books to read in one sitting (I am still missing Tempestuous). But when Penguin Canada wrote to me to see if I was interested in reading Once Every Never, I jumped at the chance. I'm so glad that I did, I loved this book so much and am now excited to go get that elusive last book in the Wondrous Strange Series so I can get started on what I've been missing out on.

I had no idea what to expect with this book, but it honestly blew me away. I fell in love with the characters right from the start. Clare reminded me somewhat of Buffy (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Series), because she would say and do things that echoed Buffy in my mind. "I mean , I don't think I could, like, brush up against a Neolithic soup pot and get hit with the mojo. But certain things - important things - that's what seems to set off the shimmering." (It's probably how she uses big important words mixed in with things like "get hit with the mojo" that remind me of Buffy Summers.) She is actually smart, but doesn't give herself credit at all. This book follows Clare along a journey of becoming who she was meant to be - to realize her true self.

Then we have Al (Allie) who is the best sidekick/BFF ever, with super geekdom at her fingertips with her never-more-than-a-foot-away messenger bag and laptop. She loves researching things and is all about history and science. Love her! And then we have Milo (Al's cousin) who used to be super dweeb, but is now a smoking hot uber geek. Then we are left with the Druids - Connal (It should be illegal to possess a smile that devastating,Clare thought.) the muscular Druid warrior and Commora the kick ass Druid Princess.

The story is filled with time travelling trips back and froth between present day London and 2,000 years ago. I loved how Clare was able to travel to different moments in time depending on what item she touched and who she was thinking of at the time. And that her beacon to make it home safely was someone she held dear to her. It's the kind of thing happens to a girl Once Every Never. The entire book combines to include a little bit of everything for all readers: from time travel and history to romance and adventure.

What are you waiting for? You need to seriously go pick this book up and get reading.