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Never #1
Once Every Never
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.
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First published July 1, 2011
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May 7, 2011Clarinet Reid? Oh...
January 30, 2014
If I had known earlier on what a magnificently scintillating joyride this book was going to be, I would’ve moved it right to the top of my to-read list MONTHS ago! Quite frankly, I’m flabbergasted that more people aren’t reading this book and raving about its awesomeness. So, okay, deep breath. This, my friends, is not just a simple must-read. It is a bucket list read. In fact, I forbid you from leaving this world before having read this book, understood? Yes? Good.
*rearranging facial features from do-my-bidding-or-suffer-my-wrath, to friendly, non-threatening smile”
You know those books where you’re almost halfway done with one but then life gets in the way and you have to wait until the next day to finish reading it, and you’re just dying with excitement because you can’t wait to read the rest of the book? Once Every Never is that book. When Clare (short for Clarinet...trust me, I kid you not) swoons over the first guy she comes across in the first few pages, I thought to myself, “Oh boy, insta love...please, someone slap me.” But, no. I was very, very wrong. This is definitely not that type of book, even if I thought so at the start. We’re talking a superbly plotted time-travel novel that will leave you breathless with laughter, sidesplittingly hilarious dialogue, lots and lots of action, an antagonist with the snarky wit of Klaus (from the tv series The Originals – fans of the tv series Vampire Diaries will understand the reference), a friendship that inspires envy, and two geeks who does that word proud. And all that? That is just the tip of the iceberg.
Interestingly, about a month ago I read another YA book with the Iceni warrior queen as the main topic in the story. So, when I came across this same story element in Once Every Never, I was already familiar with the background of this historical figure. What made the story about this queen who started a war with the Roman Empire entirely different from the one I read in Jordan Jacobs’s Samantha Sutton and the Winter of the Warrior Queen, is that it offers an entirely new perspective on the consequences of the decisions made by a heartbroken, vengeful, wife/mother. This novel also focuses on one of the warrior queen’s daughters and her love interest.
At first glance I was falsely under the impression that this was going to be a romance (I was misled with the blurb on the cover about a first kiss changing history, and all that), but I think hopeless romantics might be a little disappointed. The romance, thankfully, plays a small role at the conclusion. However, even though the romance only forms a tiny part of the plot, it was so utterly sweet and sincere, it actually brought tears to my eyes. Yes, folks, that’s what I said. I, anti-swoony-romance reader, begrudgingly admit that I unabashedly wiped away a few tears while I was getting caught up in the Disney-like love scene playing out near the end. I was so into it, I could swear I heard violins playing in the background during that specific scene.
So, what are you waiting for? Do you need more convincing? Fans of time-travel books, adrenaline-fueling adventure, historical fiction, and anyone with a sense of humor will be captivated by this tale of non-stop action, and the most unforgettable characters I’ve come across in...well, the past week or so. Another fantastic time-travel book with tons of romance you should check out (after you’ve read this one, of course) is Blue Bells of Scotland by Laura Vosika. Once Every Never is the first book I’ve read by this author, but certainly won’t be the last. So off I am to Goodreads to see what else Ms Livingston has written!
*rearranging facial features from do-my-bidding-or-suffer-my-wrath, to friendly, non-threatening smile”
You know those books where you’re almost halfway done with one but then life gets in the way and you have to wait until the next day to finish reading it, and you’re just dying with excitement because you can’t wait to read the rest of the book? Once Every Never is that book. When Clare (short for Clarinet...trust me, I kid you not) swoons over the first guy she comes across in the first few pages, I thought to myself, “Oh boy, insta love...please, someone slap me.” But, no. I was very, very wrong. This is definitely not that type of book, even if I thought so at the start. We’re talking a superbly plotted time-travel novel that will leave you breathless with laughter, sidesplittingly hilarious dialogue, lots and lots of action, an antagonist with the snarky wit of Klaus (from the tv series The Originals – fans of the tv series Vampire Diaries will understand the reference), a friendship that inspires envy, and two geeks who does that word proud. And all that? That is just the tip of the iceberg.
Interestingly, about a month ago I read another YA book with the Iceni warrior queen as the main topic in the story. So, when I came across this same story element in Once Every Never, I was already familiar with the background of this historical figure. What made the story about this queen who started a war with the Roman Empire entirely different from the one I read in Jordan Jacobs’s Samantha Sutton and the Winter of the Warrior Queen, is that it offers an entirely new perspective on the consequences of the decisions made by a heartbroken, vengeful, wife/mother. This novel also focuses on one of the warrior queen’s daughters and her love interest.
At first glance I was falsely under the impression that this was going to be a romance (I was misled with the blurb on the cover about a first kiss changing history, and all that), but I think hopeless romantics might be a little disappointed. The romance, thankfully, plays a small role at the conclusion. However, even though the romance only forms a tiny part of the plot, it was so utterly sweet and sincere, it actually brought tears to my eyes. Yes, folks, that’s what I said. I, anti-swoony-romance reader, begrudgingly admit that I unabashedly wiped away a few tears while I was getting caught up in the Disney-like love scene playing out near the end. I was so into it, I could swear I heard violins playing in the background during that specific scene.
So, what are you waiting for? Do you need more convincing? Fans of time-travel books, adrenaline-fueling adventure, historical fiction, and anyone with a sense of humor will be captivated by this tale of non-stop action, and the most unforgettable characters I’ve come across in...well, the past week or so. Another fantastic time-travel book with tons of romance you should check out (after you’ve read this one, of course) is Blue Bells of Scotland by Laura Vosika. Once Every Never is the first book I’ve read by this author, but certainly won’t be the last. So off I am to Goodreads to see what else Ms Livingston has written!
August 26, 2016
First off, I found it took me a little while to actually get 'into' this story. I think I was actually halfway through before I started to find it interesting... I found myself lost in the over the top teenage dialogue, and things took a while to knit together in this plot.
The characters, I have to admit, did not really impress me. The heroine actually bothered me, but then again, fashion-smart valley-girls have always gotten on my nerves. I can't complain about the historical figures portrayed, simply for my lack of ancient Celtic history, but the villain(s) kind of made me roll my eyes. They came across (and maybe that was the intent?) as cartoon bad-guys, particularly the most prominent one. Just stealing for the sake of stealing and becoming rich, bad for the sake of being bad. If they'd been cast in a more serious light, I think I'd have been more into the nature of this story's conflict.
Finally, the plot itself... well, it wasn't bad. Not original, but intriguing enough. The characters, as I just mentioned, kind of brought it down a little. Time travel and changing events of the future by meddling with the past is always fun to read about. Based on how much it occurred, I would have expected more of the butterfly effect to take place. I guess the author simply didn't feel the same way.
Was this review a little too sodden with personal opinion? Maybe...
The characters, I have to admit, did not really impress me. The heroine actually bothered me, but then again, fashion-smart valley-girls have always gotten on my nerves. I can't complain about the historical figures portrayed, simply for my lack of ancient Celtic history, but the villain(s) kind of made me roll my eyes. They came across (and maybe that was the intent?) as cartoon bad-guys, particularly the most prominent one. Just stealing for the sake of stealing and becoming rich, bad for the sake of being bad. If they'd been cast in a more serious light, I think I'd have been more into the nature of this story's conflict.
Finally, the plot itself... well, it wasn't bad. Not original, but intriguing enough. The characters, as I just mentioned, kind of brought it down a little. Time travel and changing events of the future by meddling with the past is always fun to read about. Based on how much it occurred, I would have expected more of the butterfly effect to take place. I guess the author simply didn't feel the same way.
Was this review a little too sodden with personal opinion? Maybe...
June 22, 2017
только я подумала "надо что-то почитать про восстание боудикки", как бац - книга про восстание боудикки. магия, ясен пень.
наверное, было бы лучше, если бы действие в настоящем хоть немного догоняло дейсвие в прошлом. потому что в прошлом боудикка успела благополучно восстать и закончить тем, чем закончила, а в настоящем не произошло вообще почти ничего, кроме пары нудных разговоров. ну и героиня ужасно бесполезная и никчемная.
наверное, было бы лучше, если бы действие в настоящем хоть немного догоняло дейсвие в прошлом. потому что в прошлом боудикка успела благополучно восстать и закончить тем, чем закончила, а в настоящем не произошло вообще почти ничего, кроме пары нудных разговоров. ну и героиня ужасно бесполезная и никчемная.
June 29, 2011
**Originally posted to: Bookish Blog
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston is a fantastic, engaging and highly entertaining Young Adult novel for those who like adventure. Lesley’s smooth writing style is irresistible and incredibly impressive, I absolutely loved it.
Clare (or Clarinet if you prefer) is pretty much your typical teenager girl, with a dose of sass. She’s a good student, although you wouldn’t call her a nerd. She might not be the most popular girl in town, but that’s perfectly alright with her, because she gets all the attention and support she needs from her best friend, Allie. While her orchestra-musician parents are on a world tour with the Symphonia Intenationale, Clare is spending her summer vacations in England, under the watchful eye of her aunt, Maggie. Maggie – Dr. Magda Wallace – is a well known and highly respected professor of archeology, who works at the British Museum. You know what that means? Yup, Clare will be spending most of her time exploring the museum’s exhibitions. Not a very exciting prospect for Clarinet, but thankfully her best friend, Allie, is there to keep her company. And let’s not forget about the super handsome and unbelievably smart Milo, Allie’s cousin.
What promised to be an utterly boring and dull summer, all of a sudden turns into a breathtaking time travel adventure when Clare touches one of the artifacts in the museum and is magically transported to AD 60, the times of Queen Boudicca. As it turns out, Clare has the ability to travel in time and it’s all due to an ancient blood curse. Now Clare has to figure out how to control her ability and find a long lost artifact, and she has to do all that without altering the time-space continuum and causing irreversible changes to the present. With an uber hot young warrior distracting her, this might prove to be even harder that she thinks.
I had a lot of fun devouring this book. Fast-paced and entertaining, it was an excellent mix of mythology, history, paranormal, adventure and romance. All that spiced up with sharp, hilarious and witty dialogues.
What I liked the most about this novel was Lesley Livingston’s fantastic writing style. She tells the story in such a smooth and fun way that it’s really impossible to put the book down once you start reading. It’s definitely a great page-turner. Most importantly, the dialogues are not forced or overdone, they are realistic, humorous and very entertaining, I was constantly cracking up. What can I say? I really think Lesley is a brilliant storyteller!
It wasn’t only the constant question if Clare can actually do something to change the past and if/how it will affect the present that kept me turning the pages, it was Clare, too. As well as Milo and Connal. I wanted to know more about them. I was dying to find out how the whole time-travel-love-triangle will play out and who’s going to win Clare’s heart in the end. Clarinet is a very likable protagonist and, together with Milo, Connal, Allie and Aunt Maggie, she really made this story.
The historical background provided by the author was skillfully incorporated into the plot in a way that didn’t come across as boring or too informative. What we get here is a perfect dose of history, mythology and even some powerful Druid magic.
The ending, while it ties up things nicely, still left me with an impression that there was something lacking in the story. The way the love-triangle played out was a tiny bit unsatisfying to me and I found myself wishing for more emotional depth and some heart breaking drama. That would be my only complaint and the reason for rating this book 4/5 instead of 5/5. Overall, I had a fantastic time with this novel and I hope that Lesley Livingston will decide to write more books featuring Clare, Allie and Milo! I’d love to meet them again!
Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston is a fantastic, engaging and highly entertaining Young Adult novel for those who like adventure. Lesley’s smooth writing style is irresistible and incredibly impressive, I absolutely loved it.
Clare (or Clarinet if you prefer) is pretty much your typical teenager girl, with a dose of sass. She’s a good student, although you wouldn’t call her a nerd. She might not be the most popular girl in town, but that’s perfectly alright with her, because she gets all the attention and support she needs from her best friend, Allie. While her orchestra-musician parents are on a world tour with the Symphonia Intenationale, Clare is spending her summer vacations in England, under the watchful eye of her aunt, Maggie. Maggie – Dr. Magda Wallace – is a well known and highly respected professor of archeology, who works at the British Museum. You know what that means? Yup, Clare will be spending most of her time exploring the museum’s exhibitions. Not a very exciting prospect for Clarinet, but thankfully her best friend, Allie, is there to keep her company. And let’s not forget about the super handsome and unbelievably smart Milo, Allie’s cousin.
What promised to be an utterly boring and dull summer, all of a sudden turns into a breathtaking time travel adventure when Clare touches one of the artifacts in the museum and is magically transported to AD 60, the times of Queen Boudicca. As it turns out, Clare has the ability to travel in time and it’s all due to an ancient blood curse. Now Clare has to figure out how to control her ability and find a long lost artifact, and she has to do all that without altering the time-space continuum and causing irreversible changes to the present. With an uber hot young warrior distracting her, this might prove to be even harder that she thinks.
I had a lot of fun devouring this book. Fast-paced and entertaining, it was an excellent mix of mythology, history, paranormal, adventure and romance. All that spiced up with sharp, hilarious and witty dialogues.
What I liked the most about this novel was Lesley Livingston’s fantastic writing style. She tells the story in such a smooth and fun way that it’s really impossible to put the book down once you start reading. It’s definitely a great page-turner. Most importantly, the dialogues are not forced or overdone, they are realistic, humorous and very entertaining, I was constantly cracking up. What can I say? I really think Lesley is a brilliant storyteller!
It wasn’t only the constant question if Clare can actually do something to change the past and if/how it will affect the present that kept me turning the pages, it was Clare, too. As well as Milo and Connal. I wanted to know more about them. I was dying to find out how the whole time-travel-love-triangle will play out and who’s going to win Clare’s heart in the end. Clarinet is a very likable protagonist and, together with Milo, Connal, Allie and Aunt Maggie, she really made this story.
The historical background provided by the author was skillfully incorporated into the plot in a way that didn’t come across as boring or too informative. What we get here is a perfect dose of history, mythology and even some powerful Druid magic.
The ending, while it ties up things nicely, still left me with an impression that there was something lacking in the story. The way the love-triangle played out was a tiny bit unsatisfying to me and I found myself wishing for more emotional depth and some heart breaking drama. That would be my only complaint and the reason for rating this book 4/5 instead of 5/5. Overall, I had a fantastic time with this novel and I hope that Lesley Livingston will decide to write more books featuring Clare, Allie and Milo! I’d love to meet them again!
July 5, 2011
In a big YA mixing bowl, add one cup of Time-Travel, one cup of Celtic Mythology, one table spoon of smart-mouthed teenage girl and mix gently. Add a touch of amazing writing and there, you have the recipe for Once Every Never!
Clare thinks of herself as average (and she hates that word) in a circle of amazingly smart and talented people. She finds herself set in exile in London for the summer after throwing a gigantic party at her place (and blames facebook). What a boring summer it will be, following her aunt around while she works at the museum. But maybe she’s wrong? On her first day at the museum, she touches an invaluable artifact (a big no, no!) and somehow finds herself thrown somewhere in the time-space continuum. How did it happen? That’s what she’ll try to figure out with her side-kick Al and her hottie – and nerdish- cousin Milo, and she’ll get herself in a world of trouble! So much for boring summer right?
I have to tip my virtual hat to Miss Livingston for writing such a great story.The plot is very intricate because Clare travels back and forth between the present and a two thousands years away past. But it gets even more complicated because her journeys to the past aren’t in chronological order, so you really have to stay on your toes the whole time or you might miss the subtleties and consequences of each of her trips. I truly enjoyed the whole concept and read the book in just one afternoon. I simply couldn’t put it down.
Love triangles are a big thing in YA novels, but Lesley took it one step further. Once Every Never has a spatiotemporal love square! Yes, yes you read right. I’ll make it short because I don’t want to give anything away, but imagine a girl and a boy form the present, a girl and a boy from two thousands years ago, all four of them mixed in a complicated relationship. I say pretty awesome!
I really loved the characters Lesley created, and appreciated even more that smart teens were cool guys in this novel. Each character had its own quirk and personality and I have a hard time picking my favorite one. I think I’d have to go with Connal, a Druid Prince from the past. I liked his fierceness, determination and he was cute, smart and kinda sweet, I mean what more can a girl ask for?
This novel was action-packed and the lore could’ve been heavy, but Miss Livingston handled everything very smoothly. The world, the legends and the historically accurate facts were down-right amazing and I've never read anything remotely close to this in any YA novel. The closest comparison I can come up with is Kevin Hearne’s adult series: The Iron Druid Chronicles, because of the Celtic Lore and Time Traveler’s Wife, with two thousands years time jumps. Really, this book is simply made of awesome.
I strongly urge you to get your hands on this amazing, completely out-of-the-box, novel. Once Every Never crept its way into my dreams long after I finished reading it. Magical, mesmerizing and truly engaging, Once Every Never had me begging for more.
Clare thinks of herself as average (and she hates that word) in a circle of amazingly smart and talented people. She finds herself set in exile in London for the summer after throwing a gigantic party at her place (and blames facebook). What a boring summer it will be, following her aunt around while she works at the museum. But maybe she’s wrong? On her first day at the museum, she touches an invaluable artifact (a big no, no!) and somehow finds herself thrown somewhere in the time-space continuum. How did it happen? That’s what she’ll try to figure out with her side-kick Al and her hottie – and nerdish- cousin Milo, and she’ll get herself in a world of trouble! So much for boring summer right?
I have to tip my virtual hat to Miss Livingston for writing such a great story.The plot is very intricate because Clare travels back and forth between the present and a two thousands years away past. But it gets even more complicated because her journeys to the past aren’t in chronological order, so you really have to stay on your toes the whole time or you might miss the subtleties and consequences of each of her trips. I truly enjoyed the whole concept and read the book in just one afternoon. I simply couldn’t put it down.
Love triangles are a big thing in YA novels, but Lesley took it one step further. Once Every Never has a spatiotemporal love square! Yes, yes you read right. I’ll make it short because I don’t want to give anything away, but imagine a girl and a boy form the present, a girl and a boy from two thousands years ago, all four of them mixed in a complicated relationship. I say pretty awesome!
I really loved the characters Lesley created, and appreciated even more that smart teens were cool guys in this novel. Each character had its own quirk and personality and I have a hard time picking my favorite one. I think I’d have to go with Connal, a Druid Prince from the past. I liked his fierceness, determination and he was cute, smart and kinda sweet, I mean what more can a girl ask for?
This novel was action-packed and the lore could’ve been heavy, but Miss Livingston handled everything very smoothly. The world, the legends and the historically accurate facts were down-right amazing and I've never read anything remotely close to this in any YA novel. The closest comparison I can come up with is Kevin Hearne’s adult series: The Iron Druid Chronicles, because of the Celtic Lore and Time Traveler’s Wife, with two thousands years time jumps. Really, this book is simply made of awesome.
I strongly urge you to get your hands on this amazing, completely out-of-the-box, novel. Once Every Never crept its way into my dreams long after I finished reading it. Magical, mesmerizing and truly engaging, Once Every Never had me begging for more.
April 8, 2025
The story begins with two girls spending the summer in London. The main character, Clare, is intelligent, but she kind of slacks off and is easily distracted, so she comes across as just a wee bit shallow. She is pretty grounded, but as soon as she sees one or two cute guys, she turns into a googly-eyed goof. Clare actually struck me as a calamity Jane kind of character - she's not a troublemaker, but trouble seems to find her anyway.
I identified way more with her best friend Alice, who pretty much lives on the far right side of the Bell Curve. In all honesty, it took me awhile to warm up to Clare, but that's only because a full-access pass to the most famous museum in the world, and being within touching distance of some of the oldest, coolest artifacts (like the Snettisham Torc and the Bog Men!) would be my idea of paradise on earth, because you see, I'm completely geeky for history like that, and Clare...well, she was bored out of her mind. I'm serious, Clare's life had me salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs.
She can't stay bored for long, though, because she absentmindedly becomes a catalyst for some kind of time-traveling centuries-old "curse," and she finds herself smack in the middle of occupied Britain, coming face to face with the formidable Boudicca, and finding herself in the midst of a bloody war. Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, was definitely the most energetic character, and I like the way Lesley chose to portray her: not as a wounded, martyring queen, but as a bloodthirsty, prideful warrior who may or may not be one scout short of a posse (which apparently is a cool euphemism for 'crazy'). Whoa, this gal was ferocious! I mean, she'd have the White Witch sniveling into her inhaler gasping 'omg ur so meanz!'
There was a teeny weenie bit of a love triangle here, but it wasn't very pronounced. Still, I wouldn't have minded if Clare was maybe a little less boy-centric. She kind of switched affections from one guy (a Druid warrior...in this case, they're not freaky-weird, but actually sensitive and handsome) to another (a buffed up nerd...still waiting for one of those to pop up in real life!), and I wouldn't have minded a little less of that, but still...it wasn't an integral part of the story.
The only other character I *must* talk about is the villainy guy, another character who may or may not be one scout short of a posse - vain, eccentric historian (and white collar crime extraordinare), Dr. Morholt. This guy totally reminded me of a cross between Sherlock Holmes' Moriarty and real-life historian personality Simon Schama (the guy is like Beauty and the Beast's Cogsworth and Gaston rolled into one). I absolutely loved this guy. He was so entertaining :)
I think I've spazzed enough for one review. Excellent characters (Lesley did what I thought was impossible - she made a slacker into a lovable character for me!), a brilliant story (loaded with historical awesome juice, and quality writing.
I identified way more with her best friend Alice, who pretty much lives on the far right side of the Bell Curve. In all honesty, it took me awhile to warm up to Clare, but that's only because a full-access pass to the most famous museum in the world, and being within touching distance of some of the oldest, coolest artifacts (like the Snettisham Torc and the Bog Men!) would be my idea of paradise on earth, because you see, I'm completely geeky for history like that, and Clare...well, she was bored out of her mind. I'm serious, Clare's life had me salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs.
She can't stay bored for long, though, because she absentmindedly becomes a catalyst for some kind of time-traveling centuries-old "curse," and she finds herself smack in the middle of occupied Britain, coming face to face with the formidable Boudicca, and finding herself in the midst of a bloody war. Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, was definitely the most energetic character, and I like the way Lesley chose to portray her: not as a wounded, martyring queen, but as a bloodthirsty, prideful warrior who may or may not be one scout short of a posse (which apparently is a cool euphemism for 'crazy'). Whoa, this gal was ferocious! I mean, she'd have the White Witch sniveling into her inhaler gasping 'omg ur so meanz!'
There was a teeny weenie bit of a love triangle here, but it wasn't very pronounced. Still, I wouldn't have minded if Clare was maybe a little less boy-centric. She kind of switched affections from one guy (a Druid warrior...in this case, they're not freaky-weird, but actually sensitive and handsome) to another (a buffed up nerd...still waiting for one of those to pop up in real life!), and I wouldn't have minded a little less of that, but still...it wasn't an integral part of the story.
The only other character I *must* talk about is the villainy guy, another character who may or may not be one scout short of a posse - vain, eccentric historian (and white collar crime extraordinare), Dr. Morholt. This guy totally reminded me of a cross between Sherlock Holmes' Moriarty and real-life historian personality Simon Schama (the guy is like Beauty and the Beast's Cogsworth and Gaston rolled into one). I absolutely loved this guy. He was so entertaining :)
I think I've spazzed enough for one review. Excellent characters (Lesley did what I thought was impossible - she made a slacker into a lovable character for me!), a brilliant story (loaded with historical awesome juice, and quality writing.
August 2, 2011
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
Once Every Never isn't my typical kind of read but I must say that I rather enjoyed this one! I used to read a lot of time travel fiction but since I started a paranormal blog I don't come across it as frequently. Another noteworthy tidbit is that Lesley Livingston is Canadian! I can't help but have a soft spot for canuck authors. There's also two scrumptious young men to drool over which definitely helps! I found this book to be imaginative, moving and it maintained a steady pace that held my interest throughout the story.
I really enjoyed getting to know Clare's character. She's not your typical Young Adult heroine. There's nothing remarkably special about her. Miss Reid is just your average teenager, well aside from her newly discovered ability to travel though time but I'll get to that a bit later. This observation might strike you as odd but in my readings I've encountered young women with absentee parents or weird social quirks one too many times. Clare could have easily been me growing up. I liked how easily I could relate to her. She's not a genius but she's not dumb either, her future career goals are uncertain and she does get into some trouble but overall Reid is a good kid. Even though she's surrounded by overachievers in her life, Clarinet stays true to herself. That's admirable in my books. It was nice to read a YA book that has a good role model for a change.
The time travelling aspect of the plot is introduced early on in the story. I appreciated that Lesley Livingston didn't make readers wait for the good stuff. I think that this helped to generate interest early on and started things off at a good pace. Clare's skill isn't overly complicated either so the book wasn't weighed down with details.
I'm torn about whether I liked Milo or Connal more... Clare knew Milo growing up because he's Al's (her BFF) cousin but back then, he was an awkward nerd. However, the past few years seem to have worked wonders on Milo. He's still a cartography obsessed, Star Trek loving geek but a sexy one who's had a crush on Clare since he was fourteen. How convenient! No, but seriously, he's hot! Milo has a bit of competition though for Reid's affections in the form of Connal, a warrior druid from the past. What's not too love about a knight is shinning armor coming to rescue the damsel in distress? The druid was my lead crush for the greater part of this novel, well, up until he turned crazy anyway. So my final vote goes to Milo but it was a close race!
Lesley Livingston delivers an uncomplicated and gripping read with Once Every Never. I'm a sucker for a romantic tale of time travel but combine it with a splash of paranormal and I'm sold! This is the first book that I've read by this author and it definitely won't be the last! Milo will be visiting my day dreams for weeks to come!
Once Every Never isn't my typical kind of read but I must say that I rather enjoyed this one! I used to read a lot of time travel fiction but since I started a paranormal blog I don't come across it as frequently. Another noteworthy tidbit is that Lesley Livingston is Canadian! I can't help but have a soft spot for canuck authors. There's also two scrumptious young men to drool over which definitely helps! I found this book to be imaginative, moving and it maintained a steady pace that held my interest throughout the story.
I really enjoyed getting to know Clare's character. She's not your typical Young Adult heroine. There's nothing remarkably special about her. Miss Reid is just your average teenager, well aside from her newly discovered ability to travel though time but I'll get to that a bit later. This observation might strike you as odd but in my readings I've encountered young women with absentee parents or weird social quirks one too many times. Clare could have easily been me growing up. I liked how easily I could relate to her. She's not a genius but she's not dumb either, her future career goals are uncertain and she does get into some trouble but overall Reid is a good kid. Even though she's surrounded by overachievers in her life, Clarinet stays true to herself. That's admirable in my books. It was nice to read a YA book that has a good role model for a change.
The time travelling aspect of the plot is introduced early on in the story. I appreciated that Lesley Livingston didn't make readers wait for the good stuff. I think that this helped to generate interest early on and started things off at a good pace. Clare's skill isn't overly complicated either so the book wasn't weighed down with details.
I'm torn about whether I liked Milo or Connal more... Clare knew Milo growing up because he's Al's (her BFF) cousin but back then, he was an awkward nerd. However, the past few years seem to have worked wonders on Milo. He's still a cartography obsessed, Star Trek loving geek but a sexy one who's had a crush on Clare since he was fourteen. How convenient! No, but seriously, he's hot! Milo has a bit of competition though for Reid's affections in the form of Connal, a warrior druid from the past. What's not too love about a knight is shinning armor coming to rescue the damsel in distress? The druid was my lead crush for the greater part of this novel, well, up until he turned crazy anyway. So my final vote goes to Milo but it was a close race!
Lesley Livingston delivers an uncomplicated and gripping read with Once Every Never. I'm a sucker for a romantic tale of time travel but combine it with a splash of paranormal and I'm sold! This is the first book that I've read by this author and it definitely won't be the last! Milo will be visiting my day dreams for weeks to come!
November 10, 2013
I've always wanted to read this but could never get around to it.... till I saw this fresh never been cracked opened copy at the library...
Clare was a bit annoying due to her overenthusiastic manners and dialogue. It's distracting to say the least. The story was interesting though, you just have to get pass the very teenager like talk. Story reminded me of a comic series that I really liked, one about time travel and living a life in ancient Egypt. I'm hoping this will get as interesting as that one... in the next book.
Clare was a bit annoying due to her overenthusiastic manners and dialogue. It's distracting to say the least. The story was interesting though, you just have to get pass the very teenager like talk. Story reminded me of a comic series that I really liked, one about time travel and living a life in ancient Egypt. I'm hoping this will get as interesting as that one... in the next book.
September 5, 2020
Clare is in England with her aunt when, at a museum, she touches an artifact and it transported to another time. Clare’s best friend Al is with her and they figure out that she was transported back to when a woman led her tribe against the invading Romans. Of course, there is a hot warrior to help keep things interesting... and a kidnapping in Clare’s current timeline.
It was ok. For some reason, I just didn’t get into it as much as this type of story might normally grab me; I’m not sure why that is. I guess I didn’t really “connect” with the characters. Not sure what else it might have been. I believe this is the first in a series, but at this point, I don’t plan to continue.
It was ok. For some reason, I just didn’t get into it as much as this type of story might normally grab me; I’m not sure why that is. I guess I didn’t really “connect” with the characters. Not sure what else it might have been. I believe this is the first in a series, but at this point, I don’t plan to continue.
October 3, 2011
Good fun read and I think a 3.5 for me but had to round this one up. It was a little slow to start for me getting to know Clarinet...or Clare and her good friend Allie as well as her Aunt Maggie who is a world famous professor of Archaeology. Aunt Maggie is special projects manager at the British Museum, and the girls will be spending the summer with her. "Al" is the brilliant one and Clare is certainly not dull but far from being interested in anything her Aunt is involved in. Al has a cousin, Milo, who Clare knew when they were children and who she thought of as a creep - turns out he has grown up and definitely changed for the better.
Once the little supernatural things started happening, the book got more interesting for me. A funny feeling, someone whispering her name, a feeling she can't describe when viewing an exhibit of 13 "bog men" who had been unearthed in a bog and who apparently were soldiers killed in a ritual killing in the first century. Move forward to the two girls waiting for Aunt Maggie to be finished with some work and Clare touching a bronze shield from the time of the bog men. Clare shimmers and disappears right in front of Ali. She finds herself by a river observing two men talking and getting ready to throw a shield that looks like the one she touched into the river. When she materializes back beside Ali they both are freaked out, but no one else has seen what happened. Thus begins the real story, and I did enjoy the twists and turns it takes. Some of it is humorous which is clever writing of conversation between the girls and Clare's thoughts, and there are scary parts too. Clare meets and is attracted to a young Druid in the past and feels a strong connection to a Celtic warrior princess. She knows she should not do things to change history, but how can she allow these people to die? What is her connection and what does the bog-man have to do with it. I won't give it all away, but it was a fun read of magic, history, mystery and two girls caught up in something they were definitely not prepared for. There are bad guys in the present and in the past to contend with just to keep the story moving at a fast pace.
Good read for anyone from young teens to adults. Thanks, Michele, for getting this one for me and signed too! Beautiful cover!
Once the little supernatural things started happening, the book got more interesting for me. A funny feeling, someone whispering her name, a feeling she can't describe when viewing an exhibit of 13 "bog men" who had been unearthed in a bog and who apparently were soldiers killed in a ritual killing in the first century. Move forward to the two girls waiting for Aunt Maggie to be finished with some work and Clare touching a bronze shield from the time of the bog men. Clare shimmers and disappears right in front of Ali. She finds herself by a river observing two men talking and getting ready to throw a shield that looks like the one she touched into the river. When she materializes back beside Ali they both are freaked out, but no one else has seen what happened. Thus begins the real story, and I did enjoy the twists and turns it takes. Some of it is humorous which is clever writing of conversation between the girls and Clare's thoughts, and there are scary parts too. Clare meets and is attracted to a young Druid in the past and feels a strong connection to a Celtic warrior princess. She knows she should not do things to change history, but how can she allow these people to die? What is her connection and what does the bog-man have to do with it. I won't give it all away, but it was a fun read of magic, history, mystery and two girls caught up in something they were definitely not prepared for. There are bad guys in the present and in the past to contend with just to keep the story moving at a fast pace.
Good read for anyone from young teens to adults. Thanks, Michele, for getting this one for me and signed too! Beautiful cover!
March 25, 2013
This, and other reviews can be found on Just a Lil' Lost
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
Clarinet Reid, or Clare as she prefers to be called, is sent to live with her aunt in London after a party gone awry. Joined by her best friend Al, along with Al's uber-nerd-turned-hottie-nerd cousin Milo, the trio find themselves in some dire predicaments when Clare accidentally discovers she can transport back in time. Between trying to retrieve a stolen artifact to saving lives, all while not altering the course of history too much, Clare is in for a bumpy ride with her newly-found skill.
My immediate reaction upon starting this book was a good ol' chuckle at the name of the protagonist. Cute and dorky at the same time, this former band geek certainly appreciated it. I didn't think I'd find the subject matter of Druids and Celtic princesses very interesting, but Livingston made it quite compelling. With the use of time travel, Once Every Never reads like a sci-fi historical fiction contemporary hybrid.
I did find Clare at times to be a bit too dense to be endearing, and Al & Milo a bit too extreme in the other direction. Clare's "slacker" vibe of not being very academic worked well with the exposition of information coming from the other two but it felt a bit times to be too much "telling Clare" about the history. There's also a certain level of suspending your disbelief when it involves sci-fi elements. Clare speaks to the people from the past in a very modern colloquial way and while there are some jokes about what certain words mean, they seemed to basically understand everything she's saying and referring to. Keeping that in mind, time travel is a very difficult thing to plot and write, but Livingston succeeds at keeping things straight for the readers. Clare jumps back and forth throughout different points in time quite often with the high potential of it becoming confusing but each moment is kept fairly clear.
Once Every Never is a smart & fun romp through history with some intriguing characters. The dialogue and style of writing is so very much the voice of the author, as I can picture Livingston speaking many of those very lines. There is a lot of potential for more adventures and hijinx, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, Every Never After.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ (3.5/5 stars)
Clarinet Reid, or Clare as she prefers to be called, is sent to live with her aunt in London after a party gone awry. Joined by her best friend Al, along with Al's uber-nerd-turned-hottie-nerd cousin Milo, the trio find themselves in some dire predicaments when Clare accidentally discovers she can transport back in time. Between trying to retrieve a stolen artifact to saving lives, all while not altering the course of history too much, Clare is in for a bumpy ride with her newly-found skill.
My immediate reaction upon starting this book was a good ol' chuckle at the name of the protagonist. Cute and dorky at the same time, this former band geek certainly appreciated it. I didn't think I'd find the subject matter of Druids and Celtic princesses very interesting, but Livingston made it quite compelling. With the use of time travel, Once Every Never reads like a sci-fi historical fiction contemporary hybrid.
I did find Clare at times to be a bit too dense to be endearing, and Al & Milo a bit too extreme in the other direction. Clare's "slacker" vibe of not being very academic worked well with the exposition of information coming from the other two but it felt a bit times to be too much "telling Clare" about the history. There's also a certain level of suspending your disbelief when it involves sci-fi elements. Clare speaks to the people from the past in a very modern colloquial way and while there are some jokes about what certain words mean, they seemed to basically understand everything she's saying and referring to. Keeping that in mind, time travel is a very difficult thing to plot and write, but Livingston succeeds at keeping things straight for the readers. Clare jumps back and forth throughout different points in time quite often with the high potential of it becoming confusing but each moment is kept fairly clear.
Once Every Never is a smart & fun romp through history with some intriguing characters. The dialogue and style of writing is so very much the voice of the author, as I can picture Livingston speaking many of those very lines. There is a lot of potential for more adventures and hijinx, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, Every Never After.
August 19, 2011
Definitely a book that I had high expectations for and it lived up to it (: A book with Druid and Celtic mythology + two cute guys (one in the past and one in the present) + time travelling + war + a cynical protagonist, in my opinion a winning formula.
Clare is a protagonist I really liked, a smart girl with a rebellious streak in her,. It was entertaining seeing her interactions with Allie, her brainiac best friend and Allie's cousin, Milo. The historical aspect of the book was highly interesting, though at times too much details weighed down the narration and flow of the story.
What won me over for this book is the time travelling bits, with Clare meeting different people from the early ages of Britain and her being the only one able to alter history bit by bit. I particularly liked the theme of past affecting present (the reason behind Clare's travelling abilities) and present affecting past.
Reasons why I didn't give this a 5 star rating is firstly due to the large amount of details, especially at the start and secondly, I felt the relationship between Connal and Clare one that is quite difficult to fathom and it just happened all of a sudden. I found Clare and Milo much more believable, though I would have preferred more development in their relationship.
Overall, an enjoyable read, a 4 stars from me.
Clare is a protagonist I really liked, a smart girl with a rebellious streak in her,. It was entertaining seeing her interactions with Allie, her brainiac best friend and Allie's cousin, Milo. The historical aspect of the book was highly interesting, though at times too much details weighed down the narration and flow of the story.
What won me over for this book is the time travelling bits, with Clare meeting different people from the early ages of Britain and her being the only one able to alter history bit by bit. I particularly liked the theme of past affecting present (the reason behind Clare's travelling abilities) and present affecting past.
Reasons why I didn't give this a 5 star rating is firstly due to the large amount of details, especially at the start and secondly, I felt the relationship between Connal and Clare one that is quite difficult to fathom and it just happened all of a sudden. I found Clare and Milo much more believable, though I would have preferred more development in their relationship.
Overall, an enjoyable read, a 4 stars from me.
October 20, 2011
It's a fun book with an interesting combination of fantasy and historical fiction. I had the privilege of seeing the author do a live reading from a passage of this book, and her enthusiasm won me over. She's a hilarious person!
However, I had a number of issues with this book:
- The dialogue: The main characters (Clare, Al, and Milo) talk to each other in a such an exaggerated, "hip" way that it gets grating. Think "Juno" but with lots of nerd references.
- The Climax/Denouement: The last 80 or so pages are a mad hash of action and time travel set pieces and there's just too much going on: multiple trips back in time, "spirit paths" into a tomb, possessions by ghosts, reanimated corpses, and of course, the inevitable romantic reunion(s). Oh, and it's got one of those twist ending things where it turns out that the real mastermind behind it all is not the person you thought it was, and several half-hearted mentions towards a decades-old spiritual ritual gone wrong. Waaay too many things happening at once to be enjoyable.
- Inconsistent characterization: I found that the romantic tension between Connal and Clare bloomed too quickly to be realistic, and was there just to manufacture tension. It seemed really out of character for Connal to be making moves on Clare at the time at which he made them.
However, I had a number of issues with this book:
- The dialogue: The main characters (Clare, Al, and Milo) talk to each other in a such an exaggerated, "hip" way that it gets grating. Think "Juno" but with lots of nerd references.
- The Climax/Denouement: The last 80 or so pages are a mad hash of action and time travel set pieces and there's just too much going on: multiple trips back in time, "spirit paths" into a tomb, possessions by ghosts, reanimated corpses, and of course, the inevitable romantic reunion(s). Oh, and it's got one of those twist ending things where it turns out that the real mastermind behind it all is not the person you thought it was, and several half-hearted mentions towards a decades-old spiritual ritual gone wrong. Waaay too many things happening at once to be enjoyable.
- Inconsistent characterization: I found that the romantic tension between Connal and Clare bloomed too quickly to be realistic, and was there just to manufacture tension. It seemed really out of character for Connal to be making moves on Clare at the time at which he made them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2013
2.5/3 stars, eking over to 3/5 stars. So maybe 2.7/5 stars.
I enjoyed parts of this book. It was a fun read, and since I have absolutely no knowledge of Celtic history I couldn't become annoyed at the artistic liberties taken with the historical characters (of which I'm sure there were quite a few). The fantasy portion within the story's framework was logical. I liked the characters, especially the interaction between the two best friends. Their friendship felt so true and solid when I read it. I particularly enjoyed the fact that two of the main characters are also huge geeks - plenty of references and shared inside jokes that had my nerdy self cheering and giggling.
The only problem that plagued me throughout was the fact that it was all so silly. I could not take the story seriously. People got hurt, but no one REALLY got hurt. WTF? There were no serious consequences in the end, and all the blame was conveniently pushed onto someone who, conveniently, was treated as insane.
Basically, the story derailed for me once the "villain" entered the scene. Sigh.
I enjoyed parts of this book. It was a fun read, and since I have absolutely no knowledge of Celtic history I couldn't become annoyed at the artistic liberties taken with the historical characters (of which I'm sure there were quite a few). The fantasy portion within the story's framework was logical. I liked the characters, especially the interaction between the two best friends. Their friendship felt so true and solid when I read it. I particularly enjoyed the fact that two of the main characters are also huge geeks - plenty of references and shared inside jokes that had my nerdy self cheering and giggling.
The only problem that plagued me throughout was the fact that it was all so silly. I could not take the story seriously. People got hurt, but no one REALLY got hurt. WTF? There were no serious consequences in the end, and all the blame was conveniently pushed onto someone who, conveniently, was treated as insane.
Basically, the story derailed for me once the "villain" entered the scene. Sigh.
May 23, 2012
Time travel and Celtic people and archeology and a splash, just a tiny one, of romance.
A fascinating story about Clarinet, who goes by Clare, and her adventures in London after she gets shipped away from home (Toronto) for making some unwise choices when her parents were gone one weekend. (She stays with her aunt Magda aka Maggie while in London.) Her best pal, Al, convinces her parents to let her go too, so she can visit her cousin Milo. Al and Milo are both super genius'.
Clare is on house arrest, sort of, in that she can't go anywhere unapproved, and so spents lots of time at the British Museum where Maggie works. Al, being the good friend that she is, spends her time there too. Maggie is working on an Inceni artifact find, and when Clare touches one such artifact, she shimmers into a different place and time.
Lots of adventures ensue. A fun read.
A fascinating story about Clarinet, who goes by Clare, and her adventures in London after she gets shipped away from home (Toronto) for making some unwise choices when her parents were gone one weekend. (She stays with her aunt Magda aka Maggie while in London.) Her best pal, Al, convinces her parents to let her go too, so she can visit her cousin Milo. Al and Milo are both super genius'.
Clare is on house arrest, sort of, in that she can't go anywhere unapproved, and so spents lots of time at the British Museum where Maggie works. Al, being the good friend that she is, spends her time there too. Maggie is working on an Inceni artifact find, and when Clare touches one such artifact, she shimmers into a different place and time.
Lots of adventures ensue. A fun read.
June 5, 2015
Ugh. So much ugh in the very best of ways. So Jocelynn Drake was kind enough to let me have Gage Powell as my fictional husband. But Milo.. I need him too. I don't usually get all caught up in wanting fictional guys but those two...
BUT he was in very little of the story. I read the entire thing in one day. I did not want to stop reading. It was riveting, funny and just a wild ride. I love wibbly wobbly timey whimey stuff and this very much fit the bill.
Plus it's Lesley Livingston and I absolutely adore her writing.
Did I mention I need my very own Milo?
BUT he was in very little of the story. I read the entire thing in one day. I did not want to stop reading. It was riveting, funny and just a wild ride. I love wibbly wobbly timey whimey stuff and this very much fit the bill.
Plus it's Lesley Livingston and I absolutely adore her writing.
Did I mention I need my very own Milo?
September 26, 2011
Once Every Never is a great read! I was a fan of Wondrous Strange and so was eager to read this. It started a little slow for me but once I got into it I found it hard to put down. I am partial to time travel books, and partial to stories set in Ancient Britain as well. This book had lots of Druidy goodness and back in modern times just enough geek/nerd culture to keep me chuckling. This was a very visual book for me, and I could totally see it as a movie.
Read
June 21, 2011"Clarinet Reid". I must now take a moment to giggle to myself over that awesome and yet somehow tragically amusing name. :P I look forward to reading this.
June 24, 2022
I don’t remember reading this book.
February 27, 2015
review to come
content: some language
content: some language
April 24, 2018
Well this certainly was something.
I never knew what to expect next. Mainly cause this novel was such a shit show bouncing between science, time travel, reality and fantasy. The conflicting realities got confusing. The different characters were hard to follow in the past as we didn't get to see their timeline in an actual straight line. It was hard to figure out who was evil and who was helping, especially when the possessions started.
Also, plot holes galore. Not to mention, that curse we're told about, not actually identified as a curse, nor does she have druid blood. Blood magic was used with her blood. That's it. And she doesn't HAVE to do anything, she touches certain artifacts and BAM time travel. Then she does it cause she's curious and she wants to help and then because a crazy Thief is MAKING her do it. And everyone just BELIEVES that this is happening to her. I mean they also watch her wink out of existence but still. No one thought to be like "I'mma call the MIB" or at least the British version of that.
On a positive note, I was super interested in the whole idea. It was done very well. I like that she did things to help people regardless of the consequences or her personal safety. And she hails from Toronto so you know I gotta give the author some points for that.
I never knew what to expect next. Mainly cause this novel was such a shit show bouncing between science, time travel, reality and fantasy. The conflicting realities got confusing. The different characters were hard to follow in the past as we didn't get to see their timeline in an actual straight line. It was hard to figure out who was evil and who was helping, especially when the possessions started.
Also, plot holes galore. Not to mention, that curse we're told about, not actually identified as a curse, nor does she have druid blood. Blood magic was used with her blood. That's it. And she doesn't HAVE to do anything, she touches certain artifacts and BAM time travel. Then she does it cause she's curious and she wants to help and then because a crazy Thief is MAKING her do it. And everyone just BELIEVES that this is happening to her. I mean they also watch her wink out of existence but still. No one thought to be like "I'mma call the MIB" or at least the British version of that.
On a positive note, I was super interested in the whole idea. It was done very well. I like that she did things to help people regardless of the consequences or her personal safety. And she hails from Toronto so you know I gotta give the author some points for that.
January 8, 2012
A historical young adult romance novel filled with supernatural time travel - how much more could I ask for! From the very beginning when I started this book I could tell I was going to be hooked. Clary and her best gal pal Alice are a dynamic duo and their chemistry flows great with the supernatural twists thrown at both of them while visiting Clary’s curator aunt Magda in London, England. Alice or Al as Clary calls her is a mixture of nerd, brainiac and rationalist and Clary is the complete opposite concentrating on landing a date and being popular rather than her studies, although she is just as smart as Al; which is why they make the perfect duo and perfect best friends, never judging each other no matter what.
Lesley Livingston has brought a forgotten time in history to the forefront of Young Adult literature within Once Every Never. Being the history obsessed individual I am, and also wanting nothing more than to work in a museum once I am out of school, this book was absolutely perfect for me, and embodied what I dreamt about as a teenager. I wanted my history books to come alive and time travel me to those places, to meet those people and see them sculpt history. Alas that never did happen to me but Clary she gets more than she can handle in the past and present! Jam-packed with fantastic characters, interesting situations and a fast paced storyline, Once Every Never will sweep you off your feet and hopefully you’ll land about 2,000 years prior.
What I found truly unique and creative in Once Every Never was how Livingston created such a realistic young adult story, with real teenage problems, and a touch of supernatural mystery. The characters and storyline will really draw you in and not let you go until the very last page!
Nerds Are Sexy: I think the title says it all. Nerds. Are. Sexy! Lesley Livingston delivers with characters in Once Every Never; there is definitely no shortage of opposites, especially in Clary’s love interests. We first meet Milo, Alice’s cousin who works and lives in London. He is the a-typical nerd and brainiac Clary remembers from when they were all children playing together, although he has definitely grown into his looks. Tall, blonde, sculpted and yet still obsessed with the “space time continuum” and batman! His opposite we meet later on when Clary “shimmers” (time travels); Connal, an ancient druid warrior is definitely not nerdy, although still appeals to Clary on certain levels. He is basically what a 16-year-old girl daydreams about, instead of the sensitive, adoring nerd right in front of you we have tall, built, bronze skinned druid warrior with a killer smile. I personally found Milo a much more striking character than Connal – perhaps not with looks, but his personality and his nerdy tendency’s really pulled me into him, especially how he was so dedicated to Clary even though he didn’t quite understand her “shimmering” abilities. Milo wanted to protect Clary even though he didn’t know how, Connal it came naturally being a warrior, so it seemed much more romantic when Milo did try. There is definitely never a dull moment in Once Every Never, may it be time traveling to Roman occupied England, or choosing between a 2,000 year old Druid warrior and an attractive 21st century nerd.
History is Exciting: No one ever believes me when I say, “history is exciting” they all look at me like I am some obsessed history student, but finally I have a young adult novel to back me up! Once Every Never makes history exciting for the reader and for Clary! She never knew until she started to time travel that history is A. Important, and B. more than old bones, and rusted swords – that these tools and people were once strong and thriving civilizations. Every time Clary time travelled my heartbeat spiked, and I felt an adrenalin rush because it was always a different experience and never the same for Clary and me. History definitely comes alive with each flip of a page and Lesley Livingston has won my affection for sharing such a beautiful and yet tragic time in history.
A Real Teenager: What I found really unique and appealing in Once Every Never is that Clary, Alice, and even Milo were all real teenagers. Now not to get confused, most young adult books we read has the average teenager, although their situations are never very normal. Clary, not so much Alice, worry about normal things such as if she is going to get a date over the summer, or what she is going to do after she graduates – even though she can time travel she always had boys on the mind it seems, which was refreshing because that is how I normally thought when I was 16! It was a invigorating change of pace to read about normal teenage girl problems, even when Clary “shimmered” to 2,000 years prior the princess’ she meet were having the same teenage problem – “Do you think he likes me?” – which seems to still be a common question among young girls today.
I personally loved this book because of all the qualities above, but I did find many of the characters very accepting of Clary’s abilities not really questioning anything at all. It could have been because of the proof Clary would deliver once asked, but still I would be a bit wary at first. Another thing I did find slightly irritating was the antagonist Stuart Molhort; I thought he could have been a bit more diabolical than he was. Of course the story needed a certain type of villain, one that understands the history and importance of antiquities and artifacts, I just personally thought Stuart could have been MORE evil and not just a glorified thief – it really irritated me hence the 4 out of 5 stars I had given it.
Nevertheless, Once Every Never is a fantastic read for all ages that will leave you breathless and satisfied all in one spell binding mystical adventure. The witty British humor, the nail biting adventure, and the love affairs all brought together in a magical coming of age story, where one girl finds out who she truly is. Beautifully written, and a gorgeous “shimmering” cover to match, Lesley Livingston delivers a refreshing, and delicious read.
Lesley Livingston has brought a forgotten time in history to the forefront of Young Adult literature within Once Every Never. Being the history obsessed individual I am, and also wanting nothing more than to work in a museum once I am out of school, this book was absolutely perfect for me, and embodied what I dreamt about as a teenager. I wanted my history books to come alive and time travel me to those places, to meet those people and see them sculpt history. Alas that never did happen to me but Clary she gets more than she can handle in the past and present! Jam-packed with fantastic characters, interesting situations and a fast paced storyline, Once Every Never will sweep you off your feet and hopefully you’ll land about 2,000 years prior.
What I found truly unique and creative in Once Every Never was how Livingston created such a realistic young adult story, with real teenage problems, and a touch of supernatural mystery. The characters and storyline will really draw you in and not let you go until the very last page!
Nerds Are Sexy: I think the title says it all. Nerds. Are. Sexy! Lesley Livingston delivers with characters in Once Every Never; there is definitely no shortage of opposites, especially in Clary’s love interests. We first meet Milo, Alice’s cousin who works and lives in London. He is the a-typical nerd and brainiac Clary remembers from when they were all children playing together, although he has definitely grown into his looks. Tall, blonde, sculpted and yet still obsessed with the “space time continuum” and batman! His opposite we meet later on when Clary “shimmers” (time travels); Connal, an ancient druid warrior is definitely not nerdy, although still appeals to Clary on certain levels. He is basically what a 16-year-old girl daydreams about, instead of the sensitive, adoring nerd right in front of you we have tall, built, bronze skinned druid warrior with a killer smile. I personally found Milo a much more striking character than Connal – perhaps not with looks, but his personality and his nerdy tendency’s really pulled me into him, especially how he was so dedicated to Clary even though he didn’t quite understand her “shimmering” abilities. Milo wanted to protect Clary even though he didn’t know how, Connal it came naturally being a warrior, so it seemed much more romantic when Milo did try. There is definitely never a dull moment in Once Every Never, may it be time traveling to Roman occupied England, or choosing between a 2,000 year old Druid warrior and an attractive 21st century nerd.
History is Exciting: No one ever believes me when I say, “history is exciting” they all look at me like I am some obsessed history student, but finally I have a young adult novel to back me up! Once Every Never makes history exciting for the reader and for Clary! She never knew until she started to time travel that history is A. Important, and B. more than old bones, and rusted swords – that these tools and people were once strong and thriving civilizations. Every time Clary time travelled my heartbeat spiked, and I felt an adrenalin rush because it was always a different experience and never the same for Clary and me. History definitely comes alive with each flip of a page and Lesley Livingston has won my affection for sharing such a beautiful and yet tragic time in history.
A Real Teenager: What I found really unique and appealing in Once Every Never is that Clary, Alice, and even Milo were all real teenagers. Now not to get confused, most young adult books we read has the average teenager, although their situations are never very normal. Clary, not so much Alice, worry about normal things such as if she is going to get a date over the summer, or what she is going to do after she graduates – even though she can time travel she always had boys on the mind it seems, which was refreshing because that is how I normally thought when I was 16! It was a invigorating change of pace to read about normal teenage girl problems, even when Clary “shimmered” to 2,000 years prior the princess’ she meet were having the same teenage problem – “Do you think he likes me?” – which seems to still be a common question among young girls today.
I personally loved this book because of all the qualities above, but I did find many of the characters very accepting of Clary’s abilities not really questioning anything at all. It could have been because of the proof Clary would deliver once asked, but still I would be a bit wary at first. Another thing I did find slightly irritating was the antagonist Stuart Molhort; I thought he could have been a bit more diabolical than he was. Of course the story needed a certain type of villain, one that understands the history and importance of antiquities and artifacts, I just personally thought Stuart could have been MORE evil and not just a glorified thief – it really irritated me hence the 4 out of 5 stars I had given it.
Nevertheless, Once Every Never is a fantastic read for all ages that will leave you breathless and satisfied all in one spell binding mystical adventure. The witty British humor, the nail biting adventure, and the love affairs all brought together in a magical coming of age story, where one girl finds out who she truly is. Beautifully written, and a gorgeous “shimmering” cover to match, Lesley Livingston delivers a refreshing, and delicious read.
July 3, 2013
Once Every Never: A Time Travel Adventure For All
We open on a bog, located somewhere in the presentish Britain, where two people are gathering around a table and chairs, all set for tea. Just a short distance away is an old blue police box, looking for all the world like a refugee from the 1960’s.
The two have just plopped down, a man wearing a fez and a teen girl sporting a school uniform. The man starts pouring the tea, which is of course Earl Grey, and looks up with a blinding smile.
The Doctor: I now call to order this meeting of the Lesley Livingston Pan-Dimensional Time Travellers Fan Club. Roll Call: The Doctor. HERE! Herm-
Hermione: You know I am here. I am the only other person here! Why must you be so obtuse? Can we get on with the meeting? I have exams and knitting to attend to with no time for your continued silliness.
The Doctor: Hehe. You said you have no time. But you have a Time Turner. Hehe.
Hermione: You are the most immature Time Lord I have ever met. Can we get back to the book? It is most fascinating and-
The Doctor: -And quite fun! Lots of time travel and bog bodies and internetty things going on! And one villain who is by turns nefarious and nincompoop like! Gotta love it!
Hermione: Will you stop interrupting me? Your fourth iteration never used to do that. Honestly, you could not be more annoying unless you were Ron. Now back to the Lesley Livingston book we are discussing this week, Once Every Never. It is part of a series by the author, whom I suspect has magical heritage in her, which deals with a typical teenage girl named Clare who is sent with her best friend to live in-
The Doctor: -Britain for the summer because of some slightly naughty behavior. They hang out in the history museum with Clare’s aunt, the scientist, and quickly discover that Clare can “shimmer” into the past and hang around with the ancient Celts. Have fun. Party. Chase a boy around. And that name Clare is certainly familiar to me.
Hermione: If you interrupt me again, I shall put my wand up your nose and shout Accio Brains! Now than Doctor, yes, she does have some fun in the past and meets a nice boy, but that is hardly everything that happens when she “shimmers.” She does end up right in the midst of a war for the heart and soul of Britain. That would be terrifying for anyone, seventeen year old girl or not. Seeing death and destruction all around, and the urge to try to change history to save people. Have you nothing to say about that Doctor? You and I both have seen the awfulness of war.
The Doctor: I wonder if Clare met Jamie…
Hermione: DOCTOR! You are avoiding my question! What are your thoughts on Clare dealing with the horrors of war and her attempts to mitigate the carnage?
The Doctor: Oh alright, to be serious for a millisecond or two, I really felt for Clare. Thrust into a situation she can barely understand, and trying her best to get through it and do the right thing is not easy. Even with her return “shimmering” to the present, and seeking help and advice from her friends Alli and Milo, Clare still must make split second decisions when she is 1,000 years in the past. Big decisions. This is one of the reasons Once Every Never is handed to all my traveling companions, so that they can understand the why of what I do. Adric, of course, never finished it.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. That is the best reply you have given me since the time you wore that leather jacket. You are a very wise fellow who cares deeply for all those around you. But you never told me Once Every Never was required reading on the Tardis.
The Doctor: Oh Hermione, I am a man of many mysteries! People always ask me what my name is, how does the sonic screwdriver work, where is the loo…
Hermione: Yes, but the more important questions must be asked as well. Such as how Clare deals with self esteem issues. I think we all know someone who feels overshadowed by others, which is so unfortunate and unnecessary. Many readers will connect with Clare’s feeling here, and will root for her. I find it quite inspiring. Thoughts Doctor?
The Doctor: Quite agree! But I also think we would be amiss not mentioning the humour in the book. In fact Lesley Livingston’s way of knitting the serious with the weirdly funny is also what makes Once Every Never a favourite of mine. Sometimes it feels like I am reading a Peter David book. And sometimes, when Clare and Allie are arguing over time travel or such, it feels like Douglas Adams.
Hermione: Oh Yes! Completely agreed! She does a very excellent job straddling the two styles. I also find the time travel explanations fascinating, and I am still trying to figure out how the spells used in the book work.
The Doctor: Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey. Let the experts think about all that noise. But we really should get going now, tea is all done and Daleks and such to fight.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. When you finally settle down you can be a quite interesting person to discuss literature with. And, by the way, do you have the knitting I asked of you?
The Doctor: Yep! Here it is! (plops a big basket full of knitted socks onto the table) Have fun with S.P.E.W. I admire what you are trying to do and wish you luck.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. Every little bit helps. When will we meet next?
The Doctor: Oh, probably Thursday when Scoop reviews the sequel book, Every Never After.
Hermione: That is so meta of you.
The Doctor: I know!
They both look up at you, the reader. Cue spooky music. Time to “shimmer” back to our reality…
We open on a bog, located somewhere in the presentish Britain, where two people are gathering around a table and chairs, all set for tea. Just a short distance away is an old blue police box, looking for all the world like a refugee from the 1960’s.
The two have just plopped down, a man wearing a fez and a teen girl sporting a school uniform. The man starts pouring the tea, which is of course Earl Grey, and looks up with a blinding smile.
The Doctor: I now call to order this meeting of the Lesley Livingston Pan-Dimensional Time Travellers Fan Club. Roll Call: The Doctor. HERE! Herm-
Hermione: You know I am here. I am the only other person here! Why must you be so obtuse? Can we get on with the meeting? I have exams and knitting to attend to with no time for your continued silliness.
The Doctor: Hehe. You said you have no time. But you have a Time Turner. Hehe.
Hermione: You are the most immature Time Lord I have ever met. Can we get back to the book? It is most fascinating and-
The Doctor: -And quite fun! Lots of time travel and bog bodies and internetty things going on! And one villain who is by turns nefarious and nincompoop like! Gotta love it!
Hermione: Will you stop interrupting me? Your fourth iteration never used to do that. Honestly, you could not be more annoying unless you were Ron. Now back to the Lesley Livingston book we are discussing this week, Once Every Never. It is part of a series by the author, whom I suspect has magical heritage in her, which deals with a typical teenage girl named Clare who is sent with her best friend to live in-
The Doctor: -Britain for the summer because of some slightly naughty behavior. They hang out in the history museum with Clare’s aunt, the scientist, and quickly discover that Clare can “shimmer” into the past and hang around with the ancient Celts. Have fun. Party. Chase a boy around. And that name Clare is certainly familiar to me.
Hermione: If you interrupt me again, I shall put my wand up your nose and shout Accio Brains! Now than Doctor, yes, she does have some fun in the past and meets a nice boy, but that is hardly everything that happens when she “shimmers.” She does end up right in the midst of a war for the heart and soul of Britain. That would be terrifying for anyone, seventeen year old girl or not. Seeing death and destruction all around, and the urge to try to change history to save people. Have you nothing to say about that Doctor? You and I both have seen the awfulness of war.
The Doctor: I wonder if Clare met Jamie…
Hermione: DOCTOR! You are avoiding my question! What are your thoughts on Clare dealing with the horrors of war and her attempts to mitigate the carnage?
The Doctor: Oh alright, to be serious for a millisecond or two, I really felt for Clare. Thrust into a situation she can barely understand, and trying her best to get through it and do the right thing is not easy. Even with her return “shimmering” to the present, and seeking help and advice from her friends Alli and Milo, Clare still must make split second decisions when she is 1,000 years in the past. Big decisions. This is one of the reasons Once Every Never is handed to all my traveling companions, so that they can understand the why of what I do. Adric, of course, never finished it.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. That is the best reply you have given me since the time you wore that leather jacket. You are a very wise fellow who cares deeply for all those around you. But you never told me Once Every Never was required reading on the Tardis.
The Doctor: Oh Hermione, I am a man of many mysteries! People always ask me what my name is, how does the sonic screwdriver work, where is the loo…
Hermione: Yes, but the more important questions must be asked as well. Such as how Clare deals with self esteem issues. I think we all know someone who feels overshadowed by others, which is so unfortunate and unnecessary. Many readers will connect with Clare’s feeling here, and will root for her. I find it quite inspiring. Thoughts Doctor?
The Doctor: Quite agree! But I also think we would be amiss not mentioning the humour in the book. In fact Lesley Livingston’s way of knitting the serious with the weirdly funny is also what makes Once Every Never a favourite of mine. Sometimes it feels like I am reading a Peter David book. And sometimes, when Clare and Allie are arguing over time travel or such, it feels like Douglas Adams.
Hermione: Oh Yes! Completely agreed! She does a very excellent job straddling the two styles. I also find the time travel explanations fascinating, and I am still trying to figure out how the spells used in the book work.
The Doctor: Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey. Let the experts think about all that noise. But we really should get going now, tea is all done and Daleks and such to fight.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. When you finally settle down you can be a quite interesting person to discuss literature with. And, by the way, do you have the knitting I asked of you?
The Doctor: Yep! Here it is! (plops a big basket full of knitted socks onto the table) Have fun with S.P.E.W. I admire what you are trying to do and wish you luck.
Hermione: Thank you Doctor. Every little bit helps. When will we meet next?
The Doctor: Oh, probably Thursday when Scoop reviews the sequel book, Every Never After.
Hermione: That is so meta of you.
The Doctor: I know!
They both look up at you, the reader. Cue spooky music. Time to “shimmer” back to our reality…
March 18, 2020
I chose this book because Lesley Livingston's previous series was a hit in my classroom. This book suffers from first-in-the-series syndrome. The start was a little plodding, and didn't draw me in. It does get better, especially once Clare begins her adventures with the Iceni. The end is much stronger, which is why I rate it four stars instead of three. It is probably a 3.5. I think some of my students will like it, but the beginning might be a challenge.
March 25, 2020
This book has been on my TBR for so long! I finally decided to read it and it did not disappoint. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Little bit of Fantasy, Romance and Mystery.
I loved the time travel aspect and learning about Boudicca and Celtic mythology. Made me want to Lear more about the Queen and situation. Great friendships and love triangles in the present and past. Plus the action was great!
I loved the time travel aspect and learning about Boudicca and Celtic mythology. Made me want to Lear more about the Queen and situation. Great friendships and love triangles in the present and past. Plus the action was great!
March 6, 2022
I guess this would be a decent sci-fi book for girls. I found a lot of it pretty campy and I struggled to keep myself invested enough to finish it. The good news is, this book would work for middle school and the content was pretty clean. No foul language to speak of which is very surprising for books gear toward teens.
February 7, 2017
DNF a little after p.100, though I skimmed through to the end. Something about this just wasn't working for me... just couldn't get into the characters or something. Feels a little on the young side for YA, but it's probably just a matter of taste.
November 28, 2017
That was fun. I don't have much else to say. It was fun, light-hearted, clever but never extraordinarily any of the above. I enjoyed it on its own but it didn't instill me with a desire to either reread or go on with the series.
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