VOYA

Seventeen-year-old Ever Bloom continues to narrate her tale of danger and self-discovery in this fifth book of The Immortal (St. Martin's Press) series. The summer is at an end and Ever has convinced herself to return to high school for her senior year. This resolution lasts only one day when she discovers that her former friend, a reinvented and revengeful Haven, is now the most popular girl in school. As both girls learn to deal with a new "pecking order," unique paranormal powers, and complicated relationships, they find their world spiraling out of control. Damen, Ever's long-lived soul mate, is absent for many of her and Haven's convoluted confrontations. Although he manages to show up for the predictable showdown, it is up to Ever to resolve a precarious situation. The mythology surrounding the forever-young characters is interesting and consistent. The inventive settings of the mystical Summerland and Shadowland are well-described and have strong spiritual inferences. However, it is difficult to understand why someone who has been reincarnated as many times as Ever has learned so little wisdom and self-discipline. Her favorite reactions to conflict seem to be rolling her eyes, playing with the hem of her skirt, and thinking one thing but doing the opposite. (The contradiction of an immortal being who is constantly involved in life-threatening situations seems counterintuitive.) Because this book contains a credible back-story, it is not necessary to read its predecessors. Conversely, the last chapter's lack of resolution may leave the reader frustrated. Reviewer: Lynne Farrell Stover