this book was vaguely cute, world building was definitely off. You go from San Francisco in 1700's ish to Australian badlands and mystical hooplah and creatures that somehow survived the mass extinction and/or came from space. And some magic stone with a magic power. And a map that lives and does things only the mc can see/interact with. Very bland. ( )

[‎Friday, ‎October ‎19, ‎2012] In 1885, seventeen-year-old Camille sets out from San Francisco, California, on her last sea voyage before entering a loveless marriage, but when her father's ship is destroyed, she and a friend embark on a cross-Australian quest to find her long-lost mother who holds a map to a magical stone, hoping to reach it before her father's business rival can.

[‎Thursday, ‎August ‎1, ‎2013] Not the best adventure book out there, it bore me to death, I had to drag myself to finish it. And the curse wasn't even clear. I liked the light romance between Camille and Oscar. ( )

Fun and engaging historical fantasy. Looking forward to the sequel!

My favorite character was Ira. I have a weakness for tricksters...

Everlasting by Angie Frazier is a YA historical fiction. Camille Rowan of San Francisco is having one last sailing adventure with her father before settling down to marry the man who can save her father's financially troubled business. She, though, is secretly (or not so secretly) in love with Oscar, a man who shares her love of the sea.

The last voyage takes Camille, her father and their crew down to Australia. Things though go awry and soon Camille is separated from the ship. That's the opening to the fantasy element of this book.

Except that there have been so many other recent YA books about immortality that I just had to stop. Australia &emdash; while historically interesting &emdash; seemed like such an odd choice. It's not an especially piratical place. Nor does it have any local legends of immortality (even the Dreamtime stuff is farther west on the continent).

There just wasn't enough explanation for why New South Wales and the Tasman strait were THE PLACE for immortality hunting. Nor was there enough over the top bravado to pull off the choice in spite of my misgivings. ( )

Camille Rowen is engaged to Randall Jackson, the most eligible bachelor in San Francisco. So why doesn't she feel anything when he kisses her? And why is she so excited to go on one last voyage with her sea captain father? Could it have anything to do with handsome, inappropriate Oscar Kildare? And why does her father announce that they'll be sailing into a different port halfway through their trip?

I enjoyed myself so much reading this fun YA novel! Camille is a feisty, likable heroine; Oscar is a handsome, thoughtful hero; their companion is a lovable rogue; and the action doesn't really let up. It's just one thing after another.

Two small things I'll mention. I think this might have worked a little better as a straight adventure story without the fantasy element. That would have changed the ending quite a bit though, so I won't swear that I'm right. It just felt more like an adventure story and the fantasy thing was just added in there. Also, I would have liked to have seen more of the Australian setting. It's a country I'd love to visit, so I'll take all the description I can get!

Those are small, but really this was just a fun sort of Indiana Jones story with some young love thrown in. Recommended for a light read for young adults and the young at heart. ( )