---
product_id: 24020072
title: "The Always War"
price: "€ 14.95"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 9
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/24020072-the-always-war
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# The Always War

**Price:** € 14.95
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Always War
- **How much does it cost?** € 14.95 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ie](https://www.desertcart.ie/products/24020072-the-always-war)

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## Description

desertcart.com: The Always War: 9781416995272: Haddix, Margaret Peterson: Books

Review: Great Read ... Surprising Ending - A riveting story of a society that has always been at war. Why the war has been carried on is a mystery that comes as a surprise at the end.
Review: Haddix did not live up to my expectations - So I read this book a while ago and really did not like it, so today when I was reviewing my recent reads, I decided to come back to this book and find out why I didn't like it. So let me begin by breaking it down for you. THE PREMISE Gideon has come back from a horrible war. DUN, DUN, DUNNNN Tessa was his old neighbor and she admired him. When Gideon runs away from receiving a huge award, Tessa, because she knows him so well, gives chase. They go on an adventure and find a girl stowed away, Dek. They then find out the terrible secret to the 75 year war! MY THOUGHTS Instead of giving you the Pros and Cons like I normally do I'm just going to throw my thoughts out there. I've liked Margret Peterson Haddix for like ever. She's awesome; I mean have you read her Shadow Children series!! So I read those books in elementary school/middle school and loved them and just to clarify I still love them! So when I heard she was coming out with a YA novel I was like YEAH!!!:) (I would have read it even if it was middle grade. I think her Missing series is middle grade and it's awesome, too) But anyways, I start reading. It was a short book or so it seemed. I started to think about why I didn't like the book. I guess it was because the characters were flat and it was rushed feeling. Like when you're moving fast in a car and the scenery begins to blur together, that's how I felt. In all her other books I've connected with her characters and felt like I actually knew them, but here they were names. I could not associate a meaning to them. *SIGH* I WAS DISAPPOINTED. The ending was startling, it just ended I felt like I was reading a sentence, but there was no period. I thought maybe it's because her other books that I've read have been series, but then I went back and reread the first Shadow Children and Missing books and felt depth to the characters in the first couple of pages. I just don't know what was up with this book! Maybe she could have tried for a bit of romance between Gideon and Tessa? I just don't know anymore!! WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: MAYBE, I don't know, I'm confused now. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: I STILL DON"T KNOW, AHHH!! AM I HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK: THE BOOK, NO, THE AUTHOR< YES WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: NO, I'D GET FROM A LIBRARY,MAYBE WOULD I READ THE NEXT BOOK: UMMMM, YEAH, I'M CURIOUS NOW WOUDL I READ OTHER BOOKS FROM THIS AUTHOR: TOO LATE TO STOP ME :) Fav quote: "She remembered the delicate, dew-covered spider web she'd seen that morning. She knew the dew would be long gone by now, but the spider web itself had been like a work of art." This was just a great observation!! If my confusion on this book ever clears, I will edit this review... *EDIT*After thinking for like two minutes I realized this book was a lot like Legend by Marie Lu, which BTW was a great book

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #959,677 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3,397 in Children's Science Fiction Books (Books) #4,162 in Teen & Young Adult Action & Adventure #15,923 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars (94) |
| Dimensions  | 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.25 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| Grade level  | 7 - 9 |
| ISBN-10  | 1416995277 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1416995272 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 224 pages |
| Publication date  | November 13, 2012 |
| Publisher  | Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
| Reading age  | 12 years and up |

## Images

![The Always War - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71SmMx0TuAL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Read ... Surprising Ending
*by P***B on June 8, 2017*

A riveting story of a society that has always been at war. Why the war has been carried on is a mystery that comes as a surprise at the end.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Haddix did not live up to my expectations
*by K***R on February 12, 2013*

So I read this book a while ago and really did not like it, so today when I was reviewing my recent reads, I decided to come back to this book and find out why I didn't like it. So let me begin by breaking it down for you. THE PREMISE Gideon has come back from a horrible war. DUN, DUN, DUNNNN Tessa was his old neighbor and she admired him. When Gideon runs away from receiving a huge award, Tessa, because she knows him so well, gives chase. They go on an adventure and find a girl stowed away, Dek. They then find out the terrible secret to the 75 year war! MY THOUGHTS Instead of giving you the Pros and Cons like I normally do I'm just going to throw my thoughts out there. I've liked Margret Peterson Haddix for like ever. She's awesome; I mean have you read her Shadow Children series!! So I read those books in elementary school/middle school and loved them and just to clarify I still love them! So when I heard she was coming out with a YA novel I was like YEAH!!!:) (I would have read it even if it was middle grade. I think her Missing series is middle grade and it's awesome, too) But anyways, I start reading. It was a short book or so it seemed. I started to think about why I didn't like the book. I guess it was because the characters were flat and it was rushed feeling. Like when you're moving fast in a car and the scenery begins to blur together, that's how I felt. In all her other books I've connected with her characters and felt like I actually knew them, but here they were names. I could not associate a meaning to them. *SIGH* I WAS DISAPPOINTED. The ending was startling, it just ended I felt like I was reading a sentence, but there was no period. I thought maybe it's because her other books that I've read have been series, but then I went back and reread the first Shadow Children and Missing books and felt depth to the characters in the first couple of pages. I just don't know what was up with this book! Maybe she could have tried for a bit of romance between Gideon and Tessa? I just don't know anymore!! WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: MAYBE, I don't know, I'm confused now. WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: I STILL DON"T KNOW, AHHH!! AM I HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK: THE BOOK, NO, THE AUTHOR< YES WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: NO, I'D GET FROM A LIBRARY,MAYBE WOULD I READ THE NEXT BOOK: UMMMM, YEAH, I'M CURIOUS NOW WOUDL I READ OTHER BOOKS FROM THIS AUTHOR: TOO LATE TO STOP ME :) Fav quote: "She remembered the delicate, dew-covered spider web she'd seen that morning. She knew the dew would be long gone by now, but the spider web itself had been like a work of art." This was just a great observation!! If my confusion on this book ever clears, I will edit this review... *EDIT*After thinking for like two minutes I realized this book was a lot like Legend by Marie Lu, which BTW was a great book

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #Haddix
*by M***I on December 8, 2014*

This book was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! It came quickly and the shipping was great! The story was excellent as Margret Peterson Haddix is my favorite author! :)

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*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-03-11*