Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Pages: 370

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: January 24, 2012

Source: Personal copy

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen. As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen."

Last spring, Nikki was gone for six months. Her family, her boyfriend, and her friends had no clue where she went off to and many assumed it had to do with drugs.  But Nikki went to the underworld, or the Everneath, and she now is back on the surface.  She has to deal with her old life and clean up the mess she left behind.  However, she isn't back on the Surface permanently, she is only there for another six months before the Everneath claims her again.  Nikki hopes to say a proper goodbye to her dad and brother and to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack.  Things aren't that simple though, because waiting in the shadows is Cole, the very person who enticed her to go to the Everneath in the first place.  He has big plans for Nikki in the Everneath, but she wants nothing to do with it.  However, if she doesn't return in six months with Cole to the Everneath, the Everneath will claim her with an even worse fate.  Brodi Ashton's Everneath is an addicting tale that is a new take on the Persephone myth. Fans of mythology and paranormal romances will LOVE this book.

I am loving all the books out based on famous myths. Some are better than others and Everneath is definitely one of the better ones.  I really liked Ashton's take on the Persephone myth and allusions to the Orpheus myth as well.  Also, I like the idea of Everlings (immortals) and Forfeits, which Everlings feed off of.  Ashton did an awesome job world-building and I loved being lost in Nikki's world.

Love triangles are pretty played out in young adult literature currently, but this was different.  Cole, an immortal, originally entices Nikki to the Everneath due to some tragic events in her life. Instead of just dealing with her issues, she wants all of her worries and pain to disappear.  Cole finds the perfect solution since Nikki is at her weakest and takes her to the Everneath.  Once she realizes the realities of her situation, she focuses on Jack, who keeps her going.  However, since Nikki and Cole have spent so much time together in the Everneath, there's no denying her strange attraction to him.  So, even though there's a possible love triangle in Everneath, it is definitely unique and original.

Oh, Jack.  I really loved this character and thought he was more than just a cliched version of a high school quarterback.  Some of my favorite aspects of Everneath were Nikki's flashback to her past with Jack.  

The ending of Everneath was intense and I immediately bought Everbound as I can't wait to see what happens to Nikki, Jack and even Cole.  This is the start to a series that I'm sure I'll devour.  Plus, the e-book is on sale for $2.99 right now.  Seriously? That's a steal!