Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath
Brodi Ashton
2012, 370 pgs
Library

Book Summary from Goodreads
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being 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 months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's 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...

My Summary
The book starts with Nikki already in the Everneath and as the story goes on there are flashbacks that unravel how Nikki ended up there. I was immediately immersed in this story wanted to know how and why, and felt like I didn’t come up for air until I was done reading.

I like both Nikki’s – the typical teenage girl who loves her boyfriend, but never feels completely secure (even though he’s awesome) and the one who returns from the Everneath and wants to do as much as she can in six months to make amends to those who her absence has hurt. Yes, the requisite teen angst exists, but without any accompanying whining.

Ah the boyfriend, Jack. That perfect teen boyfriend who is equally friend. You find out fairly early that Nikki voluntarily went to the Underworld with Cole because of something to do with Jack. And the writer perfectly balances understanding why Nikki didn’t trust him, I don’t think the reader ever thinks it was anything other than a misunderstanding. Jack is supportive, forgiving, and heroic.

The last main character is Cole the “bad boy” who took Nikki to the Everneath and fed on her for thousands of years (while only 6 months passed in her normal life). I didn’t hate Cole and I’m extremely interested to get more of his story in the sequels because he’s very mysterious at this point. He does seem to care for Nikki just not in a way that’s healthy.

The truly amazing thing about this book is that the love triangle didn’t bother me at all. I’m so sick of them in general that some good books lose stars just for having one. I think it’s because this book is a retelling of Hades and Persephone / Orpheus and Eurydice – the triangle is so ancient that it had to be there. Plus, it doesn’t really feel like a true triangle, Nikki feels physically drawn to Cole because she was literally attached to him for a thousand years – emotionally she wants Jack.

Overall excellent book – I was highly anticipating this one and it didn’t disappoint!

My Rating
8 out of 10 stars