EverneathAuthor: Brodi AshtonPublisher: Harper Collins, 2012Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/ Mythology
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...
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 Review:
Nikki Beckett chose the easy way out when the going got tough. What she didn't realize at the time was that the price for not feeling pain and heartache would be more painful than the emotions themselves. Nikki knows she took a wrong turn, and has chosen to return from the Everneath to find redemption. But even with her diminished emotions, Nikki is finding it hard to keep her (ex)boyfriend away. The thing is, Jack never gave up on her and now she's afraid of hoping they can somehow reconnect. But what's the use? She only has six months before the shades come for her and drag her forever into the Tunnels of the underworld. A tale of heartache, the power of emotions and soul mates, Everneath will keep you turning pages as the chapters countdown Nikki's last days on the surface.
Brodi Ashton has created an emotionally charged rendition of the tale of Hades and Persephone. With the theme of "the easy way is not always the right way," Everneath shows the horrible consequences Nikki has to face for choosing the easy way. It basically teaches us that pain is there for a reason, and sometimes it's better facing whatever hardships and feeling pain than end up like a Forfeit and feeling nothing at all. Told in semi-alternating chapters of Now and Last Year, we slowly find out what drove Nikki to choose the easy way. In the Now, Nikki tries to make the most of the last six months she'll ever have. She wants to be a better daughter, and a better sister. However she is afraid of being a better friend again especially to her ex, Jack Caputo.
Nikki not only has to deal with her emotionless state, and seeing her ex most days, she also has to fend off Cole's advances. He is the conniving Everliving bastard who took Nikki's energy, and now wants to take her back to the Everneath to be a queen. But, I couldn't help but liking and hating Cole at the same time. He's a being who can't feel, yet it's clear he feels something for Nikki and doesn't want her to die. Cole goes ballistic when he sees Jack is getting closer to Nikki again.
Jack's story broke my heart. He's the "good guy" sort of hero, and it was a nice change from all the "bad guy" heroes I've been reading lately. The way he's never given up on Nikki, how caring and understanding he is even when he doesn't know what's really going on with her, made me love him even more. What Nikki and Jack had was beautiful, and because of a misunderstanding it all went to hell. Literally. But now he wants a second chance, and the deadly forces of the Everneath aren't scary enough to make him give up on her.
The ending had me bouncing my leg and tapping my foot impatiently because I had figured out what would happen, but just knew nothing could be as easy as that. And then BOOM! The horrible twist! It left me feeling sort of defeated and sad, but at the same time hopeful. I know that the next book will be all about Nikki proving herself that she really deserves a soul mate like Jack. And I. CANNOT. WAIT! Everneath is just one of those books that keep you thinking about the characters and their choices even after you've read the last page. I know from now on I'll think of Nikki and Jack when I'm tempted to choose the easy way out.
Favorite Quotes:
"No!" My Cheeks flushed, and I lowered my voice. "No. No, nothing like that has…no."
She raised her eyebrows. "Don't hold out on me. It's Jack Caputo."
"Stop saying his first and last name, like he's some sort of god."
"He is. At least in this school. And mythological beings like him need the physical pleasures of—"
"Stop!"
~
Jack regained his composure. "You know, just once I'd like to run into you without actually running into you."
"You're the football player," I said. "Think about what it's doing to me."
~
"Okay. Friends talk. Friends help each other."
I nodded.
"Friends don't eat friends' souls."
I smiled. "Got it."
