Brodi Ashton

I love Jane Eyre and many modern authors' retellings. (This novel finally prompted me to make a GR shelf just for these books.) This is one of my favorites, because it finally manages to make Mr. Rochester not only understandable, but sympathetic -- a feat that not even [b: Mr. Rochester|29773957|Mr. Rochester|Sarah Shoemaker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493545777s/29773957.jpg|50139869] could achieve. How, you ask? Ghosts. Just read the book, then you'll understand.

I almost DNF this show more one. If it hadn't been a Jane Eyre retelling and highly recommended by a friend, I would have given up within the first 20 pages, because it's a bit teen-speaky, but nevertheless, I persisted (that's me referencing one of the many pop culture references in the novel).

Suppose, authors [a: Cynthia Hand|3290920|Cynthia Hand|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1391184546p2/3290920.jpg], [a: Brodi Ashton|4384465|Brodi Ashton|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1286748795p2/4384465.jpg], and [a: Jodi Meadows|4116488|Jodi Meadows|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1484438137p2/4116488.jpg] assert, Jane Eyre was an acquaintance of [a: Charlotte Bronte]. Suppose Jane's near-death experience in the Red Room gave her the ability to see ghosts, including a very snarky Helen Burns. Suppose there was a society of the similarly gifted in England and suppose one of their agents was sent to recruit Jane. Suppose that instead, Jane wanted to be a governess. Suspend a little disbelief and it works. A lot of sarcastic humor (especially critiques of Victorian society) and pop culture (everything from [b: Wuthering Heights|6185|Wuthering Heights|Emily Brontë|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388212715s/6185.jpg|1565818] to The Princess Bride to Harry Potter) helps, too.

So. much. fun. show less

And so, we come to the end of the Everneath trilogy. It pains me to say it, but Evertrue took everything I had come to love about this trilogy and threw it all away. All the gorgeous mythology, all the deep character creation, all of it was gone. I felt cheated, but I had to follow this through to the end, and so I read on.

First off, the intense amount of focus on Nikki's love triangle was a slap in the face to me. There's always been a love triangle in this trilogy. Jack and Cole. The boys show more who are night and day. Poor Nikki caught in between. The difference between the first two books and this one was that it was always understated. Things would happen, we'd be reminded, and it'd go away. Evertrue is one huge love triangle fest. I used to like Jack. I thought his love for Nikki was adorable. While reading this though? I wanted to smack him from here to the Everneath. Seriously. Jealous much sir?

Then there was the fact that my favorite character, the person who kept me reading this series, was all but dismantled in this book. I don't mind Nikki. She's not a generally whiny protagonist, so I have no problem following her. However Cole has always been my favorite. He's sarcastic, highly intelligent, and just the right amount of a bad boy. That's why I couldn't do anything but gape as I saw what my favorite character had become. No spoilers, but it's a massive change. While it did allow for some cute, funny, scenes, I was still heartbroken.

Finally, it was the pacing of Evertrue that really got to me. The first third or so of this book moves so very slowly. I understood why it was written that way, as I had to be reintroduced to the characters I thought I once knew. The big issue is that this slow moving portion takes away a lot from the end. The ending was so rushed, so unsatisfying, that by the time I turned the last page I was devastated. The big showdown I had been waiting for? Never happened.

As a final book in a trilogy, Evertrue just didn't deliver. Poor Cole, Nikki and Jack. They deserved so much more, in my opinion. show less

In this alternative history, Lady Jane Grey is not executed after her nine-day reign as Queen of England; instead, she takes an animal form to escape, reunite with (also not dead) King Edward, and overthrow Queen Mary, a Verity who has a hatred of Edians (those with the power to turn into animals). The first half of the story largely follows historical knowledge; the second goes entirely off the rails, in a fun, speculative way which nevertheless echoes history (with the Verity/Edian show more conflict standing in for the Catholic/C of E conflict). Altogether a more joyous outcome for all! Full of humor in the style of The Princess Bride and Monty Python, with plenty of Shakespeare quotes thrown in for good measure.

Quotes

But what could one person do? Nothing, he thought. One person could do nothing. (Gifford "G" Dudley, 130)

"If it is a gift, I do not deserve it. If it is a curse, I do not deserve it." (G to Jane, 136)

How easily, she thought, despair could turn to hope. (Jane, 276)

"Imagine how much money the realm would save if the rulers focused their finances on libraries, rather than wars." (G. to Jane, 428) show less

Lately, I 've been in a sort of reading slump. Everything I pick up turns out to be exactly what I'm not looking for at that moment. I decided to give Everneath a try because I was definitely in the mood for a tragic love story and that's exactly what I got.

After leaving the Underworld called Everneath just six months ago, Nikki Beckett is thrown back into the life of the living with one goal: to say goodbye to those she loves most. But will these six months be enough time for her to find show more the words to say goodbye to her father, her brother, her friends and her boyfriend? To ready herself for what's coming next when the Everneath comes to claim her? Will she be able to part with the surface to live an eternal life in hell?

I know, dramatic right? I can't help it, this book made me feel like I do when I read Romeo and Juliet: sad, mushy, happy and excited. Everneath is a retelling of the Persephone myth and as always, I'm a little weary to start books that retell this story in particular. I'm a huge fan of the Goddess Test series by Aime Carter, another Persephone retelling and I'm very into Percy Jackson, which covers Greek Mythology in general. Last month, however, I picked up Abandon by Meg Cabot and completely hated it. So, when I began reading this story, I was somewhat apprehensive, but I ended up falling in love with Everneath.

Ashton set a beautifully dark tone throughout this novel and it was such a joy to read. I loved how much of the story explained the Everneath. Her own personal Underworld is very different from the traditional tellings in Greek Mythology and is quite unique. Her way of explaining Everneath was so powerful and terrifying and it was great reading her creative explanation of the realm of the dead.

Our main character Nikki is one of the best parts of this book. She works the entire novel to be unselfish and to give her family a happy ending when she leaves to go back to the Everneath. She grapples with her own feelings, wants and needs and struggles to put the needs of her loved ones before her own. Of course, she wasn't perfect and I was glad. The story would have been pretty boring if all she did was act like a saint on her road trip to hell.

I really liked the male characters as well. Jack, her boyfriend, is a rarity in YA fiction. He isn't a pompous, arrogant jerk who lives to annoy the living daylights out of Nikki. He is a wonderfully loving and giving person who cares for Nikki's wellbeing above all else. Our dark night, Cole is mysterious and darkly sexy, but Ashton does a fabulous job making you want to punch him in his sexy face most of the time.

Overall, I loved this tragic story of star crossed lovers and it was exactly what I needed to recover from my book slump. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Ashton brings to the table in her novella and her book two, Everbound.

9 out of 10

Happy Reading :) show less