Everneath

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 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, show more 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

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book as it seemed like people either liked or disliked it. Let's just say I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton is a play on the mythological story of Persephone and Hades as well as Orpheus and Eurydice. We are introduced to the protagonist Nikki, who is already currently in the Underworld with Cole, a sinister yet intriguing antagonist. There is one thing that keeps her sane during the 100 years that she is bound, and it is thoughts of her first love, Jack. Only 6 months pass in the upper world, and she returns to Earth for 6 months before her ultimate fate of feeding the energy of the Underworld until she is used up. Jack and Nikki show more frantically try to find a "cure" and discover secrets along the way.

I'll put this right out there. I absolutely loved this book. Perhaps part of it is that I love Greek mythology to start with, but that said, I thought this book was well done. The characters were very well developed and I really got Nikki's relationships with both Cole and Jack. I understood her progression from despair to hope and the symbolism to drug use with what Cole represented. The prose was very clear and many times poignant, and I blazed through the entire book in a few hours, never losing interest. I was in tears at one point. For me, that's not a usual response. I enjoyed how the book was told in both present day and past day, and thought that this method of storytelling worked very well for the story that was to be told.

So why did I rate this 4.5 stars since it's obvious that I loved it? There were a few things that I saw that for me would propel it even to a higher level. I wish that I had even more details of Nikki's past with Jack. Jack seems like such an interesting character, but in the beginning he's painted as the player guy who sleeps with everyone, which is such a dichotomy from the guy he is with Nikki. There's a reason he does that and I want to know what it is. Second, I'm not sure if this is left for the second book, but there is a huge misunderstanding between Jack and Nikki which leads to her going to the Underworld in the first place. I guess we can chalk up her emotional state to being a teenager, but I wasn't quite convinced. And lastly, I felt that the ending could have been done a little better-- in fact, if it had ended two chapters before, it would have been a better ending I believe.

That said, it's obvious that I loved this book even with its flaws, and I highly recommend it to any lover of YA fiction. show less

How do I explain what made me love Everneath so very much? It wasn't just the characters, who are so realistic that you can feel their emotions emanating from the page. In fact it wasn't just even the amazing story line that had me reading voraciously. It was the two of these things blended together, my ability to get lost inside Nikki's story, that left me breathless at the end. Everneath is beautiful, plain and simple.

Every story has a heroine, and this one is no different. I fell in love with Nikki from the very beginning. Her emotions were so palpable and real. Even when she made decisions I didn't quite agree with, I saw her motivations behind. Everything about her was so selfless. Flanking her on either side are two very different show more boys with two very different motivations. I loved Jack. Can I say that again? I loved him. He is the epitome of what we all want in a relationship. Sweet, giving, unshakable in his loyalty. His story with Nikki blew me away. Then there is Cole who, even though he is technically the "villian", I just couldn't help but love. There is so much wrapped up in his character that despite how he acts sometimes he is just too broken to dislike.

These stunning characters are placed in an even more gorgeous story line, as Brodi Ashton whisks us away into the story of the Everneath. I'm not going to share any details that might be spoilers. I believe that this is the type of book you'll just have to experience for yourself. Still, I could not believe how perfectly Ashton blended myth with reality. Nikki's story mirrors a myth almost perfectly and, even when you know what's going to ultimately happen, she provides enough hope to keep you hanging on. Love plays a big part in this story. The link between two people who love each other so much that time, nor space, can separate them. It broke my heart with its beauty.

Reading Everneath was effortless, if that makes any sense. It was such a pleasure to turn every page that it was almost like I wasn't reading at all. What Brodi Ashton has created within this pages is absolutely wonderful. There is no way I can explain to you why this book touched me so much, only that it did. I ended the story with tears in my eyes and something beyond a need to find out what happens next. More of an ache.

I haven't been as in love as I am with these characters in a long, long time. That alone makes Everneath one of my top reads, not just of the year but of all time. If you are a hopeless romantic, if you are a fan of mythology, or if you just enjoy rooting for the good in the world, this is a book you'll enjoy. I recommend Everneath with all my heart. show less

"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 best friend, 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 goodbyes she can’t find the words for; six months to find redemption, if it even exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious few months forgetting the Everneath completely 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 show more smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. Cle wants to take over the Everneath’s throne and is convinces 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 all of her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: finding a way to cheat fate and remain on the surface with Jack, or returning to the Everneath and becoming Cole’s queen."

So there I was desperately looking for a book to read. Wait. Let me restate that. I had plenty of books to choose from but when I finally came across Everneath, I was suckered in.

This intriguing debut infuses Greek and Egyptian mythology into a modern day romance. The Everneath is a place between the mortal world and hell, where Everlings (immortals) Feed on the emotions of humans, or Forfeits as they’re called. Once fed upon, the Everling and the Forfeit are tied together. By the time Nikki wakes up, she’s been asleep for one hundred years in the Everneath with the Everling, Cole. But in the mortal world she’s only been gone six months. Cole wants her to stay but Nikki feels a strong pull to return to her former life. Because of her choice, she has been physically marked by the Shades that reside in the Tunnels. Choosing not to go with Cole means she has only six months before they come to claim her and Feed upon her for the rest of eternity. Yikes!

But returning to her old life isn’t so easy when so many things have changed. She used to be vibrant and outgoing but now with all her energy drained, she barely resembles who she was. So she hides from crowds and avoids contact with people, including Jack, her boyfriend, who was the only thing tying her to the mortal world while she was in the Everneath. It was his image she kept seeing during her hundred years sleep. Though she returned for him, she finds it hard to reconnect with him and her friends knowing that questions will come and explanations are in order. All the while, she counts down to when she must return to the Everneath.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, especially BiblioJunkies Nat – this time I did not find myself swooning over the “bad boy”, Cole. He’s a hard one to figure out. The push-and-pull connection Nikki feels with him only complicates her last six months. He comes off as very self-serving and untrustworthy. He has moments of kindness, plenty of snarkiness and his few hostile moments are a bit unsettling.

Jack on the other hand is someone to root for. He is so in love with Nikki and was so devastated by her disappearance. He’s so heartbreakingly patient with her as she tries to recover from her ordeal. No matter what she does, he waits for her cue and then follows suit. He’s just so sweet and handles her so delicately. His reassuring nature provides Nikki exactly what she needs – a safe haven.

With Everneath, the first in a trilogy, Brodi Ashton delivers a very emotionally stirring and tantalizing tale. Each chapter is a countdown clock that only emphasizes the urgency Nikki experiences. It's so gutting to see her endure all the pain she's going through as D-Day draws closer. If she becomes an Everling herself, she’d have to Feed upon humans the way Cole did with her. Is that something her conscience can handle? Or is she brave enough to face the Tunnels for eternity? Either way people get hurt and she has to decide between the lesser of two evils.

~ Bel

www.bibliojunkies.blogspot.com show less

Whilst reading this I happened to glance over at my mirror and see the expression on my face - my mouth was open, my eyes were wide... needless to say, I looked like a complete moron. But that should give you some indication of how much this story surprised me. I confess that I didn't expect to like it that much and it's obviously time I stop making these predictions when I'm nearly always wrong. I should also stop trying to work out what certain things appeal to me in books, these theories also fall flat on their faces.

I'm not going to sell this book as something it isn't, from the beginning there is a very heavy romantic element and a lot of the story is built up around the idea that Nikki has returned (after a century in Everneath, show more six months to the human world) for the purpose of rekindling her romance with her past boyfriend, or at the very least seeing him for one last time before the Tunnels claim her forever. A lot of the book is definitely paranormal romance, or PNR, or even Love in a Supernatural Climate - take your pick. But I wasn't put off by this.

A lot of the story is interwoven with parts of Greek and Egyptian mythology, which I liked very much. It was well thought-out, made sense, seemed fairly original (well, I haven't read anything like it) and even though a lot of it was romance-centred I still didn't feel that it claimed the novel. I was intrigued by the whole concept of this Everneath, a place almost like hell but rather than being a place for sinners, it's a place for Everlivings - who drain souls for energy - and the souls that have been drained.

I think what I liked best, that saved the book from being nothing more than a love story, was the characters. So many young adult books make the entire novel about the female protagonist and her male love interest and, apart from the occasional over-stereotyped mean girl, they disregard all other characters. But [b:Everneath|9413044|Everneath (Everneath, #1)|Brodi Ashton|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308926197s/9413044.jpg|14297146] explores Nikki's relationship with her friend, her father and her brother as well as her boyfriend.

I just wish she didn't have to blush so much. There's this one part of the story where Jack says: "I know you're worried about that..." and just the small word emphasis makes her "turn red all over". Come on, this is the 21st century, surely every girl doesn't blush at the mention of that, do they? And if they do, why don't the boys? Because boys are wild, experienced-from-birth, sexual animals that you have to fight off with a stick and girls are meek, mild and pure? I'm not saying that's what the author wanted to portray but the sexually smirking guy meets innocent girl seems to be a common theme in these types of books.

And also, is that a potential love triangle I spy there? I don't know, it seems pretty one-sided right now but there's clearly more books to come. show less

The moment I laid my eyes on the cover of Everneath, sometime during the last quarter of 2011, I knew that I HAD to read this book! Without even bothering to read the synopsis, I added it to my TBR pile. It was great to know that the book would come out in January and I highlighted January, 24 on my calendar.
Then finally D- day arrived and it took me barely 5 days to finish the book, predominantly because it was so gripping! I found it hard to put the book down and spent hours reading it at night. Everneath is one of those books that makes you want to keep turning the pages at a super fast speed.
Based on mythology, Everneath is the story of Nikki and how she is pulled into a whole new world of the Everneath by Cole. 6 months in the show more Everneath equals 1 century on the Surface. Technically, Nikki and Cole spend one century with each other and it is but obvious that this leads to feelings of attraction between the two. Cole is crazy about Nik and wants her to be his Queen in Everneath. Nikki, however, is already in love with quarterback, Jack and they are a couple, until Nikki is suddenly drawn to Cole's ability to wipe away all pain and he takes her to the Everneath, just to escape a betrayal from Jack, which actually never happened! One simple factor keeps Nikki alive in the Everneath and that is our hero, Jack. On her insistence to return to the Surface just so she can prepare herself for a proper, well versed goodbye to near and dear ones, Cole joins her. But then she faces the turmoil of being sucked into the Tunnels after a certain amount of time or going ahead with Cole to become Queen of Everneath.
Well, from here on, you just have to read the book by yourself to know what happens! I strictly recommend Everneath. Author Brodi Ashton has done an excellent job with practically everything. The facts are straight, the characters extremely intriguing. The plot keeps the reader awake and makes you want to know more.
Keeping aside the mythological basis of the book, I thought that the normal, regular life described it in was so well written. Nik's dad is contesting the Town elections for the post of Mayor. Her brother, Tommy is such an adorable little boy. Her best friend, Jules is confused by the turn of events, but yet manages to be the best friend that we all need. Even the cheer leader, Lacey, is so normal. Nikki also wroks at this soup Kitchen, just to restore life back to normal, which is such a well put down. I feel that the Contemporary aspect of the book does complete justice to real life and has been explained in a brilliant manner! One other character that completely blew me off was that of Meredith, girlfriend of one of the guys who plays in Cole's band, Dead Elvises, who could not survive Everneath and return to the surface as an old, crippled lady, who plays a significant role in making Nik and Jack understand so much about everything and so does Meredith's (or Mary's) mom. One other guy who caught my attention was the Shop- n- Go guy- the owner of the store from where Everneath is the closest- Ezra, whose not only name, but personality is also quite cool.
Coming to the mythological aspect of it, the book revolves around the Daughter of Persophone and some really nice Greek tales of the Otherworld, Underworld or Afterworld and it's Kings and Queens and some really astonishing facts that end up relating to Nikki more than anything else.
As for the two guys, I found it really hard to make up my mind as to whether I am Team Cole or Team Jack. I am sure this is going to be a major issue among readers.
Jack and Nikki share such a wonderful relationship. Their love is so evident from their actions and faces even, that it makes you want to want them to be together forever! I think I am Team Jack after all. I thought he was superb and an extremely loving guy. It is hard to find a guy who is willing to die for you after you suddenly left him without any notice! Cole, on the other hand, is the hot guy and even his attitude towards Nik is so clean, full of care, that it is hard to say no to him! I guess he too has feeling, but let's just keep that aside for now, Jack is THE guy for me, right now at least!

I can hardly wait for the sequel to come out! Until then, grab your copy of Everneath ASAP and start reading NOW! show less

First, let me just say that Ms. Ashton gave me a vicious Chuck Norris punch to the middle with Everneath! It's actually been a few months since I read Everneath and I'm still struggling for breathe. Hence, those pretty five stars.

Now on to the usual, lets begin with the cover.
As everyone knows by now, I'm not a big fan of 'Prom Girl Sytle', BUT those shadows totally take over Everneath's cover, making me think of the dark underworld in which the story begins with. I love how Nikki's dress itself seems to be dissolving into those shadows like wisps of smoke, hinting she belongs to it. Even with the beautiful dress, this cover hints at a darker side.
Simply put, I LOVE THIS FREAKING COVER!

The Plot. Remember that Chuck Norris punch?
OMG, show more this plot is amazing! I know, I know, it's a rehash of the Persephone and Hades Myth, and not the first one to grace the YA book world, BUT it is the best. So well done and yet utterly original with new aspects to the myth added by Ashton.
Like the Tunnels. Amazing and so beautifully dark and scary.
It also helps that Ashton started off the plot already neck deep into trouble and never let the action drop below that expectation she originally set.
Also, my goodness at the twists! Especially the ending one. Brilliance was in that moment! Don't get me wrong, I've seen amazing plot twists before but Ashton was able to convey such a deep level of loyalty that I could literally feel the desperation and love coming from the MC's when it was tie for Nikki to return.
Every aspect of Everneath's plot was well thought out and it showed in the book itself.

The Writing. Remember that Chuck Norris punch?
I'm still reeling from the proof of Ashton's ability. The prose was beautifully done. The detailing, missed nothing and yet didn't overwhelm. I literally could FEEL myself in Nikki's woes, her desperation!
Ashton has a gift and I will freely admit that if 3 wishes were granted me, the first would be so I could have Brodi Ashton's writing ability. (Think Little Mermaid's trade off with Ursula)
Even though, Ashton started Nikki's story after her introduction to the Everneath, it didn't matter. No detail was really left untouched, as Ashton often returns to what led up to Nikki's presence in the underworld. Now, normally I detest flash backs with a deep passion unparalleled. If I know a book has them, I avoid them like I do my five year old nephew who has a runny nose. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have touched Everneath if I had any idea of the now and then writing. I'm so glad I was ignorant! In Everneath, Ashton pulled off flashback so efficiently that I actually enjoyed the past as much as the present chapters.

The Characters. Remember the...er you get the picture.
I'm in awe. Sometimes characters just come off as contrived, puppets that do the obvious. In Everneath, it's not the case. Nikki has no hope and yet she clings to it. The emotion rolling through Everneath was so vivid that if all books were guaranteed to be like this one, I would trade in all three of my LCD flat screen tvs AND the DVRs.
Also, the relationship in Everneath (though a love triangle) is probably my favorite one, simply because of the selfless act towards the end. If anything the relationship was on par with Romero and Juliet's for me.

Overall....
Just WOW... on all aspects! show less