Title: EverneathAuthor: Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
Pages: 370, Hardcover
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads:
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.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.
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.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.
“And it has nothing to do with hell, or the afterlife. The Everneath is for the Everliving”
The story starts with Nikki awaking up from a draining embrace. She is greeted by Cole, who just happens to be sucking the live out of her/draining her. Nikki if given the choice to stay with Cole in the Everneath or go back to the Surface until the Tunnels come for her. One face, one person brings her back, and helps her make that choice, Jack; he also happens to play a role in why she was with Cole in the first place.
Nikki did not leave the Surface with the best of reputations, so when she returned there was quite the rumor mill. To make matters worse, Jack and Nikki were not exactly on the best of terms. As the story progresses so does their relationship; Jack refuses to lose her again. This creates problems for Nikki, she has Cole begging her to join him instead of facing the tunnels and Jack promising to figure out a way around her situation.
Liked: The ties to mythology and the story line were quite unique and refreshing to me. The Everneath is where the Everliving reside; the Everlivings have figured out how to have an everlasting life. They must bring a person from the surface down and then drain the life out of them. It was a very quick read with a fast pace plot. Cole is also a great character that was developed well, he is part jerk, part bad boy, part caring. It is easy to like and hate Cole at the same time; he seems to care for Nikki yet still is a cocky arrogant guy. I look forward to seeing how he develops as a character in the second book.
Not so much: Nikki was not my favorite character, she sometimes just plain irritates me like when she decides not to be honest with Jack for a second time. Both Jack and Nikki lacked some substance, I just could not really connect with either character and felt like there relationship picked up again rather quickly.
It might be just me but the first couple chapters had me super confused at what was going on, what the Tunnels where, and what in the world is the Everneath. The Tunnels remained a bit vague to me, they were like the ominous black cloud that gulped you up. I am not very sure where the next book is going to go, the ending seemed a bit abrupt. I was left with a whole different set of questions.
Overall, Everneath is a 3.5 star read, the fast pace, mythology based story had highs and lows but ultimately was an entertaining and unique read. The story itself is a bit on the darker side, Nikki does not have a whole lot to look forward to except saying a proper goodbye, so once you get over the kinda 'depressing-ness' of it then its not bad. Would not recommend if you are looking for a light-hearted read.
I hate when I don't love a main character. That's always a bummer, but it sounds like the lead guy made up for it! I've been wanting to read this one too! Maybe I should check it out?!
ReplyDeleteI remember really liking this one, but being a little confused with how it ended and how the mythology was going to work for the next book. It sucks that you didn't like Nikki; it's always harder to enjoy a book when you don't relate to the heroine.
ReplyDeleteLaughing at your confusion over the tunnels, because I felt the same way! Nevertheless, the story sucked me right in (much like that dastardly underworld.) I loved this book - just a bit more than Everbound.
ReplyDeleteI was a big Jack fan, even though I know most people prefer Cole. Good guys for the win!