Everneath by Brodi Aston

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: August 2012 (Paperback: 6.99)


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...

I read Everneath at the beginning of the year and I have no idea why I haven’t reviewed it until now – I absolutely loved it!

I loved the concept behind the book – using Greek Mythology as the back drop instantly caught my attention – and it’s done really well here. It feels fresh and doesn’t overload the story at all – instead it provides a basis for the characters to shine.

Since the story is structured in the way it is, we don’t know straight away what compelled Nikki to go to the Everneath – what happened to make her decide to leave everything behind. But now she’s back, she wants to spend the six months she has reconnecting with her family and her boyfriend Jack. Of course, since Cole is determined to make her his queen (and rule the Underworld) he isn’t prepared to go down without a fight. And I have to say even though he’s the bad boy I loved Cole. I really like the way the author made this happen – created someone I didn’t exactly trust but cared about all the same.

I adored Nikki. She’s such a broken character – I don’t know how else to explain it. But there is a strength to her too. How she was, how she felt,  fitted in perfectly with the story. She was supposed to have been gone for a long time, with time moving at a different speed in the Everneath, so the alienation she feels with her family makes sense. Jack, however, is a different story. She feels just the same about him as she did before she vanished – there are reasons for that and I think it says a lot about their relationship. How connected they are and how genuine that connection is.

And Jack. Be still my heart because I ADORED him. Completely adored him – and the relationship between him and Nikki is why I loved this book as much as I do. We get to see them before and after her time in the Everneath and I just …*sighs* I really loved it.

As for the ending? Oh man, it’s a killer! I NEED to read Everbound! I am so excited for it – I really hope it lives up to all my expectations.