Guest Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

publisher: HarperTeen

release date: January 24, 2012

hardcover, 370 pages

intended audience: Young adult

series: Everneath, Book 1

rating:



source: from publisher for honest review
reviewer: Amy

description: 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...

Review:

To be honest I wasn't so sure about reading this book. Mythology, in a young adult book? Persephone? We all know that classic tale and it didn't end well for her. However I dove right in waiting to be proven wrong. As I started to read, surprisingly the chapters captivated me,and without me knowing what was happening I fell into the pull of Everneath.

This wonderful book is not only a classic mythological legend marvelously recaptured and elaborated upon but also one that makes you search the depths of your soul, questioning your beliefs of heroess and hope. What if all was lost? If all had the chance to be forgotten? Would we take an immortal up on his enticing offer to not feel pain or hurt; to never feel the bliss of love's first kiss and the heartbreak of love's first betrayal. In the moment of agony and sheer heartbreak, would we be tempted to give up just a piece of our soul to not have that pain locked inside our hearts? At that moment of sheer despair, could you abandon all hope?

I would like to think that we have the strength to not give up on hope but yet we are only human. Nikki, in the midst of a broken heart, made the choice to abandon hope and the pain of a broken heart in exchange to live in the Underworld and have immortals feed upon her...to not feel pain or despair but also not to feel happiness and contentment. But she is given a second chance and learns whether all hope was really lost on her as well. Are things always what they appear to be or do illusions allude us all?

The story entwines along, gently enfolds you between past and present and leads you along Nikki's path to discover if there can really be heroes amongst us. Do heroes exist? And not those of storybook tales or that in mythology, just everyday heroes.

And can love serve as the hero that can save a soul?

As you can tell this one made me think, question, and take a look at what I believe about hope, if I believe in heroes, and if so do I believe in everyday heroes? This is a sign of a truly wonderful author. If you can get people to talk, to think, to question...if you can, then you truly succeeded. Congrats Brodi, looking forward to the next one.

Visit Brodi Ashton's site here!

Purchase Everneath at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository • Indiebound