EVERNEATH

by Brodi Ashton

Published by HarperCollins

publication date Jan24, 2012

egalley provided by NetGalley for honest review

synopsis (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..

MY REVIEW

I love books with a mythological flair to them.  This novel by debut author Brodi Ashton was no exception.  She seamlessly integrated many aspects of mythology with modern day existence.

 Becks is a 17 year old girl who is in a relationship with Jack. Things go sour and she escapes to the 'underworld' with Cole, an Everliving.  She spends roughly a century in hibernation with Cole. A century in the underworld is about 6 months on the surface. After she awakens from this hibernation she decides to return to the surface, remembering nothing of her life except the face of a boy she cannot forget.   Sounds like the makings of a great Greek tragedy right?  Well, it only gets better.  

Becks wasn't supposed to survive her hibernation with Cole.  He follows her to the surface to find out why she survived and if she is 'the one'..The next Persephone.  Queen of the Underworld.  Like Persephone, she must return to the underworld, but will she return as servant or Queen?  

Jack doesn't want her to leave at all.  He was devastated when she left the first time. Everyone thinks she was in a rehab facility overcoming an addiction to drugs. Only Jack finds the truth about her situation.  

Brodi Ashton wrote an amazing novel.  This is the first of a trilogy.  The start of the book was somewhat slow, it took me several chapters before I was able to fully comprehend the events that occurred in the Everneath.  The characters have a depth of emotion that is intensely real.  While reading this novel, I felt an entire range of emotions, from anger and sympathy to excitement and laughter.  It takes an amazing author to ellicit such emotions from the reader.  I cannot wait for the second installement in this series.  Brodi left us with quite a cliffhanger.   I didn't see it coming until the last chapters!

I give this book 5/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes mythology and YA novels. 

COVER FACTOR:   WOW!!! 5 star cover!