OUaT ARC tour: The Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Book:  The Everneath

Author:  Brodi Ashton

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Date:  January 24, 2012

My grade:  A

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 am thrilled to be part of this blog tour!  Thanks to Yara Santos over at Once Upon a Twilight for allowing me to be a part of it!  Yara, you rock my socks off!  And now for my review…….

First of all, this cover is amazing.  I know, you don’t judge a book by its cover, blah, blah, blah.  But of course we all do.  Publishers of young adult books have finally figured that out and I’m so glad that the gorgeous covers are continuing.  And I must say that this cover of one of the most beautiful ones out there.  This cover on the shelf in the book store coupled with the summary would have definitely made me walk to the checkout counter!

And I would have been very glad that I did!  The cover certainly does warrant the judgment of the book inside.  This book was very good.  I think that Greek mythology re-tellings are starting to become some of my favorites.  They might even replace vampires!  ::Gasp!::  (note to Edward—don’t worry, no one will ever replace you in my heart.  You are like my first love, bookwise, and first loves are always special.)

This book is loosely, loosely based on several Greek myths of the Underworld, including the Persephone myth and the Orpheus/Eurydice myth.  Brodi Ashton does an amazing job of combining elements of these 2 myths and successfully importing them into modern day.  I could see the myths, but they never felt anachronistic.  It was beautiful!

The other thing that I really liked about this book is the way she sequenced the story.  She changed back and forth between present day and past until the two met at the current moment and made the big reveals.  It was brilliant!  I couldn’t wait to see what had led to the current action and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.  The structure of the story kept me on the edge of my seat as much as the story itself.

The characters were well-written and compelling.  I found myself able to sympathize with all of them and I liked all of them as well, even Cole, who seems to be a little vilified!  At times, I liked him better than Jack, especially before certain facts about Jack were revealed!

I was totally unprepared for the climax because I honestly didn’t think she would do what she did!  Holy cow, Brodi Ashton!  You have got some nerves, woman!  I ran to my computer to make sure that this was not a stand-alone! 

My grade for this book is an A.  I really, really liked it.  You will too!