Review: Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton

Blurb 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.

Title: Everneath (Everneath, #1)

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 24, 2012

The Contessa's Review:

So, first, I would like to say that I was unsure if I would like this book. I had heard good things about it but I wasn't sure if I would get into the mythology of it. Then, I remembered all those great books that I have read recently that involved mythology and thought, I'm sure it will be great! And I was right!

So, what can I say about this cover. It's what drew me to the book, of course. Believe it or not, this book was the 5th one I added to my TBR when I joined Goodreads! I remember searching for dystopian reads and this one came up. I also remember reading the blurb, but for the life of me I don't remember it saying this was what it would be about! LOL! In any case, I love this cover. It's beautiful and haunting and did just what it was intended to do: drew me right in and made me want to crack the cover to see what the story was about. I'm not sure why it took me so long to do it!

I'd like to thank Ashton for creating such amazing and complex characters. Nikki (Becks) is wonder unto herself. She's got the world at her feet, and in one fleeting moment of insecurity, the rug is ripped right out from under her feet. From that moment on, I have to say she becomes a bit selfish. But it's selfish in a way that she wants to make things right. She certainly grows stronger throughout this book, taking on her demons and realizing the potential she has to change things.
Jack, is, well, he's swoonable. I know, not a word, but what else can you say about him. Tall, handsome, athletic and SO sweet. Known as a playboy, he now only has eyes for Nikki. He's passionate about being with her and is willing to forgo everything he knows to make sure it stays that way. He's willing to give of himself totally for her, give his life for hers, to be "ever yours." And the sweetest and most tender thing about his love for Nikki is that it is not new. From the descriptions in the book, you know he's loved Nikki since they met as childhood friends. Yet he held back for so long, either not believing she would want to be with him, or thinking perhaps he was not the right one for her.
Cole, well, he's a character I love to hate. He certainly used Nikki's moment of despair as his "foot in the door" moment. He's gorgeous and certainly has feelings for Nikki he never thought possible, but he's done some unforgivable things and that right there has me wondering how he could ever think Nikki would choose him. At the same time, he has moments where he is totally there for Nikki, and those moments made me weak. I'll admit, he's a character I love to hate.
The secondary characters in this book are really great. I love Max. He has such wit about him and knows how to put Cole in his place. Nikki's father and brother are a great addition, as well. Giving us a glimpse into her past life and what led up to her running in the first place. 

The world building is amazing in this book. Right from the start we get a glimpse of the Everneath. It's dark and scary, hidden beneath the world's crust. It's nothing like the "hell" we all have dreamed about: fire and brimstone and such. It's more like a pit of despair. A place where people end up when they have no hope left and all that remains if for them to have their emotions stripped so they no longer feel the pain. I also loved the way Ashton showed us that Nikki and Jack were more than just a "love at first sight" kind of couple. They have known each other for so long, been friends since they were children, known each other's deep dark secrets, how could they not be right for each other. So their love comes off as pure and defined, with substance and a background to back it up.

As for the pace of this book, well, I could not put it down. Ashton kept me wanting to turn each page and find out what happened next. There are no boring moments in this book. The tension in this book was palpable and it's what kept me reading. I also loved that there was mystery, how Ashton slowly revealed to us what happened to Nikki to cause her to choose such a dramatic fate. And while kind of knew what would happen at the end, it did not keep me from wanting to see where it went and how Ashton accomplished it. And she did an amazing job at breaking my heard, tearing it right to pieces and leaving me wanting more!

One of the most unique things about this book for me was that it took myths we have learned about in school and twisted them into something new and different. At the same time, it reminded me of why I love such stories in the first place, because they are based on so many things I learned as a young girl. It brings back great memories of school and being immersed in a world that I could only dream existed.

This book made me laugh, it made me cry, it caused my chest to actually hurt (physically from my heart pounding!). I definitely had several moments of crying, several moments of smiling with happy tears in my eyes and many moments of wondering just where this book would go. In the end, I fell in love and I'm so happy I picked it up and read it. I can't wait to read the next installment and see where Ashton takes me once again!

5 stars.

Because of two parents who were Greek myth geeks, I grew up thinking the latest fashion trends were inspired by Aphrodite, and a good conversational opener was, “So, which mythological character do you most resemble?” Despite these social shortcomings, I found a great husband who’s always my first reader. We live in Utah with our two young boys, who still have no idea why I'm at the computer all the time.

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Utah and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics.

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