#BIR2012: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

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. (From Goodreads)

"I closed my eyes and pictured the boy with the brown hair, and as I took in my first really deep breath of Surface air, a name to match the face came to me. An name I'd been trying to cling to for a century.

'Jack.'"

Everneath is a modern-day retelling of the Persephone myth, and to me the modernization made the story all the more intense. This book, full of passion, love, life, and loss, was impossible to put down. You can read my full review here.



~GIVEAWAY~
Harper Teen, the publisher of EVERNEATH, has donated several great books that are being given away in several prize packs. You don't want to miss out on a chance to win these titles!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring INSURGENT by Veronica Roth and PANDEMONIUM by Lauren Oliver! Please click here to learn more about these books and authors!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

EVERBOUND
By: Brodi Ashton
Published By: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Note: Everbound is the second book in the Everneath trilogy, and the summary below may contain spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.



Why it's wanted:
I really enjoyed Everneath, a retelling of the Persephone myth, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

EVERNEATH
By: Brodi Ashton
Published By: HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray
Release Date: Jan. 24, 2012
Series: Everneath (#1)
Pages: 384
Genre: Paranormal / Mythology
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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...



From cover to synopsis, everything about this book made me want to read it. Once again judging a book by its cover worked out well, because the story between the covers was just as good as the picture outside.

Nikki Beckett has spent a century in the Everneath, a realm in which immortals (Everliving) Feed on the emotions of humans. At the end of the century, Cole, the Everliving who has been Feeding from Nikki, asks her to stay, but instead Nikki chooses to Return to the surface. Once she Returns, she has six months before the Everneath claims her forever...six months to say a proper goodbye to her family and friends. Unfortunately, she can't just walk back into her old life. Her family and friends - even her old boyfriend, Jack - aren't quite ready to be completely trusting. And to make matters worse, Cole is determined to win her for his own. As her time runs out, Nikki must find out if there is a way to avoid the Everneath and the Tunnels altogether, looking for help in the most unlikely places...and the one place in which she could have found help all along.

I love mythology, so I was very excited to read this retelling of the Persephone myth. I enjoyed that the basic tenets of the myth were brought into a modern-day setting and other similar stories from mythology were also included along the way. If I had to pick one word to describe Everneath, it would be intense. From the grief to the love, I could feel all of Nikki, Jack, and Cole's emotions. Even though things between Jack and Nikki weren't perfect for a long time, the bond between them was undeniable. And as for Cole, even though he is made out to be the villain, I can't help but think that there is more to him that has yet be seen. Beyond this, the writing of Everneath was excellent. I was completely drawn into the story and its mystery and did not want to put this book down until I knew everything there was to know. Because we get to see not only the present day but also Nikki's flashbacks to the time before the Feed, I felt so much closer to her and Jack. I am already dying to know how things work out for them in the next book.

I do wish that Nikki had been a bit of a stronger character. Even though I could sympathize with her, some of her decisions frustrated me. I also would have liked to see a bit more with her brother - even though he was important to her, I felt that the relationship was glossed over a bit more than necessary. My only other complaint is how long it will take for us to get the next book - I need it now!

In Everneath, Brodi Ashton wove a story full of passion, love, loss, and life. This was a fabulous debut, and I cannot wait to read more from her!