Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath 

by Brodi Ashton 

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...

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I randomly picked up this book from the library because I liked the cover. I know! I judged a book by its cover! But really, don't we all? We at least first-impression a book by its cover, right? Just me? Oh well. And even though, after reading, I found no incidences of girls dressed in gorgeous red dresses sashaying through smoke, I still liked the book. 

This book is a take on the Persephone myth, which is über popular among YA fiction these days. Persephone! Who knew? I have read several Persephone/Hades myths in the last few months and this one is one of my favorites. 

The book starts with Nikki released from Cole, who is a Hades-ish vampirish creature. But a good looking one, of course. Rather than stay in the underworld (Everneath), she chooses to return to her life. But returning to life and family and friends after missing for six month proves to be a bit difficult. I really liked the flashbacks in this book - I think there is a fine line between flashbacks being either disorienting or enlightening, and Ms. Ashton hit enlightening every time. It turned the book into a puzzle, and each flashback gave us another piece. 

And the best part of this book? Instead of choosing the gorgeous god-like Cole who was offering her eternal love and eternal life, she chose her best friend turned boyfriend Jack, even though she thought she had lost him after disappearing for 6 months. So refreshing! The romance was sweet, the pain of Nikki dealing with her decisions was very real, and all in all this was a very enjoyable book to read. I look forward to the next one.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. Violence: very minimal, can't really remember any. Profanity: again, can't remember any, but I read this book before I decided to write this blog so I wasn't really paying attention to it. Sex: teenage innuendos, but only kissing and cuddling from the main romance.