"Enthralling and suspenseful, EVERNEATH is pure indulgent escapism!" - Becca Fitzpatrick, NYT Bestselling Author of Hush, Hush
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.
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...
"Ashton s debut, is complex and intriguing. Drawing inspiration from such myths as Osiris, Orpheus, and Persephone, it explores the nature of loss and longing and what it means to be alive." - Publishers Weekly
"I was pulled under by this bittersweet, beautiful retelling of the Persephone myth. Ashton's lovely storytelling and strong-on-her-own-terms main character set this one apart. Wonderful!" - Ally Condie, author of the MATCHED trilogy
"The powerful emotions, moving and painful rebuilding of strained relationships, and star-crossed love story is sure to resonate with teen readers." - School Library Journal
"A fresh, innovative concept to young adult fiction with well-developed characters and a fantastic plot line .... Libraries are advised to buy multiple copies-this one will fly off the shelves." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
A great mix of mythology and young-adult romance, Everneath is definitely a debut you want to check out.
Last summer Nikki vanished into the Everneath. Now she is back in the mortal world again, a completely different person. But her days are numbered; only six more months until she will disappear to the Tunnels forever. Will she be able to make peace with her destiny?
Everneath easily slurps you in and doesn't let you go until the very end. Because of the way the novel is built up, you alternately get little parts of Nikki's past, and of her present. This way the story slowly unfolds, leaving the big secrets to hidden until the very end. Each chapter is numbered; the countdown of months Nikki still has here is unnerving, making for a quick and exciting read.
What I especially loved in this book is the romance. Nikki and her boyfriend Jack are best-friends-turned-lovers, something that barely happens in young-adult books lately. There is no instant-love here, there's no place for petty problems. They were and are an amazing couple, and I was totally rooting for them. What I also liked was that there was no love triangle here. There could have been; the immortal bad boy Cole would have been a perfect choice. But Nikki stays true to her one love Jack, even though Cole is definitely very attractive. I really appreciated this; it made their love even more convincing.
Everneath will break your heart. But it's so, so worth it.
