"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)
The Everneath is pretty much another word for the Underworld, like in Greek mythology. After staying in there for 6 months of our time, 100 years of theirs, Nikki decides to come back. She wants to try to say the goodbyes she never could before to the people she cared about, before getting sucked into the Tunnels. Cole, who she was with that entire time, comes back with her, trying to convince her to be with him, that because she survived, she could be a queen, but at the cost of stealing the life from other people.
I loved the thought behind the story, the retelling of myths and Persephone. While I read quite a few reviews that said it was a slow start, it wasn’t really that bad for me actually, I understand that the author has to build up the story and the background of the characters. One thing I thought was nice was the little snippets of the past events that would show up between the current story, to help explain what happened before she went to the Everneath. Also the little counter for how much time of the 6 months was left helped me keep track, which was pretty cool.
Aside from that, for some reason I just had trouble connecting with the characters, until closer to the end of the book instead of the beginning. Though that’s not saying this book isn’t good! I really enjoyed reading it, it just wasn’t super amazing, but I’m sure other people will absolutely love it. I have a feeling the second book will be even better!
I recommend this for anyone wanting a young adult book with fantasy, romance and mythology.
