#65 Book Review: Everneath

Everneath
Release Date: February 2nd 2012
Author: Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Amazon & The Book Depository
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:

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... 

My review:


Cover:
I wonder how many times I've seen this cover and keep on wishing I can read this book quickly. It's absolutely gorgeous. The girl's red dress is so pretty and I really like the smoke effect and smouldery effect in the cover. It gives you an idea of the underworld and what the story is about!

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for the cover!

Story:


Only 6 months, to say goodbye...


6 months ago, Nikki Beckett vanished to Everneath to escape the pain of living in the world. Cole, an Everliving who is immortal offered to take Nikki's pains away by Feeding on her. After 100 years of Feeding in the Everneath, Nikki finally awakes from her 'coccoon'. She should not have remembered anything from her life, if it weren't for those warm brown eyes she keeps remembering and seeing. If it weren't for those brown eyes, she would not have returned. When Nikki finally returns, she has only 6 months to say goodbye, 6 months to seek redemption if it even exists and 6 months to say the words she never had the chance to say to her loved ones...


I know we all shouldn't judge a book by its cover but please DO JUDGE THIS BOOK BY THE COVER. The story is just as BEAUTIFUL as the cover! Written from Nikki's perspectives, the book tells the present story as Nikki struggles with her 6 months of time and also Nikki's past before she goes to Everneath. Everneath was absolutely beautifully written. I have always been in love with Greek mythology and particularly, I love the Hades and Persephone story. The re-telling of Hades and Perspehone's story in this book was really unique. I've never read a re-telling of this particular Greek mythology like Everneath before. Throughout the book, I often feel twinges in my heart because the story was just so sad, touching, heart-breaking and beautifully written. Imagine if you only have 6 months to do so many things and say goodbye. I enjoyed reading every single part of this book but I never expected the ending at all. I am literally crushed by the ending. It wasn't precisely a cliffhanger, but it makes me DYING to read the second book. If only, if only it's 2013 already...


Characters:
The characters are very enticing, enthralling and well written. They give me so many mixed emotions and feelings of sadness, happiness, pain and so much more. While I might be the weird one here, I actually really loved Cole. His words and his actions in the book really captured me. The beauty of his love for music, the way he strums his pick on his forehand as if strumming a guitar and how he actually loves Nikki but just cannot find the words to say it completely made me fall in love with him. Cole offered to take Nikki's pains away and she accepted it whole heartedly. The pain Nikki is feeling was overwhelming that she just had to make it disappear. And Cole was the fastest and easiest way. Even though Cole was the one who convinced Nikki in the end, it was Nikki who decided to come with him in the first place. He never gives up on Nikki after she returned and was just never able to say 'no' to her and this was simply so sweet. This made me wish that Nikki will choose Cole in the end. I do love Jack, I love his sweet moments with Nikki in the past before she vanished to Everneath and I feel so sad for him when he tries to get closer to Nikki after she returned without knowing the reason why she left. But, I was somehow more intrigued with Cole. The ending was a bit shocker for me which I didn't expect and it made me love Jack more. So if you ask me which team I'm in, I can't say because I love both Jack and Cole equally! I was able to connect with all the characters and feel their pain, which is why I think the characters are so amazing and heart-breaking.

"Tell me why you care," I said.

He put his hands on the windowsill. "Because it's you. Despite what you think of me, your pain will always be my pain."

Overall:
Everneath is a heart-breaking, beautifully written and enticing debut with a brilliant re-telling of Hades and Persephone's story. I completely fell in love with the characters and their story in the book. A must read for fans of Greek Mythology re-tellings. Everneath is one of the best 2012 debuts I have read so far! 

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Everneath!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for the review copy!

Check out the amazing book trailer:

Get sucked into the world of Everneath.