#191 Book Review: Everbound

Everbound (Everneath #2)
Release Date: 14 February 2013
Author: Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy:  Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads

Summary:

Two months ago, the tunnels of the underworld came for Nikki Beckett. That night, Nikki's boyfriend, Jack, made the ultimate sacrifice, taking her place in the Everneath for eternity.Every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused. All Nikki wants is to save him before it's too late, but no matter how hard she tries she can never reach him. 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 surprisingly, Cole agrees to take Nikki to the Everneath himself. As they descend into the hart of the Everneath, Nikki and Cole discover that their journey will be more difficult than they'd anticipated, and more deadly. Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack - even if it means making a terrible sacrifice of her own...

Cover:
Look at that smoky effect! I absolutely adore it, and also the girl's black dress. Love how the cover still matches Everneath's cover!

Story:

How far are you willing to go to save the boy you love?

Here would be Nikki's answer: go to Everneath and ask Cole, the boy who changed her life (in a bad way?) to go with her. When I read Everneath last year, I was absolutely entranced with the whole story and a certain bad boy called Cole. The Greek mythology re-telling was creative and the ending of Everneath made me anxious for Everbound. I'm glad to say that Everbound is a satisfying sequel!

The whole story basically tells Nikki's journey to Everneath to save Jack with Cole and Max. Along the journey, Nikki occasionally has flashbacks to her memories with Jack which actually act as a guide for her to find him. I really like how we get to see and learn more about the Everneath in this book. Although Jack is not physically next to Nikki, he is still in the book as a part of Nikki's memories. My favourite part of the book is definitely towards the ending and the ending raises the stake higher, preparing us for the next book in the series!

Characters:
I have a confession. I honestly think that the main reason why I love this series is Cole. Sometimes I feel bad for loving him and hoping that he ends up with Nikki because Jack is such a sweet and nice boyfriend. But we all know that bad boys have their own certain appeal. Throughout the book, I thought Cole changed and that he has become somewhat sweeter and nicer towards Nikki and her idea of saving Jack but the scene towards the ending changed my perception of him. Cole has not changed, he is still the same tortured bad boy with his love for Nikki and that tugs my heart. His love for Nikki is genuine although his way of showing it and making her love him may be conceited at times. Nikki, on the other hand, made me annoyed a few times in the book. She loves Jack but the way she acts around Cole sometimes give the wrong signals, as though she is interested with Cole. In the first book, the ending made me conflicted between Cole and Jack but I actually found Jack a bit dull in Everbound. Yes, he is sweet and nice but that's all there is to him. So I guess I love Cole more. However, I do think that the characters are well-written!

Overall:
Can Nikki survive her journey in the Everneath and save Jack? Everbound is the bittersweet sequel to Everneath. As Nikki makes her way in the Everneath with Cole, Jack remains a solid part of Nikki's memories and well, the ending left me breathless and absolutely excited for the next book! Fans of Everneath will definitely enjoy Everbound!

4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Everbound!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for the review copy!