Author: Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
First Published: January 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
240 pages (eBook)
The last several times I was attracted to a beautiful YA cover, the book turned out to be disappointing. This time, however, the book turned out to be a very wonderful read! I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and how much I look forward to the next one in this series.
Everneath is about 17 year old Nikki (nicknamed Becks because of her last name), who has reappeared on the Surface of the world again. Where had she been previously? She was in a “cocoon”, trapped in the Everneath (a mythical underworld of some sort) with an Everliving being named Cole, who fed off her emotions for 100 years so that he will continue to remain immortal. She’s finally out of Everneath and back on the Surface, where she finds only 6 months have passed. She only has another 6 months of freedom before the Everneath tunnels will claim her again.
If there’s one thing Nikki wants to do before being taken again, it’s to see her former boyfriend Jack. They had broken up even before she went missing, but she never stopped thinking about him, for a hundred years. As Nikki tries to mend their relationship so that it at least sort of resembles a friendship again, Nikki and Jack find themselves longing for the past and each other. This is made particularly difficult because of Cole, who keeps appearing before Nikki and offering her another choice — choose to be with Cole and they may become rulers of the Everneath. Why Nikki won’t go for this option, besides the fact that she wants to be with Jack, is because she will have to be like Cole and start feeding off other people’s emotions too, an experience that Nikki has done and does not wish on anyone else.
At first, I found it a little difficult to get into the book. I didn’t really understand the world of the Everneath, and the plot seemed to progress rather slowly. It’s not a plot orientated book, it’s definitely a character orientated book. However, I caught on eventually and with the 6 month deadline hovering over Nikki’s head, there was a real sense of urgency to everything the characters did and the choices they made. What I particularly loved was the way the story was presented. It switched back and forth between the past and the present with each chapter, juxtaposing the awkwardness of Nikki and Jack’s present relationship with the sweet, honeymoon-like relationship of their past. It definitely helped me understand the characters more thoroughly and knowing the ins and outs of their relationship put into perspective the danger the Everneath is to the both of them.
Nikki was a great character, I liked how the book kind of showed her return to the Surface like a person who was recovering from a drug addiction. Because that’s what it’s described as in the book — when you are being fed off, it’s like everything in the world is fine again, no need to feel anything, which Nikki sorely wanted because of her break up and the fact her mother died (and then the culprit didn’t even go to jail). It was like she was numb for 100 years and finally was sober and out in the world again. The other two main characters, the boys Cole and Jack, were a tad disappointing in their characterization. They both felt sort of stereotypical, bad boy and perfect boy, but at least they were two people who were distinctly different from one another (unlike some other YA love triangles, where I don’t understand what the girl’s dilemma is because both boys are exactly the same … but that’s another story). And they were both quite likeable, even the naughty one, haha.
I’m really happy that I read this book! I haven’t enjoyed a YA paranormal book in a long time (or so it feels), and I’m glad Everneath lifted me out of that funk. I’m definitely looking forward to the second book, I’m dying to find out what happens after that ending!
My Rating: 4/5
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