Everneath (Everneath, #1)

Mar 08, 2012 Steph Sinclair rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Steph by: Quite a few of my friends. Thank you!

Shelves: greek-myths, ebook, netgalley, pretty-covers, 2-am-or-later, 2012-favs, 2012-reads, 2012-release, best-characters, best-relationships, didn-t-disappoint, i-need-the-next-book-like-yesterday, i-need-to-buy-this-book, oh-yeah-baby, omg-that-ending, original-and-creative, pure-win, smart-heroine, strong-heroine, surprised-me, to-buy-soon, triangle-of-love, young-adult, awesome, deserves-every-one-of-those-stars, forbidden-love, gimme-gimme-gimme, i-loved-it, i-need-it-like-a-fat-kid-needs-cake, so-glad-i-read-this, e-arc

Sometime after this review was written Kat Kennedy and I traveled down the River Styx to interview Brodi Ashton. Check out the interview here!

Right after I finished Everneath I gave it 4 stars right off the bat. It was an easy read with a great story and fantastical characters. Why didn't I give it five stars? I had to to think on that. So, I spent an entire week trying to figure out what it was about Everneath that I disliked. Conclusion:

It's true, folks. I don't have any negative things to sa...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Kat Kennedy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, kat-s-book-reviews, leaves-awesomeness-behind

*This ARC was provided to me by HarperCollins. No money or favours were exchanged for this review - much to my chagrin!

November Madness is what I nicknamed this month. With a variety of very interesting looking titles becoming available for galley grab, to many readers, it appeared to be a smorgasbord of literary delights.

Everneath is one such of these delights and, in my opinion, completely deserves the hype.

Becks, a seventeen year old girl, wakes up from a hundred year-long hibernation with ba...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Soumi(in love with Puck) Roy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, books-i-reviewed, arc-e-galley, mythology

Then: Once there was a Girl named Persephone who was abducted by Lord of underworld Hades

description

Now: There is a girl named Nikki, abducted by Cole to Everneath, sounds same???? Ohh wait there is twist of third guy. I love twists a lot.
Then: Once there was a pair of lovers, Orpheus and Eurydice. When Eurydice was poisoned and died, Orpheus didn’t give up hope, he made an impossible journey to underworld to bring Eurydice back. He was almost succeeded but one small mistake of looking back took Eurydice b...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ya-na, pnr, 2011, love-triangle

Whilst reading this I happened to glance over at my mirror and see the expression on my face - my mouth was open, my eyes were wide... needless to say, I looked like a complete moron. But that should give you some indication of how much this story surprised me. I confess that I didn't expect to like it that much and it's obviously time I stop making these predictions when I'm nearly always wrong. I should also stop trying to work out what certain things appeal to me in books, these theories als...more

Whilst reading this I happened to glance over at my mirror and see the expression on my face - my mouth was open, my eyes were wide... needless to say, I looked like a complete moron. But that should give you some indication of how much this story surprised me. I confess that I didn't expect to like it that much and it's obviously time I stop making these predictions when I'm nearly always wrong. I should also stop trying to work out what certain things appeal to me in books, these theories also fall flat on their faces.

I'm not going to sell this book as something it isn't, from the beginning there is a very heavy romantic element and a lot of the story is built up around the idea that Nikki has returned (after a century in Everneath, six months to the human world) for the purpose of rekindling her romance with her past boyfriend, or at the very least seeing him for one last time before the Tunnels claim her forever. A lot of the book is definitely paranormal romance, or PNR, or even Love in a Supernatural Climate - take your pick. But I wasn't put off by this.

A lot of the story is interwoven with parts of Greek and Egyptian mythology, which I liked very much. It was well thought-out, made sense, seemed fairly original (well, I haven't read anything like it) and even though a lot of it was romance-centred I still didn't feel that it claimed the novel. I was intrigued by the whole concept of this Everneath, a place almost like hell but rather than being a place for sinners, it's a place for Everlivings - who drain souls for energy - and the souls that have been drained.

I think what I liked best, that saved the book from being nothing more than a love story, was the characters. So many young adult books make the entire novel about the female protagonist and her male love interest and, apart from the occasional over-stereotyped mean girl, they disregard all other characters. But Everneath explores Nikki's relationship with her friend, her father and her brother as well as her boyfriend.

I just wish she didn't have to blush so much. There's this one part of the story where Jack says: "I know you're worried about that..." and just the small word emphasis makes her "turn red all over". Come on, this is the 21st century, surely every girl doesn't blush at the mention of that, do they? And if they do, why don't the boys? Because boys are wild, experienced-from-birth, sexual animals that you have to fight off with a stick and girls are meek, mild and pure? I'm not saying that's what the author wanted to portray but the sexually smirking guy meets innocent girl seems to be a common theme in these types of books.

And also, is that a potential love triangle I spy there? I don't know, it seems pretty one-sided right now but there's clearly more books to come.
(less)

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Dec 01, 2011 Lisa O. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, fantasy, ya-lit, swoooooon

So something good DOES come along sometimes in paranormal YA.

I am very pleasantly surprised by Brodi Ashton's debut novel, Everneath, loosely based on a sort of mix between the myths of Hades/Persephone and Orpheus/Eurydice.

Nikki Beckett has been sleeping a hundred years in the Everneath, a limbo between Earth and Hell, where the Everlivings have found a way to be immortal. She is a Forfeit, emotional "food" for Cole, the Everliving she decided to follow in the underworld.
Strangely, she wakes u...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: wishlist, mythology

Hades and Persephone, we've all heard the story. Of all the myths, this is easily my favorite. When I saw that Everneath was a retelling of this heartbreaking tale, I was instantly attracted to it. However, I was mistaken. This is not a Persephone and Hades retelling per se, but a modernized, completely original story that is loosely based on the myths of Persephone and Eurydice. It was beautiful!

First and foremost, the character that breathes powerfully throughout this book, is the emotion. It...more Hades and Persephone, we've all heard the story. Of all the myths, this is easily my favorite. When I saw that Everneath was a retelling of this heartbreaking tale, I was instantly attracted to it. However, I was mistaken. This is not a Persephone and Hades retelling per se, but a modernized, completely original story that is loosely based on the myths of Persephone and Eurydice. It was beautiful!

First and foremost, the character that breathes powerfully throughout this book, is the emotion. It is full of raw, pure, palpable emotions. I could constantly sense Nikki's despair. Even when stripped of all feeling, she had this hollowness that I could easily discern; a void once full of energy. She lost everything to the Everneath, and six months is an incredibly short time when you know what you're going back to. My heart was breaking for her, while holding on to a tiny flicker of hope that things would turn around.

You can't start describing Nikki without first understanding Cole. Cole is manipulative and cunning, which is capitalized by the fact that he can control emotions. He wants Nikki; Nikki loves Jack. So while her actions can seem a bit rash, even impulsive, Cole plays a big role behind these decisions. Her doubts, her pain, her fears, they're all fabricated, or at the very least, magnified by Cole. With this in play, I couldn't help but open my heart up to her. She becomes his puppet, and it's tragic. Cole and Jack are complete opposites which makes a fantastic love triangle. One you will love, and one you will love to hate.

To add to the trepidation, the story shifts from past to present in a way that leaves you feeling restless. You KNOW what's going to happen while seeing these events unfold. It keeps the story intriguing, while building anticipation for a shattering ending. Was it predictable? Yes. But was it original? Completely. This fresh take on the Persephone myth mixes the old with the new for an altogether beautiful and dark tale.

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For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads (less)

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Nov 26, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of books like Nevermore, Unearthly, and other trend-defying young adult paranormal novels

Shelves: covers-i-love, 2011-reads, surprisingly-liked, exceeded-my-expectations, paranormal-supernatural-books, best-characters, best-couples, best-endings, heroes-i-love-and-respect, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, wowed-me, reviewed

History books call it the Underworld. Or even hell. But I know it's neither. It is really called the Everneath, and it's not a place for the dead. It's a place for the Everliving– beings who have discovered the secret to eternal life. It's a place for their Forfeits– the humans who give up everything to nourish the Everliving. It's the world caught between this one and the next, a layer between Earth and hell. I know because I was a Forfeit. I would give anything to change this.

The myth of Hades...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, favorites, paranormal, arc-galley, series

There might be times in your life when you feel that you’ve hit the very bottom and that you can’t take it anymore.
Try to imagine for a moment that you have lost everything you care about. That someone would tell you that it’s in his power to take all your pain away.. What would you do? Would you take the chance?

You might say “no”, you might say “maybe” or even you might agree..
But what if it is not only the pain that it’s taken away from you, what if you’re fading away with every memory, with...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Annalisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Annalisa by: Crystalyn

Shelves: cover, young-adult, fantasy, romance

2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this one. I had high hopes for it, but it didn't quite live up to its hype. Most of the book felt like a stall to get to the climax, which is probably why I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I found myself out of the story most of the time, picking apart its inconsistencies, instead of pulled into Nikki's story. Little things like Nikki sitting at her desk and then several pages later getting up off or bed or Jack stacking chairs but then he's turning them ove...more 2.5 stars

I really wanted to love this one. I had high hopes for it, but it didn't quite live up to its hype. Most of the book felt like a stall to get to the climax, which is probably why I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief. I found myself out of the story most of the time, picking apart its inconsistencies, instead of pulled into Nikki's story. Little things like Nikki sitting at her desk and then several pages later getting up off or bed or Jack stacking chairs but then he's turning them over on tables. Minor flaws that should have been picked up somewhere in the editing process but were a distraction to me.

My biggest issue with the book is the timeline. In one flashback it's February and one month before Nikki disappears and the next it's April and two weeks before she does. I spent most of the book trying to figure out when exactly she came home. From the cold and lack of holidays, my best guess was January, until four months into her ordeal when Christmas rolled around. Which means she came back in August, when it should have been warm, and nowhere near six months from the sometime between March and May that she was supposed to have left. My best guess is that she was supposed to have disappeared in spring, come back in the fall, and stayed until the following spring, although the dates don't quite match up. A good editor and/or copyeditor should have picked up the mistake.

There were also larger flaws that bothered me. Like for someone grieving over her dead mother, I didn't catch much of Nikki's grief. I understand that everyone grieves differently and she didn't want to face her grief, but for months all there was there was happiness about Jack and she seemed to hold it together a little too well. I also didn't understand how when she came back Jack would know that she didn't remember anything. Why would he even suspect that she would forget him? She was ignoring him and acting weird around him, not acting like she had no idea who he was. It was beautiful that he asked her what she remembered and she said everything, but it didn't make sense that he would question that. And speaking of Jack, he had some elements of a great love interest, but he was a little too conflicting for me to buy into. (view spoiler)

Nikki said she came back mostly to make her goodbyes easier this time, but she didn't do anything toward that effect. For as much as she loved Tommy, she didn't seem to spend any time with him. For a best friend, we should have seen more of Jules. As it was, she seemed rather pointless to the story. And if her dad thought poorly of her and she wanted to change that, why didn't she talk to him (like explaining that she was pushed at the dance) or help do the dishes or do something other than ignore everyone? I could see how she didn't want to mess with Jack's heart again, but she could attempt to resolve the unresolved or want to leave him with a better memory or watch him from a distance and feel sad. Something other than hiding by the drinking fountain to knit, just waiting until her time ticked away. Why even come back if that was all she was going to do?

Sometimes I wanted to shake Nikki and tell her to get mad. I've read characters like that before, that always do the right thing and sympathize with people who are doing them wrong, so Mary Sue-ish. I gave Nikki some leeway because of her connection to Cole, but it wasn't just against Cole that she took a beating and didn't stand up for herself, or at the least get frustrated. It was just the most frustrating with Cole. I wanted her to break down in front of him (view spoiler) or play his own conniving games back at him, instead of seem so... resigned to him. I think the passiveness of her character could have worked better if she were struggling against Cole's control and fighting to figure out the right goodbye, instead of just being there, doing nothing.

I had some questions with the Everneath world that I wanted answers to (and maybe they're answered later in the series). Like, if someone is being used as a Feed, how did they owe a debt? They were being drained, not given anything. Maybe it was the opportunity to be an Everliving? I would have also liked to know more about the interactions between the Everlivings and their royalty, more about life in the Everneath beyond the Feed. I also wondered about the chance to Return. At first it seemed like Nikki got a chance because she was different, but she wasn't the only one. Why were they offered the six-month stall? What was the point of it, other than being a great idea for a story?

I love the story of Persephone and think it's a great twist on an old tale, but I think this one could have used a few more rounds of editing first, more encouragement from her editor to go back and delve deeper into the story, the characters, the Everneath. I also think some of the plot twists, or revelations, should have come sooner. By the time Nikki figured things out, it was old news. (view spoiler) On a positive note, Cole kept it interesting. And I loved the cover.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Blythe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-want-it-right-now, 2013-reads, almost-fell-asleep, caught-in-a-bad-romance, clever-plot-twists, deserves-the-hype, didn-t-see-that-coming, disappointments, evil-cliffhanger, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, read-reviewed, meh

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

Everneath is one of those books that seems to be followed by hype everywhere it goes, and, for the most part, understandably so. Everneath is an overall compelling, captivating, and at times heartbreaking read, truly worthy of the hype it has undoubtedly gotten.

But just because I see where the hype is coming from concerning Everneath doesn't necessarily mean I'm taking part in it.

Conceptually, Everneath is practically flawless; a loose retelling of the myths of Persepho...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-covers, arc-or-galley, fantasy-or-paranormal, fantasy-or-pn-favourites, romance, love-triangle

Everneath is a gripping YA Fantasy book with a sprinkling of Mythology. It was a fantastic read and did not leave me disappointed in the slightest. I had had my eye on this book for a while now, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to finally get my hands on a copy.

Brodi Ashton has delivered a modern book with an engaging twist on the Hades and Persephone myth. Her unique spin on this myth makes the story her own. This is the story of Nikki Beckett, a Forfeit for a smoldering Everliving named...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Merve Özcan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, immortal, paranormal, romance, fav-men, ghost, king-queen, magic, mythology, send-for-review, translated-to-turkish

http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2013/...

Mitolojiye bayılıyorum, onu alıp bir aşk hikayesinin içine uyarlayan kitaplara daha çok bayılıyorum.

Ben daha çok Hades ve Persephone hikayesi bekliyordum, onun yerine yazar bambaşka bir hikaye çizgisi yaratmış. Eğer zorlarsak bizim ikiliyi onların yerine koyarız tabii ama cıks, olmaz o iş.

Ondan öte, ben imkansız aşk, eziyet çeken aşıklar kısmına hasta oldum bu kitapta. Nasılda zevkten dört köşe oluyorum ortada bir çıkmaz aşk hikayesi varsa ve erkek kızın...more http://kitabisevda.blogspot.com/2013/...

Mitolojiye bayılıyorum, onu alıp bir aşk hikayesinin içine uyarlayan kitaplara daha çok bayılıyorum.

Ben daha çok Hades ve Persephone hikayesi bekliyordum, onun yerine yazar bambaşka bir hikaye çizgisi yaratmış. Eğer zorlarsak bizim ikiliyi onların yerine koyarız tabii ama cıks, olmaz o iş.

Ondan öte, ben imkansız aşk, eziyet çeken aşıklar kısmına hasta oldum bu kitapta. Nasılda zevkten dört köşe oluyorum ortada bir çıkmaz aşk hikayesi varsa ve erkek kızın peşini bırakmıyorsa ve son! Ah o son :D Birde kavga ediyorlar sürekli, etsinler. Testosteron iyidir, süperdir.

Nikki ve Jake'in hikayesi beni gerçekten sardı sarmaladı, duygulandırdı. Bu iki karakterin geçmişlerinin olması beni hiç rahatsız etmedi, ne de umutsuz tükenmeyen arayışları, ne de oynadıkları kovalamaca... Normalde bizim bilmediğimiz bir yaşanmışlık olunca eksiklik duygusu beni bırakmıyor. Bunun nedeni kitapta ki geri sayım ve bir yıl öncesine giden ikilinin geçmişlerini anlatan bölümler. Biz hem şimdiyi hem de 1 yıl öncesini okuyoruz. Kitabın içinde geçmiş hem de şuan sıra sıra sıkmadan verilmiş.

Cole'un bu hikayedeki payı beni sinir etti, her yerden çıkıp çıkıp duruyordu. Biri onu şu hikayeden çıkartsın diye öldüm öldüm dirildim. Ya da sonunda ölsün diye. İleriki kitaplarda olurda Nik ona kayarsa vallahi o kitabı pencereden aşağıya fırlatırım, okuduktan sonra.

Cole'dan da nefret edemedim ne yalan söyleyeyim. Ona da biri lazım ama Nik'den başkası lütfen. Kızın sahibi belki, sürmesin o pis ellerini.

Kitabı bitirdim ama aklımda karakterler hakkında pek kalıcı görüntüler kalmadı. Saç renklerini biliyorum ama karakterleri canlı yapan o ufak detayları pek hatırlamıyorum. Gizem kısmı biraz yordu, Meredith yani Mary olayı gereğinden uzundu bence. Ben aslında Jules içinde, Nik'in en iyi arkadaşı, bir çözüm isterdim. O sanki yalnız, ezik kalmış gibiydi. Kuzum. Cole ile onun arasını yapalım bence.

Mitoloji ve aşk sevenler okusun. Ama gidip de sınavınızda burada okuduklarınızı yazmayın hani, alırsınız sıfırı. Yazar bazı yer yerleri pek bi değiştirmiş. :D

Yazar hakkında:
Yerkara yazarın çıkış romanı, şuan için başka bir serisi yok. Kendisi Genç Yetişkin türünde yazıyor. Bloguna buradan ulaşabilirsiniz:))

Burada da trailer'ı.
Yorumlarınızı merakla bekliyorum! :D(less)

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May 07, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2012, damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, cool-covers, favourites, i-cried-over, paranormal, re-telling, struggled, tear-jerking, ya-romance, young-adult

3.75-4 stars

“Stay with me, Becks. Dream of me. I am ever yours.”

It's very rare of me to cry over a paranormal book, it's not that they don't reach me deep down, it's just that I'm always busy figuring out twists and puzzles and how they would survive over those paranormal obstacles. And yes, of course, I do swoon over the romantic and sweet moments. I go gaga over those heroes' heroic deeds and sacrifices just to save their significant someone and prove how much they mean to them and love them...more 3.75-4 stars

“Stay with me, Becks. Dream of me. I am ever yours.”

It's very rare of me to cry over a paranormal book, it's not that they don't reach me deep down, it's just that I'm always busy figuring out twists and puzzles and how they would survive over those paranormal obstacles. And yes, of course, I do swoon over the romantic and sweet moments. I go gaga over those heroes' heroic deeds and sacrifices just to save their significant someone and prove how much they mean to them and love them and whenever they say the sweetest things, I just melt. But no one has ever struck me as much as Jack's love for Nikki! It was hauntingly beautiful, heart warming and real. It din't just had me swooning but it also reached me and tugged my heart in the most amazing and heartrending way.

This was a mixture of the story of Persephone and Hades, Orpheus and Euridyce and a twist of some Egyptian mythology. And sure enough that made this book really unique and interesting. When I started this I was instantly swallowed by Nikki's voice and emotion. It was heavy and intense, I felt her grieves, and regrets and it just made my heart ache for her. Still there were times that I love her and times that I hate her. But as she started taking actions and as she developed throughout the story she became a very admirable and amazing character.

Even though I was extremely touched by this book and although I really did enjoy it I still had some frustrations over it. I could understand Nikki's flaws and misguided choices but it doesn't mean I have to like it. There was this point that I wanted to tell she's so stupid! And although she did admit that it was her own doing that ruined her life and that she regretted it I was still a bit annoyed with her since she didn't exactly do anything right away when she came back. It was frustrating especially there with Cole, I wanted to shake her so bad and beg her to please get really angry at Cole! Around the middle part of the book I was really hopeless about her and Jack. So I was really glad when things finally started picking up around the later parts. That was the most exciting and interesting parts. Where twist and secrets were revealed and when Nikki finally started standing up and fighting for herself and Jack.

Jack. He's the most sweetest and most committed guy I'd ever met! I don't know if I there's anything negative I can say about him. He's a very patient, faithful and loving character. It literally broke my heart when I learned all the hardships he'd been through. There's no word for me to describe how strong his feelings for Nikki. All those things he's done to save Nikki is just downright amazing and heart warming. And whenever Jack is present you could clearly see the love in him. (view spoiler)

As for Cole, he's annoying and I just wanted him to go far far away but in all honesty I could say he's pretty endearing and intriguing. There were some parts that showed that he could be really kind and good but with all those things he did to Nikki, how he manipulated her I just can't seem really like him.

This was a very unique and wonderful paranormal book with a very heartwarming and moving love story. The characters were great and endearing and I was deeply touched by them and their story. I would definitely love to recommend this to everyone.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Bonnie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mythology-greek, ya, read-in-2013, the-love-triangle-of-doom

2.5 stars

“Remembering is easy. It's forgetting that's hard.”

Nikki wants to forget. She wants to forget that the man responsible for her mothers death has been set free. She wants to forget about the girl she saw walking out of her boyfriends dorm room. She just wants to forget and to stop hurting. And Cole is the answer to her problems because he's an Everliving. She stays with Cole in the Everneath as his Forfeit. He Fed on her energy for 100 years before she was empty and he was fully satisfie...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, mythic-and-fairy-tale-ish, read-2011, paranormal-general, 2012-publication

I wish the whole book contained what its last 10% did. Review to come.

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Dec 08, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites, damn-book-made-me-cry, damn-i-wish-i-could-write-like-that, arc-via-amazon-vine, the-great-shelf-of-awesome, arc

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker. I received my copy through Amazon Vine.

I had such a hard time getting this book. For one reason or another, the publisher kept denying me for a copy on NetGalley. I kept sending requests, but I basically gave up on getting an early copy and was fine with waiting until the publication date like everyone else. Then the Vine newsletter arrived in my inbox and luckily, this was one of the books being offered! Now that I've finished the book, I honestly can't...more Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker. I received my copy through Amazon Vine.

I had such a hard time getting this book. For one reason or another, the publisher kept denying me for a copy on NetGalley. I kept sending requests, but I basically gave up on getting an early copy and was fine with waiting until the publication date like everyone else. Then the Vine newsletter arrived in my inbox and luckily, this was one of the books being offered! Now that I've finished the book, I honestly can't fathom why someone didn't want me to read it. I absolutely loved it!

Greek mythology is one of the minor YA fads lately, from the many retakes on the myths of Hades and Persephone to the Furies and beyond. One issue I've had with some of them is that they stray so far from the tale or twist it so badly that they lose meaning as retellings or just aren't good as either a retelling or its own book. Everneath breaks this streak like a hammer breaks a pane of glass. It both remains loyal to its roots and takes creative license to twist the Hades/Persephone and Orpheus/Eurydice myths (among others) into a well-researched, enjoyable, and fresh tale.

Nikki is a likable heroine, and her struggle to make the right choices when she isn't sure what to do resonated with me. It helps that I'm in the middle of writing a similar character All of the characters--Nikki's dad, her boyfriend Jack, and more--felt genuine and were jut as interesting to read about. The antagonist Cole, the metaphorical drug to Nikki's addict, is the usual bad boy, but it's made clear that someone going with the bad boy and letting him ruin them is a very bad idea, something most novels in recent memory ignore. The typical tropes found in YA characters and YA novels in general are twisted around and seen through to the end, and I loved every bit of it.

The novel was difficult to put down and I devoured it in two days flat. If it hadn't been for a few real-life matters that got in the way, I would have read it in one. Two scenes in particular made me tear up. Wow, if only I could write such a powerful scene or overall story that it made people cry. The places I would go... Despite the lack of big action scenes (a nice change), the conflicts of all the characters struggling to put themselves back together and a curiosity to find out what led to Nikki becoming a Forfeit keep the story moving steadily.

My one problem with the novel has to do with some of the logic. Nikki's dad is the mayor of Park City and it is demonstrated in the novel that he cares about his political image, and how he runs his family makes up part of that image. He is surprisingly loose when she comes back despite what her disappearance likely did to his image, but then he loses his temper a little with her when she's the center of an incriminating photo because of what it means for his image. What's with the image concerns in one situation but not the other?

One of my initial worries before reading Everneath and my friends' reviews of it was that there was going to be yet another love triangle, but there isn't. Well, there kind of is, but it's more complicated than that--the good kind of complicated. The book was good enough and the cliffhanger ending grabbing enough to keep me on board for the second book, but the ending renews my fears the Cole-Nikki-Jack situation could develop into exactly the kind of love triangle I hate. For now, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Ashton pleasantly surprised me one, so who is to say she can't do it again?

(...Does my desire to scream like a fangirl and run around in circles doing said fangirl scream show in my review? No? Good. No one must know. Looking proper and calm when I want to jump around like I'm on a sugar high makes me feel cool.)(less)

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May 09, 2012 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 12-debut-author-challenge, signed-books

I started reading Everneath when I was in a bit of a reading slump. At the time I wasn’t sure if I was reading mediocre books or if it was just me, but I wasn’t enjoying what I was reading. I decided to give Everneath a try and I’m so glad that I did, because it was just what I needed to get out of that funk and get excited about reading again!

I love the way that the story of Everneath was told. You don’t start at the beginning and then work to the end. What you know is that Nikki is waking up i...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2012, arc, young-adult, 2011-reads

My mini-review can also be found on my blog Collections.

I managed to read this in one day because it was that easy to get sucked into the world of Everneath!

I liked the main character Nikki's determination. Sometimes she didn't make the best choices, but I can't completely fault her for that because of...Cole. He really knows how to influence a person. I don't think I quite understand him or his agenda. As for the romance, I'm glad I didn't dislike the love-triangle, but I can't say that I compl...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ] rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, arc-galley, i-have, 2011-reads, paranormal, to-review

you know this cover?

looks the same isnt it? I thought when I first saw it, it was part of the series. lol
anyway, I hope its good one.

13 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 fяσzєη rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covergasm, pretty-dress-on-the-cover, mythology, owned-physical-copies, all-time-faves, 2012-faves, amazing-authors, believable-romance, books-i-want-to-marry, deserves-the-hype, faves, heroes-i-adore, immortals

Actual rating is 4.--

Ya know what, screw it. It deserves five.

6 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2012 Lyn (The Heartless) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, teen-lit, series, greek-mythology

I know. I tried to love this book as much as I loved the cover.

Everneath is an attempt to make mythology sexy and appealing to the teen population. The idea was great, but the execution was a bit too simpering and bland to make a good impression.
The barely breathing heroine, Beks, resurfaces after her Fed from the Underworld, and virtually does little in the book besides drag from location to location, appear to be as bland as possible, and manage to snag two guys, one she ran away from, and the...more I know. I tried to love this book as much as I loved the cover.

Everneath is an attempt to make mythology sexy and appealing to the teen population. The idea was great, but the execution was a bit too simpering and bland to make a good impression.
The barely breathing heroine, Beks, resurfaces after her Fed from the Underworld, and virtually does little in the book besides drag from location to location, appear to be as bland as possible, and manage to snag two guys, one she ran away from, and the other who wants to set her up as queen of the damned. The rest of the story is then filled with a whole BOATLOAD of generic, formulated DRAMA, just in case one might enjoy the retooling of the myth of Persephone.

Here is the character list:
Hot sorta-ex boyfriend (Jack): cute star quarterback who refused the oh-so-beautiful and obligatory snotty cheerleader to be with his childhood sweetheart, who almost fell in love with the main character's attractive best friend during her absence, but is completely and totally unable to get over her, even though she took off without a word after his apparent (and poorly explained) cheating with snotty beautiful cheerleader.
Other boy in the contractual Love Triangle, found in almost every YA novel (Cole): Cute, blonde rockstar who just happens to very very very much love the main character. And he's evil.
Blonde Best Friend: Pushover and easily written off when needed.
Sacrificed Female Sidekick: Needed to inflict pity.
Dead mother: All novels need a dead parent.
Out of touch Father: Yep, he's here as well. He even has the luxury to let his accused druggie daughter run around and take off when she pleases (and when the storyline needs for him to butt out).
Main Character: Doesn't understand what a little hottie she is, attracts many of the guys in the school, but is forbidden to date unless Hot Soon Too Be Boyfriend approves. She is bland, self centered, and tends to have a one-track mind. Also, she has the inner strength like No One Before Her. This causes insta-love with Hot Bad Guy.

Overall, I felt like I was watching something from the CW. So, I think this boils down to just not my type.

There is one redeeming quality of the book. I did enjoy how the story is a fairy-tale for teens who are trying to kick an addiction. This book might have been a little more personal to me if I had ever experienced such an event in my life. Each one of us has to deal with a life-crushing condition or event, and it helps to read a fantasy novel that mirrors the struggles we face. For example, Percy in The Last Olympians series was dyslexic. I am dyslexic as well, and it was a comfort to me to read that dyslexia is the side effect of Percy's lineage. I understand that my brain misfires and has some wires crossed, but it is nice to slip into a world where there is a reason for dyslexia, and an awesome reason, to boot. So I can understand that the drug addict teen searching for a fictional identity to wrap around to help find a little comfort. The book also deals with the loss of a parent, and the wish to quickly fix the pain felt when we have a loved one robbed from our lives.
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Dec 19, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Christina (A Reader of Fictions) by: Steph Sinclair

Obviously, I have been wanting to read Everneath for most of this year. I say obviously, because who could resist this cover? Certainly not me. However, I feared Everneath might turn out to be a crushing disappointment, since pretty dress covers have lured me into many traps in the past. In case you had similar concerns, lay them to rest. Everneath has incredible world building, compelling characters, and solid writing.

The Persephone myth has inspired numerous authors, but those attempts at a yo...more Obviously, I have been wanting to read Everneath for most of this year. I say obviously, because who could resist this cover? Certainly not me. However, I feared Everneath might turn out to be a crushing disappointment, since pretty dress covers have lured me into many traps in the past. In case you had similar concerns, lay them to rest. Everneath has incredible world building, compelling characters, and solid writing.

The Persephone myth has inspired numerous authors, but those attempts at a young adult retelling which I have read have been ill-considered to say the least. Both of the other two YA adaptions I've read, Abandon by Meg Cabot and The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, involved an intense immediate attraction for the Hades figure. A big part of why these attempts failed is this perversion of the myth, trying to forge an immediate romantic connection between Persephone and a misunderstood version of Hades. Well, sorry, but that just does not fly. One of the main elements of the Persephone myth is that she is taken and that she is kept. If right from the beginning she kind of wants to hang out in the Underworld, the author's kind of missing the point.

All of that lead up is to say that I think Brodi Ashton hit the nail on the head with the Persephone myth. Of course, she put a lot of twists on things, but a lot more of the core of the myth remained. Though Nikki doesn't hate Cole, who is not Hades but one of the Everliving who lives in the Everneath, she does not trust him either. He did take her there and he did keep her through the months, with her having no say once she let him in a little bit. Cole has a proper amount of darkness to fill this role, and Nikki begins with a sort of weakness I identify with Persephone.

Actually, I loved just about every single thing that Brodi Ashton did with her reworking of the myths. Instead of the Underworld, we have the Everneath, a land populated by the Everliving, humans who have found the secret to eternal life, and Shades, ghosty type things. The Everliving survive by feeding off of the emotions of humans on Earth, but have to bring a particular human to the Everneath every hundred years to Feed. This human is a Forfeit, and once they've completed their service, they are buried in the Tunnels to power the Everneath. It's a wee bit confusing, but mostly just creepy and awesome. Ashton puts a fascinating and unique twist on not just the myth of Persephone, but also that of Orpheus and even incorporates mythologies outside of Greek too.

Nikki, Cole and Jack are the only characters to receive any real attention, but, thankfully, Ashton does a marvelous job with them. Nikki very much has her own way of being, and feels quite real. She is not the most sympathetic heroine, quite passive and depressed much of the time, but she has a core strength, one that she's slowly finding. Seeing her slowly unfold, like a flower after a long winter beautifully matches the arc of the tale. Because of her coldness, I did have some trouble emotionally connecting with her, but I very much appreciated her as a character.

With the listing of Cole and Jack, you might be worried about yet another love triangle, and I do suspect things are heading that way. In Everneath, though, I hardly felt the romance as a main part of the plot. Much of the time, Nikki is too drained of emotion to feel anything. She doesn't trust Cole and is unsure what she wants from her ex, Jack. Their interactions are complicated, and all of the emotions are well established and believable. The closest comparison for the romantic arc in this book is definitely Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

My only real complaint is that I would have liked even more of the stellar world building. During the dramatic opening scene, Nikki declares her desire to go to the surface, Shades fly at her, and then she wakes up in a convenience store. Yes, this is dramatic, but it made no sense. Then, all of a sudden, she seems to know the terms of her sentence up above, but, if some of the things she knows are explained to her, I missed them. I want to know every single thing about this world, and I feel like sometimes some information was kept back from me.

If you enjoy original takes on mythology, Everneath is most definitely worth your time. From what I hear, the second book, Everbound improves on the beginning established here, so I most definitely recommend that you give this one a try.(less)

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Oct 05, 2012 Dee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-must-own, all-time-favorites, favorite-guys, read-in-2012, ya-paranormal-romance, writing-i-could-kiss, sad-love-stories, kickass-female-characters

This book seriously needs more attention. It deserves MORE than what it has right now. I sure did love it from start to finish. Brondi Ashton is an author to look out for! With an extremely addictive story line and fast pacing, fans of books with modern adaptations of greek mythology will be thrilled with this new addition to the GM genre. It was a little creepy, gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and amazing over all.

What is this book about?

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an under

...more

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Nov 24, 2011 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Paranormal Romance Fans

Shelves: 2012, netgalley-e-book, arc, cover-love, books-i-own

I couldn’t stop thinking about this book after I was done reading it. It was haunting, and heart-breaking….and I loved it.

Seventeen-year old Nikki Bennett, Becks, has been gone for six months in the Everneath, a place where Everlivings, immortal beings, feed off the emotions of humans to survive. Nikki has come home to say a proper good-bye to her family and friends, most of all a proper good-bye to Jack, the love of her life. Nikki has six months on the surface before the Everneath claims her f...more I couldn’t stop thinking about this book after I was done reading it. It was haunting, and heart-breaking….and I loved it.

Seventeen-year old Nikki Bennett, Becks, has been gone for six months in the Everneath, a place where Everlivings, immortal beings, feed off the emotions of humans to survive. Nikki has come home to say a proper good-bye to her family and friends, most of all a proper good-bye to Jack, the love of her life. Nikki has six months on the surface before the Everneath claims her for good to serve either as a “battery” in the dark tunnels or to become an Everliving with Cole, the Everliving who took her. At first you know that Nikki made the choice willingly to go with Cole, but you don’t know why. You get glimpses of the past events that led up to her decision, throughout the story. You know that her mother died in a car accident and that she’s devastated about that. However, Nikki also has other things going for her, like Jack. Jack was her best-friend that she secretly loved for many years, until they figured out their feelings were mutual. In flash-backs you see that Nikki has some doubts of her worth to Jack, and some problems with her family. Cole takes advantage of that, encouraging her doubt. Everlivings entice people in pain, because The Feed takes all those emotions away. Unfortunately, The Feed also takes every emotion you have away, leaving you an empty shell. Now Nikki would do anything to change the bargain she made with Cole.

This story made my heart ache for Nikki and Jack. It felt like I was watching someone tying up loose ends before a death sentence! It pained me to see Nikki realizing how close her best-friend, Jules and Jack became after she disappeared, and feeling the jealousy she felt because of it. Jack, though, is such an unwavering, persistent guy, never giving up on Nikki while she was gone or now, when she’s back. Their romance is so very sweet, although mainly told from flash-backs. Loved this scene:

“You weren’t in the lunchroom today.” Jack said, coming up behind me at my locker. “Jules says you’re never in the cafeteria on Wednesdays.” I tried to calm the flush to my cheeks before I turned around to face him. My crush on Jack was getting ridiculous….Just because he noticed, for the first time, that I wasn’t at lunch, it didn’t mean anything…. ”She said you avoid the cafeteria on Wednesdays. And she said you like me.” I heard myself gasp, and I came to a stop. “So is it true?” Jack said….I turned away, embarrassed, but Jack stepped sideways so he was in front of me, and there was nowhere else I could look. “Yes. I hate hot-dog Wednesdays, so I don’t go to the lunchroom. It’s true.” Jack: “That’s not what I meant, Becks.” Nikki: “I know.” Jack: “Tell me. Is it true? Do you like me?” Nikki: “You know I like you. You’re one of my best friends.” Jack: “Friends.” Nikki: “Of course.” Jack: “Good friends?” Nikki: I nodded. Jack: “More than friends?” Nikki: I didn’t say anything. I didn’t move. Jack reached toward my hand and tugged gently on my fingers. He leaned forward and said, “Tell me, friend. Is there more for us?” Nikki: I looked down at my feet. “There’s everything for us.”

Oh, how you want them to find a way around this mess!

I liked that this story incorporates an original take on Greek Mythology, the story of Hades and the Underworld twisted up a bit. I hope that’s developed more in the next one. And the ending!!! Oh, the ending!! I can’t wait to see what happens next. A definite recommend!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for allowing me to read this!(less)

20 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 ~Tina~ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookers-tour, arc, read-2012, mythology, wanted-to-love-but-couldn-t, young-adult

I really really wanted to like Everneath but in the end I just couldn't bring myself to love this one.

This book really makes you work at trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It's very evasively written. Leaving you hanging on a lot of questions from the very first page...on. It would hook me one minute then lose me the next.

The story-line was intriging enough. I really loved the mythology that Ashton brought into this and her writing is very good, but I wish the flow of the story mov...more

25 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of Hourglass Door, or even those who wanted more out of Existence

Shelves: young-adult

~~Needs More Mythology~~

I figured that was going to be my review opener until I hit the last portion of the book. The connection between the realm of the gods and our world wasn't made clear upfront, but wouldn't you know...the author had to sneak some of it in on us at the last minute.

Buried alive...

Nikki (Becks) is back in town after a long period of time away. 100 years underground, to be exact. Yet, in everyone else's perspective, they think she's only been gone a matter of months. When...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: covers-to-die-for, i-own, simon-and-schuster-sent, publisher-sent

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **Thank-you to Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a copy of this to read and review!**

Brodi Ashton’s debut novel Everneath is mystical and compelling and will draw you into a world of shadows, woven together with high school drama and everyday life in a tale that will draw you in and not let you go!

I admit I had such high expectations for this book. I’ve been eagerly awaiting it’s release, but when I first began reading I found myself a tad disappointed. At first I couldn’t con...more

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Jul 07, 2012 KM rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology, arc-for-review, 2012-debuts, harper-collins

I went into this book thinking it was going to be another take on the Hades/Persephone story, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's actually not. Instead, it's a fresh take on world mythology with a unique spin that had me captivated from the beginning.

If anything, this book is inspired by the Orpheus myth, which can be found in mythology around the world, not just Greek. But Ashton has created her own sort of mythology, with an Underworld that has nothing to do with religion and mor...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Ezgi Su Bayraktar rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Ah, Jack...

Yorum, eğer yetişirse bu gece sevgilikitap.blogspot.com'da~

Edit: http://sevgilikitap.blogspot.com/2013...

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Jan 30, 2012 Rane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: keeper

It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy. -Chinese Proverb

What drew me to Everneath was the Hades and Persephone myth that was incorporated into the story. Although the true gem of the story was finding one's feet after you feel your world has been destroyed.
Nikki feels just like that, and ends up turning to the wrong person Cole. Next things she knows she’s been stuck into an underworld where immortals Feed on the emotions of those who have hit wrong bot...more

It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy. -Chinese Proverb

What drew me to Everneath was the Hades and Persephone myth that was incorporated into the story. Although the true gem of the story was finding one's feet after you feel your world has been destroyed.
Nikki feels just like that, and ends up turning to the wrong person Cole. Next things she knows she’s been stuck into an underworld where immortals Feed on the emotions of those who have hit wrong bottom like Nikki. Nikki though finds a way to get back to the surface and finally make her peace with her family and love ones before she’s suck back into the underworld. Only she can’t. Not when the feelings she thought were torn from her come back to her, and not when the love of her life- Jack- comes back into her life and gives her the strength to fight back in returning to Everneath and Cole.

Brodi Ashton added a little flavor of different myths while giving you the story from different points in time. This was very clever if not a tad slow in getting into the story. In the present Nikki counts down the days, weeks and months until she’s forced into returning to Everneath. To the past in how Nikki fell into this whole mess. Nikki isn’t a dumb, but heartbreaking sad as she find her way from heartbreak to trusting the world person to trying to make amends before she leaves again. I think everyone of us could understand where Nikki stood, dealing with depression, lost of a love one or just finally hitting the bottom. Might have chosen the wrong path in dealing with what she was going through, that wasn’t the point. It was having that someone who loved her, that anchor we all need in our life to help us dig ourselves out and be there for us like Jack is for Nikki. I loved Jack and all he stood for and his love for Nikki. He was true through and through and while sometimes it was a hard pill to see and learn about what had happen to Nikki he stood by her and loved her period.
The author deals very well with the subject of drugs in the form Cole and how he robs Nikki of her emotions. We can’t turn to drugs or someone to support us in a toxic way. And the author shows this with how Nikki is supported by her love ones and is able to overcome her “addiction” to Cole and dealing with the good and the bad.

The ending was heartbreaking and leaving the reader wanting more, but still with a great amount of hope that things will get better. Brodi Ashton created an amazing debut world with Everneath and the message of believing in ones self even when the odds are stacked against you and overcoming the odds.

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♥!The Young Adult...: Everneath by Brodi Ashton	7	74	Apr 12, 2013 10:22am

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