Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned-to her old life, her family, her boyfriend-before she's 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 precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance-and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is 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 queen.

GR
Publishes in US: January 24th 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA fantasy
Source: library
Series? Yes. Everneath #1

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 4.5

    I wanted to read Everneath because I have seen it on blogs for quite some time and finally it lined up with a hole in my schedule and being at the library. I am not heavy into the myths, but I do like the idea of having the ties to both underworld and above and the emotions of having to try to find redemption for her disappearance and being okay with or finding a way to stay. The cover has always caught my eye as well, and I am def vain like that sometimes. 

    At first, I was confused a bit because the time frame is jumping around and I am not exactly sure how the Everneath works, and what the Tunnels are as well as what the history was between her and Cole and her and Jack. But this is intentional because the time shifts explain what I needed to know at every turn.

    I liked Nikki's character, she is easy to get along with, and more reserved and quiet, which has always been me so that is my personality. Which part of her reservation is Nikki being emotionless(ish) as she comes back from the Everneath, but she gets her emotion back as she spends more time above. 

    The romance is kinda up in the air for me, because for the most part of the story, I knew that Cole wanted her to be Everliving with him, but otherwise his motives and feelings are kinda unknown to me. Jack is sweet and I would pull for him, but Nikki alludes to something happening between the two so I kinda hold off my feelings because I am afraid that he hurt her. 

     The emotions in this one are pretty powerful. We have Nikki hurt from the issue with Jack, that she forgot a lot while she was in the Everneath with Cole, we have love flying around everywhere, and we have the raw emotion of Nikki losing her mom, who died in a car accident. Nikki's family and friends were hurt because she disappeared and because she wasn't fully connected when she was back because even though she wanted redemption and to say goodbye, she also wouldn't let herself get any closer to them and at an arm's length. 

    The story started getting going and it raced to the end at a breakneck pace. I figured out who I wanted for Nikki, and I think that even though it seems there is a love triangle, I think that one ends up being a non--player although I may be proven wrong as I read more. But the ending, wow, it just cemented my love for this series and the man that won my heart. 

    I will definitely continue this series, and I am so glad that I finally got to it, and I recommend to any of my fantasy or paranormal romance friends because it is a good, emotional and unique story. 

Bottom Line: Characters stole my heart!

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Could you let an immortal feed off of you to escape your emotions?