View source for Everneath by Brodi Ashton

{{infobox2
|title=Everneath
|author=Brodi Ashton
|reviewer=Catherine Bakes
|genre=Teens
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0857074577
|pages=384
|publisher=Simon and Schuster
|date=February 2012
|aznuk=0857074598
|aznus=0062071130
|cover=0857074598
|website=http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/
|video=
|summary=Six months ago Nikki vanished into Everneath, the Underworld to become a battery for an Immortal. Now, she's returned to the surface and her old life before the Everneath comes to claim her forever. 
}}

When I got this book I was dubious and it took me a while to work myself up to starting it. Once I did I devoured it. Wow. This book blew me away – original, suspenseful and captivating. It follows Nikki Beckett, who six months ago followed an Immortal called Cole into the Underworld, Everneath, where for a century she was his battery, feeding him life. Most humans after a century of having their lives sucked away are nothing but shells of their former selves, but not Nikki. After waking from the feed she decides to leave the Everneath to go back to the surface, to her family and to Jack, her boyfriend. 

But the Everneath will only allow her to return for six months before it comes to claim her and take her to the Tunnels – a type of hell where she will be used forever as a living battery. but Cole's not giving up on her, he is convinced she is the key to claiming the throne of the Everneath and has followed her back to the surface, where he has six months to persuade her to return with him as his queen. 

This is a brilliant modern twist on the Persephone Greek myth. I love the aspect of Greek mythology that runs through the book; it gives the book a unique quality that you don't find in other modern teen fantasy. It's not all vampires, werewolves but about something greater than all of the supernatural stuff, what's a bigger mystery than the afterlife? The characters are brilliant and I found myself torn between wanting Nikki to be with Jack or with Cole. Another thing that I want to point out is that this is the start of a trilogy and because of that the plot isn't rushed, in fact, I would say it was very skillfully paced. The re-building of Nikki and Jack's relationship and her relationship with her family takes almost the whole book, something that's very realistic – they don't just all fall back into each other's arms and it's over. 

You have to read this book. 

Thank you very much to the Publisher, Simon and Schuster, for a copy of this wonderful book.

You really should start with [[Everbound by Brodi Ashton]]. 

If you enjoyed this try the brilliant [[Matched by Ally Condie]] or [[Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater]]. 

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[[Category:Confident Readers]]