100 YA Novels: Everneath
Book 5
Everneath by Brodi Ashton, like many of the best books I've read, came as a rec from vnfan. It's sort of a modern take on the Persephone myth. While in a highly emotional state, Nikki allows Cole, one of the Everliving--an immortal that feeds on the emotions of people to stay alive, to take her to the Everneath. The Everneath is basically the underworld.
When the story begins, Nikki is entwined with Cole in a strange cavelike place in the Everneath. They've been cocooned by shades for 100 years while Cole, one of the Everliving, fed off her emotions. It's almost like Cole is a good-looking Dementor. Most people who are lured to the Everneath do not withstand the Feeding, but Nikki keeps the image of her boyfriend, Jack, in her mind and it prevents her from losing herself entirely. Cole informs her that this is a rare feat and asks her to stay in the Everneath as his queen. Disgusted by the idea of Feeding on other people, she chooses to return to the Surface and her former life. But the Shades only allow her six months to get her affairs in order. After six months, she has to choose whether to return to the Everneath with Cole and become one of the Everliving or be taken by the Tunnels, where she will be forever lost.
Nikki finds it difficult to fit back into her life. In her mind, she has been gone a hundred years even though it was only six months in Surface time. The official story around town is that she got hooked on drugs and entered rehab. It explains her absence and her sickly appearance when she returns. Her father, who happens to be the mayor in the midst of a re-election campaign, no longer trusts her (to the point where he has her randomly tested for drugs). The people at school gossip about her, and she deliberately keeps her distance from her friends. Making things even more difficult is that Cole isn't content to let her go. He stalks her and incessantly tries to persuade her to return to the Everneath.
Cole is the quintessential paranormal YA bad boy, and I HATED everything about him. He is nothing more than a leech. The way he manipulates and obsesses over Nikki is truly disgusting. Thankfully, unlike in other paranoral novels, she doesn't return his twisted affection. Nikki still loves her best friend-turned-boyfriend, Jack, who was devastated when she left. In her six months on the Surface, she tries desperately to find a way to set things right with Jack (and everyone else she hurt by her absence) and to try to find a way to stay for good.
I loved Jack. Even though she made a horrible mistake with horrible consequences for herself and the people who love her, he never gives up on her. I'm glad that Ashton actually gave him a personality (unlike the "normal" guys in other paranormal romances).
I'm looking forward to the other books in this series. Ashton is releasing a novella this fall that takes place after Everneath, before the second novel, Everbound. The novella is in Cole's POV. Everbound will be released next January.
Everneath by Brodi Ashton, like many of the best books I've read, came as a rec from vnfan. It's sort of a modern take on the Persephone myth. While in a highly emotional state, Nikki allows Cole, one of the Everliving--an immortal that feeds on the emotions of people to stay alive, to take her to the Everneath. The Everneath is basically the underworld.
When the story begins, Nikki is entwined with Cole in a strange cavelike place in the Everneath. They've been cocooned by shades for 100 years while Cole, one of the Everliving, fed off her emotions. It's almost like Cole is a good-looking Dementor. Most people who are lured to the Everneath do not withstand the Feeding, but Nikki keeps the image of her boyfriend, Jack, in her mind and it prevents her from losing herself entirely. Cole informs her that this is a rare feat and asks her to stay in the Everneath as his queen. Disgusted by the idea of Feeding on other people, she chooses to return to the Surface and her former life. But the Shades only allow her six months to get her affairs in order. After six months, she has to choose whether to return to the Everneath with Cole and become one of the Everliving or be taken by the Tunnels, where she will be forever lost.
Nikki finds it difficult to fit back into her life. In her mind, she has been gone a hundred years even though it was only six months in Surface time. The official story around town is that she got hooked on drugs and entered rehab. It explains her absence and her sickly appearance when she returns. Her father, who happens to be the mayor in the midst of a re-election campaign, no longer trusts her (to the point where he has her randomly tested for drugs). The people at school gossip about her, and she deliberately keeps her distance from her friends. Making things even more difficult is that Cole isn't content to let her go. He stalks her and incessantly tries to persuade her to return to the Everneath.
Cole is the quintessential paranormal YA bad boy, and I HATED everything about him. He is nothing more than a leech. The way he manipulates and obsesses over Nikki is truly disgusting. Thankfully, unlike in other paranoral novels, she doesn't return his twisted affection. Nikki still loves her best friend-turned-boyfriend, Jack, who was devastated when she left. In her six months on the Surface, she tries desperately to find a way to set things right with Jack (and everyone else she hurt by her absence) and to try to find a way to stay for good.
I loved Jack. Even though she made a horrible mistake with horrible consequences for herself and the people who love her, he never gives up on her. I'm glad that Ashton actually gave him a personality (unlike the "normal" guys in other paranormal romances).
I'm looking forward to the other books in this series. Ashton is releasing a novella this fall that takes place after Everneath, before the second novel, Everbound. The novella is in Cole's POV. Everbound will be released next January.