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jessiedoesstuff 's review for:
Everneath
by Brodi Ashton
Originally posted on my blog The Daily Bookmark
I really loved Everneath. It was so much more than I was really anticipating and I was sad when it was over. There were a couple of inconsistencies with the plot that sort of rubbed me wrong and a couple of little things that I didn't get really hip to. But other than that, I was really really stoked.
Plotline / Story 4.5
Everneath is a modern, YA retelling of the well-known Greek myth revolving around Hades, Lord of the Underworld and Persephone, daughter of the Goddess of the Harvest. I plan on doing a longer post later this week so look for that regarding the story and related lore. But what you need to know is that Hades took Persephone, not against her will, to the Underworld. And while her mother searched for her, the world grew cold and winter fell. When she was returned to the surface, a deal was struck that she would spend six months of the year in the Underworld as queen, and six months on the surface with her grief-ridden mother.
Now Everneath.
Nikki is broken and hurt and very much depressed when she runs to the Everneath as a release from this pain with Cole. Cole is an Everliving who will numb the pain in return for feeding off her soul. A hundred Everneath years later (or six months Surface time, whichever you prefer), Nikki Returns to the Surface with the understanding that she will go back to the Everneath to "work" in the Tunnels. Cole wants Nikki for his own. He wants her to be his queen, so he follows her around under disguise, trying to convince her to accept his plan. In the meantime, Nikki attempts to say goodbye to her family, her friends, and most of all, her boyfriend, Jack. Steadily, she and Jack try to find a way to get her to stay on the Surface.
Pretty different, eh? So really, it's a retelling... sorta. There's definite mythology undertones and I thought the story benefited from that. I would have been put off if it had been Hades + Persephone with new names. I really loved the premise to this story. It's very unique, something I've not seen before, even in other myths.
I have only two issues with the plot. The first being that the story for Hades and Persephone was perfectly laid out for Nikki and Jack and the readers. There was no guessing, it was just simply there. A wonderful YA device known as a "teacher" was thrown in to make the connection for them and for us. I would have appreciated the myth kept a little more subtle, a little less out in the open. It was so explicit and I found that unexpected.
I also didn't like a bit of inconsistency. This is a Greek myth. Sure, every major culture has a version of their own. That's well and good, but it was clear from the start that this was based on the Greek version. As aforementioned, it was even clearly laid out. Late in the book, an artifact is presented with significance. It's riddled with Egyptian hieroglyphs. Wait, what? Greek story. Egyptian hieroglyphs. I was not a fan. Why twist it up now for any reason other than convenience? To make matters worse, it was connected with the story by a mere mention that Cole called Hades and Persephone, Isis and Osiris, the Egyptian equivalents.
Other than those two small details, I really did love the story. It was engaging and well balanced. Once again, I fell victim to "the pages turning themselves" and closing the book was a real chore for me. I look forward to re-reading this again... eventually. ; )
Characters 5 / 5
I adored all of the characters in this book. Seriously, each one of them were so well developed and I often found myself wishing I knew them in person.
Nikki was faced with immeasurable difficulties. Her grief was unquestionable and I felt it to my core. Despite all that, she wasn't selfish. She sought out a numbness to the pain but other than that, even her Returning was for the benefit of her family and friends as she felt they deserved a better goodbye. She didn't want to get to involved in her relationships because she knew they'd end at a not-so-distant future and she didn't want to hurt them anymore.
Cole was perfectly creepy. Rock band star, feeds off souls, charming in a strange, sadistic sort of way. He's the bad boy we're supposed to love to hate. From the first mention of Jack, I had no love for Cole, none whatsoever. Sure, he was a nice (maybe?) alternative to suicide but damn was he conniving. Perfect in his role but I did not like him.
Jack. Oh, Jack. My forever book boyfriend. He never stopped searching for Becks while she was in the Everneath. He never stopped loving her, even when she wasn't so easy to love. And he was grown up enough to let her approach him first, rather than immediately jump on the offensive and demand answers.
Voice / Narration 5 / 5
Everneath is told solely in Nikki's perspective. But it takes place in two different time periods: the six months leading up to The Feed and the six months after the Return. I loved that because as you're piecing together the mystery of what's going to happen to Nikki when her six months is up, you learn what put her there in the first place. This is done slowly, not all at once. Getting to know the before-and-after Nikki was really quite stunning and well done.
As is the case with any good Greek story, this was told as a tragedy. You knew, from the very first words, that the ending was not going to be wrapped up in a nice little happy package. It wasn't going to end well. The characters were going to endure more than should be asked of any human person. And yet, you spend 370 pages waiting, wishing, hoping for the author to write in a loophole that sends in the happy faeries and makes everything all good again. My favorite part about this? That doesn't happen. It ends in heartache and it hurts the whole way there. That much emotion is something to be cherished.
Romance 5 / 5
I have to mention the romance here because it was so well done. Let me start of by saying/stressing/screaming that this was NOT a love triangle. Two guys, one girl does not automatically imply that half the world will be Team Jack and the other Team Cole. Unless something drastic changes in Book #2, this is how it is. Yes, Cole wants Nikki, but that doesn't mean it's in both directions. I love that Everneath didn't fall victim to that ever so common plot line in paranormal romance these days.
The innocent and yet deep love between Nikki and Jack is unprecedented. I really loved them together. Even when they simply sat in the same vicinity, I felt the love and affection emanate off the page. I got chills and butterflies and loved every second of it.
I really loved Everneath. It was so much more than I was really anticipating and I was sad when it was over. There were a couple of inconsistencies with the plot that sort of rubbed me wrong and a couple of little things that I didn't get really hip to. But other than that, I was really really stoked.
Plotline / Story 4.5
Everneath is a modern, YA retelling of the well-known Greek myth revolving around Hades, Lord of the Underworld and Persephone, daughter of the Goddess of the Harvest. I plan on doing a longer post later this week so look for that regarding the story and related lore. But what you need to know is that Hades took Persephone, not against her will, to the Underworld. And while her mother searched for her, the world grew cold and winter fell. When she was returned to the surface, a deal was struck that she would spend six months of the year in the Underworld as queen, and six months on the surface with her grief-ridden mother.
Now Everneath.
Nikki is broken and hurt and very much depressed when she runs to the Everneath as a release from this pain with Cole. Cole is an Everliving who will numb the pain in return for feeding off her soul. A hundred Everneath years later (or six months Surface time, whichever you prefer), Nikki Returns to the Surface with the understanding that she will go back to the Everneath to "work" in the Tunnels. Cole wants Nikki for his own. He wants her to be his queen, so he follows her around under disguise, trying to convince her to accept his plan. In the meantime, Nikki attempts to say goodbye to her family, her friends, and most of all, her boyfriend, Jack. Steadily, she and Jack try to find a way to get her to stay on the Surface.
Pretty different, eh? So really, it's a retelling... sorta. There's definite mythology undertones and I thought the story benefited from that. I would have been put off if it had been Hades + Persephone with new names. I really loved the premise to this story. It's very unique, something I've not seen before, even in other myths.
I have only two issues with the plot. The first being that the story for Hades and Persephone was perfectly laid out for Nikki and Jack and the readers. There was no guessing, it was just simply there. A wonderful YA device known as a "teacher" was thrown in to make the connection for them and for us. I would have appreciated the myth kept a little more subtle, a little less out in the open. It was so explicit and I found that unexpected.
I also didn't like a bit of inconsistency. This is a Greek myth. Sure, every major culture has a version of their own. That's well and good, but it was clear from the start that this was based on the Greek version. As aforementioned, it was even clearly laid out. Late in the book, an artifact is presented with significance. It's riddled with Egyptian hieroglyphs. Wait, what? Greek story. Egyptian hieroglyphs. I was not a fan. Why twist it up now for any reason other than convenience? To make matters worse, it was connected with the story by a mere mention that Cole called Hades and Persephone, Isis and Osiris, the Egyptian equivalents.
Other than those two small details, I really did love the story. It was engaging and well balanced. Once again, I fell victim to "the pages turning themselves" and closing the book was a real chore for me. I look forward to re-reading this again... eventually. ; )
Characters 5 / 5
I adored all of the characters in this book. Seriously, each one of them were so well developed and I often found myself wishing I knew them in person.
Nikki was faced with immeasurable difficulties. Her grief was unquestionable and I felt it to my core. Despite all that, she wasn't selfish. She sought out a numbness to the pain but other than that, even her Returning was for the benefit of her family and friends as she felt they deserved a better goodbye. She didn't want to get to involved in her relationships because she knew they'd end at a not-so-distant future and she didn't want to hurt them anymore.
Cole was perfectly creepy. Rock band star, feeds off souls, charming in a strange, sadistic sort of way. He's the bad boy we're supposed to love to hate. From the first mention of Jack, I had no love for Cole, none whatsoever. Sure, he was a nice (maybe?) alternative to suicide but damn was he conniving. Perfect in his role but I did not like him.
Jack. Oh, Jack. My forever book boyfriend. He never stopped searching for Becks while she was in the Everneath. He never stopped loving her, even when she wasn't so easy to love. And he was grown up enough to let her approach him first, rather than immediately jump on the offensive and demand answers.
Voice / Narration 5 / 5
Everneath is told solely in Nikki's perspective. But it takes place in two different time periods: the six months leading up to The Feed and the six months after the Return. I loved that because as you're piecing together the mystery of what's going to happen to Nikki when her six months is up, you learn what put her there in the first place. This is done slowly, not all at once. Getting to know the before-and-after Nikki was really quite stunning and well done.
As is the case with any good Greek story, this was told as a tragedy. You knew, from the very first words, that the ending was not going to be wrapped up in a nice little happy package. It wasn't going to end well. The characters were going to endure more than should be asked of any human person. And yet, you spend 370 pages waiting, wishing, hoping for the author to write in a loophole that sends in the happy faeries and makes everything all good again. My favorite part about this? That doesn't happen. It ends in heartache and it hurts the whole way there. That much emotion is something to be cherished.
Romance 5 / 5
I have to mention the romance here because it was so well done. Let me start of by saying/stressing/screaming that this was NOT a love triangle. Two guys, one girl does not automatically imply that half the world will be Team Jack and the other Team Cole. Unless something drastic changes in Book #2, this is how it is. Yes, Cole wants Nikki, but that doesn't mean it's in both directions. I love that Everneath didn't fall victim to that ever so common plot line in paranormal romance these days.
The innocent and yet deep love between Nikki and Jack is unprecedented. I really loved them together. Even when they simply sat in the same vicinity, I felt the love and affection emanate off the page. I got chills and butterflies and loved every second of it.