Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton - Review

Lately, I 've been in a sort of reading slump. Everything I pick up turns out to be exactly what I'm not looking for at that moment. I decided to give Everneath a try because I was definitely in the mood for a tragic love story and that's exactly what I got.


After leaving the Underworld called Everneath just six months ago, Nikki Beckett is thrown back into the life of the living with one goal: to say goodbye to those she loves most. But will these six months be enough time for her to find the words to say goodbye to her father, her brother, her friends and her boyfriend? To ready herself for what's coming next when the Everneath comes to claim her? Will she be able to part with the surface to live an eternal life in hell?

I know, dramatic right? I can't help it, this book made me feel like I do when I read Romeo and Juliet: sad, mushy, happy and excited. Everneath is a retelling of the Persephone myth and as always, I'm a little weary to start books that retell this story in particular. I'm a huge fan of the Goddess Test series by Aime Carter, another Persephone retelling and I'm very into Percy Jackson, which covers Greek Mythology in general. Last month, however, I picked up Abandon by Meg Cabot and completely hated it. So, when I began reading this story, I was somewhat apprehensive, but I ended up falling in love with Everneath.

Ashton set a beautifully dark tone throughout this novel and it was such a joy to read. I loved how much of the story explained the Everneath. Her own personal Underworld is very different from the traditional tellings in Greek Mythology and is quite unique. Her way of explaining Everneath was so powerful and terrifying and  it was great reading her creative explanation of the realm of the dead.

Our main character Nikki is one of the best parts of this book. She works the entire novel to be unselfish and to give her family a happy ending when she leaves to go back to the Everneath. She grapples with her own feelings, wants and needs and struggles to put the needs of her loved ones before her own. Of course, she wasn't perfect and I was glad. The story would have been pretty boring if all she did was act like a saint on her road trip to hell.

I really liked the male characters as well. Jack, her boyfriend, is a rarity in YA fiction. He isn't a pompous, arrogant jerk who lives to annoy the living daylights out of Nikki. He is a wonderfully loving and giving person who cares for Nikki's wellbeing above all else. Our dark night, Cole is mysterious and darkly sexy, but Ashton does a fabulous job making you want to punch him in his sexy face most of the time.

Overall, I loved this tragic story of star crossed lovers and it was exactly what I needed to recover from my book slump. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Ashton brings to the table in her novella and her book two, Everbound.

9 out of 10

Happy Reading :)