Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Title: Everneath (Everneath #1)
Author: Brodi Ashton
Publication Date: 24 January 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Purchased
Summary (courtesy of goodreads.com):

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being 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 months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's 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...

Okay, so...this is awkward.  I loved this book, I really did.  So at least I can agree with the masses on that.  But something happened when I was reading Everneath that I don't think was supposed to happen.  It's the same thing that happens when I watch Labyrinth - I started rooting for the bad guy.

I know, it's awful.  I sat there and read and read and read, and I couldn't WAIT for Nikki to go back to the Everneath with Cole.  Because he has this attitude and just general way about him that is bad-ass and SO HOT.  I was like, "Forget Jack!  Who needs someone caring and supportive when you can have this piece of immortal meat?!"  Yeah, like I said, awful.

Anyway, since talking about how hot Cole is doesn't really constitute a review, I will try to gather some other thoughts about this book.

For the first hundred or so pages, I wasn't really feeling Everneath.  I was kind of bored and kind of over Nikki.  She came back for Jack, yet every time she sees him she just sits there and bemoans his presence.  It was maybe just a little bit annoying, and I thought, "Great, I bought this book and had it signed and I'm going to HATE IT!"  But, because I bought this book and had it signed, I decided to just carry on reading, and I'm so, so, so glad that I did.

Once Nikki stops feeling sorry for herself, Everneath gets good.  I mean, set-an-alarm-to-remind-yourself-to-eat-sleep-etc. good.  I had to drag myself away from the book more than once to do a lap around the house and grab something to eat, because otherwise I would have sat in that one spot all day and never moved except to turn the page.  Once things are truly set in motion, and Nikki realizes her time on the Surface is almost over, and she starts to feel something other than self-loathing, this book is un-put-down-able.  Like I always say, there's nothing better than a race against time to get things moving along.  (I never say that.)

If you haven't read Everneath (I feel like the last person in the world who hasn't, so maybe just ignore me), you probably should.  Like right now.  Seriously.  And no matter how sexy you may find Cole to be, just remember: HE IS THE BAD GUY.  *swoon*

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