Everneath

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...

I'm always a sucker for greek mythology retellings, and I've read every Hades/Persephone retelling I've heard of. This one beats them all.

Such beautiful writing, amazing characters, fascinating plotlines, and heart-wrenching romance. I think part of the appeal for me was the originality of the mythology and plot. Aside from the Hades/Persephone story, a little bit of the Orpheus/Eurydice story is mixed in (if you're not familiar with that one, click here), along with several original elements of Brodi Ashton's invention. I was completely sucked into this original world and story, but loved that it was grounded in mythology that I'm very familiar with.

And I desperately loved Nikki and Jack's story. It's not that often that I encounter what I consider "true love" in a YA romance, and Everneath has it. And don't be fooled into thinking this is going to be another warped love triangle where Nikki blows off the nice guy for bad-boy Cole. It's made very clear from the beginning that Cole is evil (though complicated evil). I also really enjoyed the other "real world" parts of the plot where Nikki reconnects with her family and other friends and works to overcome depression (I'd be depressed too if I'd just spent 100 years having my soul sucked out by some creepy immortal). This is a gorgeously-written story about recovery and consequences and it ends with a bit of heartbreak, but also on a note of hope. I can't wait to read the sequel.