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...


Review:
I first saw this book in the Harper Collins catalog when it came out. I read the description and saw the cover and fell in love, knowing that I had to read it. I was lucky enough to get a copy of it in the mail and I dove in right away, finishing it in two days. Did I enjoy it? It was one of my favorite reads so far this year.

I'm sorry was I drooling? I just cannot get over how gorgeous the cover is. For starters, I love the font and the shade of red they used as a theme. Then you get to the cover model with the beautiful dress with the fading color and the delicate curls of smoke with the model walking through the smoke fearlessly. It all came together very well, with a distinct connection to the book (I won't mention it to avoid spoilers) creating a great cover that will draw readers in with ease.

Nikki had a uniqueness about her that set her apart from the rest of the human characters, she had seen a century pass, had her energy taken from her and knew what her dark fate was. She proved that more knowledge of the world is not necessarily better, but can put you in dire danger. Even though she had such insight to make decisions, I still had a few issues with Nikki, mainly with some of the decisions she made. As for the relationships in this book, they were a little unclear at the beginning, but they became more clear as Nikki was back longer. I didn't like Cole at all (Team Jack!) and felt that Nikki was much better off with Jack than Cole. Jack was understanding and he loved Nikki endlessly, helping even though he was slightly afraid of her.

Unique, that is how I would sum up the story of Everneath in one word. It is a retake on mythology, but it made the story it's own, standing apart from many of today's mythology rewrites. The plot kept moving the entire time at a swift pace even during the occasional flashback. By the end of the book, which made me die for the next book, I felt for the characters passionately to the point that I almost cried. These emotions were invoked by the amazing quality of the author's writing, not a detail was missed and it allowed for very strong connections to the characters.

Should you read this book? Yes, of course, especially if you enjoy modern takes on mythology or you are just someone looking for a different, unique book to try. Overall, I give Everneath a 4.5/5 for being a near perfect book with few flaws.