Book Review: Evertrue by Brodi Ashton (Everneath, #3)

Where To Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository
 
Goodreads Summary: Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.

Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

**Do NOT read this review if you have not read the first TWO books. There are SPOILERS!**

 My Review: The final third of this book is what decided the rating. Had my rating been based on the first two-thirds, I'd have given it a 3.5 or 4 stars. This book ended perfectly, first of all. I still say that the second book was my favorite of the trilogy, because it's the one that shocked me and grabbed me the most, but the ending to this book was heartfelt, sad, yet appropriate at the same time.

We pick up with the decision of Nikki deciding she needs to destroy the Everneath because Cole tricked her into beginning her transformation into an Everliving. Throughout this entire book, I was suspicious of Cole yet I enjoyed him at the same time. I kept wondering what he had up his sleeve now that Nikki and Jack knew what he did. But then Brodi Ashton decides to throw me a curve ball and give Cole something quite big to deal with throughout the entire book. When I found out about Cole's situation, I was PISSED! I couldn't believe that Ashton would even allow me to be confused over how I was feeling about Cole. I mean, I will continue to say that he was the best developed character of the entire series, but that didn't mean I had to like him. Or feel sorry for him. But Ashton has me questioning.

Having Jack back in the picture was great, but at times I felt like he was a little too much. Especially when Nikki had to feed off of Cole, which we all knew was necessary in order for her to stay alive. Jack needed to chill. Just a little.

Then Nikki, having been through hell & high water with the Everneath and with Cole, still made a few rash decisions that had me scratching my head. But by the end of the book, I honestly just settle in the fact that this was who she was. She's a compassionate person, and sometimes even when you've been scorned, you can't help having that compassion, even if you could potential get burned again.
Can I just say that I love Will? That's all. No particular reason, other than I just love how dedicated he is and how he is always willing to help.

For me, the middle of the novel dragged a bit. Especially when Nikki & Jack are trying to deal with Cole. Once again, there's the struggle with the decision to trust Cole or to not trust Cole. And I was struggling with it too.

Throughout the entire series, regardless what Cole has done to Nikki, you can tell that he cares about her. But he's also acting out of his own selfish desires. You see it in Everneath, you see it in Everbound, and you see it in Evertrue. It's just obvious. He loves her, which means he wants her happy, but he's also selfish.

The queen -- she was boring to me. In the previous book and this one. The Shades were scarier than she was. I kept thinking "Can you just die? Please? I'm over you." I think the queen could have been written a little better. I always expect more out of female characters, so I just wasn't feeling this queen.

My favorite scene in the entire book? Not the romance, not the fighting, not anything Cole-related. Nope. It was the frickin' BEETLE scene! Can you say EWWWWWW???! I cringed as I read that scene. The fact that Nikki had to walk across a bed of beetles, each the size of half of her foot?? What the hell, man?! I would have just laid down to die. I couldn't do it. That scene gave me hives just thinking about it!

Overall, this was a great story. There are things within the entire series that I wish were written better, but I am not going to nitpick over this trilogy. I'm just glad that Ashton ended the story in a way that was satisfactory. At least for me, and I'm sure for others as well.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5!

Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Where To Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Books-A-Million

Goodreads Summary: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned-to her old life, her family, her boyfriend-before she's 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 precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance-and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is 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 queen.

My Review: Wow oh wow. What a fabulous story. It was better than I expected it to be. The plot was quite an interesting concept. It's kind of like the retelling of the myth of Persephone, which is one of my favorite stories!

Nikki has basically returned for the underworld, which is called the Everneath. She "returned" because she didn't want to stay away from her love, Jack. Because she is meant to stay in the Everneath, she only has a limited time to immerse herself back into her old world. The Everneath will come after six months to take her back.

It's quite a predicament she gets herself into, because for a while, Nikki does absolutely nothing in regards to Jack, so I'm wondering why the heck she even bothered. It was almost like she enjoyed torturing herself, but remaining around him -- but not being with him. She didn't even really engage in conversation with him, until he put in her a position to. So, for a majority of the book, Nikki pissed me off.

Then there's Cole -- the asshole we all know and hate. Cole is the reason why Nikki is involved in this whole Everneath experience to begin with. And he's so unapologetic for everything he puts her through. He clearly witnesses how much Nikki loves Jack, but he tries to cut her off at every turn. I personally think it's jealousy due to love, but that isn't necessarily specified because it is understood that Cole can't feel love.

Throughout the entire book, I'm naturally rooting for Nikki and Jack to just be together. I want her to be honest with him and I want him to just protect her against Cole, who just continues to act so petty. There's an underlying reason why Cole wants Nikki. He wants to take over ruling the underworld and feels that Nikki is very crucial in making that happen because she's so powerful.

I really enjoyed Jack's character, but I honestly think he was underplayed. I would have loved to hear more about his backstory, especially more on his experience after Nikki left him (for the Everneath). I feel like there's a hidden gem in his backstory.

Nikki's character was a little flat for me, mainly because she kept letting Cole take the reins on how she was going to spend her six months in her old life. Cole dominated Nikki's everything and it got annoying, fast. But I have a feeling that due to the happenings at the end of the book, Nikki will be back and ready for action. I think book one's happenings will force her to get a better head in the game. 

Cole's character does everything I needed it to do -- make me hate him. He was so underhanded in his handling of Nikki, of his own affairs. Of everything. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, so I'm interested to see what happens with him.

Overall, I was pleased with the book. The ending was such a cliffhanger for me that I NEED to pick up the second book now! I need to know what Nikki's plan of action is.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars! 

The review for the sequel, Everbound, will be coming next week!