In an era of paranormal overload, it's hard to find a new angle. But Brodi Ashton manages to do exactly that with her debut novel, Everneath.
Borrowing from the myths of Hades and Persephone as well as Orpheus and Eurydice, Ashton creates her own mythology of an underworld not tied to religion or gods. The Everneath is a place where Everlivings feed on the emotions of humans in order to maintain their immortality. Few survive the hundred-year process. The fact that Nikki lives through it and was able to Return to her life, essentially unscarred, makes her special. Not only does her Everliving host have his eye on her, so does the queen of the Everneath.
The memory of her ex-boyfriend made Nikki want to Return. But she has only six months to say goodbye to the people she loves before the Everneath claims her forever. As time runs out for Nikki, more than one person close to her makes a life-altering choice.
Like many YA novels these days, Everneath is the first of a trilogy. The story leaves us with several unanswered questions and a bit of a cliffhanger ending. That just means fans of this first book will have still have plenty to discover when the sequel comes out. --Sherrie Petersen, children's book reviewer and blogger