Mundie Moms

Monday, December 12, 2011

Book Review: EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton


To Be Released on: January 24th, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4.5 stars: I Really Enjoyed
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

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.... quoted from Goodreads

EVERNEATH is just as intriguing as it is addicting! Brodi Ashton puts a fabulous, modern spin on Greek Mythology, introduces characters who are flawed, and yet easy to identify with, and gave me a story I couldn't stop reading. There's something about not understanding every little thing that was happening in the story that made it nearly impossible for me to put it down. I had questions and I wanted answered. I enjoyed the well written mythology, the slight air of mystery that surrounded each character and I loved the romance. This romance wasn't about make out sessions or you know other things. I mean there is great chemistry and kissy scenes, but it was about really being in love, the sacrifice that comes from that, and the powerful pull it has on the person who's in love. It's the kind of love that helps someone escape from the EVERNEATH aka The Under World or as some would it call it, Hell.

Nikki also known as Becks to those closest to her is a character I enjoyed getting to know, even though there were times she irritated me. I admired her for returning to the Surface from spending what seemed like an eternity in the underworld (which was only 6 months in the human world), and tries undo the things that happened when she went to the underworld, not fully understanding the risks. I liked that her return mirrored what it would be like for someone who all the sudden vanished and then just as suddenly came home. It's far from easy, but her alternative is just as hard. Lives have been broken, faith shattered, trust and friendships broken, and for some life has moved on while for others it changed them. This is the part of the story that I was able to connect with emotionally. I understand Nikki's actions, and I understood why her family, her old boy friend and friends acted the way they did at first.

I liked that each of the characters through out the story were flawed and all relatable. Each one was broken in a different way, that made it easy to sympathize with them to a degree, including the smoldering, immortal Cole, who won't stop until he gets Nikki back. Brodi wrote her story in a way that was easy for me to understand Nikki's actions and her reasons for them, as well as Jack's and Cole's. I was surprised that I was able to understand Cole's motives, which made it hard to fault him of his wrong doings. Talk about an immortal who won't give up and a true love that won't let anything tear them apart. *sigh* I adore jack and all that he does for Nikki. Can Brodi rip my heart out any more for Jack, Nikki and Cole? It's not just these characters who I felt an attachment to. There are a few secondary characters who surprisingly ended up playing bigger roles in the story itself.

Brodi's writing is truly unique, because Nikki's story is not written in chronological order of the events that happen in her life. I loved it! It really kept the story going and allowed me to understand part of the back story while the story continued to progress forward. If you're worried that this will be hard to follow along, trust me, it's not. Each chapter is titled with a time frame (for a reason). The back story are Nikki's memories, which were a fascinating addition to her story, because they explained why Nikki made the choices she did that lead to her fall and her to the EVERNEATH. They're also her reason for returning and fighting against having to go back.

If you're looking for a new book to pick up at the beginning of next year or gift to pre-order this Christmas/Holiday season, I'd highly recommend this book! It's a clean cut, exciting that will leave you wishing it's sequel was already out.

Unrelated to my review, I love this cover! It's so fitting for the story.


Mundane Monday #114

Happy Monday! Enjoy today's little teaser with Simon & Izzy from City of Glass.....


"Come here, Simon."

Reluctantly he came toward her. He was barely a foot away when she seized him by the front of his shirt, yanking him toward her. Their faces were inches apart; he could see how the skin below her eyes shown with the marks of recent tears. "You know what I really need right now?" she said, enunciating each word clearly.

"Um," Simon said, "N0?"

- City of Glass page 327

Haha, oh how I adore Simon!

** You can find this artwork along with many of my other favorites via Kara-lija's Deviant site

#BIR2011 Day 2: Hourglass by Myra McEntire



By Myra McEntire
Published by Egmont USA
Released on June 14th, 2011

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

You know those times when you pick up a book and find that everything else melts away as you suddenly find yourself immersed with book, it's characters and it's world? Yeah that's what happened to both Sophie & I when we received the manuscript for Hourglass months before it was a book. Let me tell you, we haven't stopped talking about HOURGLASS or Michael & Kaleb for that matter, since. I'm so excited to be able to feature on of our favorite person's ever, and her book on the blog today! If you haven't already, I highly recommend jumping into Myra's HOURGLASS world.


You know we're a team divided, Sophie's team Michael and I'm team Kaleb. What's one thing you admire about each of the guys?

I love Michael for his loyalty. He knows a lot he can't share, and it's not always easy to be the responsible one. I love Kaleb for his hidden side. He's sexy and snarky, but there are a lot of layers under all that.

I was sold at sexy and snarky & I'm sure Sophie as sold at loyal and responsible. haha

We adore Emerson. Has Emerson surprised you at all, in terms how she's grown as a character from the 1st draft to the published book?

YES. So much. She came back stronger in each version of the second half I wrote. (There were three.) I love who she is now.

If you could take one of your favorite fictional characters and write them into the Hourglass story, who would you pick and why?

Sophie from Hex Hall. Em, Lily, and Sophie would make a Fearsome Threesome.

What's one YA book you've read as an adult, that you wish you had read as a teen?

Any of them. All of them. I didn't really have "YA" as a teen, and I could've used it!

What's one piece of advice you would share with an aspiring author?

Read. Write. Read. Read some more. Write again. And then read.

****************

THANK YOU Myra for joining us today! Myra will be back with us next week when we kick off our 2011 Mundie Moms Favorites. We're hoping she brings Kaleb and Michael with her.

Be sure to visit Myra's blog/website, follow her on Twitter & Tumblr, and like her Hourglass Books Facebook Page.


You can read my 5 star review for Hourglass here.

Get a sneak peak at Hourglass's sequel, Timepiece here.



THANK YOU to Myra & Egmont, we have a HOURGLASS poster we're giving away. To enter to win, please fill out the form below:

- US Residents only (no PO Boxes)
- You must be 13 yrs & older to enter (or have a parent/guardian's permission to enter)
- 1 entry per person
- This giveaway ends on 12/17/11


One of other favorites from this year is Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT! Be sure & head over to the Best I've Read blog to read the BIR interview with her and enter to win a copy of DIVERGENT!

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