Everneath by Brodi Ashton

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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...
Alright, I admit it; I was partially swayed to request Everneath by Brodi Ashton because of the cover. I'm easily seduced by beautiful red dresses. Not to mention the alluring premise of a young adult retelling of the Persephone myth which involves a race of Immortals draining emotions from humans. From several passages in the book, I could tell that Ashton knew the many facets of this myth well, as evidenced by the light exploration of some intriguing interpretations of Persephone's and Hades' roles. I also particularly liked how Ashton subtly revealed an interconnecting theme of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Another compelling aspect of Everneath is Nikki's time in the titular underworld. Unfortunately, the novel spends very little time recounting her experience there. In fact what could have made Everneath haunting and unforgettable - the mythical themes - are underutilized. The writing showed some glimmer of beautiful lyricism here and there but was mostly average and typical young adult telling not showing.

None of the characters resonated with me. For someone who had spent a hundred years asleep in the underworld, Nikki doesn't seem scarred enough, traumatized enough. She has only six months left to live above and spends most of that time doing ordinary, mundane things like homework. She's supposed to have survived intact because of her love for Jack but she wastes months avoiding him. Nikki and Jack's tepid relationship has none of the grandeur of the tragic romance of Orpheus and Eurydice. Cole, as the teenage Hades, is probably the most interesting, yet even this bad boy is one dimensional.

"'I want what Hades and Persephone had, and I can't do it without you. The only time the queen of the Everneath had been overthrown is when and Everliving has found his perfect match. I've spent my whole life--and it's a long one, trust me---looking for my perfect match, and it's you. I knew you were different from the first moment I met you. The first moment you placed your hands in mine.'"