Book Review: Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date: January 2014
Pages: 368
Source: E-book from Library
For: Fun
Series: Everneath, Book 3

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first two books*

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?

Things I Liked:
I enjoyed reading the conclusion to this series.  I like what Ashton has done with the Persephone myth and how she's created her own mythology in the Everneath.  I found this book had plenty of surprises and twists just as the other two did.  I spent much of the second book being annoyed and feeling like it was a time waste, only to have a new perspective at the end.  This one not so much.  I do remember thinking we don't see enough of Nikki's family and what happens with them.  I was intrigued by Cole throughout, though I'm still not sure what to make of him.

Things I Didn't Like:
This one was more interesting than the second book, but I found some of the brooding and worrying made for slow reading.  There were definitely lulls and highlights in the book, so it had some pacing issues for me.  Otherwise, it felt like a nice easy read.

Read-alikes:
Some other Persephone retellings:
Abandon by Meg Cabot
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
 
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a very few

mrg-factor: X
mostly intense emotional things rather than "scenes"

v-factor: ->
some fighting

Overall rating: *** 

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Short Stories I

I've been on kind of a short story kick for a while.  I avoided them for some time, but most of the time I like being able to devour these shorts in such a, well, short time.  Here are the ones I've read recently (and I'm being pretty loose in my use of the word recently, as some of these are from last year...).  Also, is anyone else so stingy that the thought of paying $3.00 or really anything for short stories is painful?  Let's just say, I prefer the free ones.  And those that aren't?  Thank you, library, for having them available.


Double Crossed by Ally Carter
Absolutely loved this.  I adore Ally Carter's series and seeing the two collide was so fun.  This was the perfect kind of story, too.  A short story should pretty much have an arc all its own and this one was wonderful.  It was perfect for devouring in one sitting and feeling satisfied.  Can't wait for more from this author!



Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I enjoyed this short as well, though I think it left me a bit confused.  I liked seeing where Kai was when he left, but it didn't feel quite like a full story.  There was a lot of new stuff and not a lot of page time to explain it.  Still, I loved the book it went with enough to love this as well.



The New World by Patrick Ness
It has been ages since I finished the Chaos Walking trilogy, but this one has been sitting in my reader and I wanted to give it a try.  I felt like I was able to fall right back into Ness' world without any kind of refresher.  I loved seeing how Violet got there and what it must have been like.  Makes me want to do a reread.



The Spring Before I Met You AND The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
I'm lumping these two together, since they are from the same series.  I liked them a lot, mostly because of Brennan's fabulous writing, though I also thought the idea of seeing our two main characters from the POV of an outsider was interesting.  Fun stories, though not necessarily in the content (both were a bit heavy). 


Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
I thought this was rather an essential story to read for the whole trilogy to make sense.  I read it right before the last book and I think it made Cole a lot easier to understand.  His motivations and a bit of his history.  A nice addition to the series.


Life Before Legend by Marie Lu
I think I would have liked this more if I'd read it closer to when I read the second book.  Or maybe even the first.  I have to admit I had forgotten a lot of the story.  Even now, trying to remember the last book in the series, I'm drawing a blank.  I know I liked it, but I seem to have forgotten why...


Roar and Liv AND Brooke by Veronica Rossi
These two were both wonderful looks at some of my favorite side characters (well, Brooke wasn't a favorite, but her story was still interesting).  I loved seeing more of Roar and Liv and what it must have been like for Roar to lose her.  They were both rather painful reads and I think they make sense when both of them are read close together.  We see a lot about Brooke and possibly some motivation for her actions.  Loved them!


UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
This one was definitely important for me to read before I got to the third book.  I think it makes that one seem less like it's out of the blue.  I'm still not sure how I feel about short stories that are kind of required to enjoy the series.  Still, this one was a full story and it was beautiful and heart-breaking.  Definitely vital for more understanding of UnSouled. 



Isolation by Dan Wells
This was an interesting short story about Heron and I found it both intriguing and a little bit hard to follow.  It jumps back and forth in time and I didn't like that sometimes.  But I thought the story definitely made Heron make a LOT more sense in learning more about her history.  Good to read before Ruins.


Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
First, I felt this was just the right length for a short story.  Most of these have been, though some felt a little too short :)  I loved seeing more of our "heroes" and just what it must have been like in the aftermath of the first book.  I don't know if it's essential for the next one, but I sure liked getting more story in the meantime.

Any favorite short stories you have found?  What's your favorite kind of short story?

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Book Review: Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: January 2013
Pages: 368
Source: Library
For: Fun
Series: Everneath, Book 2

Summary from goodreads: *Spoilers are inevitable for the first book*

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

Things I Liked:
I really loved reading about the sweet romance that developed between Jack and Nikki.  This was only shown through memories that Nikki shares part way into the book, but it really was my favorite part.  For most of the book, I thought it was all kind of blah and I couldn't make any sense or pattern to the things that happened or to the levels of the Everneath or really anything.  What kind of made the whole thing more interesting and would have convinced me to read it again if it wasn't already late at the library, was the ending.  It was completely surprising to me and kind of made the rest of it make more sense.  Interesting and entertaining and a unique take on mythology and the underworld.  I'll definitely be back for the next installment.

Things I Didn't Like:
It really felt a bit slow and kind of meandering in places.  Nikki seems to learn not to do something and then go ahead and do it a few times anyway.  Which kind of seems pointless - why learn it in the first place?  Still, it was quite entertaining to read.

Read-alikes:
Maybe a bit like The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
maybe one or two mild ones

mrg-factor:none

v-factor:->
maybe a little bit, nothing gory

Overall rating: ****

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton and GIVEAWAY!!

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: January 24, 2012
ISBN: 9780062071132
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Nikki disappeared months ago without a word and then she suddenly returned home. No one knows where she went or what happened while she was gone.  Now, she must try to pick up the broken pieces of her life with her father, little brother, and her boyfriend, Jack.  But what none of them know is that she is leaving again, and this time she has no choice.  Can she say goodbye properly this time or is it too late for those she loves?

Things I Liked:
I've been looking forward to this one for a long time.  I follow Brodi's blog quite regularly and I really love her humor and fun.  Her book is definitely not a laughing-throughout book, but it was still fabulous.  I loved Nikki and the way she was coming to recognize all that she did to her family and friends when she left.  I thought it was particularly interesting to see the connections between actions and choices and consequences - that's something that a lot of teens (and adults) don't always consider.  The romance was just perfect, a sweet combination of passion and caring that makes it more realistic.  I just thought it was a such a great story, not crowded with too much action and adventure, but full of slow sweet moments, interactions, and feelings.  That's not to say that stuff doesn't happen (boy, does it), but it had more than just action.  I really liked the mythos, the way the Persephone myth played into the story and yet was changed.  Without ending on a cliffhanger, it manages to make me want to know more about what will happen next and how things will work out.  Great debut worth the read (not to mention, you can ogle the cover - simply gorgeous)!  Some favorite parts:

We'd pluck the spiky chestnuts, leaving their green outer shells intact, and throw them at the neighbor boys.  I always took particular care in aiming for Jack's head.  He told me later that he rode his bike by my house on purpose.  I asked if him if he liked pain. P 44 of ARC

"Because it's not the supernatural abilities that set mythical characters apart."  She leaned forward.  "It's the decisions the human characters make, in impossible situations, that have us still talking about them centuries later.  Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with." p 133 of ARC

Friends don't eat friends' souls. p 223 of ARC

Things I Didn't Like:
It has a bit of awkward phrasing here adn there and the ending was something I saw pretty far in advance, but it had plenty lovely writing and twisty turns, so I was unable to put it down from beginning to end.  Just what I love in a good mythological retelling - new twists with some of the same basic backbone.

Read-alikes:
Some other Persephone retellings:
Abandon by Meg Cabot
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
a handful, not much though

mrg-factor: X 
kissing and such like, nothing explicit

v-factor: -> 
a little bit, nothing gory

Overall rating: ***** 

AND, lucky for you, I got an extra ARC and thought I'd share the love so you can get your hands on this one (hopefully) a bit early.  All you have to do is fill out the form below.  I'm offering an extra entry for those who spread the word about this, just provide a link to where you shared (twitter, blog, whatevs).  I'll close the contest about January 2nd and ship it out ASAP.  (US only, sorry I'm still poor.) Good luck!

Contest closed.

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage