Everneath by Brodi Ashton

EVERNEATH Author: Brodi Ashton Publication Date: 01/24/2012 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mythology

 

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.

  Picture and Summary from Goodreads     REVIEW

 

I loved this book! I put off reading it for so long and I'm super mad at myself for it! At first I was completely confused thinking surely there was a book before this one but no the story just starts off after a century in the Everneath which turns out to be six months on the surface (Earth). Needless to say there is some catching up that has to take place and while that can be a slow process in this case it wasn't. I was instantly hooked from chapter one and couldn't stop until the end and now...moreI loved this book! I put off reading it for so long and I'm super mad at myself for it! At first I was completely confused thinking surely there was a book before this one but no the story just starts off after a century in the Everneath which turns out to be six months on the surface (Earth). Needless to say there is some catching up that has to take place and while that can be a slow process in this case it wasn't. I was instantly hooked from chapter one and couldn't stop until the end and now I'm counting down the days till the next installment shows up on my doorstep. Nikki is such a strong and selfless main character, I was dying for her to tell Jack EVERYTHING. While I normally don't like love triangles this one wasn't too bad because I could sense the substance between Jack and Nikki whereas with Cole it was obvious he's a slimeball who's suffering from puppy love. Team Jack all the way!! This was a super fast, suck you in, can't catch your breath read.      Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

THE HERE AND NOW Author: Ann Brashares Publication Date: 04/08/2014 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Science Fiction

 

Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

    Picture and Summary from Goodreads     REVIEW  

Ok, so this book!? Wow! The whole thing seemed so realistic (okay obviously time travel doesn't seem realistic but maybe someday?). The way the world fell apart seems very similar to the road we are heading down so that really upped my anxiety level. Also, mosquitos...that's all I'm sayin!

Aside from that The Here and Now was a quick paced, suspenseful read. It starts off with a prologue from the POV of Ethan but the rest of the book is told from Prenna's view. I've heard some describe the romance to be a touch of insta-love but I felt like it wasn't. The characters have had a couple of years to grow together that we don't witness so I feel like the relationship developed slowly but came to a head while we were reading. I really loved the relationship between Ethan and Prenna, I liked that they didn't rely on each other to do anything but that together they seemed to be stronger. There wasn't a whole lot of secondary character development but I'm okay with that because in my opinion the story didn't require it. While some of the story reads like any other dystopia-ish book (people in charge aren't necessarily looking out for the good of everyone) it still had its way of keeping me fully committed and interested.

The ending killed me! I read somewhere that this is a stand alone but  I'm really hoping that isn't the case! Because while I loved the book the ending has left me feeling empty and needing more answers!

   

 

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Virtual Book Club

 

 

Right then, so I'm thinking virtual book club.  Would I have any takers?

 

My thought is one book a month switching off between new releases and older books.

 

Maybe creating a Facebook group specifically for it so that we can chat it up during the process of reading or at least giving us a place to have a set meeting time?

 

Thoughts? Opinions?

Nil by Lynn Matson

NIL Author: Lynn Matson Publication Date: 03/04/2014 Audience: Young Adult Genre: Science Fiction

 

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

  Picture and Summary from Goodreads     REVIEW

 

Oh my goodness!! This book!!! What a ride! The suspense, the mystery, the romance...I just couldn't get enough. From the get go you are caught up in the question "What is NIL?" and you feel like you're in a whirlwind until the very end.

The writing was very well done, I could feel the sun on my skin through the author's descriptions and the characters brought the book to life. I became invested in their outcomes and found myself cheering them on.

If I am disappointed at all it is because I'm left wondering what happens to the rest of the cast but since this is mainly Charley and Thad's story I knew to expect an open/closed ending. The story is told from both the POV's of Thad and Charley but it was soo well done that I actually enjoyed them, which is a big thing for me to say!!

 

 

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