Bloggers' Choice: Everneath + Giveaway

About the Author:

Brodi Ashton writes Young Adult novels. She eats cinnamon bears. She love herself some Diet Coke. Her debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out in early 2012 with Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins). She is represented by Michael Bourret at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Everneath totally blew me away with the emotion permeating the story, and I can't wait to see what Ashton does in future books. Apparently, you guys loved it too (or couldn't wait to love it), because last month I asked about everyone's most anticipated January release and you answered Everneath! So congratulations to Brodi Ashton for winning 2012's first Bloggers' Choice Award!

Brodi was awesome enough to answer some of my questions and provide a nice surprise! So without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Brodi Ashton!

Out of about ten novels up for the voting, Everneath won out among all of them. How does it feel to win the first Bloggers' Choice award of the year?

A. Wonderful!!! I rarely win things, so this is so exciting!

Everneath is about a girl named Nikki, who has just recently escaped the clutches of the underworld but is being forced to go back after her six month reprieve on the Surface. Everneath definitely seems to be a play on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but from what I’ve gathered there is no love for the enigmatic immortal, Cole, whose intent is to drag Nikki back to be with him. What can you tell us about this story that we don’t already know? What was the inspiration for this story?

A. Everneath started with one scene in my head, about a girl who's come back to her high school after a long mysterious absence. Rumors of where she’s been are circulating, but all she cares about is finding the boy she left behind. This scene was actually inspired by real events in my life, but I used mythology to tell the rest of the story.

I’ve found that it’s totally unfair that I have yet to catch the attention of TWO beautiful guys! Have you ever been the object of two guys’ desires at the same time? Just to be sure, is there a love triangle here?

A. No. Two guys fighting over me is a completely foreign concept.
I never really thought of it as a love triangle, because Nikki only loves one guy. It’s not a spoiler to say that either. The conflict in EVERNEATH comes from Nikki and Jack not being able to be together. It doesn’t come from Nikki not being able to choose between two guys, which is what I consider a love triangle to be. Also, we don’t know if what Cole feels for Nikki can be considered love. :)

After reading the book, I don't really feel like there's a love triangle either.

Does Nikki have any quirky qualities or fun hobbies that you’d care to share?

A. She knits like crazy, because she needs to keep her hands busy.
She loves to play poker. Jack taught her, and it calms her.
She has a new obsession with mythology.

I could always use another book boyfriend to add to the lists. (And I did.) What are some aspects of Jack that might make fans (ME!) melt… at least a little? What makes he and Nikki so compatible and happy together?

A. Nikki and Jack are unique because they’ve known each other for years and they have a connection that goes beyond each of their little crushes on other people along the way. But Jack has a reputation, and he is never sure he really deserves Nikki, so he avoids his feelings for a very long time. By the time they do get together, they know each other’s souls. Okay, that sounds way too sweet, but it’s true!

The cover is just… ensnaring, gorgeous! I love the dress! As well as the way it swells and swirls, and the way it tumbles into what looks like smoke. It appears as if the girl on the cover is being sucked away. How closely does the cover relate to the story on the pages of Everneath? What was your knee-jerk reaction to it?

A. My knee-jerk reaction is that I finally experienced love at first sight for myself! As far as representing the book, the swirling smoke gathering around Nikki is practically an exact illustration of a scene toward the end.

It is!!!

What was the toughest, you-were-so-ready-to-burst-into-tears part of the book you had to write? The part that went the most smoothly?

A. Toughest: The scenes with Cole. It was so hard to find the right balance between complete loathing for a character, and yet sympathy for him too.

Smoothest: Yeah, the scenes with Jack.

Finally, looking over the candidates for next month’s Blogger’s Choice Award (the choices: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Harbinger by Sara Etienne, In Too Deep by Amanda Grace, Wings of the Wicked by Courtney A. Moulton, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen, A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton, Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg), what are some of your picks for February’s winner?

A. Oh wow. I’ve only read one of those, and that was UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi. I loved that book! But I would love to get my hands on any of those other books!

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Thank you so much for everything, Brodi! And Brodi is so awesome, she's offering up a copy of her book, some bookmarks, and temporary tattoos in the giveaway below! Also, be sure to read my review for the book.

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...

Purchase Everneath, from HarperTeen, today!

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Blog Tour: Reviews: Everneath | Hallowed

Everneath by Brodi Ashton Add it to Goodreads? Purchase: BookDepository Release Date: 1/24/12 Age Group: Young Adult Rating: Sud-Kissed Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth. + Hover for Summary »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...

Hallowed (#2) by Cynthia Hand Add it to Goodreads? Purchase: BookDepository Release Date: 1/17/12 Age Group: Young Adult Rating: Perfect Bed Partner Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth. + Hover for Summary »For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

I honestly cannot think of two more complementary stories to throw together for a blog tour. I commented on a blog a couple of days ago that I had read both Hallowed and Everneath within a few days of each other and I feel like buckets of SAD has been dumped all over me. What's ironic is that they are two COMPLETELY different stories, with characters who are nothing alike, yet they left me feeling the exact same way--eager for what's next and a little bit hollow inside.

Both books are bursting with a melancholy tone right from the first couple of chapters. In Everneath, Nikki Beckett has just escaped the clutches of Ashton's variation of the Underworld, called (surprise!) the Everneath, and has one goal in mind: to say goodbye to her family, friends, and the boy who got her through the horrible ordeal she wishes to forget, in a somehow better way than her previous abrupt departure. We revisit Clara Gardner in Hallowed and Hand instantly sets the tone for the rest of the book with a touching goodbye between Tucker and pieces of himself he's forced to leave behind. And what's worse? Someone so vital to Clara's life, a character (and the not knowing whom is pure torture), who we've no doubt become immeasurably attached, will die in the pages that follow. Talk about torn heartstrings.

Pros for Everneath:

• The Seamless Blend of the Borrowed and the Unique

While Ashton may have taken from the Greek myths we were all taught at some point, she completely spins her own tale that stands strong and fresh among all the other retellings. Ashton incorporates what I was cheated out of in books like The Goddess Test, where I failed to see the connection, the innovation. It was such a paranormal (Yup, I went there.) take on the Hades/Persephone myth, what we perceive as the Underworld/Hell. Somehow Ashton cloaks Everneath in a deeper darkness than we've known in other retellings, adding a striking quality to this story.

• The Lack of Hope Until There's a Touch

Maybe this is just one of those "me" things, but the utter despair that washes the story really made Everneath memorable. It's that pain and hollowness that really strikes us down and causes our hearts to burn with sympathy for everyone involved. I mean, here we have a girl who went missing for months. Imagine how her family and the people closest to her reacted. And then, for a while, it almost felt as if her return only caused more suffering, when all Nikki herself wanted to do was remedy the mess she'd inadvertently made. Ripping our hearts is the knowledge that Nikki has gone through an inconceivable horror and no one knows, so bearing the rumors and accusations and the hurt is almost too much. Even though the story's wrap-up is bitter and wrenching, there's a faint hope that glistens in the promise of the next book.

Pros for Hallowed:

• A Book with Characters I Wish Were Flesh-n-Blood

For someone who's been thrust into the abnormal and near-incomprehensible in a surprisingly swift matter of months, Clara Gardner is a fighter; she doesn't go unappealingly batshit crazy when things stop making sense. She's real and she makes mistakes which piss us off at times, but we can't help but feel as if she's an embedded part of ourselves, which we can relate to with ease. Tucker is the guy we all want to notice us, the tough guy with a dazzling heart of gold and a romantic streak that only surfaces with the right girl. Wendy is the best friend we need and Angela is the sibling we love to hate. Toss in Clara's family, and we've got a winning cast in this series.

• What Did She Say About Angels?

I'm deep in the camp that believes if you've read one angel book you've read them all. But Hand waves away that notion and proves us all wrong, removing what we thought we knew about angels and implanting a whole different set of rules. Ones that send us flares of red-herrings, boggle our minds, and generally set out to confuse, fascinate, and intrigue.

• The Sads and Other Stuff

This installment's going-ons are tragic and bewildering and heartbreaking. There's SO MUCH EMOTION. It's as if Hand holds a gun and she plants bullet after bullet into our bodies and still somehow crazily expects us to stand up again. Despite the fact that our hearts are peppered with quarter-sized holes. Taking out our complementary Harry Potter cauldrons, throw in Clara and Tucker's Trouble in Paradise montage, the dying of a character that makes our hearts bleed, Clara's inner turmoil, fallen angels running amok for revenge and secret crushes, AND SO. MUCH. MORE. and we've successfully cooked up a batch of Hallowed. I even cried.

Not to mention the band of boys in both books who frustrated me, made me want to cry, smile, and every emotion in between. My feelings go something like,

And same thing applies to Jack Caputo (as Tuck) and Cole (as Christian).

Overall I enjoyed both Everneath and Hallowed, and although one clearly WOWed me more than the other, both met my expectations completely so that I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Tucker looks over my shoulder and seems to notice Christian for the first time.
"How you doing, Chris? Have a nice summer?" he asks.
"Yeah, fantastic," answers Christian, and his mind suddenly retreats from mine into a wave of forced indifference. "How about you?"
They stare at each other, one of those high-testosterone stares. "Amazing," Tucker says. There's a challenge in his voice. "Best summer of my life."
I wonder if it's too late to get out of this class.
"Well, that's the thing about summers, isn't it?" says Christian after a minute. "They have to end sometime." (3%) ~ Hallowed

My Book Boyfriend for January: Jack Caputo

This month's pick was a lot tougher than I expected. Who knew I would encounter such fresh and delicious man-crack all in a single month? It's almost too much hotness to handle. Up for the running was Oliver from The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Ian from Ditched, Decker from Fracture, Tucker from Hallowed, and, of course, my final pick, Jack from Everneath. After careful consideration, in which I went back to all my favorite moments with these guys, it came down to Tucker and Jack. My palms started sweating as my eyes darted between the two guys, one of whom I've been in love with for nearly a year. But then, my eyes narrowed at Tucker, as I realized I was a little bit pissed off at him for the going-ons in Hallowed. Say what you will about my senseless anger, but my choice solidified. Jack it was.

Jack Caputo

• eyebrow piercing
• chocolate-brown eyes
• shaggy rich brown hair
• strong, well-muscled

• is the football quarterback
• has a tattoo that means 'ever yours'
• has an older bro

"Shush. I'm trying to work," he growled. He kept his head down, but his lips turned up slightly.
A soft chuckle escaped me. The first in a hundred years. Jack stared at me, and I gasped.
"What'd you say?" he asked.
I shook my head, my mouth slightly open. I couldn't have just laughed. I didn't even have the ability anymore, did I?
"It sounded like a laugh."
"No," I said abruptly. "No. It's not funny."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you sure? Because it sounded almost as if you said something to me, and then I said something back that you found funny. And you giggled. I'm pretty sure that's what happened."
I took a few calming breaths. "No. That's impossible."
"Impossible that I said something funny?"
And there it was. I laughed again. "No. Impossible that I laughed."
His smile widened, and I laughed some more, at first because it was obviously not impossible, and then because I knew what it meant. I'd recovered enough to laugh.
Jack seemed amazed. "I think anything's possible, Becks."
And then the fleeting levity disappeared. He called me Becks. He believed anything was possible. I couldn't let him believe that. I was being selfish.
I didn't bother putting my books in my bag. I just grabbed them and took off. I could hear his footsteps behind me as I yanked the door open.
"I'll just follow you."
This made me freeze. "You don't know what you're saying."
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me around. "I let you go once, and you disappeared on me. Without a word. I'm not asking it to be the same as it was, but I just want to know you again. Please. Can I know you again?" - Everneath

Now if only we could make Grey Damon pull a Kristen-Stewart-as-Bella-Swan move and stick brown eye contacts into his sockets, then we'd be all set to go. Now, as you know there are FAR sexier pics of the gorgeous specimen, but it was this one, with his beautiful smile, that reminded me most of Jack. Thanks to Sarah of Forever Young Adult for providing the perfect casting call.

My Book Boyfriend is hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, and it's a weekly meme in which you choose a fictional boy that makes your heart all gooey and write up a post for him. For more information, check out the introduction post. For sign ups and Missie's choice this week click here.

What fictional male can't you live without this week?