“Friends don’t eat friends’ souls.”

― Brodi Ashton, Everneath

Over the summer, I read by far one of my favorite books ever, and if you know me, that’s hard to beat. The title is Everneath. Personally, I would rate it 5 stars. This book is about a girl named Nikki who goes on a life-changing adventure.

“Despite all the other factors that had contributed to my fate, in the end it was my decision that destroyed my life. And all the hurt I was enduring now was my doing. The blame rested solely with me.”

Nikki awoke in the Tunnels, she looked up and saw shadows swirling around her, she was lying next to a boy. Confused, she stands up and learns that she has been asleep for a century but the only thing she can remember is a face…a face like no other…one that she knows and treasures… a face that changes her life and after a while, a name comes, Jack. Once given the option to go to the Tunnels or paradise for eternity where the only downside is feasting on souls, she chooses the unthinkable: go to the surface for six months then come back. But instead of paradise she will return to the underworld, Hell, otherwise known as the Tunnels.

“Too much math and science isn’t nourishing to the soul.”

How do you say goodbye to everything you’ve ever known? How can you leave your life right after you just got it back? How can anything ever be the same when you know that everything you’ve ever done is all for waste, all thoughts you’ve thought, all stories you’ve written, all secrets you’ve shared are to be forever gone and soon even you will be a distant memory? How can one person live with such a burden? Well, they can’t. At least not a full life. Nikki tries hard to, though. Although, she notices one thing though, Cole, the immortal who took her to the Everneath to begin with, has followed Nikki home. Cole is convinced Nikki is the key to taking the throne in the Everneath. And he’ll do whatever it is if it means bringing her back, this time as his queen.

“Why do we hope when all hope is lost?”

This book ties together Greek, Roman and Egyptian myths into a thrilling story about endurance, love, forgiveness, persistence and immortality where a new twist pops up everywhere. This book is not for everyone but I highly suggest it.

“Jack ,do me a favor?” I said.

“Anything, Becks.”

“Don’t let go of my hand. And if the Tunnels come for me, don’t let go until the last moment.”

“If the Tunnels come for you   ,I’ll hold on, and they won’t be able to take you.”

I smiled at the sentiment, even though I knew that no one would be able to hold on.”

Maybe things aren’t always as they look, life changes and we have to evolve to live on, our world can some days be crumbling and others days we could be on the top of a mountain where nothing can pull us down. Some days we are held by gravity but we have to learn how to break free of the chains around our ankles and fly to tomorrow. After all,

“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

― Brodi Ashton, Everneath

I love this book and suggest it for everyone.

-Danielle T., 7th grade