Everneath

Gr 7 Up—Seventeen-year-old Nikki Beckett agreed to go to Everneath, the underworld, because she was looking for relief from the pain of her mother's death and her boyfriend Jack's betrayal. She volunteered to forfeit her emotions to the immortal Cole; in doing so she never has to feel again and he gains another 100 years of life. However, after Cole discovers that Nikki is not like other Forfeits, humans who give up their lives, because she has her memories intact and wants to return to Earth, he believes she could be a queen of the Everneath High Court. Nikki chooses to return to her former life, where she has only six months to say good-bye and salvage her relationships with her family, friends, and Jack, before she will disappear again-this time for good. She knows that if she becomes an immortal and queen of Everneath, she will have to feed off the emotions of others just like Cole did to her. However, if she doesn't follow his plan, she will spend eternity trapped in the Tunnels. Her strange pull toward Cole and her lingering feelings for Jack complicate her decision. Each chapter begins with a notation on when it takes place and shifts from past to present, giving the story tension. The first-person narration is occasionally choppy, but the powerful emotions, moving and painful rebuilding of strained relationships, and star-crossed love story is sure to resonate with teen readers.—Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA