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lostgwennel's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
This had so much potential. I like Zevin’s direct writing style, and the idea of Elsewhere as an afterlife, but the emotion in the story fell totally flat for me.
The main character didn’t feel authentic as a teenager and was oddly unemotional at times, which made it hard to know what I was meant to be feeling.I didn’t buy the MC’s romance story at all - making her fall in love with a boy who used to be a forty year old man was strange and unnecessary.
I personally would’ve liked more worldbuilding, more curiosity and wonder in exploring Elsewhere. Do all living things go to Elsewhere when they die? What about plants - do trees age backwards into a sapling, then a seed? People from around the world, not just America - what does their Elsewhere look like?
My overwhelming memory of this book is that it feels extremely *suburban*, with few natural elements or sensations, which is why I couldn’t fully connect to the story.
The main character didn’t feel authentic as a teenager and was oddly unemotional at times, which made it hard to know what I was meant to be feeling.
I personally would’ve liked more worldbuilding, more curiosity and wonder in exploring Elsewhere. Do all living things go to Elsewhere when they die? What about plants - do trees age backwards into a sapling, then a seed? People from around the world, not just America - what does their Elsewhere look like?
My overwhelming memory of this book is that it feels extremely *suburban*, with few natural elements or sensations, which is why I couldn’t fully connect to the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Child death
Minor: Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Self harm
danibailey's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Animal death, and Self harm
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