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lrnunez's review
3.0
A fun filled Alice in Wonderland type story with a twist of humor. I read this book in eighth grade and over all had fun with this carefree story. It's an interesting take on life after death with a plot that promises excitement all the way through.
goosemixtapes's review
on a quality level i can make no statements about this book i just remember it was such an incredible mindfuck for me, at the age of 13, that i still remember some of the scenes uncannily well
klockworkprincess's review
4.0
such an interesting premise. I've also been lucky enough to meet the author, and he was really cool.
readwithpassion's review
3.0
This is a great book. I think I liked book two a bit more. I read them out of order. My review may be influenced on the fact that I knew some of the events that unfolded later though. It reminds me a lot of a superhero/comic book. I think Shusterman includes enough elements of this book that any type of teen would enjoy the book. I only give it three stars because it just wasn't my favorite of his books.
em_murrell's review
3.0
I have had this book in my classroom library for a while now, so I decided to read it to book talk for my 7th graders. I love the Scythe series, and so do a lot of my students. I love the premise of this book. I also love all of the real history worked into Everlost. I think my middle schoolers will love this book, and I will absolutely hype it up for them. However, a lot of it fell kind of flat for me personally. I don’t intend to finish the series.
lindenw's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book (& the whole of the Skinjacker trilogy) has been in the back of my mind since I first read them as they came out so many years ago. Definitely YA, but I had a fun time revisiting the first book of the series & seeing that it still holds up.
ashkitty93's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 stars
Similar to Neal Shusterman's other books, this one has a very unique and thought-provoking concept. Unfortunately, this one put me at a bit of a disadvantage as a reader due to my own personal reasons. Not long after picking up Everlost, I had a moment of pure, terrible clarity in facing my biggest fear: death. It still terrifies the wits out of me to think about for too long, but after that I couldn't pick this up for several weeks. So already partway into the book, I was battling with my own thoughts as I read. It got distracting and I often had to set the book aside in favor of something that wouldn't leave me shaking.
Several months later, I'm proud to say I've finished the book. It turned out to be not as good as I'd hoped, but not quite what I had expected either. For that, it gets a middle-ground rating. I honestly don't know if it would have gotten a higher rating had I not had that episode early on. By the end of the book things really picked up and we finally got some answers in this hazy, purgatory-like world. I'll probably finish the trilogy, but it's not a huge priority right now. As it is, I'm glad to be finishing 2015 with a read I'm proud I got through.
Similar to Neal Shusterman's other books, this one has a very unique and thought-provoking concept. Unfortunately, this one put me at a bit of a disadvantage as a reader due to my own personal reasons. Not long after picking up Everlost, I had a moment of pure, terrible clarity in facing my biggest fear: death. It still terrifies the wits out of me to think about for too long, but after that I couldn't pick this up for several weeks. So already partway into the book, I was battling with my own thoughts as I read. It got distracting and I often had to set the book aside in favor of something that wouldn't leave me shaking.
Several months later, I'm proud to say I've finished the book. It turned out to be not as good as I'd hoped, but not quite what I had expected either. For that, it gets a middle-ground rating. I honestly don't know if it would have gotten a higher rating had I not had that episode early on. By the end of the book things really picked up and we finally got some answers in this hazy, purgatory-like world. I'll probably finish the trilogy, but it's not a huge priority right now. As it is, I'm glad to be finishing 2015 with a read I'm proud I got through.
scythefranz's review against another edition
4.0
“But we can't choose what we forget. The more we try to forget something, the more we end up remembering it.”
I should've read Everlost before. Even I idolized and worshipped Neal Shusterman, I stalled myself to read this book because I thought I will not enjoy an afterlife novel. Guess, I was wrong. I really did enjoy reading this one.
Everlost is a limbo between life and death. It's where the dead children go. No adults. Just children up to the age of 14. It's like the afterlife but it is not?
As a novel, Everlost is a fun but haunting one. Fun because there's a great adventure and mysteries to solve. Haunting because it reminds us about the complexity of life and death and everything in-between.
It looks like a book about children playing and doing stuff but it's actually a dark one that convey lessons and realization about existing and not existing. Seriously when I think about it, I got scared of what is waiting for me in the other side or is there really a destination after all of these? What is the feeling of being stucked in a miserable place? Yep, I got scared with those thoughts.
Anyway, I liked how the characters had grown into me, major or minor. Their characterization had been developed so well, I ended up liking them all and very much anticipating what they will do in the sequel. The world-building were superb also. I pictured it fine in my mind and found it truly interesting and disturbing. Shusterman described the Everlost like it was real. But, he left some mysteries to be pondered upon. There are still holes to fill and questions to answer about this bizarre world of the dead children.
As a whole, Everlost is an engrossing read. It captures the child in me and makes me appreciate the fun, adventure, dread, hopes, dreams and worry and everything else experienced by the characters. It lures me to an intriguing and haunting world without having me oriented to what I will stumble upon. And it makes me think about life and death and to what will happen next.