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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I loved this book. It was such a unique story, I haven’t read anything quite like this before.
Nick and Allie are killed instantly in a car crash and while heading down that tunnel toward the light, something happens and they find themselves waking up 9 months later in a beautiful lush forest near where the crash happened. It takes them a while to realize what must have happened, and discover they are not alone in this forest. There is a strange boy who has forgotten his name who they rechristen Leaf. Leaf has apparently been in this forest for many many years alone but has odd tales of other children who pass through from time to time and a monster named the McGill. As they set out to get some of their questions answered and to explore the world they now find themselves a part of, they discover that while only children populate this strange afterlife, there are still some very real dangers, even to those who can’t die.
I thoroughly enjoyed following the adventures of Nick and Allie as they explored Everlost, meeting many unusual and memorable characters along the way. This book was so entertaining and engaging that I read the entire thing in one night. I was up pretty late but couldn’t put it down until I got to the end, and while it didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, I am certainly glad I have the next book in the series so that I can continue enjoying their adventures. I found it so easy to lose myself in this world. No flowery prose or overly wordy descriptions, just a straightforward, quickly moving plot with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are so many things and places to discover in Everlost and Neal Shusterman does an amazing job of showing this world in a way that kept me engaged in the story at the same time.
Rating 5 – I loved it and cannot wait to jump right into the next!
Nick and Allie are killed instantly in a car crash and while heading down that tunnel toward the light, something happens and they find themselves waking up 9 months later in a beautiful lush forest near where the crash happened. It takes them a while to realize what must have happened, and discover they are not alone in this forest. There is a strange boy who has forgotten his name who they rechristen Leaf. Leaf has apparently been in this forest for many many years alone but has odd tales of other children who pass through from time to time and a monster named the McGill. As they set out to get some of their questions answered and to explore the world they now find themselves a part of, they discover that while only children populate this strange afterlife, there are still some very real dangers, even to those who can’t die.
I thoroughly enjoyed following the adventures of Nick and Allie as they explored Everlost, meeting many unusual and memorable characters along the way. This book was so entertaining and engaging that I read the entire thing in one night. I was up pretty late but couldn’t put it down until I got to the end, and while it didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, I am certainly glad I have the next book in the series so that I can continue enjoying their adventures. I found it so easy to lose myself in this world. No flowery prose or overly wordy descriptions, just a straightforward, quickly moving plot with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are so many things and places to discover in Everlost and Neal Shusterman does an amazing job of showing this world in a way that kept me engaged in the story at the same time.
Rating 5 – I loved it and cannot wait to jump right into the next!
1st time: I came across this book during a book fair at my school. I didn't really like reading much, but i went to the fair because my english teacher was offering extra-credit if we went. While i was there the author Neal Shusterman spoke about this book and I said to myself why not and give this book a try? I loved every part of it!
2nd time: When I read this again I now understand what happened. The second book makes much more sense now.
2nd time: When I read this again I now understand what happened. The second book makes much more sense now.
Shusterman has such a knack for starting a wildly imaginative and captivating book and then letting you down just a little bit. I was hooked within the first few pages and eagerly devoured the rest. By the end I was still mostly satisfied with the story, but a little disillusioned and a smidge disappointed. I rather wish he would focus on crafting an extra long stand-alone book instead of the oh-so-profitable trilogy. I rather think it would be a better product overall with the change to cull and edit more.
Still a fun read and a little more on the J side rather than YA, but who knows how the series will progress.
Still a fun read and a little more on the J side rather than YA, but who knows how the series will progress.
Two young teens die in a car accident and discover themselves in the realm of Everlost. First they have to accept their deaths, can they get home, can they find a way to the light at the end of the tunnel, and how do they deal with the other Afterlights in Everlost? A great tale and a fun read.
I found this book uniquely charming. The idea that if you love something enough it will cross over into the afterlife is very sweet and whimsical, kind of like the world of eternal children it crosses into. Everlost is a very creative and slightly less morbid take on death. It just seemed so childlike and innocent to me. While the world was the true masterpiece behind this novel, the characters, particularly Allie, were really interesting as well. This book was a delightful breath of fresh air and it can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone.
I think I'll need to re-read this at some point before doing a full review. I quite enjoyed it, but my sense is I missed at least a few of the thematic elements.
Neil Shustermann, the author of Everlost, is one of my new favorite authors. This was the third book of his that I had read with the other two being Unwind and Bruiser. Shustermann focuses more on plot and themes than wording so it was a bit hard to like this book at first. The first half I found slightly disappointing but the second half more than made up for it. The story dives into the questions of what comes after death, what is our purpose, and etc. Shustermann does an excellent job being both realistic and imaginatively engaging. The simplicity of his writing allows for younger audiences to understand the main idea of the book while older audiences pick up on the grander, philosophical themes underlying the text.
Though not as political as Unwind, Everlost makes for another great story set in another amazing world created by Neal Shusterman. I was a little wary going into this, I am not a fan of death stories, but Shusterman dealt with the idea tactly but also in a very straightforward way. He's not out to offend anyone. The story involves a lot of moving around, very much like Deathly Hallows' infamous camping scenes, where nothing much seems to happen, and the story is not being developed. I was waiting a good long while for one of those amazing plot twists that Neal Shusterman is so good at doing. Thankfully, although it came a little late, I wasn't disappointed. The ending is filled with amazing plot twists and, as the rest of the book, creative storytelling that is worth the read.
Rating: 4.5/5
This was a surprisingly original story. I loved the different characters -- it wasn't just Luke Skywalker finding they had a talent -- and the setup of having the villains paired romantically with the heroes.
This is a really fun read. I like the premise, and I like that Shusterman doesn't try to defend or refute any particular belief system. That can get tricky when you're writing about the afterlife. I also liked that people weren't always as they seemed, but the unexpected things that they did were completely in character. For me, Neal Shusterman is kind of hit-and-miss, but this was one of his better ones.