Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
This book was great. The author put the confusing part of dying and made it into a fun loving book for anyone to read. I rate it five stars and I highly recommend it to everyone. :)
A very original answer to the "what happens when you die?" question. Liz never made it to her 16th birthday, instead she was killed by a hit-and-run driver and ended up in Elsewhere. Zevin does a great job of creating this parallel world where the dead reverse-age until they're ready to be born again, with lots of fun little details.
I didn't find Elsewhere religious or sacrilegious, but I'm sure some people might find some of this book offensive, because everything seems to offend someone. In general, it was a nice PG treatment of death and the afterlife.
I didn't find Elsewhere religious or sacrilegious, but I'm sure some people might find some of this book offensive, because everything seems to offend someone. In general, it was a nice PG treatment of death and the afterlife.
2.5 stars.
I really enjoyed the first half. The whole concept of Elsewhere is really well thought out and I enjoyed the world building.
However, I don't know if this is just because it's written for a slightly younger audience but I just found the writing to be really sloppy in places, and I find it hard to believe this was written by the same author of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
SPOILERS BELOW:
The second half annoyed me a lot. The love story felt really weird and pointless. The blurring of lines between age, maturity and biology made it quite tricky for me to get on board.
Sure, they age backwards physically, but do they also age backwards emotionally? Is it really plausible for someone who lived to be 26 to fall in love with a teenager? One minute it seemed fine because biologically he was also a teenager, and physically they're just a couple of years apart. But he still has all that emotional maturity from his twenties, feels a duty to his wife, constantly seems to parent Liz. That's not a love story I want to read.
And my god, the dialogue. The caricatures.
Curtis Jest is supposed to be a British rock star who died from a drug overdose. But he talks like an upper class aristocrat from the 19th century. "We quarreled", "I find her to be a delightful creature" - no British guy in his twenties/thirties talks like this.
Just like no one says "Gee" or "Say" at the beginning of a sentence. Especially not a fifteen year old girl, or an eight year old boy.
I hate to shit all over this, because I did really enjoy the first half, but by the end I was just pissed off with the way everything was going. Conflicts were resolved way too quickly, there were no real stakes, nothing of any consequence was given the time or reflection it deserved, and absolutely every thread was tied up neatly in a bow by the end.
The more I dwell on it, the more annoyed I am. But to try to end on a high note, I did really love Sadie, Jen, Lucy and Paco. The dogs were the best part for me.
(But okay, one more gripe - why is dog language called Canine and cat language called Catus? Why not Feline? Grrrrrrr)
I really enjoyed the first half. The whole concept of Elsewhere is really well thought out and I enjoyed the world building.
However, I don't know if this is just because it's written for a slightly younger audience but I just found the writing to be really sloppy in places, and I find it hard to believe this was written by the same author of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
SPOILERS BELOW:
The second half annoyed me a lot. The love story felt really weird and pointless. The blurring of lines between age, maturity and biology made it quite tricky for me to get on board.
Sure, they age backwards physically, but do they also age backwards emotionally? Is it really plausible for someone who lived to be 26 to fall in love with a teenager? One minute it seemed fine because biologically he was also a teenager, and physically they're just a couple of years apart. But he still has all that emotional maturity from his twenties, feels a duty to his wife, constantly seems to parent Liz. That's not a love story I want to read.
And my god, the dialogue. The caricatures.
Curtis Jest is supposed to be a British rock star who died from a drug overdose. But he talks like an upper class aristocrat from the 19th century. "We quarreled", "I find her to be a delightful creature" - no British guy in his twenties/thirties talks like this.
Just like no one says "Gee" or "Say" at the beginning of a sentence. Especially not a fifteen year old girl, or an eight year old boy.
I hate to shit all over this, because I did really enjoy the first half, but by the end I was just pissed off with the way everything was going. Conflicts were resolved way too quickly, there were no real stakes, nothing of any consequence was given the time or reflection it deserved, and absolutely every thread was tied up neatly in a bow by the end.
The more I dwell on it, the more annoyed I am. But to try to end on a high note, I did really love Sadie, Jen, Lucy and Paco. The dogs were the best part for me.
(But okay, one more gripe - why is dog language called Canine and cat language called Catus? Why not Feline? Grrrrrrr)
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
❤️
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of the strangest love stories I have ever read. Incredibly creative! I probably would have loved this at age 10-12.
This book was really nicely written. It had kind of an odd storyline, but it was believable and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it.
What an original idea. I really enjoyed reading this book and it was a really quick read.