How do you describe ELSEWHERE? A novel so astoundingly original and carefully crafted that its complexities become common place and the common place resounds with poetry? In this delightful novel death is a begining, a new start. Liz is killed in a hit a run accident and her 'life' takes a very unexpected turn. At nearly sixteen she knows she will never get married, never have children, and perhaps never fall in love. But in Elsewhere all things carry on almost as they did on earth except that the inhabitants get younger, dogs and humans can communicate (at last) new relationships are formed and old ones sadly interrupted on earth are renewed. Full of the most ingenious detail and woven around the most touching and charming relationships this is a novel of hope, of redemption and re-birth. It is a novel that tells of sadness with heart-breaking honesty and of love and happiness with uplifting brilliance.
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'A little gem to watch out for ... remarkably original.' -- New Books Magazine
'This is an impressive debut, rich in imagination and detail, and it completely swept me away.' -- The Bookseller
‘This book creates an exquisite, clever and wonderfully inspiring picture of the afterlife’. -- Waterstone’s Books Quarterly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
'This is an impressive debut, rich in imagination and detail, and it completely swept me away.' -- The Bookseller
‘This book creates an exquisite, clever and wonderfully inspiring picture of the afterlife’. -- Waterstone’s Books Quarterly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
Gabrielle Zevin is a first time novelist of extra-ordinary talent. She lives in Manhattan where she also writes screen-plays.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
57 of 57 people found the following review helpful
By TeensReadToo
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
Stories about the Afterlife have always appealed to me. There are thousands upon thousands of interpretations out there about what, exactly, happens to a person after they die. ELSEWHERE is a new spin on an old topic, but it manages to bring emotion, realism, and entertainment to something that is, in most circumstances, a very depressing situation. To me, ELSEWHERE is a combination of Mitch Ablom's THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN and Alice Sebold's THE LOVELY BONES, two other wonderful books dealing with death and the Afterlife. ELSEWHERE goes beyond those two books, however, taking readers on a journey into a land so much like Earth, and yet so very, very different.
Fifteen-year old Elizabeth "Liz" "Lizzie" Marie Hall has found herself in ELSEWHERE after dying in a bicycle-meets-taxi accident. After taking a long ride on the SS Nile, Liz has finally realized that she's not in a dream after all, but really, truly dead. When she arrives on Elsewhere, she meets her maternal grandmother, Betty, for the very first time. A woman who died at fifty from breast cancer, Betty is now a woman in her thirties--one of the first surprises Liz is in for is the fact that, on Elsewhere, lives are lived backward from the age of a person's death. Needless to say, this thought depresses Liz. She'll never be sixteen, never have a Massachusetts driver's license, never go to the prom or graduate from high school or go to college or get married. The only thing
she has to look forward to is growing younger, until she returns to being an infant and is sent back to Earth to be born again.
Liz spends her first month on Elsewhere spending all of her time--and her grandmother's eternims, the currency used there--to watch her family, friends, and classmates back on Earth.... Read more ›
Fifteen-year old Elizabeth "Liz" "Lizzie" Marie Hall has found herself in ELSEWHERE after dying in a bicycle-meets-taxi accident. After taking a long ride on the SS Nile, Liz has finally realized that she's not in a dream after all, but really, truly dead. When she arrives on Elsewhere, she meets her maternal grandmother, Betty, for the very first time. A woman who died at fifty from breast cancer, Betty is now a woman in her thirties--one of the first surprises Liz is in for is the fact that, on Elsewhere, lives are lived backward from the age of a person's death. Needless to say, this thought depresses Liz. She'll never be sixteen, never have a Massachusetts driver's license, never go to the prom or graduate from high school or go to college or get married. The only thing
she has to look forward to is growing younger, until she returns to being an infant and is sent back to Earth to be born again.
Liz spends her first month on Elsewhere spending all of her time--and her grandmother's eternims, the currency used there--to watch her family, friends, and classmates back on Earth.... Read more ›
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By njk_85
Format:Paperback
The book begins when a fifteen year old girl 'Liz' is killed in a traffic accident, and describes what is after death. Liz has to deal with being newly dead and adjusting to her new life in 'Elsewhere' - the afterlife.
The book deals with many issues without being complicated or condesending. It can move you to tears and made me personally feel, that if there is an afterlife like this then dying is nothing to be afraid of.
I lent this to all my friends and family and they all felt that is was a wonderful book, and a "feel good" novel.
The book deals with many issues without being complicated or condesending. It can move you to tears and made me personally feel, that if there is an afterlife like this then dying is nothing to be afraid of.
I lent this to all my friends and family and they all felt that is was a wonderful book, and a "feel good" novel.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Surf Dreamer
Format:Paperback
This is a lovely book, but then I love books about Heaven and what it could be like. If you liked Lovely Bones or The Five People You Meet in Heaven this is in the same vein. There is always a moral or some lesson to be learnt.
The story is about 15 year old Liz who is killed before her time and ends up in Elsewhere (heaven?) where she is taken in by her grandmother and educated in the ways of Elsewhere. She is fluent in 'Dog' and gets a dream job. She starts getting younger and younger, to eventually be reborn.
Gabrielle Zevin has produced a great picture of where one might go after death, it makes one feel somewhat comforted.
The story is about 15 year old Liz who is killed before her time and ends up in Elsewhere (heaven?) where she is taken in by her grandmother and educated in the ways of Elsewhere. She is fluent in 'Dog' and gets a dream job. She starts getting younger and younger, to eventually be reborn.
Gabrielle Zevin has produced a great picture of where one might go after death, it makes one feel somewhat comforted.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Amy
Format:Paperback
fantastic
i thought this book was absouloutly amazing it was really sad funny and happy at the same time i nearly cried. my favourite bit was whene liz and owen are young and liz cant read it is hillarious. There are a lot of exciting sad funny happy moments.
I would recomend this book to 10 to 14.
Amazing book
Amy (13)
i thought this book was absouloutly amazing it was really sad funny and happy at the same time i nearly cried. my favourite bit was whene liz and owen are young and liz cant read it is hillarious. There are a lot of exciting sad funny happy moments.
I would recomend this book to 10 to 14.
Amazing book
Amy (13)
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By "natbayliss"
Format:Hardcover
'Elsewhere' is a stunning book and I can honestly say it's one of the best I've read this year. It is poignant, sad at times and touching but also uplifting, inspiring, clever, beautifully written and funny.
It is about coming to terms with loss, learning to forgive and to love and making a new start. 'Elsewhere' is one of those books that stays with you long after you've finished it. A book that you know you will go back to again and again and still enjoy. I gave it to my mum to read and now she can't stop talking about it!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Gwen
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
bought this for my daughter,but i read it and thought it was FANTASTIC!!!! I have incurable and inoperarable brain cancer and was finding things tough to accept,this book however gave me another outlook to death and was very,very comforting,and very funny at the same time...LOVED IT!!!!!!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Kali
Format:Paperback
This is amazing book that will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. It touches that taboo subject of what possibly could happen after you die and does it in such a way that you aren't afraid to close your eyes at night when you go to bed.
The plot revolves around Liz is a 15 year old girl who is tragically killed in a hit and run accident on her way to her friend's house. She wakes to find herself on a ship the SS Nile with thousands of other people heading for an unknown destination, but realisation that she is actually dead is a long time in coming and only when she finally arrives at Elsewhere does she realise the truth, not only is she is dead, she is destined to get younger and younger until finally she is sent back to earth to live another life.
However Liz is not happy to find herself in Elsewhere even though she gets to meet her maternal Grandmother who died before she was born, and she finds herself drawn to the Observatory where she can look in on her "old" family to see what they are doing now that she is gone.
Liz finds it hard to acclimatise to Elsewhere even with the help of a friendly Councillor, a Rock Star who died from an overdose and a young Black girl killed in a random shooting and whom she shared a cabin with on the ship that bought them all to Elsewhere.... Read more ›
The plot revolves around Liz is a 15 year old girl who is tragically killed in a hit and run accident on her way to her friend's house. She wakes to find herself on a ship the SS Nile with thousands of other people heading for an unknown destination, but realisation that she is actually dead is a long time in coming and only when she finally arrives at Elsewhere does she realise the truth, not only is she is dead, she is destined to get younger and younger until finally she is sent back to earth to live another life.
However Liz is not happy to find herself in Elsewhere even though she gets to meet her maternal Grandmother who died before she was born, and she finds herself drawn to the Observatory where she can look in on her "old" family to see what they are doing now that she is gone.
Liz finds it hard to acclimatise to Elsewhere even with the help of a friendly Councillor, a Rock Star who died from an overdose and a young Black girl killed in a random shooting and whom she shared a cabin with on the ship that bought them all to Elsewhere.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book
So insightful and almost poetic in some parts. Wonderfully written but I do wish it went into a bit more detail as they grew younger and the troubles they faced as I feel it... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Ellen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful book
Bougt for my teenage daughter on a recommendation. The books themes about dealing with death and transition to another state seem heavy but she loved it and found it uplifting... Read more
Published 1 month ago by DT
2.0 out of 5 stars
Time waster
I got to page 64 and decided enough was enough! For me, this book was such a waste of time. Nicely written but such a far fetched story. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Annette Showler
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read
'Elsewhere' is my all time favourite book about the Afterlife. I've read 'Before I Fall', the Soul Beach trilogies and a few others (including a few zombie books). Read more
Published 3 months ago by Lizzie
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unfulfilled...
I had so much anticipation for this book after reading the reviews of it and all I can say is that I'm extremely disappointed. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Michael M
3.0 out of 5 stars
Simply fun
I really enjoyed this book. Though it was quite juvenile in some ways, such as the way it was written, it was still a really good, easy and quick read. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Stepping Out of the Page
3.0 out of 5 stars
High Hopes But Ultimately Just OK
Elsewhere tells the story of fifteen year old Liz, a young American girl who meets an untimely end thanks to an unpleasant meeting between her bike and a cab whilst on the way to... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Mrs G To Be
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Read :)
I'm 13 and just getting back into reading again. After reading 'Nobody's Girl', by Sarra Manning and the 'Diary of A Chav' series by Grace Dent, I fancied a change of style. Read more
Published 24 months ago by KeyboardKeyboardKeyboard11
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!
This book is truely amazing, although its a teen book I htink anyone with an imagination can read it. It really makes you think what might actually happen after you die. Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2011 by Nicola
3.0 out of 5 stars
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
My very first thoughts on the book were about the cover. It intrigued me with the girl sitting on a beach with her back to me. Why was she alone? Read more
Published on 16 May 2011 by The Slowest Bookworm
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