Everfound (Skinjacker Trilogy) [Paperback]

Let me start this review with a confession: I freaking love Neal Shusterman. Absolutely everything of his that I have read I have freaking loved. Not just loved -freaking loved. That's a whole lot of love right there. Even some of the authors that I've been reading for a long time don't have the kind of love. Ever since I read Unwind a few years ago, Neal Schusterman has had a special place in my heart as the king of awesomely haunting, meaningful YA novels that are always worth reading -and the Skinjacker trilogy is no exception.

Everfound picks up right where Everwild picks up. Mary Hightower has managed to come back to Everlost, but is stuck in the usual hibernation period (called being an Interlight) before awakening as a full-fledged Afterlight. As her minions wait for her to awaken, Allie and others head west. Meanwhile, Jackin' Jill's path crosses with Jix, a strange Afterlight who has the ability to furjack -or take over the bodies of animals. Jix takes orders from a Mayan king who enjoys collecting the coins of Everlost. As the many characters and plot lines converge, the wild twistiness and epic awesome of Everfound explodes.

Completely and absolutely satisfying, Everfound delivers an epic thrill-ride from start to finish. From the very first word until the last, I couldn't put this book down. I kept flipping pages, desperately wanting to know what would happen next. It was amazing to see the intricate and unexpected twists and turns, even when it got close to end. Even now, Shusterman revealed things about his characters that readers would never expect.

Everfound is an excellent conclusion to a great series. Taking the stakes higher and the plot further, Shusterman continues to develop his world up until the very end, crafting a fascinating and engaging world that never ceases to amaze. I'm really sorry to see this series end. It was a fantastic world with incredibly unique characters, and I would recommend to anyone -Shusterman knows how to do it right.

It could be the end of the world as they know it. Even though Mary Hightower has yet to be awakened from her glass coffin, her accomplices are doing their best to serve her and her grand plans--bringing the entire world into Everlost. And so Mary's loyal followers reap new souls by preventing recently deceased children from getting where they were going and ultimately "saving" them. At least, that's how Mary sees it. But not everyone agrees with her, and it soon becomes apparent that Mary's crew will have more than just familiar enemies to deal with. Can the dissenters put aside their differences to fight against Mary, or will she be successful in orchestrating her vision of a worldwide Armageddon?

I have to say that I quite enjoyed Everlost and Everwild, but I was completely blown away by Everfound. This conclusion to Shusterman's spectacular Skinjacker trilogy was its longest and most memorable installment by far. There is so much danger and drama already in the world of Everlost, as detailed in the first two books of the trilogy, but Shusterman introduces many new and exciting complications. There are whole hosts of new Afterlights to be reckoned with, new vortexes and objects with formidable powers, and new ties between Everlost and the real world. The sheer amount of imagination evident in Shusterman's writing simply astounds me; I doubt many other writers could incorporate bodily possession of animals, physically living within two worlds, and a prophetic jukebox into a story as skillfully and realistically as Shusterman does in Everfound. What's even more impressive is how he does this while maintaining completely believable if eccentric characters and situations. This trilogy was such a pleasure to read that I am truly sad that it is coming to a close. It's an epic story of life, love, and death that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very satisfying end.

I most definitely recommend the Skinjacker trilogy to any fans of fantasy and especially to readers who enjoyed reading Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot by Andrew Auseon and the Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith.

Once again, Neal Shusterman outdoes himself! So many final books in a series tend to leave readers disappointed on some level. I don't think too many people will feel that way when they finish Everfound. This book has the right balance of new and familiar, as well as even more depth, complexity, excitement and emotion than the previous books.

Everfound takes up where Everwild left off, with Mary Hightower ("The Eastern Witch") hibernating as an "interlight" after her second death. Her cohorts--including skinjackers Milos and Jackin' Jill--await her reawakening while journeying west. On the way they "reap" the souls of children (cause their deaths and then grab their souls before they can go into the light). In their clutches is Mary's enemy Allie ("The Outcast"), who has sworn to stop her maniacal plans. Pursuing them to rescue Allie is Mikey McGill (once the monster known as "The McGill") and Nick ("The Chocolate Ogre"). Mikey and Nick are captured by a "scar wraith" named Clarence, someone who has body parts that have crossed over into Everlost and can see the ghostly children while most of him remains in the living world. One big complication: the touch of a scar wraith can make their souls cease to exist. Also new to the story is Jix, a "furjacker" who can inhabit the bodies of animals. He is on an assignment from the Mayan king he serves to bring Mary to a place called the City of Souls.

Whew, that's just the beginning and not even the half of it! This story really ramps up the stakes, not just for Everlost, but for the entire living world. Yes, Mary is THAT much of an evil (though in her mind, well-intentioned) genius.

Not only does Mr. Shusterman have a remarkably inventive mind when it comes to plot, he creates the most incredible characters. Even a sarcastic sociopath like Jackin' Jill can surprise you. As I said, in Mary's mind, she is not doing wrong, but actually "saving" the children that are reaped into Everlost. Mikey (who is high on my list of favorite fictional characters of all time) never QUITE shakes his "monster" side, even though he has found a redemptive love with Allie. Allie is not so perfect, either--in her own way she can be as ruthless as Mary. Nick, who turned into a blob of chocolate at the end of Everwild, has a wonderful emotional arc as he finds himself again.

The ending is bittersweet, but that won't be a surprise to anyone who was paying attention, especially to the last book. It made me both smile and cry, and wish I could hold on to these characters and this world just a little bit longer.