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4.0 out of 5 stars
An imaginative masterpiece, 20 Jan 2010
Everlost is a place that exists between life and death. I imagine it as a dimension existing around our own almost like a hologram world but that's just how my vision formed as I read the book. Neal Shusterman's world can only be described as an imaginative masterpiece. Allie and Nick find themselves in Everlost because they bumped into each other on their way to the glowing light after the moment of their death. Once they awaken from their long slumber, they are met by Lief, a boy who has been living in a forest of Everlost for many, many years. Lief introduces us to their new state of being. They are Afterlights existing without needing any food or drink to sustain them. The two new arrivals want to follow their natural instinct to leave the forest and make their way back home. Once they take this journey, the story really begins as the world of Everlost unfolds around them and they meet the characters who have become, for different reasons, leaders of this ghostly world.
Shusterman communicates many ideas and concepts to transform Everlost into a fascinating and believable world. Part of the beauty of the story is learning about these along with Nick and Allie. I really don't want to give any spoilers because this book should be experienced in its imaginative entirety. So instead I'll ask some questions that you may find the answers to by reading the book. Why do we believe ghosts to repeat the same pattern day after day? What happens when your soul travels to the centre of the earth? Why do adults never land in Everlost? Who or what is the McGill?
One of the things that I really liked about this book is that Shusterman doesn't portray Allie and Nick as grieving children who long for their family. He doesn't focus on the fact that they should be in emotional agony. Instead he focuses on their integration into the world of Everlost. Some people could read this as a weakness but I personally see it as a choice not to sentimentalise the book and I like that quality. The plot moves a steady pace as Allie and Nick move around Everlost facing many challenges and fears. The one point I would pick up on is Nick's relationship with Mary. The love that grows between them seemed cosmetic and without any depth. I understand the reasons for this but it still irritated me during my reading.
Reading Everlost was a journey into an unknown world which is populated by the most fascinating characters with ghostly abilities. Although this isn't quite my usual read, I did enjoy it. I am reminded of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book as Everlost has the same extraordinary imaginative power to transport to you to a different ingenious world. I would definitely recommend this to fantasy fans 10+ or anyone who is looking for something just a little bit different.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A fun read that also has meaning, 4 Sep 2009
When I picked up Everlost to read I wasn't too sure what I'd be getting. It was obviously a ghost story of sorts, but beyond that I was going in blind. One thing I didn't realise until I started reading it was that it was a Young Adult novel. This isn't a bad thing and I don't have anything against the genre - in fact I'm the opposite, I just don't have the time to read much of it - so it was with some anticipation that I plowed through. What found in Everlost was a good, fast-paced story that I enjoyed enough to remind me to look at more YA.
Allie and Nick are our two main characters, although once they cross over to the Everlost they meet Lief, a young boy who has been there for a long time. The initial character relationships between these three are fairly straight forward and expected due to the age of the three. Each have their own personality that works well with the story and this leads all of them to the places they find themselves. We also have some other characters that play a larger role in the story: Mary and the McGill. Mary is the leader of the children stuck in the Everlost of New York while the McGill is the bad guy of the story, but one that has more depth to him than I would have expected. Mary is a grey character, one that comes across sometimes as the sort of person you would love to be around, but at other times someone that is clearly not telling the whole truth. It's down to the personalities of all these characters that give us the story of the children stuck int he Everlost.
Speaking of which, the Everlost is a surprisingly fresh look at a normal ghost story. While only children can cross over to the Everlost, only the items they carry come with them. Neal Shusterman has created an excellent reasoning behind the Everlost and the way in which it works. Only things that have been loved immensely can cross over, so although the ghosts of the Everlost can walk the Earth (with the added difficulty of slowly sinking as they do so) only these areas that have also crossed over can give them a solid ground to live on. Unsurprisingly, Mary's main base in New York are the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. There are plenty of touches throughout the novel that make you realise how much depth and thought has gone into creating such a believable explanation of the Everlost - all done exceptionally well!
There are, of course, twists and turns throughout the story, although it is the pacing that is one of the better things. It may be my relative lack of recent YA reading, but Everlost always has something on the go - there are never any serious down time sections - which really helps to keep everything moving at a good speed and it keeps the interest in finding out what happens next. The pages are always crying out to be turned and the story just wants to be read.
All in all it was such a refreshing change to read something that is both deep and meaningful, yet lots of fun. Everlost is one of those books that I would recommend to anyone that is after a good, quick read regardless of the audience it is aimed at. It's good at what it is: a YA book that gives the older readers a reason to pick it up!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Just as good as Unwind!, 10 July 2009
I loved this book! Neal Shusterman has managed to create an enchanting, terrifying world where nothing and everything makes sense. The story and characters are original and brilliant, and the whole concept of Everlost is a great idea.
Allie and Nick are strong, layered characters, and each eventually finds their place in this strange new world. With Nick's quick thinking abilities and Allie's headstrong resolve, the pair make a huge difference to Everlost, and the lives of all the children who haven't yet gotten where they're going.
The chapters are fairly short, and most begin with excerpts from Mary Hightower's books about life in Everlost. I think this is a pretty genius idea, and gives the reader that extra bit of information about the rules and regulations of this scary but comforting place. The McGill is an interesting villain, with a story of his own that unfolds throughout the book. Although he's not as bad as he seems, I still wouldn't like to meet him on a dark night... his appearance would scare the life out of me!
Everlost is another compulsive read from the fantastic Mr. Shusterman. Thought-provoking books with lots of room for discussion seem to be his speciality, and he pulls it off so well every time. I can't wait for the sequel!
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