{Everlost Review} by Nolan Foxworth
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{Everlost Review} by Nolan Foxworth
Welcome to Everlost...
A place where life after death isn't so bad. Granted, it isn't the luminous, angelic heavens... nor is it the eternally, flammable pits of hell. It's merely a "limbo," a spiritual state of confinement for lost souls that lies between the stated biblical destinations. Death arrives in the unfortunate form of a car collision for teenagers, Allie and Nick, who unexpectedly become Everlost's latest tourists. Unknown to them, their endeavors to go "home" will be challenged in a place where the unimaginable becomes imaginable, where nightmarish monsters such as the Haunter and McGill, are vibrantly validated within the realms of reality.
A magical world riddled with inventiveness that demands to be explored, interestingly complex characters, and a thought-provoking premise: Everlost has the irresistible charm to entice readers to self-indulgently overstay their welcome, although some may be eager to leave due to a disjointed switch of narrative perspectives and juvenile prose. Interestingly, I found myself in a bit of a "limbo," stuck between the former and latter.
To kick things off, one can't help but to marvel at the substantial amount of creativity Shusterman has implemented into his world. He propels you to keep turning each page, to curiously see what other profound ideas he has stored in his imaginative arsenal. To illustrate, without tiptoeing into spoiler territory: it takes Green souls (new arrivals) nine months to awake in Everlost, comparatively with that of life's universal birth cycle. Afterlights (a fancy word for ghosts, the transition from green souls) can't dwell too long on grounds devoted to the living world or they will sink into the center of the Earth, resulting from 'gravity fatigue.'
I was continuously dazzled from the writings of Mary Hightower, author and self-proclaimed "queen" of Afterlights. Her book's instructive tidbits at the end of each chapter added an extra layer of substance, which did nothing more but strengthened the unrelenting depths of the novel's world-building. They helped to tie up some loose threads for me along the way, furthering my understanding of Everlost's theories and terminology.
On the topic of characters, starting with the villains: the McGill made for a formidable enemy as he was strikingly imposing in view of his chilling, descriptive nature. I envisioned the physicality of him and gave myself quite a scare. His brutal and domineering dialogue spoke volumes of his motives. Next up is the Haunter in which I found to be underdeveloped, but his mysterious nature sort of justified it. Mary Hightower proved to be very complex in nature, much to my liking. The question remains as to why she took the initiative to become a savior to these children, hopefully this will be further examined in the sequel, Everwild.
One of the things that most interested me was the fact that Mary and the McGill were two sides of the same coin. They both shared a common interest that contrasted with their idealistic control of the children in Everlost. Mary's approach was orderly and charmingly secretive, whereas the McGill's mission thrived on fear and heinous acts in making his statement.
I would have liked to known more about the personal lives of Allie and Nick before their untimely demises, a missed opportunity that could've delivered a strong sense of emotional weight given their circumstances. Instead, the story just boldly dives into the narrative without prior knowledge of its central characters. Perhaps... despite its dark theme, this was Shusterman's deliberate intent to avoid that: to mold a light-hearted, jocular novel from the start since its targeted audience is clearly for the 12 and under age range--- considering the juvenility of its writing.
Infused with irony and satirical humor, Everlost didn't seem to take itself too seriously at all which was more of a bad thing than a good thing for me. I anticipated a much darker tone, one with a higher risk of danger, lost, and pain that was ultimately substituted for cheap gags. Sure, a couple of witty one-liners and wildly 'superstitious' concepts sparked my share of some laughter, but I just couldn't relate to the childish nature of the characters. Another issue for me lingered about halfway through the novel: the disorderly switch of narrative perspectives. I was left baffled and disconnected in the process, where I had to occasionally recap sections to refresh where they previously left off.
I was immediately intrigued by Everlost's premise. It solemnly questions humanity's long-running speculation of life after death--- even if it's displayed at the discomfort of a twisted, imaginative perspective of dead children. But on a high note, themes of self-discovery and igniting one's true capabilities progressed character arcs in applaudable ways. The story wrapped up nicely as it set the stage for promising things to come. In the end, Allie and Nick had made quite a name for themselves, which goes to show that the ending of a life is just the beginning of a new one.
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy on "Amazon"
Buy on "Barnes & Noble"
(This is Book #1 of the Skinjacker Trilogy)
A place where life after death isn't so bad. Granted, it isn't the luminous, angelic heavens... nor is it the eternally, flammable pits of hell. It's merely a "limbo," a spiritual state of confinement for lost souls that lies between the stated biblical destinations. Death arrives in the unfortunate form of a car collision for teenagers, Allie and Nick, who unexpectedly become Everlost's latest tourists. Unknown to them, their endeavors to go "home" will be challenged in a place where the unimaginable becomes imaginable, where nightmarish monsters such as the Haunter and McGill, are vibrantly validated within the realms of reality.
A magical world riddled with inventiveness that demands to be explored, interestingly complex characters, and a thought-provoking premise: Everlost has the irresistible charm to entice readers to self-indulgently overstay their welcome, although some may be eager to leave due to a disjointed switch of narrative perspectives and juvenile prose. Interestingly, I found myself in a bit of a "limbo," stuck between the former and latter.
To kick things off, one can't help but to marvel at the substantial amount of creativity Shusterman has implemented into his world. He propels you to keep turning each page, to curiously see what other profound ideas he has stored in his imaginative arsenal. To illustrate, without tiptoeing into spoiler territory: it takes Green souls (new arrivals) nine months to awake in Everlost, comparatively with that of life's universal birth cycle. Afterlights (a fancy word for ghosts, the transition from green souls) can't dwell too long on grounds devoted to the living world or they will sink into the center of the Earth, resulting from 'gravity fatigue.'
I was continuously dazzled from the writings of Mary Hightower, author and self-proclaimed "queen" of Afterlights. Her book's instructive tidbits at the end of each chapter added an extra layer of substance, which did nothing more but strengthened the unrelenting depths of the novel's world-building. They helped to tie up some loose threads for me along the way, furthering my understanding of Everlost's theories and terminology.
On the topic of characters, starting with the villains: the McGill made for a formidable enemy as he was strikingly imposing in view of his chilling, descriptive nature. I envisioned the physicality of him and gave myself quite a scare. His brutal and domineering dialogue spoke volumes of his motives. Next up is the Haunter in which I found to be underdeveloped, but his mysterious nature sort of justified it. Mary Hightower proved to be very complex in nature, much to my liking. The question remains as to why she took the initiative to become a savior to these children, hopefully this will be further examined in the sequel, Everwild.
One of the things that most interested me was the fact that Mary and the McGill were two sides of the same coin. They both shared a common interest that contrasted with their idealistic control of the children in Everlost. Mary's approach was orderly and charmingly secretive, whereas the McGill's mission thrived on fear and heinous acts in making his statement.
I would have liked to known more about the personal lives of Allie and Nick before their untimely demises, a missed opportunity that could've delivered a strong sense of emotional weight given their circumstances. Instead, the story just boldly dives into the narrative without prior knowledge of its central characters. Perhaps... despite its dark theme, this was Shusterman's deliberate intent to avoid that: to mold a light-hearted, jocular novel from the start since its targeted audience is clearly for the 12 and under age range--- considering the juvenility of its writing.
Infused with irony and satirical humor, Everlost didn't seem to take itself too seriously at all which was more of a bad thing than a good thing for me. I anticipated a much darker tone, one with a higher risk of danger, lost, and pain that was ultimately substituted for cheap gags. Sure, a couple of witty one-liners and wildly 'superstitious' concepts sparked my share of some laughter, but I just couldn't relate to the childish nature of the characters. Another issue for me lingered about halfway through the novel: the disorderly switch of narrative perspectives. I was left baffled and disconnected in the process, where I had to occasionally recap sections to refresh where they previously left off.
I was immediately intrigued by Everlost's premise. It solemnly questions humanity's long-running speculation of life after death--- even if it's displayed at the discomfort of a twisted, imaginative perspective of dead children. But on a high note, themes of self-discovery and igniting one's true capabilities progressed character arcs in applaudable ways. The story wrapped up nicely as it set the stage for promising things to come. In the end, Allie and Nick had made quite a name for themselves, which goes to show that the ending of a life is just the beginning of a new one.
Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy on "Amazon"
Buy on "Barnes & Noble"
(This is Book #1 of the Skinjacker Trilogy)
