Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Teen Fiction Tuesday: The Everafter

The Everafter, by Amy Huntley

Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 248
Reading Level: Upper Teen
Enjoyment Level: Highest



I read this book in less than two days.

Because I didn’t want to put it down unless I had no choice (hello, Work, did you need something? I’m busy reading!). It was actually later on my reading list, but since the author agreed to the interview, I decided I’d bump it up so I could get her the questions faster. I honestly assumed it’d take me at least a week, with all the other stuff I’ve had to do and read. It’s been a while since I’ve read something that I found so engrossing!

In The Everafter, we meet Maddy, who is apparently dead. Surrounding her are objects from her life. As she comes across each one, they give her memories of her former life, but none tell how she died. She can’t move forward until she figures it out and lets go of her fears.

This is a ghost story told from the ghost’s point of view, although saying that is an oversimplification. Maddy is definitely dead, but she relives moments of her life and the reader gets to relive them with her. Through a series of vignettes, we get a sense of the mystery surrounding Maddy’s death, but we get all the pieces of the puzzle, too, although you don’t realize it until the end.

As characters go, Maddy is great. Actually, as character growth goes, this is one of the best examples I’ve read. I got to watch her moments of realization – when she messes up and when she finally understands what she needs to do in order to move on. It’s intriguing and definitely addicting.

I don’t think there’s a single thing I can critique about The Everafter. Even the ending was completely satisfying, giving me the need to sit and ponder for a few moments. This is a book that makes you think, so be prepared if you pick it up – and I highly recommend that you do! Paranormal gets a new shift with this one and it’s more than worth the read.

Until next time, go read something good!

~ Vilate

3 comments:

  1. Great review! I absolutely LOVED this book, for all the same reasons!!

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  2. I will definitely put this on my list. I'm working my way through book number six this month. Sounds like a riveting read. ;)

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  3. I love hearing about books you can't put down. The first one that I read at one sitting was Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time." I was 15. I wrote Angela 1: Starting Over (published last October) with not great hopes that it would be published. But several people read the manuscript or the published book at one sitting. If you are at all interested, I won't plug the book here, but I will invite you to visit my website. Thanks!

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