Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Elsewhere
Book Review: Great Premise, Horrible execution
Summary: 2 Stars
I really enjoyed the premise of the book. However, I didn't like that the writing style was in the present tense through-out the entire book. I thought the characters weren't developed enough and felt very flat to me. Each character had the same manner of speaking and same sense of humor, so they all were basically the same characters but with different names or genders and different backgrounds. But then again, I'm an adult reader and well aware that the book was intended for young-adults. In all, I did find it gripping enough to read all the way through (in one day no less) and I did find some interesting nuances about it. Unfortunately (and this is probably because of the age range that the book targeted), I found more annoyances than gems.
That said, for a children's book, this would be an excellent read. I could see how it could bring comfort to a child dealing with the loss of a loved one and I can also see how it would be entertaining to a child who is interested in the author's creation of the afterlife. Some of the sub plots and developments in the book itself outside of the characters would make for a very gripping read for years 4th grade - 9th grade (depending on the maturity level of the child; there is some mild cussing).
Book Review: Great book about the afterlife
Summary: 5 Stars
I wasn't sure about this book since it was YA, but I ended up Loving it! It made me cry so hard and laugh too. You really get into the main character's life. It gives you a great picture of what the afterlife could be like. I wish there were more books like this.Book Review: Great book with a new perspective
Summary: 5 Stars
Death as a new chapter in life... It's an unusual premise and, in a gifted writer's hands, a quirky and unexpected delightful treasure. I'm impressed with this writer, so much so that I ordered her first book and pre-ordered her third. Well worth reading - and sharing!Book Review: Great idea!
Summary: 5 Stars
What if when you die instead of heaven there is Elsewhere? Here in Elsewhere you age backward. Liz Hall was 15 years old when she died. Instead of becoming an adult she'll grow younger and never experience adulthood. The concept of growing younger was an interesting one. I liked that after death you would still have a form of life. I liked the people that Liz met and interacted with while in Elsewhere. I loved the lessons that she learned through the book.Book Review: Gripping Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Liz has died. She's dead. Kicked the bucket, taken the big sleep, bought the farm, whatever you want to call it, she's gone. Or is she? Liz wakes up shortly after her death. Not in her coffin or in her grave or somewhere gruesome like that, but she wakes up on a cruise ship. She's in white pajamas and rooming with a girl she never met.
It takes Liz awhile to figure out that she's gone. It doesn't make a lot of sense, she was only 15, well almost 16. The cruise ship she wakes up on finally puts her down in what all the inhabitants call "Elsewhere." Things are different here than they were on Earth...but surprisingly the same. Liz can watch over her family back on Earth...sometimes, but she has a life...now that she's dead.
Even though the synopsis is confusing, the book really is not. This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. Zevin basically answered the question about life after death, and did it in a way that was both sad, but enlightening and hopeful at the same time. "Elsewhere" is technically a YA book, but I found it to be exceptionally entertaining and very insightful.
I must say I cried throughout most of the book. Not full out balling, but I teared up on more than one occasion and at the seemingly simplest things throughout "Elsewhere." I feel that doing so really added to the reading experience as opposed to distracting from it. I found the entire story that Zevin made up about life after death to be just plain wonderful. She even answered the question of God and where He is after death in a non-offensive and non-religious way if that's even possible.
I have a lot of respect for Zevin. She has penned an amazing book that is insightful, heartwarming, and touching all at once. Pick up "Elsewhere" even if you don't believe in Heaven, God, life after death, or anything like that. "Elsewhere" makes you wonder, think, ponder, and appreciate the life you have.