Thursday, April 2, 2009

Elsewhere


I just finished Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin last night.
Liz Hall has died and gone to Elsewhere and she's not very happy about it. On her way to the mall to pick out a prom dress she forgets to look both ways before crossing the street and is the victim of a hit and run accident. She wakes to find herself on board a ship headed for a place called Elsewhere where the aging process not only stops, it reverses. This means that Liz will never have the opportunity to turn sixteen, date, get boobs or get her driver's license.
Liz not only has to learn to adjust to her new life in Elsewhere, she has to figure out how to say goodbye to her old one on Earth.
I really liked Gabrielle Zevin's take on Heaven. The whole idea of aging backwards to birth again was a great twist. And I liked that Liz was not always very likeable. It made her grieving real to me. The story might be a little too complex for younger readers so my suggestion is for ages 14 and up.
This is a book that will stay with you long after you put it down.
We do not have this book in our library but I would be happy to get it for you through Interlibrary Loan.

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