kvahedi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
looseeaah's review against another edition
5.0
If an author has made the reader cry in the course of a book that makes the book a good one to my definition. If you agree with this then you must agree that this book is amazing in all kinds of ways. I don't know if its the mystery the love the sadness or the philosophy but this is just one great book and Gabrielle Zevin is an amazing auther!
kaloughl's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book when it first came out. I was 12 years old and it was for my mothers/daughters book club. I think I reread it nearly 3-4 times in few years following. The absolute hold that Zevin's idea of afterlife had on me was intense. Little pieces of this world would always pop into my brain when I thought about death. I love revisiting old favorites!
simone_eventyrkrogen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
trudilibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful, sweet story full of hope and heartache. What an original concept! Zevin's vision of what happens to each of us when we die is staggering in scope and I was humbled by her flawless execution. Dog lovers will find something particularly joyous about Elsewhere. This book is such a positive, life-affirming experience that I finished it in one long sitting and felt uplifted at the end, almost as if I were floating. Truly satisfying story and a great companion novel to Neal Shusterman's Everlost.
jilly_bean_reads's review against another edition
1.0
Multiple people recommended this book to me when they found out I was becoming a librarian and that I wanted to work with young adults. In fact, I even had one professor tell me that this book was "necessary" to read if I wanted to work with the young adult age group. Well, it took me over a year to finish this but I finally did. (I somehow managed to finish my degree before finishing this book!) Upon finally finishing, all I can say is that I don't get it. I don't get why this was recommended to me and I don't get why so many people have loved it. I picked this book up and put it down more times than I can count. I finished out of sheer stubbornness on my part. The premise was interesting enough but I found Liz (the main character) to be incredibly whiny (yes, I know she is dead but come on!) and it was difficult for me to root for any kind of happy ending for her. Speaking of ending, I also thought the book could have ended many different times but it just seemed to keep going! After trying to read it for so long, I finished with the book on CD, thinking this might help matters. I was wrong. The voice actress had a habit of laughing with the characters, as if signaling to the listener that they should laugh too...I usually didn't.
I won't say I hated this book. It had a few bright moments. If I had the option, I would probably give this 1 1/2 stars as I didn't want to light the book on fire or throw it or anything. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. As a lover of YA lit, I definitely wouldn't call this a "necessary" read.
I won't say I hated this book. It had a few bright moments. If I had the option, I would probably give this 1 1/2 stars as I didn't want to light the book on fire or throw it or anything. However, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. As a lover of YA lit, I definitely wouldn't call this a "necessary" read.
marimoose's review against another edition
3.0
What an odd and fascinating perspective of life after death. It literally is a life after death, is Elsewhere. It kind of reminded me of Benjamin Button, the difference being that most people continue forward with their lives by going backward after they died.
At times I liked the writing, and at times I thought things should have been over with. My favorite chapter was actually the shortest one in the book, but I thought it summarized everything that had happened throughout the story that it just felt like the best thing there. Elsewhere was definitely a quick read though, and Liz was a perfect subject to write the story about. She had her ups and downs in ways only a person who had a life yet to live at 16 would have had on Earth. And instead she got stuck in Elsewhere. What teenager wouldn't have felt that he or she was robbed at that point?
Elsewhere had its moments, too. I keep laughing at the interactions between Owen and Liz, and cried at that poignant moment when things inevitably took an end. I mean, come on, if one ages backwards, it was going to be eventual that the baby would have to be reborn again, right?
At times I liked the writing, and at times I thought things should have been over with. My favorite chapter was actually the shortest one in the book, but I thought it summarized everything that had happened throughout the story that it just felt like the best thing there. Elsewhere was definitely a quick read though, and Liz was a perfect subject to write the story about. She had her ups and downs in ways only a person who had a life yet to live at 16 would have had on Earth. And instead she got stuck in Elsewhere. What teenager wouldn't have felt that he or she was robbed at that point?
Elsewhere had its moments, too. I keep laughing at the interactions between Owen and Liz, and cried at that poignant moment when things inevitably took an end. I mean, come on, if one ages backwards, it was going to be eventual that the baby would have to be reborn again, right?
emilyknop's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
leanmealone's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25