I have recently felt the urge to tidy my house (I think the official word for this part of my pregnancy is "nesting"). Whilst doing so I uncovered Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, a book I meant to review ages ago. I really enjoyed it and so did my mum when I passed it onto her, but it was only when I was researching it yesterday that I discovered this was a young adult book. I am, sadly, no longer a young adult, nor is my mother, proof, if proof were needed that Elsewhere (like many a young adult book) is a book that can be universally adored.
Like Lovely Bones, this is a book about the afterlife. Liz, who was in tenth grade, has been killed in a terrible hit and run accident and wakes up to find herself on a boat, traveling to Elsewhere. Whilst coming to terms with her death, she discovers that Elsewhere is a place very similar to earth - except for one thing. Everyone gets younger.
As I have already said, I adored this book, and I read it at a time when I was coming to terms with the unexpected death of someone in my own family. Whilst Elsewhere is obviously a figment of the author's imagination, I found it sad - yes, but also uplifting and inspiring. It wasn't a difficult read, unlike Lovely Bones, but is gentle, enchanting and beautifully written.
Rating: 5/5
Like this? Try Memoirs of a Tennage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin