Everlost

oaky this rare. i rarely choose really liked a book, especially when it's a youth novel. but this book is really cool. the writing is a step above what i have come to expect from a young adult novel; as i have said before, it's not book thief or borges, but it is all grammatically correct and there is a mastery there that allows some fun word play.

it's the story that really works so well here. everlost is the place between life and “wherever you are going.” you get there by being young and bumped off your path on the way to the white light at the end of the tunnel. shusterman does a smashing job of creating a whole afterlife without making any specific comments about religion or morality. he also does a great job of creating morally ambiguous characters, but you love them because of their faults and weaknesses.

i'm not going to go too far into it, but this book makes some pretty sophisticated statements about cognitive development, intentions, and emotional needs.

i was impressed and entertained.