The Everafter

Huntley's take on the afterlife is something that I have never heard of or even wondered about before. Now, however, I find myself recalling all of the things I have lost and never found that may end up in my own Is.

The Everafter is a story about death. How one should go about moving on and learning to let go. Although I found the concept to be very moving, I felt as if Huntley could have dove deeper into this concept and givin it more meaning.

Overall, this is a book that was a wonderful quick read and one that I really liked.

The Everafter's a hopeful glimpse into what the afterlife could be. Madison's trying to figure out how she died and learns a lot about herself and others along the way. It's definitely got its sad moments but there are also moments of joy and in the end you really just hope for the best for Maddy and her loved ones. If you're a fan of ghost stories or mysteries or any sort of speculative fiction please check this one out, it's fascinating!
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The story is told from the point of view of Madison. Madison's dead. She doesn't know how she died, or where she is, or even who she is at first. She just is. She's not a body or a person but more like a ball of energy. As she explores the endless space-like place she's in, she encounters objects she's lost in life. When she touches one, she's sucked back to that moment in her life where she lost it. The items vary from keys to jewelry, homework to a rattle. Since the items vary with age, we're brought back to different moments in Madison's life in no order. She goes from toddler to teenager to adolescent, even baby (which is kind of creepy to read!)

The concept isn't something I've ever read and it's so intriguing just to think about. Death and what comes after is such a huge mystery and this version is almost...wistful. You can feel Madison's longing as she remembers what it's like to be alive and how much she misses her parents, best friend and boyfriend. All she's got is these rare moments that she lost something, and though they weren't important in life, they're so meaningful in death. On top of that, she's trying to find out how she died and she's so confused. It was just so sad!

Madison's death isn't revealed until the end (and it's a shocker), so you're constantly thinking of all the possibilities along with Madison. She comes into contact with other people who are also dead that give her direction in terms of discovering what she can do with her 'lost memories' and how she can unlock the moment of her death. Until she does that, she can't move into the Everafter, a mysterious place that sounded beautiful, where you're happy and everyone you love is with you.

Beautiful is how I'd describe this book. Beautiful and imaginative and intriguing and sad but in a 'smile-through-your-tears' sort of way. It's one that makes you wonder. I'm absolutely terrified of death and what comes after, but The Everafter makes it seem not so scary. It makes you hope that maybe this is what'll be there on the other side.
At the end, there's also an extra page or two from another character (2 actually!) that played an important role, and you find out their actions had a huge impact in how Maddy's and this person's life played out, and it's one of those smiling-tears scenes again *Sniff* so sad )':

I am actually really impressed that this book doesn't follow the norm for YA books - that being faerie tales, love triangles, or gossipy stories. This debut novel is astonishingly refreshing and has such a lovely writing style.
From the very first line, "I'm dead.", I was completely stuck on this book. I could not put it down. I am a sucker for beautiful covers and interesting titles, so those are the first reasons I was drawn to the book. Then the idea of being dead and not knowing how you died, nor who you really were, intrigued me.
Maddison, our 17 year old narrator, cannot understand how she died, let alone who she really was when she was alive. As she stumbles upon items she lost during her life, she realizes that each one will bring her back to the moment she lost them, where she can observe or change what happens. I found myself wanting to yell at Maddy as she tries to change things. I understood she wanted things to be different than they were, but I worried she would change the future too much and lose who she already was. This is such a great feeling when you are that compelled to want to interact with the character and give them advice.
I absolutely loved the idea that lost items are there in the afterlife for us to find and re-experience different parts of our lives and see them from an outsiders point of view. I believe that while Maddy entered into scenes from her life, she actually learned more about who she was, what her family and friends really meant to her and that sometimes it's the small things in life that we take for granted.
Each interaction that Maddy has with someone from her life and afterlife lead to her finding an understanding of life and death. Eventually we will all die, it's just a matter of when and how. So once you are gone, would you really want to change it all?

A very quick read. I read it in one sitting. It was beautiful and scary, and comforting all at the same time. I'd like to believe that this is what comes after death.

In 244 pages, I really became attached to Madison, and I'm happy with her everafter.