So I will review this book in two short and sweet sections: one as a reviewer and one on a personal note. We begin with the death and funeral of Liz told through the perspective of her dog Lucy. When Liz wakes she finds herself on the SS Nile a grand ship taking her to Elsewhere (the afterlife or Heaven of the books story). When she arrives in Elsewhere, she meets her maternal grandmother, Betty, for the very first time, a woman who died at fifty from breast cancer. Liz shortly realizes she'll never be sixteen, never have a Massachusetts driver's license, never go to the prom or graduate from high school or go to college or get married. She will live here in Elsewhere aging backwards until infancy and be sent down the river back to earth to be reborn. In the beginning or shall I say at the end of Liz’s life she is angry, sad and very depressed. She doesn’t want to be in Elsewhere she wants to go home, back to her parents, her brother and friends. Soon though after her depression passes Liz embraces her new life, gets a job learns to speak to dogs and even falls in love. The writing was simple and sweet and the characters held humor and wit.
And there you have my critique on the writing and backdrop of the story…..so now on to my personal thoughts on Elsewhere: I didnt like it.......At all.....not even the funny stuff made it a good read for me.
People Die. People are born. People Die again. Each birth and death is a circle........(pg.70)
NO NO NO....WRONGO!!!!!!!!!
Well if you live on the planet Tron I’d say this book is right up your ally. Otherwise this highly unbelievable outtake on life after death is a load of bull. Had the story taken me longer than the hour and a half I spent reading it I probably would have tossed it across the room. I personally do not believe in reincarnation nor can I enjoy a book about a Heaven that runs exactly like Earth with pain and anger, sadness and sickness. I can’t believe (even for fiction) there is pain or suffering in Heaven. When I go to Heaven for real... I’ll be happy, loved and there will be no sickness or pain and I will be there forever period.
YA Fiction Writing and characters 2/5 Personal View……skip it......clip your toenails instead.
It's interesting to see other people's perspectives on books that I've read.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I do believe in reincarnation... but I still hated this book! It was way too simplistic, with everyone living on earth, dying, aging backwards (?!) in Elsewhere, and then being born again looking the same as they did the last time (someone made a comment about Liz looking like her grandmother when she was a baby floating down the river). It made everything -- birth, life, and death -- seem so pointless and repetitive.
I also thought the love interest aspect was creepy, since Owen had been there for a while and had been married when he was alive. It seemed like a guy with all this life experience was pursuing a 15-year-old girl. He just struck me as a little bit of a pedophile (especially since Liz seemed pretty immature for 15).
Great review, so honest. The description sounds good, but indeed Heaven for me is peaceful. Not going to put this on my tbr list. :)
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