September Book Blog 4 Everlost/Everwild- Neal Shusterman

     I finished the book "Everlost" last Friday and got the second book in the Skinjacker trilogy, "Everwild," that same day.  After I finished "Everlost" I was left speechless, and just HAD to know what happened next?  I also had so many questions left, so the only thing I could do was to get "Everwild."  I finished "Everwild" yesterday evening and I'm already starting the third book in the trilogy, "Everfound." 

     I see a lot of similarities between Neal Shusterman's Skinjacker trilogy and his UnWind trilogy.  As I said in my post before this one, there are special definitions that need to be known for both trilogies. 

So far I have only read the first two books in both trilogies, and in both second books there's a list of the definitions that you need to know.  Also in each second book in each trilogy he always adds characters that are not only new, and loved by readers, but characters that can critically change the story. 

     In other words the story is no longer predictable.  In the first book I have my theories, my predictions.  I think "Oh, that's defiantly going to happen because this happened."  Though by the time I start the second book I think to myself, "Uhhh, because of this new character that's never going to happen now..." and I can't really predict anything by that time because from there, everything changes.  That's exactly what keeps me attached to his books because they are...unpredictable.  And that's what keeps my attention.  I'm glued to the book. 

September Book Blog 3 Everlost- Neal Shusterman

    

     The chapters in "Everlost" are set up as normal chapters with the name of the chapter and the number.  The book is told in second person point of veiw; the narrator knows each of the characters’ feelings.  I like it this way because then I'm not limited to one's emotions and thoughts, but to all of the character's emotions and thoughts.  The book is also split into four parts.  "Everlost" is very much set up like Neal Shusterman's other two books from the UnWind trilogy: "UnWind" and "UnWholly."  (Everlost is part of the Skinjacker trilogy; this is the first book.)  Both trilogies are told in first person point of view and both trilogies have their own vocabulary that you need to know. 

        A few words that you need to know for the Skinjacker trilogy are: skinjack, vapors, fleshies and Afterlights.  Afterlights are the souls that cross into Everlost; living humans call them ghosts.  Vapors, are a group of Afterlights.  Skinjack is the term that is used in Everlost for possesing a living being, though only few posses the power of skinjacking.  A fleshie is a skinjacker slang term for a living human being.       

September Book Blog 2 Everlost- Neal Shusterman

     The reason I chose this book is because Neal Shusterman wrote it.  I read his book "UnWind" in February, then read the second book in the trilogy called "UnWholly" when it was released last month.  I have to wait until next year for the last book to come out, so I needed something to occupy my time until book three.  I had already planned to read "Everlost" after I read "UnWind" though, I never did get to it.  But now that I love the "UnWind" trilogy so far, I told myself that I'd better chose "Everlost" because I want to know what Neal Shusterman has up his sleeve in this book. 

     Of course, with only one hundred pages left for me to read, Shusterman, for the third time has wowed me again!  Shusterman explores the topics not any author I've seen does.  In "Everlost," life, death, and everything in between are questioned. 

     We all have questions about life and death; what's beyond it?  We all have our beliefs, though, we still have questions.  I'm Christian and believe in Heaven and down below.  I believe we go one place or the other.  But I still have questions.  What happens the exact moment I die?  Who will I see?  Will we all be Angels waiting for Armageddon, to fight on God's side?  Are there cases were some souls simply don't make it up above or down below, stuck in our human world?

     I don't know any of the answers; no human does.  But, Shusterman explores this topic, and just gives us questions about our questions, and think far beyond.
   

September Book Blog 1 Everlost- Neal Shusterman

   

  I chose the novel, "Everlost," by Neal Shusterman.  This book is centered on two main people: Allie, and Nick.  They’re both fourteen years old; both live separate lives, and don't know each other...until one fateful day.  Both their cars get into an accident, and Allie and Nick die.   Though, their souls don't make it to where they're going.  Instead their souls are trapped between the living and the dead, in a place called Everlost. 

     Everlost is a place for "Afterlights" (the ones who don't make it to were they're going), where still in the living world, is very dangerous, though it can be a safe haven.  No, adults get into Everlost, only children and young teens.  As an Afterlight, if you stay in one place to long, you sink.  Though, it can be a place where sad things were once lost are now back, like the Twin Towers of New York, their ghosts stand tall and proud, only seen by Afterlights.  This is where Mary Hightower keeps her safe haven of children.  They all live in the magnificent towers, each day a routine for each one; and that's how it'll be for eternity for these kids; they find their niche and that's what they do. 

     When Nick and Allie find her, Nick's satisfied and wants to stay, though Allie wants to get to where she was supposed be going.  Allie decides even though the living can't see them, she'll force her family to see her.  That's why Allie decides to learn the arts of haunting, but then everything goes wrong.

Practice Post

     Right now, I'm reading an amazing book by Neal Shusterman called, "UnWholly."  This year in  February, I read the first book called "UnWind."  I read it, and fell in love with it!  "It wasn't originally suppoed to be made into a trilogy," qouted Shusterman, but soon on amazon.com, it said that Shusterman's second book in the trilogy of "UnWind" was going to come out on August 28, 2012.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on "UnWholly!" 
     
     The UnWind trilogy takes place in a futuristic society.  A long time ago a war, called the Heartland War, was fought.  There were two sides.  The pro-life and the pro-choice; the pro-life side fought for abortions to be stopped, while the pro-choice side fought for abortions to be kept legall.  Finally both sides came to an agreement.  If a mother didn't want a baby, they still have to give birth to the baby, then they are allowed to put the baby on a person's doorstep, and by law the person who recieved the baby has to take he or she in and raise them as their own child.  This process is called storking.  But, that was not the only law made.  Through the ages thirteen to eighteen, you are allowed to unwind your child.  This happens when a parent no longer can stand their child, they are allowed to send their child to a harvesting camp, to have them unwound.