For young readers contemplating big questions about life, death, and purpose. This imaginative tale follows two souls navigating a vibrant, dangerous afterlife.
A parent might reach for this book when their mature middle-grade reader is asking profound questions about life, death, and purpose, and is ready for a fantasy that doesn't provide easy answers. Everlost follows two teens, Allie and Nick, who find themselves in a fantastical limbo after a fatal car accident. This in-between world is filled with the ghosts of children and places that were once loved. The story explores their struggle to find meaning in their new existence: one seeks safety and community, while the other craves purpose and adventure. It's a compelling, non-religious exploration of the afterlife that masterfully blends high-stakes adventure with deep philosophical questions about identity, conformity, and what it means to truly live.
The main characters die at the very beginning; the entire plot revolves around their afterlife.
Mature ThemesModerate
Characters make questionable choices, and the line between hero and villain is often blurred.
Sad ContentModerate
Deals with the inherent sadness of children who have died and are trapped in a strange limbo.
Scary ContentModerate
A grotesque monster hunts children, and some descriptions of peril are intense and disturbing.
Sensitive Topics
The book's primary topic is death, handled in a completely secular, fantasy context. It deals not with grieving another's death, but with the protagonists' own deaths and their need to find purpose in an afterlife. The use of the World Trade Center as a central location may be a sensitive point for some families. The resolution is ambiguous, focusing on finding a path forward rather than reaching a final destination, setting the stage for the rest of the series.
Ideal Reader
A thoughtful, curious reader aged 11-14 who enjoys complex world-building and philosophical questions. This is for the child who has outgrown simple good-versus-evil fantasies and is ready for morally grey characters and stories that explore existential themes like purpose, memory, and the meaning of existence.
Parent Prep
Parents should be aware of the World Trade Center setting and be prepared to discuss 9/11 if the child is unfamiliar. The antagonist, the McGill, is genuinely frightening, and a scene where he has captured children hanging by their ankles “like pieces of meat” is intense. The concept of skin-jacking (possession) may also be unsettling for some. Previewing the more intense scenes with the McGill is recommended for more sensitive readers. A child begins asking direct, abstract questions about death (“What happens when we die?”) or is looking for a fantasy book with more depth and darkness than average. This book can be a good, fictional springboard for those conversations.
Age Experience
A younger reader (10-11) will likely focus on the adventure, the unique magical system, and the scary monster. An older reader (12-14) is more apt to pick up on the philosophical debates between Mary and Allie about safety versus progress, the ethical questions surrounding skin-jacking, and the book's commentary on memory and purpose.
What Makes It Special
Unlike most afterlife stories, Everlost is not about getting to heaven or resolving unfinished business. It’s about building a new existence in the in-between. Its intricate world-building, based on the emotional resonance of people and places, is exceptionally creative. The novel's strength lies in its moral complexity and its willingness to let its characters be flawed and its questions remain unanswered.
Read plot summary
After dying in a car accident, teenagers Nick and Allie arrive in Everlost, a limbo state populated by the spirits of children, known as Afterlights. They are guided to a seeming utopia in the ghostly remnants of the World Trade Center, run by the centuries-old Mary Hightower. While Nick finds comfort in Mary's structured, safe community, Allie is restless and feels that staying put is a form of stagnation. She discovers she has the rare ability to “skinjack,” or possess the living. Her journey of discovery puts her on a collision course with the McGill, a monstrous Afterlight who captains a ghost ship and is trying to collect souls to return to life.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Mary offers the children a home that is safe but unchanging. Why does Allie reject this, while Nick is drawn to it? Which character's choice do you understand more?
2
Allie has the power to "skinjack," or possess living people. Do you think it is ever okay for her to use this power? When does using it cross a line?
3
In Everlost, things that were loved enough cross over after they're gone, like the Twin Towers. What is a place or object from our world you think would be in Everlost, and why?
4
Both the McGill and Allie are trying to change their circumstances, while Mary wants to keep things the same. Is it always better to seek change, or is there value in accepting your reality?
5
Fortune cookies in Everlost always tell the truth. If you could get a fortune cookie that told you the absolute truth about something, what would you want it to say?
