Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere is the story of Liz Hall, a 15-year-old who gets hit by a car and dies too young. She finds herself in a place called Elsewhere, where life is just like it is on Earth yet so different. Liz misses her friends and her family and struggles with the realization that she won’t go to prom or graduate from high school. She can spend her time mourning a life that has ended…or she can decide to create a new life for herself in Elsewhere. This is a story about embracing life, even if that life is not what you had planned or imagined.

This is a beautifully written story, at times moving and funny. Zevin’s view of the afterlife is creative and fascinating; I found myself hoping throughout the book that such an afterlife really does exist. The story’s message is wonderful: rather than wish for a different life, love the life you have in all its imperfections and frustrations. The journey is never what you expect it to be.

Read this book with hot chocolate on a rainy day when you’re wishing your life was different! Highly recommended!

****4 ½ stars out of 5 (it was almost perfect but not quite!)