Review: The Everafter

Title: The Everafter

Author: Amy Huntley

Pages: 256

Rating: 4.5/5

Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this--she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience--and sometimes even change--moments from her life.

Her first kiss.

A trip to Disney World.

Her sister's wedding.

A disastrous sleepover.

In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life--and death (Cover Blurb).

I thought the concept of this book was great, and the idea was so unique. I was hooked right away and had a hard time putting this book down. I finished it in less than 24 hours, which lately for me, is a huge accomplishment.

Maddy has died. She doesn't know how or why. At first, she doesn't even know quite who she is. She founds herself bodiless, floating in a place that she calls "is." As she travels through "is", Maddy begins to see other objects along the way. A sweatshirt, a pen, a rattle. All items that she lost during her life. As Maddy touches it object, we are rushed back to that time, and Maddy is able to relive the moment, over and over again. Through these objects, Maddy begins to uncover who she is, and what her life was like.

To give away any more of the book would be robbing the reader of the magnificent story that Huntley has woven together within these short 250 so pages. I was blown away by this story, especially the mystery of Maddy's death. Let's just say that my mouth fell open and stayed that way for several minutes. Huntley's ideas and concepts about death, and what the afterlife is like, were so fresh and different that the story moved along without the reader slowing down and asking if they've read this before.

I had grabbed this book at the library, but I definitely think I'll be grabbing a copy for my keeper shelf!