Everfound

Everfound
Skinjacker Trillogy
Book 3

Neal Shusterman

Thank You!
Before my summary and review, I must thank Neal Shusterman himself for the Advance Reviewer Copy of Everfound that he sent me. When I found out that I had won the free copy on Facebook, it was all I wanted to talk about for a week. I literally checked my front porch every day after I found out I had won the book to see if it had arrived, and when it finally did, I dropped everything and started reading, finishing the 500 page book in two days. This book was phenomenal, thank you very much for the chance to read it early! (Don't worry, for the rest of you, Everfound will be available in early May.)

Synopsis:
The stakes in Everlost are higher than ever. Mary Hightower has devised a cunning plan to bring millions of children into Everlost, "saving" them from the terrors of the living world, and her only opposition is divided and weak. Milos and the rest of Mary's children await the resurrection of their idol, and start reaping hundreds of new souls into Everlost. While they wait, alliances start weakening and tension grows between Milos, Jackin' Jill, and Furjacker Jix. Even when it looks like Mary's scheme is going to fall apart, she unexpectedly wakes up months before she is scheduled to. The emergence of the "Eastern Witch" quickly stirs things up, and as characters lose their worth in her eyes, a new band of resistance forms. Together, Allie, Nick, Mikey, Jill, Jix, and the terrifying scar wraith Clarence must stop Mary before she destroys the living world forever...

My Thoughts:
Neal Shusterman has created a masterpiece with this epic finale to the Skinjacker Trillogy. With a whole cast of new characters added to the mix, a whole new series of complications and alliances form, all with conflicting feelings and goals. The novel is a page-turner from the very beginning to the bittersweet end. Shuterman has managed to reverse the usual tendency of a series to start with the best book and gradually go downhill, ending the Skinjacker Trillogy with the best installment yet. Throughout the book, the nature of Everlost is questioned both through inanimate objects and living (and dead) characters. Objects such as the Wurltzer with its powers of foresight complicate the story line, making you wonder if it really is chance or if there is some greater power controlling it. Abilities of certain characters, most obviously Clarence the scar wraith, also make you wonder how and why certain powers in Everlost exist. The complex world of Everlost will never be able to be fully understood, but this fact only adds appeal to the story. In the same way, the complexity of the characters grows in this story, even with new characters. I felt like I knew each character by the end of the story, and it was sad to say goodbye. The emotions of all of the characters were so strong and realistic that I couldn't help but feel for them, cheering them on in their victories and having my heart drop when they failed. The way that emotion and willpower is so powerful in Everlost really makes the story intriguing, but when you think about it, willpower can have just as drastic results in our world if it is strong enough. The depth and complexity of this story really made it stand out, leading it near, if not to, the top of my favorites list.

Questions for Thought:
1. If you chose to be a furjacker, what kind of animal would you choose to inhabit?

2. Do you think that if someone doesn't believe in the power of scar wraiths that they will disappear?

3. What do you think the deadliest power in Everlost is? The most helpful?

4. Would you be able to kill the comatose bodies of Mary's skinjackers to prevent their evil deeds?

5. Do you think Nick will ever be ready to leave Everlost?

6. Were you a skinjacker, would you be brave enough to skinjack your own body and abandon Everlost forever?


Please leave your comments and answers!

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