Everwild Review

 

 Ok whew, finally getting this review up. Everwild by Neal Shusterman is the second book in the Skinjacker trilogy following Everlost. It picks up right where the story left off at the end of the last book. Nick discovers he can free Afterlights with the coins they come into Everlost with and send them to wherever their souls are supposed to go. By freeing all of Mary's Afterlights he starts a war between the two almost-lovers. Meanwhile Allie is attempting to get home accompanied by Mikey "the McGill" and a connection starts to build between them. New characters are introduced that add new twists and turns to the plot. Zin, also know as The Ripper, adds some comic relief but as amazing abilities. Milos and his groupies, Moose and Squirrel, find Allie and show her the full potential of her skinjacking gift, only to have her discover the truth behind what being a skinjacker is. 

While this book is a YA book, it starts to touch on some horrifying concepts. Characters you thought you knew turn out to have distorted views of what is acceptable to do with life and death. Theories that are thrown around in this book make you start to question your own reality and just how much of this is actually possible. Like in Everlost, contemporary pop culture references are added that put the book in perspective. It makes you feel like you are in a completely made up fantasy world and then all of a sudden you realize they are in modern day Chicago or Memphis or New Jersey. 

Also just like in Everlost, while reading this book I feel like the writing is very trance-like, I don't realize how much I have read until I hold the book up and see that I read a huge chunk of it. I don't know what it is about you Shusterman, but your writing is enthralling. It is beautiful and horrifying at the same time while almost keeping the reader detached from the characters. I don't necessarily feel like I was ever sucked into the story like I have with other books, but its more like I am an observer of this world I don't belong in.

After all the character development and progress that has been made in this book I can't wait to see where this story could possibly go. Even though the characters remain the same childish age forever in Everlost, I feel like I have watched them mature so much. I can't wait to see where the few romances and bonds go in the final book of this unique trilogy. So all in all, I would say 4 stars and middle of the shelf. I would recommend these to a lot of people but I don't know how well they would be received. I think these books are ones that will stick with me for a long time.

Onto to Everfound...