Reviews Literature / Elsewhere 2005

Is it too late to have a life after you die?

Elsewhere is the story of Liz Hall. A young 15-year-old girl. She has a best friend Zooey, two loving parents, a younger brother, and a dog named Lucy. She has plans to get her driver’s license soon, go to college, and hopefully get married.

She also just died.

When Liz wakes up after being hit by a car it’s onboard the S.S. Nile a boat that transports people to the afterlife known as Elsewhere. A very peaceful place where people who have died may live until it’s their time to be reborn on Earth.

While most people who come to Elsewhere are able to find some sort of acceptance or insight, Liz is understandably despondent over her death especially when she learns from her grandmother(Who had passed away before she was born and is assigned to look after her) that In Elsewhere people actually age backward until they’re 7 days old at which point they’re sent off to be reborn on Earth again. This means she'll have to go back to her childhood after she's scarcely left it and never get to do all the stuff she always wanted to do in life.

While at first Liz is content to just watch her family and friends at a distance Liz eventually starts to realize maybe the life she wanted to live isn’t as out of reach as she thought.

Elsewhere is a touching tale about moving on, growing up, and an intriguing look at what might happen when we pass on. The book’s prose is slightly awkward but it works in a very beautiful haunting sort of way and Liz is a relatable protagonist even if none of us have gone through exactly what she has. And without giving away too many spoilers the final few chapters are almost guaranteed to make you cry in both sadness and happiness. Despite the book being marketed for young adults, it’s enjoyable for any age.