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    Everlost
    Everlost
    Everlost
    Ebook353 pages5 hours

    Everlost

    By Neal Shusterman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...

    ...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to get either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no onger exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.

    When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he he's found a home, but allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

    In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
    Release dateJun 20, 2008
    ISBN9781439107256
    Author

    Neal Shusterman

    Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty books, including Challenger Deep, which won the National Book Award; Scythe, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book; Dry, which he cowrote with his son, Jarrod Shusterman; Unwind, which won more than thirty domestic and international awards; Bruiser, which was on a dozen state lists; The Schwa Was Here, winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award; and Game Changer, which debuted as an indie top-five best seller. He is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for the body of his work. You can visit him online at storyman.com.

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    Reviews for Everlost

    4/5

    532 ratings33 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title exciting and engaging. The world-building is interesting and rich, with unique characters and different points of view. It is a very easy and enjoyable read.

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Two cars collide and Nick and Allie don't survive. As they are moving toward the light their bodies collide sending them in to Everlost, somewhere between Earth and... The book is very thought provoking. Shusterman added some pretty intricate details as you learn about the dead spots, objects that cross over such as the Twin Towers which is where Mary house her gangs of children. Then there are the fortune cookies. That part was a bit amusing at times. The items that cross over are some times very ancient such as the old type writer that Allie uses to type the fortunes for the cookies. And as with all good trilogies, The first Skinjacker book, Everlost, leads you right into the next one.
      Shusterman is becoming one of my favorite authors.
    • 3/5
      The novel, Everlost by Neal Shusterman encompasses that no matter what when ever you are lost you will always try to find your way home. In the beginning, Lief struggles with having no other ghost friends to be with and having to stay in his forest all alone. Throughout the middle he perseveres through finding friends and being brave on taking that they are leaving to go find their parents. By the end he has learned that he cant make someone do what he says that they have their own rights, even if they are dead. 150/313
    • 3/5
      I love this author, but I did not love this book. It is very juvenile. It appears that it was meant for younger children and not really young adult. The book was cute.
    • 4/5
      I considered this book a little more like middle-graded book, as the characters are all of very young age, but i enjoyed it all the same! I have been reading YA books lately, and yet not a book can really make me wonder, " who is the villain of the book?", but this book surely does and that's why I like it. I think the world-building in the Afterlight is very interesting and rich and the characters are all unique, having different point of views and do what they think is right. It is a very easy and engaging read too, i just breeze through the pages!
    • 5/5
      Nick and Allie are, separately, on their way somewhere with their families when there's an accident. Suddenly they find themselves falling through a tunnel towards a bright light. Only they trip over each other and never quite make it to that light.

      Instead, they end up in Everlost. Everlost, the desaturated world that's not living but not quite finished/all the way to dead either is a place of all new rules, people and ideas. If you don't do things right you could disappear into nothingness....or you could get caught up by the Everlost monster, the McGill--or something even worse as Allie and Nick find out later.

      When they first land in Everlost they're in a forest with Lief a boy who died years and years ago. The only reason they can stay in the forest and touch everything is because the forest is dead as well and has past into Everlost, too--as certain very loved things do. But Allie wants to go home-even if it's against the rules-and soon they set out on an adventure like they've never experienced before.

      Like a lot of my reviews' summaries I'm leaving out a good bit of the book (but only because I think that you don't need to know stuff that doesn't even hint at happening until 1/5 of the way in...and beyond. But if you're not as picky as me about spoliers: Amazon summary).

      I read Everlost because I enjoyed Unwind so much and wanted to see what else Neal Shusterman had to offer. This book isn't as thought provoking as Unwind but that's most likely a given due to the subject matter of the two books. There is more to it than most sci-fi-ish books because it deals with kids (only kids/young teens enter Everlost) and death and what happens with different ones and how they deal with it.

      In regards to the characters, I thought there were a lot of similarities between Nick, Allie and Lief and Connor, Risa, and Lev (even, kind of, look at the names?). It wasn't that they were carbon copies of each other, I just saw something in them that reminded me of the characters from Unwind. It was most true with Lief & Lev, probably.

      I really liked the different elements of history that were pulled into the book and which items crossed into Everlost. That and that Everlost was as well developed as it was--both the world and the book. It wasn't just a not-exactly-purgatory with muted colors for children and tweens; it was truly well thought out and a world of its own that existed within the actual world and yet outside of it at the same time.

      There's going to be a sequel to this book and I think that's great because I think there's a lot more to explore with both the characters and the subject-though I do think this book was resolved nicely, too.
    • 4/5
      This was a very interesting book. I feel that I can count on that from Shusterman anytime I pick up a new series from him. Like Brandon Sanderson, Shusterman has created incredible unique stories and ideas over and over again. This one has a definite "young adult" feel to it so it might not appeal to some readers but I listened to it while driving a long stretch and enjoyed it immensely as it kept me engaged and interested so that I barely felt the hours and hours I was driving. The characters aren't you're typical heroes but they are interesting enough teenagers dealing with a unique situation.
    • 3/5
      What would happen if you died and were "heading toward the light", like in a long tunnel, and then someone jostled you? You were sent careening off course... and when you awakened you were in another place? This is the premise of Shusterman's beginning title of the Skinjacker trilogy, Everlost. What starts with just a few characters - first the lonely point of view of Lief, an Everlost resident who has hunkered down in a safe forest, then to Allison & Nick, two recent arrivals who aren't willing to succumb to an eternity in Everlost, then to Mary Hightower, sage and rescuer of children, even to the thoughts and intentions of the much feared McGill- the author deftly combines current places and events with the ghostly, otherworld place called Everlost to create a believable landscape. While I thought I'd be following these three children only, trapped in a quiet, strange alternate reality, I was pleasantly surprised to see the story pick up and take off in directions I didn't expect. A great read for both boys/girls, probably most intriguing to fantasy fans. Has some thoughtful insights about the bigger issues: passage of time, falling in love, how death and life coincide with each other. A little over 300 pages.
    • 4/5
      I finally got around to reading this, after having read and liked a few other books by this author. This is an interesting fantasy book about kids who are stuck between death and moving on.
    • 3/5
      Allie and Nick die in a car crash and wake up 9 months later to find that they have become Afterlights in the Everlost, a world of old memories and dead things.

      While Allie and Nick are lovable, the story is mainly driven by the plot. We don't learn too much about their personality through dialogue. Rather, the world and the ever-moving plot takes precedence.

      I liked the direction the story took and the speed at which the world developed.

      It had a little romance, but not really - and I appreciated that. Allie is a girl that gets by on wits and bull-headed will. Nick ends up finding himself a little more in the story too. There really isn't that much character change in the book, which is ultimately why I call this a plot book instead of a character book.

      3 stars because I liked it. Recommended for people who like YA fiction and moving plot.
    • 4/5
      This was a captivating story about two teenagers, Nick and Allie who get into a car accident and are stuck between life and death in a called Everlost.
    • 4/5
      An interesting view of what happens if you don't "make it to where you were going." I thought the World Trade Center references were good, especially since I was reading this on 9/11 and it was already on my brain. Will definitely look for the others in the trilogy.
    • 4/5
      This book is really good, but it is not as good as his other books. The story's plot has a unique and creative idea. The characters are very well developed. This book is perfect for young teenagers.
    • 5/5
      LOVE IT! I read this book back in highschool but never finished it. So glad I was able to finish it now, it is so exciting to think about stuff like this.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Interesting premise, bit of a let down in execution. The story just didn't spark for me although it was interesting at points.
    • 4/5
      Confession: I picked this up not because I was interested in the story but because Nick Podehl narrates. He didn't disappoint; neither did the book. Not sure I'll pick up the rest of the series, but I really enjoyed this.

      This was a useless review; sorry.
    • 4/5
      Everlost is a very good book. It's about a boy and a girl (Nick and Allie) who get in a car accident then end up flying off course to a world between life and death. A sort of limbo called Everlost. Nick and Allie soon find people who start to become friends, there are enemies made and a love connection. The kids soon learn about the dangers Everlost brings and everything that goes on. Nick and Allie get into bad situations throughout the book and they soon recover from them in the most clever ways. But the biggest mystery is uncovered at the end and it is a big one and a good one. Over all Everlost is a read and read again.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It was such a unique story, I haven’t read anything quite like this before.

      Nick and Allie are killed instantly in a car crash and while heading down that tunnel toward the light, something happens and they find themselves waking up 9 months later in a beautiful lush forest near where the crash happened. It takes them a while to realize what must have happened, and discover they are not alone in this forest. There is a strange boy who has forgotten his name who they rechristen Leaf. Leaf has apparently been in this forest for many many years alone but has odd tales of other children who pass through from time to time and a monster named the McGill. As they set out to get some of their questions answered and to explore the world they now find themselves a part of, they discover that while only children populate this strange afterlife, there are still some very real dangers, even to those who can’t die.

      I thoroughly enjoyed following the adventures of Nick and Allie as they explored Everlost, meeting many unusual and memorable characters along the way. This book was so entertaining and engaging that I read the entire thing in one night. I was up pretty late but couldn’t put it down until I got to the end, and while it didn’t exactly end on a cliffhanger, I am certainly glad I have the next book in the series so that I can continue enjoying their adventures. I found it so easy to lose myself in this world. No flowery prose or overly wordy descriptions, just a straightforward, quickly moving plot with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. There are so many things and places to discover in Everlost and Neal Shusterman does an amazing job of showing this world in a way that kept me engaged in the story at the same time.

      Rating 5 – I loved it and cannot wait to jump right into the next!
    • 3/5
      This book would only interest those who like paranormal themes. It was a bit strange and I feel it would not hold the interest of most teens.
    • 3/5
      Nick and Allie are killed in a traffic accident, and slip into a strange limbo land called ‘Everlost’, which bears some resemblance to our world, but operates by its own very different rules. They’re not yet ready to accept that they’ve left the real world behind, but they become increasingly drawn into engagements with the other inhabitants of Everlost, including Mary, who sees herself as the guardian of these lost souls, and the terrifying McGill. A fairly readable and imaginative young adult story, although in the long run I didn’t find it particularly memorable.
    • 5/5
      Allie and Nick die and are stuck in limbo. While there they discover one girl,Mary Hightower rules all the children in limbo -- Everlost. Allie can't help but want to live. Nick doesn't know what to do. Things clash and all that was must be questioned. Everlost draws you in fast since it weaves a story of strong characters as real people and makes things for you open about life after death. A deeply original story with alternating characters that should be thought even,after after life. You ...moreAllie and Nick die and are stuck in limbo. While there they discover one girl,Mary Hightower rules all the children in limbo -- Everlost. Allie can't help but want to live. Nick doesn't know what to do. Things clash and all that was must be questioned. Everlost draws you in fast since it weaves a story of strong characters as real people and makes things for you open about life after death. A deeply original story with alternating characters that should be thought even,after after life. You will come out feeling like a different person when you finish them.
    • 4/5
      this is a very interesting book. i loved every part of it!
    • 5/5
      The first book was far better in some ways but this one has more conflict. Also a bit of romance but not much.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in the Skinjacker Trilogy. Everfound, the third book, is scheduled for publication in May 2011. Everlost begins with two cars that accidentally crash. A passenger in each car dies; Nick and Allie. As they feel themselves moving through a tunnel towards a light, they bump each other off course and don't get to where they are going. They wake up in Everlost, an in between place for lost souls where there are only children and teenagers. Nick and Allie take different approaches to the people and circumstances of their new existence. Will they choose complacency, choose to be in Everlost, or will they find the strength to get to where they are going? Everlost is a terrific adventure-fantasy in an unpredictable setting.
    • 4/5
      I read this book as it was required summer reading for my granddaughter who is going into 6th grade. While I could put it down, I did find the fantasy part of life after death to be well written. The author has taken childhood fantasy, complete with a Wicked Witch type of character, and blended it with the adult tragedy of death to create and interesting story of two young teens who have died suddenly in a car crash. It is easy to see a trilogy come out of this. This is the first young adult book I have read in a long time.
    • 5/5
      Neal Shusterman is one reason I am a fan of young adult literature. This is a story about children who are in limbo, somewhere between life and death. Intriguing.
    • 2/5
      Okay. This would be funny. Say you borrowed the book Everlost from a friend. You with me?Now, say you finished the book and posted a review of it on a book oriented social networking site. Something like Goodreads. Say that friend reads your review, perhaps even likes it or comments on it. That friend would be reasonable in assuming that she (or he, I suppose) would be getting her (or his) book back soon.You know how people lead double lives on the Internet? Folks who are really deep and adventurous when represented by their Facebook updates, but whose lives are really nothing like what they lead you to believe. And you know it.Well, what if we applied that principle here? If you say online that you've finished with your friend's book, but insist, when your friend finally gets the guts to inquire, that you're still reading it. That she (or he) can disregard the review she (or he) read because it wasn't what was really true? Can you imagine the recourse that person would have?None. There would be no recourse. No matter how much she (or he) enjoyed her (or his) really decently written young adult fantasy book, what she (or he) might refer to as magic realism (or might not), she (or he) could, in theory, never get it back. Unless she (or he) bought her (or his) own goddamned copy.In the meantime, you could read it over and over. You could revel in this little magical world, ever so well constructed. You could be mildly amused, but, at the same time, somewhat annoyed, by the references to real life places. You could apply the theories of Everlost to your own eventual death and feel just a bit sad that because you're so old, you could never stand a chance of making it there. Really, you could just be content with the fact that you've found yet another escapist fantasy book that you can read when contemporary fiction really starts to get you down. And it's better that you stole it because that means that this particular little world belongs to one less person.You follow?
    • 5/5
      I really liked Everlost! This book is just so good, I can’t tell you! It takes a very unique view of what happens to us when we die, and oh, it was just amazing!A lot of thought has gone into this book; a lot of urban fantasies I’ve read lately have been based around some sort of myth, but as far as I can tell, Everlost has been completely made up, and the world building is just brilliant! The rules of the world, the way this new world effects some people, the “magic” of the world; with each page turned, there’s something to be amazed by, but it’s not so farfetched as to not be believable. As I was reading, it just seemed that this place between life and death could actually exist, but I couldn’t tell you if this is a place I’d want to go to or not.I really loved the cultural and historic references in this book. As well as people making their way to Everlost, objects and buildings can make their way there, too, for various reasons. One of the main settings in Everlost are the Twin Towers, and it plays an important part in the story as what it stands for, for certain characters. The Twin Towers aren’t the only “things” to have come to Everlost that a reader will recognise either from their own life, or as from historical events. It’s just superb how Neal has interwoven real real life into his story; it does that little bit more to make Everlost believable.There are some really great characters in this story! Everlost is a multiple point of view story, and so we get to understand on a certain level all five of the main characters; Nick, Allie, Lief, Mary and the McGill. Nick is a little deluded by Mary, but through some of the events that happen in the book, he becomes a really strong and powerful character. Allie is stubborn and in denial at first, but she’s smart, and she sees things – and people – for what they really are; Lief is such a lovely boy! I really wanted to give him a hug so many times; he’s sweet and kind, and his own version of brave. Mary is hard to figure out exactly, she has her heart in the right place in some ways, but she’s also kind of selfish in others – I actually think she’s quite twisted and disturbing. The McGill I can’t really get into, but I’ll tell you he’s complicated. Together, they all make for interesting reading!The action in the novel isn’t action as I normally use the word, it’s more a series of events that move the story forward; if one event didn’t happen, the ones that followed wouldn’t either. Suspense and wonder run throughout the novel, and you can’t help but keep reading! Everlost is a real page turner!If I was to criticise anything in the book, it would be Mary and Nick’s relationship. No, not their relationship exactly, more how they’re in love with each other. In my opinion, not enough happens between them for them to be in love; they fancy each other, yes, perhaps are even infatuated with each other, but it doesn’t feel like love to me. There isn’t enough development in their relationship for love, but that’s just my opinion.All in all, Everlost is a fantastic book, and I implore you all to give it a go! Next on my reading list is Everwild, the sequel, which is released on 4th February, and I can’t wait to pick it up! Really, this is such an awesome book, you must read it!
    • 4/5
      I seem to pick up Shusterman's books without reading about them. I did that with Unwind and now with Everlost. Both books are excellent. Everlost is the story of a car crash and the adventures of two teenagers, Nick and Allie. Instead of going where people go after they die, the teens end up in a place called Everlost. In what is in some ways a quest novel, Nick and Allie have to solve a series of problems in order to get to their goal. Along the way they make and lose friends and fight monsters. While the book might sound slightly juvenile, it is not. There is violence, love, and loss. Shusterman's writing is strong, as is the story.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. It had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved it. Um... my brain is exploding right now and I can't think of anything else to write, so more on this book later.
    • 4/5
      Allie and Nick awake to find themselves in a place called Everlost after a car accident they didn't survive. As they try to navigate this new reality, they try to figure out its rules, tangle with Queen Mary, and deal with the evil creature McGill. Allie is desperate to get back home again, and she'll do just about anything to try to get there. This was a creative concept for a story and a really enjoyable read. The book had action, adventure, interesting characters, and was thought-provoking.

    Book preview

    Everlost - Neal Shusterman

    PART ONE

    Afterlights

    CHAPTER 1

    On the Way to the Light…

    On a hairpin turn, above the dead forest, on no day in particular, a white Toyota crashed into a black Mercedes, for a moment blending into a blur of gray.

    In the front passenger seat of the Toyota sat Alexandra, Allie to her friends. She was arguing with her father about how loud the radio should be playing. She had just taken off her seat belt to adjust her blouse.

    In the center backseat of the Mercedes, dressed for his cousin’s wedding, sat Nick, trying to eat a chocolate bar that had been sitting in his pocket for most of the day. His brother and sister, who sandwiched him on either side, kept intentionally jostling his elbows, which caused the molten chocolate to smear all over his face. As it was a car meant for four, and there were five passengers, there was no seat belt for Nick.

    Also on the road was a small piece of sharp steel, dropped by a scrap metal truck that had been loaded to the brim. About a dozen cars had avoided it, but the Mercedes wasn’t so lucky. It ran over the metal, the front left tire blew, and Nick’s father lost control of the car.

    As the Mercedes careened over the double yellow line, into oncoming traffic, both Allie and Nick looked up and saw the other’s car moving closer very quickly. Their lives didn’t quite flash before them; there was no time. It all happened so fast that neither of them thought or felt much of anything. The impact launched them forward, they both felt the punch of inflating air bags—but at such a high speed, and with no seat belts, the air bags did little to slow their momentum. They felt the windshields against their foreheads, then in an instant, they had each passed through.

    The crash of splintering glass became the sound of a rushing wind, and the world went very dark.

    Allie didn’t know what to make of all this quite yet. As the windshield fell behind her, she felt herself moving through a tunnel, picking up speed, accelerating as the wind grew stronger. There was a point of light at the end of the tunnel, getting larger and brighter as she got closer, and there came a feeling in her heart of calm amazement she could not describe.

    But on the way to the light, she hit something that sent her flying off course. She grabbed at it, it grunted, and for an instant she was aware that it was someone else she had bumped—someone about her size, and who smelled distinctly of chocolate.

    Both Allie and Nick went spinning wildly, crashing out of the blacker-than-black walls of the tunnel, and as they flew off course, the light before them disappeared. They hit the ground hard, and the exhaustion of their flight overcame them.

    Their sleep was dreamless, as it would be for a long, long time.

    CHAPTER 2

    Arrival in Everlost

    The boy had not been up to the road since forever. What was the point? The cars just came and went, came and went, never stopping, never even slowing. He didn’t care who passed by his forest on their way to other places. They didn’t care about him, so why should he?

    When he heard the accident he was playing a favorite game; leaping from branch to branch, tree to tree as high from the ground as he could get. The sudden crunch of steel was so unexpected, it made him misjudge the next branch, and lose his grip. In an instant he was falling. He bounced off one limb, then another and then another, like a pinball hitting pegs. It didn’t hurt, all this banging and crashing. In fact he laughed, until he had passed through all the branches, and all that remained was a long drop to the ground.

    He hit the earth hard—it was a fall that would have certainly ended his life, had circumstances been different, but instead the fall was nothing more than a quicker way to reach the forest floor.

    He picked himself up and got his bearings, already hearing the echoes of commotion up on the road. Cars were screeching to a halt, people were yelling. He hurried off in the direction of the sounds, climbing the steep granite slope that led up to the road. This wasn’t the first accident on this treacherous strip of highway; there were many—a few every year. Long ago a car had even left the road, flown like a bird, and landed smack on the forest floor. Nobody came with it, though. Oh, sure there had been people in the car when it had crashed, but they got where they were going even before the boy came to inspect the wreck.

    This new wreck was bad. Very bad. Very messy. Ambulances. Fire trucks. Tow trucks. It was dark by the time all the trucks were gone. Soon there was nothing but broken glass and bits of metal where the accident had been. He frowned. The people got where they were going.

    Resigned, and a little bit mad, the boy climbed back down to his forest.

    Who cared anyway? So what if no one else came? This was his place. He would go back to his games, and he’d play them tomorrow and the next day and the next, until the road itself was gone.

    It was as he reached the bottom of the cliff that he saw them: two kids who had been thrown from the crashing cars, over the edge of the cliff. Now they lay at the base of the cliff, in the dirt of the forest. At first he thought the ambulances might not have known they were here—but no; ambulances always know these things. As he got closer, he could see that neither their clothes, nor their faces bore any sign of the accident. No rips, no scratches. This was a very good sign! The two seemed to be about fourteen years old—a few years older than he was—and they lay a few feet apart from one another, both curled up like babies. One was a girl with pretty blond hair, the other a boy who looked somewhat Asian, except for his nose, and his light reddish-brown hair. Their chests rose and fell with a memory of breathing. The boy smiled as he watched them, and made his own chest rise and fall in the same way.

    As the wind passed through the trees of the forest, not rustling them in the least, he waited patiently for his playmates to awake.

    Allie knew she was not in her bed even before she opened her eyes. Had she fallen onto the floor in the middle of the night again? She was such a thrasher when she slept. Half the time she woke up with the sheets tugged off the mattress and wrapped around her like a python.

    Her eyes opened to clear sunlight streaming through the trees, which was not unusual except for the fact that there was no window for the light to shine through. There was no bedroom either; only the trees.

    She closed her eyes again, and tried to reboot. Human brains, she knew, could be like computers, especially in the time that hung between sleep and wakefulness. Sometimes you said strange things, did even stranger things, and once in a while you couldn’t figure out exactly how you got where you got.

    She wasn’t bothered by this. Not yet. She simply concentrated, searching her memory for a rational explanation. Had they gone camping? Was that it? In a moment the memory of falling asleep beneath the stars with her family would come exploding back into her mind. She was sure of it.

    Exploding.

    Something about that word made her uneasy.

    She opened her eyes again, sitting up this time. There were no sleeping bags, no campsite, and Allie felt strange, like someone had filled her head with helium.

    There was someone else a few feet away, sleeping on the ground, knees to chest. A boy with a bit of an Asian look about him. He seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, as if they had once met, but only in passing.

    Then an icy wave of memory flowed over her.

    Flying through a tunnel. He was there. He had bumped her, the clumsy oaf!

    Hello! said a voice behind her, making her jump. She turned sharply and saw another, younger boy sitting cross-legged on the ground. Behind him was a granite cliff that extended high out of sight.

    This boy’s hair was unkempt, and his clothes were weird—sort of too heavy, too tight, and buttoned way too high. He also had more freckles than she had ever seen on a human being.

    It’s about time you woke up, he said.

    Who are you? Allie asked.

    Instead of answering, he pointed to the other kid, who was starting to stir. Your friend is waking up, too.

    He’s not my friend.

    The other kid sat up, blinking in the light. He had brown stuff on his face. Dried blood? thought Allie. No. Chocolate. She could smell it.

    This is freaky, the chocolate boy said. Where am I?

    Allie stood up and took a good look around. This wasn’t just a grove of trees, it was an entire forest.

    I was in the car, with my dad, Allie said aloud, forcing the scrap of memory to her lips, hoping that would help to drag the rest of it all the way back. We were on a mountain road, above a forest…. Only this wasn’t the forest they had driven past. That forest was full of tall dead tree trunks, with stubby, rotting limbs. A dead forest, Dad had said from the driver’s seat, pointing it out. It happens like that sometimes. A fungus, or some other kind of blight—it can kill acres at a time.

    Then Allie remembered the squealing of tires, and a crunch, and then nothing.

    She began to get just a little bit worried.

    Okay, what’s going on here, she demanded of the freckled kid, because she knew Chocolate Boy was as clueless as she was.

    This is a great place! Freckle-face said. It’s my place. Now it’s your place, too!

    I’ve got a place, said Allie. I don’t need this one.

    Then Chocolate Boy pointed at her. I know you! You bumped into me!

    "No—you bumped into me."

    The freckled kid came between them. C’mon, stop talking about that. He started bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet. We got stuff to do!

    Allie crossed her arms. I’m not doing anything until I know what’s going on— and then it all came crashing back to her with the fury of—

    —A head-on collision!

    Yes! said Chocolate Boy. I thought I dreamed it!

    It must have knocked us out! Allie felt all over her body. No broken bones, no bruises—not even a scratch. How could that be? We might have a concussion.

    I don’t feel concussed.

    Concussions are unpredictable, Chocolate Boy!

    My name’s Nick.

    Fine. I’m Allie. Nick tried to wipe the chocolate from his face, but without soap and water it was a lost cause. They both turned to the freckled kid. You got a name? Allie asked.

    Yeah, he said, looking down. But I don’t have to tell you.

    Allie ignored him, since he was starting to become a nuisance, and turned to Nick. We must have been thrown clear of the accident, and over the cliff. The branches broke our fall. We have to get back up to the road!

    What would you want to go up there for? the freckled kid asked.

    They’ll be worried about us, Nick said. My parents are probably searching for me right now.

    And then suddenly Allie realized something. Something she wished she hadn’t.

    Maybe they won’t, she said. If the accident was bad enough …

    She couldn’t say it aloud, so instead, Nick did.

    We could be the only survivors?

    Allie closed her eyes, trying to chase the very idea away. The accident had been bad, there was no question about it, but if they came through it without a scratch, then her father must have as well, right? The way they made cars nowadays, with crumple zones, and air bags everywhere. They were safer than ever.

    Nick began to pace, losing himself in morbid thoughts of doom. This is bad. This is really, really bad.

    I’m sure they’re all okay, Allie said, and repeated it, as if that would make it so. I’m sure they are.

    And the freckled boy laughed at them. The only survivors ! he said. That’s a good one! This was no laughing matter. It made both Nick and Allie furious.

    Who are you? Allie demanded. Why are you here?

    Did you see the accident? Nick added.

    No, he said, choosing to answer Nick’s question only. But I heard it. I went up to look.

    What did you see?

    The kid shrugged. Lots of stuff.

    Were the other people in the cars all right?

    The kid turned and kicked a stone, angrily. Why does it matter? Either they got better, or they got where they were going, and anyway there’s nothing you can do about it, so just forget about it, okay?

    Nick threw his hands up. This is nuts! Why are we even talking to this kid? We have to get up there and find out what happened!

    Can you just calm down for a second?

    I am calm! Nick screamed.

    Allie knew there was something … off … about the whole situation. Whatever it was, it all seemed centered on this oddly dressed, freckle-faced boy.

    Can you take us to your home? We can call the police from there.

    I don’t got a telly-phone.

    Oh, that’s just great! said Nick.

    Allie turned on him. Will you just shut up—you’re not helping. Allie took a good long look at the freckled boy again. His clothes. The way he held himself. She thought about the things he had said—not so much what he said, but the way he had said it. This is my place … now it’s your place, too. If her suspicions were correct, this situation was even weirder than she had thought.

    Where do you live? Allie asked him.

    Here, was all he said.

    How long have you been ‘here’?

    The Freckle-boy’s ears went red. I don’t remember.

    By now Nick had come over, his frustration defused by what he was hearing.

    And your name? Allie asked.

    He couldn’t even look her in the eye. He looked down, shaking his head. I haven’t needed one for a long time. So I lost it.

    Whoa . . . , said Nick.

    Yeah, said Allie. Major whoa.

    It’s okay, said the boy. I got used to it. You will, too. You’ll see. It’s not so bad.

    There were so many emotions for Allie to grapple with now—from fear to anger to misery—but for this boy, Allie could only feel pity. What must it have been like to be lost alone in the woods for years, afraid to leave?

    Do you remember how old you were when you got here? she asked.

    Eleven, he told them.

    Hmm, said Nick. You still look eleven to me.

    I am, said the boy.

    •   •   •

    Allie decided to call him Lief, since they had found him in the forest, and he blushed at the name as if she had kissed him. Then Lief led them up the steep stone slope to the road, climbing with a recklessness that not even the most skilled rock climbers would dare show. Allie refused to admit how terrified she was by the climb, but Nick complained enough for both of them.

    I can’t even climb a jungle gym without getting hurt! he complained. What’s the point of surviving an accident, if you’re going to fall off a mountain and die?

    They reached the road, but found very little evidence of the accident. Just a few tiny bits of glass and metal. Was that a good sign or bad? Neither Allie nor Nick was sure.

    Things are different up here, Lief said. Different from the forest, I mean. You better come back down with me.

    Allie ignored him and stepped onto the shoulder of the road. It felt funny beneath her feet. Kind of soft and spongy. She had seen road signs before that said SOFT SHOULDER, so she figured that’s what it meant.

    Better not stand in one place too long, Lief said. Bad things happen when you do.

    Cars and trucks flew by, one every five or six seconds. Nick was the first one to put up his hands and start waving to flag down help, and Allie joined him a second later.

    Not a single car stopped. They didn’t even slow down. A wake of wind followed each passing car. It tickled Allie’s skin, and her insides as well. Lief waited just by the edge of the cliff, pacing back and forth. You’re not gonna like it up here! You’ll see!

    They tried to get the attention of passing drivers, but nobody stopped for hitchhikers nowadays. Standing at the edge of the road simply wasn’t enough. When there was a lull in the traffic, Allie stepped over the line separating the shoulder from the road.

    Don’t! warned Nick.

    I know what I’m doing.

    Lief said nothing.

    Allie ventured out into the middle of the northbound lane. Anyone heading north would have to swerve around her. They couldn’t possibly miss seeing her now.

    Nick was looking more and more nervous. time. Allie . . . ,

    Don’t worry. If they don’t stop, I’ll have plenty of time to jump out of the way. After all, she was in gymnastics, and pretty good at it, too. Jumping was not a problem.

    A harmonica hum that could only be a bus engine began to grow louder, and in a few seconds a northbound Greyhound ripped around the bend. She tried to lock eyes with the driver, but he was looking straight ahead. In a second he’ll see me, she thought. Just one second more. But if he saw her, he was ignoring her.

    Allie! shouted Nick.

    Okay, okay. With plenty of time to spare, Allie tried to hop out of the way … only she couldn’t hop. She lost her balance, but didn’t fall. Her feet wouldn’t let her. She looked down, and at first it looked like she had no feet. It was a moment before she realized that she had sunk six inches into the asphalt, clear past her ankles, like the road was made of mud.

    Now she was scared. She pulled one foot out, then the other, but when she looked up, she knew it was too late; the bus was bearing down on her, and she was about to become roadkill. She screamed as the grill of the bus hit—

    —Then she was moving past the driver, through seats and legs and luggage, and finally through a loud grinding engine in the back, and then she was in the open air again. The bus was gone, and her feet were still sinking into the roadway. A trail of leaves and dust swept past her, dragged in the bus’s wake.

    Did I … Did I just pass through a bus?

    Surprise, said Lief with a funny little smile. You should see the look on your face!

    Mary Hightower, also known as Mary Queen of Snots, writes in her book Sorta Dead that there’s no easy way to tell new arrivals to Everlost that, technically, they are no longer alive. If you come across a ‘Greensoul,’ as new arrivals are called, it’s best to just be honest and hit them with the truth quickly, Mary writes. If necessary, you have to confront them with something they can’t deny, otherwise they just keep on refusing to believe it, and they make themselves miserable. Waking up in Everlost is like jumping into a cold pool. It’s a shock at first, but once you’re in, the water is fine.

    CHAPTER 3

    Dreamless

    Lief, having been so long in his special forest, never had the chance to read any of Mary Hightower’s brilliantly instructional books. Most everything he knew about Everlost, he had learned from experience. For instance, he had quickly learned that dead-spots—that is, places that only the dead can see—are the only places that feel solid to the touch. He could swing from the branches of his dead forest, but once he got past its borders to where the living trees were, he would pass through them as if they weren’t there—or, more accurately—like he wasn’t there.

    He didn’t need to read Mary Hightower’s Tips for Taps to know that you only need to breathe when you’re talking, or that the only pain you can still feel is pain of the heart, or that memories you don’t hold tightly on to are soon lost. He knew all too well about the memory part. The worst part about it was that no matter how much time passed, you always remembered how many things you’d forgotten.

    Today, however, he had learned something new. Today, Lief learned how long Greensouls slept before awaking to their new afterlife. He had started a count on the day they arrived, and as of this morning, it was 272 days. Nine months.

    Nine months! Allie yelled. Are you kidding me?

    I don’t think he’s the kidding type, said Nick, who appeared to be actually shivering from the chilliness of the news.

    I was surprised, too, Lief told them. I thought you’d never wake up. He didn’t tell them how every day for nine months he kicked and prodded them, and hit them with sticks hoping it would jar them awake. That was best kept to himself. Think of it this way, he said. It took nine months to get you born, so doesn’t it figure it would take nine months to get you dead?

    I don’t even remember dreaming, Nick said, trying hopelessly to loosen his tie.

    Now Allie was shaking a bit, too, at this news of her own death.

    We don’t dream, Lief informed them. So you never have to worry about nightmares.

    Why have nightmares, said Allie, when you’re in one? Could all this be true? Could she really be dead? No. She wasn’t. If she was dead she would have made it to the light at the end of the tunnel. Both of them would have. They were only half-dead.

    Nick kept rubbing his face. This chocolate—I can’t get it off my face. It’s like it’s tattooed there.

    It is, Lief said. It’s how you died.

    What?

    It’s just like your clothes, Lief explained. It’s a part of you now.

    Nick looked at him like he had just pronounced a life sentence. You mean to tell me that I’m stuck with a chocolate face, and my father’s ugly necktie until the end of time?

    Lief nodded, but Nick wasn’t ready to believe him. He reached for his tie, and tried to undo it with all his strength. Of course, the knot didn’t give at all. Then he tried to undo the buttons on his shirt. No luck there, either. Lief laughed, and Nick threw him an unamused gaze.

    The more frustrated Nick and Allie became, the harder Lief worked to please them. He brought them to his tree house, hoping it might bring them out their sour mood. Lief had built it himself out of the ghost branches that littered the ground of the dead forest. He showed them how to climb up to the highest platform, and when they got there, he pushed them both off, laughing as they bounced off tree limbs and hit the ground. Then he jumped and did the same, thinking they’d both be laughing hysterically when he got there, but they were not.

    For Allie the fall was the most terrifying moment she ever had to endure. It was worse than the crash, for that had been over so quickly, she had no time to react. It was worse than the Greyhound bus passing through her, because that, too, had come and gone in a flash. The fall from the tree, however, seemed to last forever. Each branch she hit jarred her to the core. Jarred her, but didn’t hurt her. Still, the lack of pain made it no less terrifying. She screamed all the way down, and when at last she smashed upon the hard earth of the dead forest with a hearty thump, she felt the wind knocked out of her, only to realize there was never actually any wind in her to knock out. Nick landed beside her, disoriented, with eyes spinning like he just came off a carnival ride. Lief landed beside them, whooping and laughing.

    What’s wrong with you? Allie shouted at Lief, and the fact that he still laughed when she grabbed him and shook him made her even angrier.

    Allie put her hand to her forehead as if all this was giving her a killer headache, but she couldn’t have a headache now, could she, and that just made her all the more aggravated. The rational part of her mind kept wanting to lash out, telling her that this was all a dream, or a misunderstanding, or an elaborate practical joke. Unfortunately her rational mind had no supporting evidence. She had fallen from a treetop and had not been hurt. She had passed through a Greyhound bus. No, her rational mind had to accept the irrational truth.

    There are rules here, she thought. Rules, just like the physical world. She would just have to learn them. After all, the rules of the living world must have seemed strange when she was very little. Heavy airplanes flew; the sky turned red at sunset; clouds could hold an ocean full of water, then rain it down on the ground below. Absurd! The living world was no less bizarre than this afterworld. She tried to take some comfort in that, but instead found herself bursting into tears.

    Lief saw her tears and backed away. He had little experience with girls crying—or if he did, his experience was, at best, a hundred years old. He found it highly unexpected and disturbing: What are you crying for? he asked her. It’s not like you got hurt when you fell from the tree! That’s why I pushed you—to show you it wouldn’t hurt.

    I want my parents, Allie said. Lief could see that Nick was fighting his own tears, too. This was not at all how Lief had imagined their first waking day would be, but maybe he should have. Maybe

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