Everlost

It made me a bit uneasy to read about children who lost their way between life and death. But the storyline was well thought out and talently written. I liked how some things crossed over like birthday cakes and the twin towers. There was a fortune cookie twist that was also a fun idea. I think the thing I liked most -- and what I was most worried about -- was that the ending was good. It was clean and satisfying. I already knew there were sequels to this book, so I was concerned that Shusterman would leave these kids wandering in the in-between forever. But he cleaned it up real well and I will probably give the sequel a try as well.

Neal Shusterman succeeds again! Everlost is wonderful. I stayed up all night first reading the book, then listening to it. Nick Podehl reads the story well, and sounds just like I would have imagined the characters. Each character has a distinct voice, but they never sound stupid or annoying to listen to.
This is such a unique story, and I would recommend it to anyone. Although I'm fifteen, I would recommend it to anyone from 11 to 17. Shusterman wrote this so well that it can be enjoyed by any audience. :) Happy listening!

I am really enjoying this series. The characters are great and the narration is wonderful. I can't stop listening and just downloaded the 3rd in the series. Well worth your time and credits!

Nick Podehl is an excellence narrator and brings you into the story right from the being and does not let you down. Neal Shusterman writing is one of the best I have read. Every young teen should read this book. I loved all the twisted and turns the story took.

The Graveyard Book

My favorite scene is when they defeat the McGill and you find out who the McGill really is. What a twist!

This book left me wanting more so we are now reading book two Everwild and then on to book three Everfound.

It took me awhile to get into this story, it seemed like there were too many characters and I didn't know where they were going. But once I caught on, I enjoyed the story and particularly liked the main characters. I will look for other books by Neal Shusterman. Nick Podehl did a great job of narrating this book.

After being thoroughly impressed by "Unwind", I decided to give this trilogy a try. I was a little bored with this first novel, however. And although I know Shusterman writes for young adults, the majority of this novel's story struck me as sophomoric in nature -- nature, not style. The narration, on the other hand, is unbelievable! Each character -- and there are MANY repeating, influential characters -- has their own distinct voice, most that are intrinsic to the way that they died, their time period, and even the current condition of their soul. Shusterman lays a good groundwork on the rules of afterlife, but this book doesn't have the edge that "Everwild" or "Everfound" does, where the characters become more developed, cunning, and even ruthless. As the startup novel, it's a little slow at times but has its moments, and definitely picks up towards the end.

I loved the idea for the book and was hooked from start to finish. All the characters' motives, whether good or bad, were solid and believable. There were times I laughed out loud, and I especially enjoyed Ally's sarcastic, quick-thinking survival skills. She reminded me of Wonderland's Alice and Neverland's Tinker Bell rolled into one. I definitely recommend "Everlost" to anyone looking for something fun and different.

I see a pattern in Neal Shusterman's books: he sets things up slowly and steadily, the first part of his books always kind of meandering along as Shusterman adds layer after layer after layer, until you've reached the end where he's created a richly illustrated world in which every little action holds great meaning. Everlost follows this pattern and provides a gratifying ending. Better yet, Everlost in itself is just the beginning of a wonderful trilogy, and Shusterman has just set you up for a wonderful ride that will continue in two more volumes. He has become one of my favorite authors, based on this trilogy and "Unwound". I recommend this for kids and adults, especially for road trips as it will keep you entertained until you "get where you're going."

Nice story for kids to enjoy