Elsewhere

Zevin, G. (2007). Elsewhere. New York: Square Fish Publishing.

ISBN: 978-0307282415

Annotation: Fifteen year old Liz finds out exactly what happens when you die: you go to Elsewhere, where you grow younger as you age.

There's a strange sort of quiet when you're dying. It's as if you're in a glass room and the walls keep getting thicker and thicker.

-Gabrielle Zevin

Summary: After dying, Liz is met by her grandmother in another place, a place in which you grow younger as you age. Liz is obsessed with her former life on Earth and has to come to grips with maturing, letting go of the past and discovering who she is while growing younger.

Evaluation: A great look at death and what happens afterwards; this new perspective is a good way for teens to open up about fears and misgivings over death. A great recreational read for teen girls, this novel does bring up some questions about the process of life. Also a good read for teens who have dealt with death on a more personal basis.

Age Level: 15+