Review: Afterworlds -Scott Westerfeld

 

Review: Afterworlds - Scott Westerfeld - September 2014

As I was a big fan of Scott's series "Uglies" , I was quite excited when I read he had finally written a new book. I wasn't sure though what to expect of it as it had a different theme but WOW - this would have to be one of the best teen novels I have read for 2014. The novel follows a theme of two storylines told in alternating chapters - one storyline is the present and reality , the second storyline is the main character Darcy's book she has written. With Afterworlds , in a way we are getting two separate stories in one.  The main premise of the book is Darcy who has only just graduated high school and for Nanowrimo , she managed to write a YA book called "Afterworlds" which has been accepted by a publisher and a two-book contract has been signed . This part of the story thrusts Darcy into the world of YA Authors and New York - a big difference from the Indian culture she is used to at home , now alone in the big city. Here Darcy will learn about what it means to be an author as well as experiencing relationships and the truth and that not everyone is what they seem. The second and underlying story is the book Darcy wrote called "Afterworlds" which tells the story of Lizzie , a survivor in an airport terrorist attack - the soul survivor who now through her near-death experience can travel between the worlds and Lizzie falls in love with the Indian Death God and sees Ghosts. 

Often if the alternating POVS aren't succint , the readers can lose focus but Scott Westerfeld has threaded the two storylines together perfectly to create "one story" .

 This is a must-read for everyone's YA list of books to read.