Elsewhere

Gabrielle Zevin

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2005

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Elsewhere

Genre: Young adult fiction; fantasy
Originally Published: 2005
Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 720L; ages 12 and up
Structure/Length: Divided into chapters; approx. 304 pages; approx. 7 hours, 2 minutes on audiobook
Protagonist/Central Conflict: Elsewhere is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the story of Liz Hall, a 15-year-old girl who wakes up in a place called Elsewhere after a fatal accident. The central conflict revolves around Liz’s adjustment to this afterlife, which is both familiar and peculiar. In Elsewhere, people age backward until they become infants, and then they are reborn into the living world. As Liz navigates this new existence, she forms bonds, makes discoveries, and questions the meaning of life and death. The novel explores themes of acceptance, loss, and the beauty of ordinary life.
Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes of death and the afterlife

Gabrielle Zevin, Author

Bio: Contemporary American author known for her young adult and adult fiction; often combines elements of fantasy, romance, and introspection in her work; has authored a range of novels that resonate with readers for their memorable characters and unique premises
Other Works: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (2022); Margarettown (2018); Young Jane Young (2017); The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry (2014); All These Things I’ve Done (2011); The Hole We’re In (2010); Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (2007)
Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction and Book of the Month Club’s Book of the Year (2022); Southern California Independent Booksellers Award for Fiction, Japan Booksellers’ Prize, and longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award (2014); Independent Spirit Award Nomination for Best First Screenplay (2005)