SYNOPSIS:
Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she’s made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…
Told in alternating chapters is Darcy’s novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the ‘Afterworld’ to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved – and terrifying – stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
What reader of the YA category hasn’t been curious about the not-so-secret lives of YA writers? And over the years, there have been plenty of teenagers who have been published in the genre, from ups (Christopher Paolini) to downs (Kaavya Viswanathan). With NaNoWriMo already in the pages of YA fiction through Rainbow Rowell’s FANGIRL, we’re not surprised to see it back in action with another famous author.
The cover doesn’t really scream “YA contemporary” or “this is about a writer” or “there’s a novel in this here novel!” But what it lacks in focus for the plot, it makes up for in sheer curiosity. We certainly want to know what the heck is going on: why the water droplet? What’s that gray stuff at the bottom? Is this actually a dystopian in disguise?
YA author extrordinarie Scott Westerfeld, a New York Times bestseller, is most famously known for his UGLIES cyberpunk series and LEVIATHAN steampunk series. He was born in the Texas and splits his time these days between Sydney and New York City. In 2001, Westerfeld married fellow author Justine Larbalestier of LIAR fame. Find him online at www.ScottWesterfeld.com!
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
Westerfeld clearly has a good time here, but he resists broad satire, focusing on Darcy’s coming-of-age as a writer who’s got the “juice.” Likewise, Darcy’s novel isn’t half bad, displaying a control that’s missing from far too many paranormal debuts. … Watching Darcy’s story play off Darcy’s novel will fascinate readers as well as writers. (Kirkus Reviews)
The back-and-forth between Darcy’s story and her thriller is dizzying, but “Reading Zealots” like the kids Darcy hung with in high school will love the insider details about the YA writer’s life—the intimidating editorial letter, attending BEA (Darcy naively brings her own canvas tote). An ambitious concept, well executed. (Publishers Weekly)
WATCH THE TRAILER
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Contemporary
Hardcover & ebook, 608 pages
Published on September 23rd 2014 by Simon Pulse (ISBN 1481422340)
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Afterworlds/Scott-Westerfeld/9781481422345
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