Beautifully Dark.

Darcy writes the books and Lizzy lives them. I read something similar to that about Afterworlds and thought, Scott Westerfield, well okay. Sold. This is such an interesting story. There is a story within a story and it’s done so well. So freaking beautiful.

Lizzy is surrounded by death. A terrorist attack pushes her to the brink of death. In fact, she’s the only survivor, if you can call her that. She glimpsed the Afterworld only this glimpse left an impact and Lizzy slowly turns into a grim reaper. She learns to travel back and forth to the place where dead go to rest or wonder forever.

Darcy wrote the first draft of Afterworlds in thirty days. She landed an agent pretty quick and the book, plus its untitled sequel sold. Eighteen-year-old Darcy was going to be published. But the world of authordom comes with its own perils. As Darcy learns to navigate growing up, first love, living on her own, and a new career, we see how life reflects art.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t what I was expecting, not by a long shot. It was dark, it was beautiful. There was terrorism, ghosts, love, and a coming of age story all wrapped into one.

Darcy Patel is afraid to believe all the hype. But it’s really happening – her teen novel is getting published. Instead of heading to college, she’s living in New York City, where she’s welcomed into the dazzling world of YA publishing. That means book tours, parties with her favorite authors, and finding a place to live that won’t leave her penniless. It means sleepless nights rewriting her first draft and struggling to find the perfect ending… all while dealing with the intoxicating, terrifying experience of falling in love – with another writer.

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy’s novel, the thrilling story of Lizzie, who wills her way into the afterworld to survive a deadly terrorist attack. With survival comes the responsibility to guide the restless spirits that walk our world, including one ghost with whom she shares a surprising personal connection. But Lizzie’s not alone in her new calling – she has counsel from a fellow spirit guide, a very desirable one, who is torn between wanting Lizzie and warning her that…

BELIEVING IS DANGEROUS.

In a brilliant high-wire act of weaving two epic narratives – and two unforgettable heroines – into one novel, Scott Westerfeld’s latest work is a triumph of storytelling.