In parallel stories, it is normal to expect a twist, or a crossover, but that isn’t forthcoming in Afterworlds. This is somewhat distracting when the reader is supposed to believe that Darcy is a talented novelist with enough potential to earn a six figure advance, but not a deal-breaker for the story. Lizzie’s POV just didn’t have “the juice” that Darcy and Imogen talk about when they discuss writing, though it was a great concept. Lizzie’s sections certainly feel as if they were written by an immature novelist, which speaks well of Scott Westerfeld’s skill at constructing his narrative conceit, but made those sections a bit tiresome to read, since they take up half the book. The parallel narrative written by Darcy is a little bit more difficult to judge. Darcy and Imogen have amazing chemistry, something that was utterly lacking on the flipside between Lizzie and Yama.
They share the highs of writing and exploring New York together, but also fight and disagree, and work out their problems. Her intense, complicated relationship with Imogen, a fellow YA writer five years her senior, is a highlight of the book. In New York, Darcy finds a community of fellow writers, who become friends, mentors, and romantic interests. This part of the story will speak strongly to writers, librarians, book bloggers, and other people invested in books and publishing. As Darcy adjusts to her new life in New York City, she revises Afterworlds for publication, shaping Lizzie’s fate.Īfterworlds is a novel about writing a novel, and it proves interesting to read about Darcy’s experience as a debut novelist going through the difficult process of revising her first book, particularly after her publisher asks her to change the ending. There she meets Yamaraj, who shares her powers, but crossed over from the mortal world more than three thousand years ago. After a near-death experience during a terrorist attack on an airport, Lizzie, the sole survivor, discovers that she can cross over into the afterworld, and see the dead. On the flipside is seventeen-year-old Lizzie Scofield, Darcy’s protagonist.
Now she can afford to defer university, and move to New York to pursue her writing career, despite her parents’ objections. She has sold her first novel, written during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), to a major New York publisher in a six figure, two book deal. But in real life people had to keep on living, day after day, year after year.”Įighteen-year-old Darcy Patel is living her dream come true. “What did a happy ending even mean in real life, anyway? In stories you simply said, ‘They lived happily ever after,’ and that was it. Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book at ALA Annual 2014.
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