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Everlost is a 2006 paranormal fantasy novel by young adult literature author Neal Shusterman.

Synopsis[]

Nick and Allie don't survive the car accident...

...but their souls don't exactly get where they're supposed to get either. Instead, they're caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It's a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost children run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth.

When they find Mary, the self-proclaimed queen of lost kids, Nick feels like he's found a home, but Allie isn't satisfied spending eternity between worlds. Against all warnings, Allie begins learning the "Criminal Art" of haunting, and ventures into dangerous territory, where a monster called the McGill threatens all the souls of Everlost.

In this imaginative novel, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.

Chapter Overviews[]

Chapter 1 – On The Way to the Light…[]

Protagonists Allie and Nick are sent into the light because of a car crash. The crash was caused by a sharp piece of steel that had been dropped by a scrap metal truck. Nick’s father failed to avoid this and the impact with it caused him to lose control of the car.

The ensuing accident sends Nick and Allie down the tunnel into the light. They crash into each other and end up breaking through the walls of the tunnel and ending up in Everlost.

This is one of the few glimpses we have of Nick’s family. His father, brother, and sister are all mentioned. Since Nick sits without a seat belt in a car meant for four people, the unmentioned fifth person is likely his mother.

Chapter 2 – Arrival in Everlost[]

Nick and Allie both awaken in Everlost after their ninth month of sleep. They meet each other as well as a “weird” boy that Allie names Lief, as he has forgotten his own name. Struggling to come to grips with this new reality, Nick and Allie head up to the road where the accident occurred.

After unsuccessfully trying to flag down several vehicles, Allie ventures into the middle of the road. When a Greyhound bus appears, Allie stands obstinately in its path. In doing so, her feet sink into the earth and the bus ends up passing through her afterlight body.

At the end of the chapter is a brief excerpt from Mary Hightower’s Sorta Dead.

Chapter 3 - Dreamless[]

Lief introduces Allie and Nick to some of the basics of Everlost. They learn about permanent clothing, the presence of monsters, and fact that they slept for nine months before awakening. Nick and Allie struggle greatly to come to terms with this new existence, much to Lief’s chagrin.

Lief spends some time of his own reflecting on his life in the living world and his early days in Everlost. It appears that he had forgotten some of the natural reactions to an arrival in Everlost, himself being so far removed from that situation. Thus, he miscalculated what Nick and Allie’s responses would be and struggled to keep up.

Allie concludes that certain decisions must be made and the desire to go home begins to take root. An excerpt from one of Mary Hightower’s books ends the chapter, discussing the absence of adults.

Chapter 4 - A Coin on its Edge[]

Allie, Nick, and Lief seriously discuss leaving the forest and the nature of their current existence. Lief is adamantly opposed to departure and talks about the horrors of the world outside the dead forest, especially the McGill. They all end up working together to construct Roadshoes so that Allie and Nick can leave the forest. Lief refuses to leave with them. At the end of the chapter, a snippet of Mary Hightower's The Gravity of Gravity discusses gravity fatigue.

Chapter 5 - Friends in High Places[]

The reader is finally introduced to Mary Hightower. Mary comes into contact with a Finder called Speedo who has brought for her purchase an intact birthday cake. She ends up purchasing it for the price of a silver Jaguar. This chapter also features the first appearance of Stradivarius (Vari) who is Mary's loyal servant.

Chapter 6 - Scavengers[]

On the fifth day of their journey, they encountered the "Welcome to Rockland County!" dead-spot. They run into trouble from Johnnie-O, Raggedy Andy, Purple-puss, and squeaky kid. They attempt to send Allie sinking down towards the Center of the Earth, but are frightened off by Lief pretending to be the McGill. They then continued their journey to New York. Upon arrival, they sighted the Twin Towers and knew they had to take a detour to Manhattan.

Chapter 7 - The Forever Places[]

Allie, Nick, and Lief arrive at the Twin Towers and meet a myriad of Afterlights. They discover that many have made these buildings their home. More importantly, they meet their leader, Mary Hightower, who offers them answers to their questions and safe lodging. Allie is particularly distrustful of Mary, but Nick is starry-eyed.

Chapter 8 - Dominant Reality[]

Nick, Lief, and Allie are all given rooms within the Twin Towers. Mary visits them as they settle in, answering any questions they have. Allie is flustered by the information Mary will and won't provide. Later, Mary gives Nick a tour, showing him the publishing room. Allie tries to convince Nick that something is deeply wrong about Mary's domain.

Gallery[]

Film adaptation[]

Main article: Everlost (movie)

A feature film was being developed with Universal.

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