Name: Everfound
ISBN: 9781416990505

Neal Shusterman

In the limbo that's Everlost, Mary, Nick, Allie, and others face the decisions that will determine whether that place and the Earth itself will continue to exist, as well as where their own futures lie.

Everfound

While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. In the concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy, Neal Shusterman reveals new sides of the characters of Everlost, who are pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth.

I think this was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy overall, though it ended up being my least favorite book of the three. Not because it was bad, but because it was simply too long and jam-packed with things - new characters, new concepts, etc.

Some of the new concepts made no sense to me, such as the Unremembering King. (view spoiler)[How is it possible that all he has to say is "I don't remember [this not happening]" and it makes the thing happen? It felt like such a lazy idea in the way it was executed. At first, it made sense since it was only things he truly would have no way to remember, but then it turned into "I don't remember you not being able to move" which made him immobile, even though he could clearly see him moving before? (hide spoiler)] I feel like there was something else like that as well, but of course I can't remember it. How appropriate lol.

I also got a bit tired of all the insta-love that happened throughout the series. I get that it's young adult and teenagers often think they're in love immediately, but it was just quite a lot. All the main characters were paired off for most of the series and it just got tiring (though at least the one love triangle that happened was pretty short in length). I did enjoy Milos's admission that he falls in love too easily though, as he had been in love with THREE of the characters at some point. I appreciated the self-awareness on this topic. I also liked how Allie and Nick stayed BFF throughout the whole thing instead of getting together or having feelings.

Overall, great trilogy, highly recommend, but the second book is really the best of the three.

Jeni Enjaian

First, before I review the book, I want to point out that the plot summary above is incorrect. The Mayan "god" had nothing to do with the Wurlitzer...totally different things.

Back to the review...

I got way more into this book than Everwild. I know that part of it has to do with the fact that I just read Everwild whereas when I read Everwild it had been years since I read Everlost. I had a much closer connection to all the characters and it did not take nearly as long for me to get into the plot.

I got into this book even more than Everwild simply because it's a better book. (I loved Everwild so that's saying a lot.) Shusterman created an absolute masterpiece of characters and plot. Somehow he managed to insert brand new characters into the story in a way that made it seem like the story would have been incomplete without them. Each character's journey made sense as did the end of their journeys. Out of the entire series, Jix is my favorite character. I wish he had been in more than one book.

Though this is a "kids" or "young adult" book, Shusterman deals with some potentially (and actually) dark issues without trivializing or aggrandizing them. He doesn't dumb down the danger or throw it in gratuitously. I admire his skill.

I'm thankful that he agreed to come speak (several years ago) at the middle school at which I taught. Otherwise, I would know nothing about him or his books and would never have discovered them.

Again, I highly recommend this book, this series and all of Shusterman's books.