Afterworlds

So I have never been interested in reading a book written by Scott Westerfeld, until I came across "Afterworlds". Now I know that it was the price of the book for .97 at a thrift store that I found interesting!
In my opinion Darcy's story dragged on and on which made her sections of the book so boring. Halfway through the book I stopped reading about Darcy and focused only on Lizzie!! Lizzie's story ROCKED!!
I truly wish Mr. Westerfeld would've written just about Lizzie and not Darcy. At the end of the book I did go back and finish reading Darcy's story, but it was a painful process.
If I could give stars for just Lizzie, it would be hands down 5 STARS!!
I am giving 3 stars for Darcy and that is really being kind for Scott's boring storytelling on her part.

I went in with very high expectations for this book, even though I have never read the Uglies series. I had heard about this novel through "Book"Tube and was very excited when I heard about the concept. Two books in one? Amazing!
Darcy's Story (5 out of 5):
I was IN LOVE with this story. Everything about it made me excited, yet saddened to turn the page. I love that you were able to get an "exclusive" look at what it is like to be a published (well almost published) author and see the inner workings of what goes into a novel. The best part was the setting being in New York! The love interest...wow. The love interest was just amazing in this! I was on the edge of my seat until the very end and could feel Darcy's emotion.

Lizzie's Story (4 out of 5):
Lizzie was a very interesting character, I loved the way she was able to balance her fear with charisma. Her story was very nicely done. I won't give too much away about what happens to her character, but the love interest (except for one scene) seemed very flat, which makes it loose the one star. The surrounding characters were really awesome, as well.

Overall:
Overall, this novel met my expectations, and even a little more! I would definitely suggest reading this if you want to become an author or are just looking for a really awesome book! Consider it a 4.5 star rating, not a 4 star rating.

Split narratives are common in literary fiction. The good ones make it work. Afterworld doesn't.

Instead, as I read this on my tablet, I found myself skipping to read the odd number chapters-- Darcy's unbelievable, yet highly entertaining rollercoaster of a publishing ride. If you know anything about the author, you know that he's part of a popular YA cabal: bestselling, YA writers in NY and thereabouts. So, this is amusing, once you get past the 'really? a NaNoWrimo first draft? for a 6 figure sum? no previous writing experience? no revisions? REALLY?' sort of disbelief.

Lizzie's story on the other hand could have been interesting, but as I wanted to follow a young contemporary storyline, I gave up on the fantasy story early on, even though fantasy is what I would usually read. Against expectations, contemporary: good, fantasy: dropped it.

Despite that, I felt strangely betrayed being seduced into reading Darcy's story due to a minor character: Kiralee Taylor. She's a successful writer of (what's suggested as) indigenous cultures, and accused of cultural appropriation. A hot topic in YA circles, to be sure. Only, the way Westerfield writes it, it comes across as 'all this talent, and we're not allowed to write because of the PC police' bitterness from a (his words) 'white fella'. A slap in the face of diversity, not only in writing, but for writers who are published. It feels not only ungenerous but hypocritical, considering how he presents himself as a writer. Inside the story, it feels like chewing on a bitter pill in your cake.

*shrugs* It's just a character speaking, not an author interview. But one that seems to convey what the author *really* means, despite his toeing the PC line in public. Maybe because he is that good of a writer, that his sketch of a minor character comes across more vividly; but in that case, I wish he found a higher truth, a more meaningful solution.

Scott Westerfeld is my go-to choice for teens who are reluctant to read. He writes books that appeal to fantasy fans, girls, boys, straight and gay. His Uglies series has been a favorite of mine since high school and since discovering Leviathan I have recommended it to everyone I know. But even if he didn’t have an amazing track record of books that appeal to a large audience, I would be shouting my praises of Afterworlds from the rooftops.

Afterworlds is the kind of book that makes you think about reading and writing and, as an educator, that’s the kind of book that I can get behind. The book has multiple storylines: the “real world” with a young newly signed author, and the “book world” the author creates with a young girl who talks to ghosts. There’s not anything more meta than that! The storylines are intertwined in interesting and thought-provoking ways — for instance, when the young heroine, Darcy, finds herself in a new relationship, we get to see the way that it affects her writing of Lizzie’s story.

On top of the obvious draws (romance, danger, adventure) there are a myriad of other reasons to pick up this book. I don’t know that I have ever read a novel that manages to touch on so many issues without seeming like an overly preachy episode of Seventh Heaven. I particularly love the way Westerfeld handles sexuality in this book. All too often books that feature a gay character focus on their coming out story, not their whole story. In Afterworlds, being gay is a part of the story, but is more background than foreground for the characters. Westerfeld also manages to include an eloquent dialogue on the way that religion and race are co-opted in novels. The writers group who meet in Afterworld toy with world-building and whether an author of a particular ethnic background has any more “right” to tell a story than an author from the “outside.” It is heady stuff but wrapped in a fun story!

Finally, Westerfeld places his novel firmly in discussion with the conversation currently surrounding young adult literature. With characters who are obviously versions of popular YA novelists, Westerfeld manages to make fun of the genre and those who write YA. He acknowledges the crazy world that glorifies some YA writers (coughJohnGreencough) while demonizing others.

Afterworlds is a must read for any aspiring novelists, anyone who loved Behemoth, Uglies or Midnighters, and for anyone looking for their next discussion-inducing book club read.

Afterworlds had so much potential! Two stories built into one…both the story of young YA debut author Darcy and her move to NYC and the story within a story that was her novel about Lizzie and her trips to the Afterworld. Both stories seemed to have great potential…especially Darcy’s…I loved the chance to jump into the shoes of a new author and experience that through her. I really wanted this one to work but sadly it just fell flat for me.

I can find no fault with Westerfeld’s writing but I never fully connected to any of the characters in either story and the plot just seemed to surreal and dreamlike top elicit any real feeling from me. I was mildly entertained and had no trouble finishing the book…but once I did…I just couldn’t figure out what the point of the whole thing really was.

NOTE: Review Copy from Publisher, all thoughts and opinions my own

I enjoyed reading Afterworlds. What Westerfeld has done with this novel is awesome. I loved reading about Lizzie’s life and her struggle to adapt to life as a published author and life as an adult, alternating chapters with her first novel. When I first started reading I wasn’t sure I was going to like the alternating chapters, but as I got further into the story I began to enjoy it more and more as I followed Lizzie’s struggle with copyedits and then read the sections of her novel with which she had been having such issues. I enjoyed the meta aspect of reading a novel that contains a character writing a novel and the novel as it’s being written. I recommend Afterworlds for fans of YA and fans of paranormal genre fiction.

For more in depth reviews and recommendations visit my blog.

I listened to this as an electronic audio book. The dual stories required two separate narrators. A narrator can really make or break a story, sometimes, and I will freely admit to finding one of the two narrators annoying for her weird pronunciation and mild lisp. But in this case, it wasn't the narration that ultimately broke down.

I'm a big fan of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series. His steam-punk "Leviathan" trilogy is the best of steam-punk. I tried the "Midnighters" books, and couldn't get into them. So I'm not a raving fangirl. Can you be a fangirl at 35? Still, I think Scott Westerfeld has proven he can do better than this.

I wanted to love the companion story lines. I really did. And the Creative Writing B.A. in me found Darcy's story line somewhat interesting. In the end, though, it mostly felt inside jokey and a bit self indulgent. As though SW was saying, "Look at the extraordinary ordinary life of us YA writers. You want to be us, but you don't know what you're asking for." Now, I've never written a novel, and I don't know if I can or will. In a way, it's interesting to have a window into what that might be like. But ultimately, it didn't really add to Lizzy's story. It didn't really feel like it had earned the right to share that space.

Lizzy's story is all the stuff of great paranormal YA, with or without the death god hotness. I'd have wanted to know what was going to happen with Lizzy even if her guide through her transformation had been like the third ghost in A Christmas Carol. The choice SW made to intertwine the two stories was a bold one, and it is hard to imagine what the two stories would've been like had they not been conjoined. Ultimately, for this reader, the choice fell flat as mentioned above, and I'm glad I borrowed this book from the library. It was an okay story, but I doubt I'd have finished it if I had been reading rather than listening. Three and a half stars.

AFTERWORLDS, the latest effort from the hugely popular Scott Westerfeld, is two books in one. Darcy Patel's story will appeal to fans of contemporary novels, while Lizzie's story will appeal to paranormal fans.

Darcy is moving out thanks to the huge advance she just got for her first novel and unwritten sequel. She's going to live in New York where the writers are. There, she discovers that maybe it wasn't best to rely on her younger sister to budget (because who knew how many mops she would need?) and falls in love with another author, who is also making her YA debut. It's a bit fairytale, except for the fact that Darcy's girlfriend has secrets.

Lizzie just survived a terrorist attack by pretending to be dead. In fact, she pretended so well that she crossed over to the world of the dead and became a psychopomp. There she meets Yamaraj, who starts teaching her what she needs to know to survive. But an encounter with a pedophile's victim inspires her to start getting more active with her new powers. Her story is gripping from that first, horrifying chapter. It's no wonder that a publishing company would pay the big bucks for her story. (It made me think of the first chapter of Beth Revis's debut book, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. It is only similar in how gripping and terrifying it is, but it's easy to envision how a publicity campaign could be enacted around it.)

Lizzie's story is AFTERWORLDS, the book Darcy wrote. As Darcy's section progresses, it becomes clear that we're reading the edited version of the in-story AFTERWORLDS. We also learn the twist: the original draft has an unhappy ending. Darcy's dive into the world of publishing - editor's letters, meeting other authors, agents - will determine whether she changes the ending or keeps it.

Each girl's story is entertaining on its own merits, although most readers will prefer one or the other just based on their own preferred genre. Either the odd chapters or even chapters can be read on their own, if that is preferred, although the two stories go together in interesting ways. Lizzie's story has more action and terror, with a hint of romance. Darcy's story has more romance, with lots of meta discussion about Lizzie's story. For instance, is Darcy appropriating her own culture by making Yamaraj the romantic hero? Both heroines grow in interesting ways throughout their stories. I took longer to warm up to Darcy (that terrible budget!), but by the end I liked both girls.

I'm sure I'll be back for UNTITLED PATEL next year. (There is going to be a sequel, right?) AFTERWORLDS is a different sort of book, and for me it was a successful experiment indeed.

This book has officially become one of my new favorites! I loved how it was told in alternating chapters and that we get to learn how the publishers and editors really do influence the authors and their writing. For being a six hundred page book, it was a fast and enjoy able read. The main characters in both stories where very relate able and really brought the story together. I enjoyed taking a look into Darcy's (the author character) world and her story. This could also be considered a coming of age novel. When Darcy leaves her hometown and goes against her parents wishes to move to New York. Overall this was a great book, and I hope there will be a sequel.

Afterworlds

Great concept

This book is about 2 pov/worlds. In one of them we can see a young author, Darcy, living in NY and dealing her new life as a writer: going to partys, book events, stress/trouble/process of writing a book and falling in love. In the other pov we can see the actual story that Darcy "the author" is writing!!Aaaah I founded that brilliant and amazing. Her book is about a girl, Lizzie, who discovers that she can talk, see ghosts and can do other really cool stuff related to ghosts and the underworld after a terrorist attack. I really enjoined this book, it was fast paged and well developed. As I mentioned I haven't seen in any YA book the two worlds of "the author" and book that was written by them, that idea is so freaking original and made the story more entertaining. Another thing that I liked was the idea of YA heaven, omygod that was sooo funny hahah, if you haven't read the book you won't understand what I am referring to, just go and read it. You won't regret it

5/5

Perfect for fans of: tigers curse series & any Scott westerfeld fans.
Songs that I listened to while reading: cry baby-by the neighborhood.

Neither of the stories seem fleshed out enough on their own, but they work well together. Seeing how Darcy's experience writing Afterworlds filters into the story can be really interesting, and I always find it inspiring to see where other writers (fictional or no) get their ideas from. With that said, I don't think I would read Darcy's story if it wasn't interspersed with the story she is writing.

Afterworlds, on the other hand, I would read if it was its own book. Unfortunately, with Darcy's sections stripped away, the plot is somewhat lacking. It spends a lot of time not knowing what direction to take - probably due to the fact that Lizzie really just wants to enjoy her new powers and hook up with a god of death. The opening is fantastic (as Darcy is continually told), but the rest of the story does not live up to it. However, although the book didn't turn its own pages for me, I did enjoy taking the time to read it.

What I would like now is the chance to read Untitled Patel - hopefully, to see a more fleshed out novel than Afterworlds. I would like to see Lizzie actually take on her role as a spirit guide instead of dreaming about Yamaraj.

And I wouldn't mind reading the -mancer series, either.

I grabbed this book quickly at the library but wish I'd read the reviews before. I loved the Uglies series. This book showed Mr. Westerfield's quality writing style but it's NOT for young adults or others that like nice clean reads that we find in christian publishing and usually in YA. The swearing was the first thing that turned me off... then the introduction of a lesbian romance. It wasn't graphic but the fact that the main character is so young as in never dated or had a relationship and then a relationship is started by a 25 year old woman who has been experiencing the NY lifestyle for a while. I felt Darcy was being taken advantage of by this "older" woman who was helping her spend ALL her money as well as initiating a physical relationship. This does turn around later when Lizzie is in a more financially blest existence but Darcy was so young...instead of just saying you're too young for me waiting for some additional maturity ... "drama" enters in..... Wish this had been labeled as GLT friendly/ or Adult content or something. The whole murder thing was so NOT what I want my kids to be reading and was so dark it reminded me of Lovely Bones which I HATED.

Afterworlds, by Scott Westerfeld is a strange amalgam of a book. It’s half a story of a young writer come to New York to write on the strength of her first YA novel and half the story she wrote, featuring a young girl who escapes terrorist attacks at her local airport by pretending to be dead…a little too convincingly. She finds herself in a sort of between life and death world, from which she is (eventually) able to come and go as she pleases.

The book seesaws between the mundane business of publishing (I am sure no first-time writer has it as easy as she does) and the horror-suspense of the Afterworld in a way that is surprisingly well balanced; each chapter moves the story along a little ways, sometimes in a connected way, mostly not. This is not as jarring a transition as you might imagine: Westerfeld is an excellent writer, and the character of each of the two protagonists is well-developed enough that you hardly notice how slow the book really is.

That was intended as praise. I like a book I can linger over.

Westerfeld is always an interesting YA writer, one who has his finger on the pulse on what is currently engaging readers.
Yet in comparison to the rest of the Westerfeld YA stable, Afterworlds seems really out of left field. It's partly a tribute, partly a send up of YA writing, publishing, emerging trends and the eternal quest of the market for something new"ish".

Afterworlds has something to say on so many levels. It is certainly a guide on "how to" write a YA novel. It speaks on the need to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in main stream YA writing, for example, sexualities.

The biggest disappointment was that the YA writing/publishing reveal in Afterworlds seemed, occasionally, so didactic and cynical it precluded enjoyment of both the narrative strands in the novel. I had a serial love/ hate/ love relationship with this book.

Wow. Two POVs: Darcy, the writer, and Lizzie the main character of Darcy's book.
I loved how Darcy's real life struggle weaves into her book. As a writer, I connected with the story on a deeper level. Waiting to be a published author, feeling like a fraud the entire time and wondering when everyone would figure it out is a truth I live with.
Lizzie's story held a bit of creepiness and fantasy that I loved. She deals with having survived a terrible terrorist attack and gaining her "shine" (seriously, you'll have to read it). She tests the limits of her powers and must decide how to use them. When she gives into the power, she must face who she becomes.
Both girls are real. Likeable. Heck, I wanted to hate Darcy for the whole having a book deal and getting a six figure advance at 18... but I couldn't, she was scared and unsure and... just like me.
In the end it came down to learning to be honest, to growing up.
I loved it.
A fabulous, well-written book! Another win for Scott Westerfeld.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. The growth of the main characters in their lives, especially as they learn from the decisions they make and the resulting consequences, reflected the experiences of myself and friends of mine in how we do things and then deal with it to the best we can. And writing about the issue of learning to trust, yourself and others, was fantastically done, with so many of the nuances and feelings that are experienced while living through it. I have enjoyed many, though not all of Scott Westerfeld's books, but this one is so good that I am considering re-reading the couple that I didn't get into to see if they didn't juice me or if I might have missed something. I highly recommend this book.

There are thousands upon thousands of good books without vulgar language and no sexual content or innuendos. This simply tells me the type of teachers reading this garbage and the poor students that have to read this. For some reason now vulgar language and content is the norm. To create a great story you need a great story, that is it.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld is a different type of book. I enjoyed the two story lines, but the main characters were slightly dim witted at times. They are both very young and I suppose the choices they make are just living and learning. The editing was not great. Errors occurred throughout the book, such as on page 235: "ferraris are quiet safe". Of course, quiet should be quite. Scott Westerfeld should have great editing because he is such a well known author! I feel like the editor let him down. I was also bothered by the loose use of the phrase, "hooked up". It sounds like sex, but a lot of the time it just means kiss or make out. In a young adult book, it was annoying that this phrase was thrown around so much. I did enjoy the spookiness very much! At one point, the story became so creepy that I didn't want to read it right before going to sleep. Afterworlds is worth reading, just keep an open mind.

So I have never been interested in reading a book written by Scott Westerfeld, until I came across "Afterworlds". Now I know that it was the price of the book for .97 at a thrift store that I found interesting!
In my opinion Darcy's story dragged on and on which made her sections of the book so boring. Halfway through the book I stopped reading about Darcy and focused only on Lizzie!! Lizzie's story ROCKED!!
I truly wish Mr. Westerfeld would've written just about Lizzie and not Darcy. At the end of the book I did go back and finish reading Darcy's story, but it was a painful process.
If I could give stars for just Lizzie, it would be hands down 5 STARS!!
I am giving 3 stars for Darcy and that is really being kind for Scott's boring storytelling on her part.

I enjoyed reading Afterworlds. What Westerfeld has done with this novel is awesome. I loved reading about Lizzie’s life and her struggle to adapt to life as a published author and life as an adult, alternating chapters with her first novel. When I first started reading I wasn’t sure I was going to like the alternating chapters, but as I got further into the story I began to enjoy it more and more as I followed Lizzie’s struggle with copyedits and then read the sections of her novel with which she had been having such issues. I enjoyed the meta aspect of reading a novel that contains a character writing a novel and the novel as it’s being written. I recommend Afterworlds for fans of YA and fans of paranormal genre fiction.

For more in depth reviews and recommendations visit my blog.

Overall a very interesting read. The constant back and forth switching of perspectives can be a little disorienting, but about 10 chapters in it becomes natural.

It is short of a perfect score because the ending was too abrupt. Too short compared to the rest of the book. In comparison, after the 25% mark the story feels drawn out and borderline pointless. That being said, Westerfeld's natural wit and smooth writing style keeps the flow from page to page, and eventually it solidified back to an awesome read.

I started reading the book throughout my last weeks of sophomore year and I HAD to turn it in. I got really confused until I started reading more and more. I HAD to turn it in the last week and I got half way through it, so I asked my mom if I could buy it since she owns me a book. I really can't wait until the sequel!!! I would recommend this book to those who like a twisty and romancy books.

Two novels in one, good reading aside from the lack of dramatic tension. The story of a young novelist (every other chapter is her novel), who leads a charmed life. Really? An 18 year old on her own in NYC, and she doesn't seem to have any problems? Boring and unrealistic.

The story was interesting and kept me engaged. I read at bedtime and it took me several evenings before the flipping back and forth from reality to afterworld happened in each chapter. Once I figured that out, I really enjoyed the story. It was fresh and had well developed characters. I'm guessing there might be a sequel to it, perhaps.

I loved loved loved the Afterworlds chapters. The chapters about the author Darcy, I could have done without. She didn't resonate with me and I found her to be annoying. It reached a certain point where I was reading the Darcy chapters just so I could get to the Afterworlds chapters!

So this one is officially getting two stars. Im so sorry but I tried. I really tried to love this. This one is split up via two stories. The first one is about this 18 year old getting published. The second story within this one is about the story that the 18 year old wrote. It is paranormal and awesome!

I really wish that they would have published Afterworlds on its own. Then did the story about Darcy getting published as a novella. It would have been just the right length to get you interested about Afterworlds but, not enough to drive you nuts.

I attemped to just skip the parts about Darcy. But shortly in I found myself just being pissed off because I had to do this. The book of Afterworlds would have stood just fine on its own. It was great. But this as a whole was just sucktastic.

Flipping back and forth from a paranormal book to one set in reality really took away a lot of the pacing as well as ripping me out of the world of fantasy.

So this one is a 2 star for me. Now if it gets re released and is split I will most def. try it again.

Go Into This One Knowing
2 Stories in one just doesnt work out.

This review was originally posted on Narrative Investigations

While I ended up enjoying the book, my initial reaction to it (that this wasn't the story for me) proved correct. It's a fantasy written for high schoolers who dream of being published someday and are eagerly looking forward to (or so they think anyway) to both the highlights and lows of that life. I actually didn't have a problem with the author-related part of Darcy's life, I can easily imagine that there are casual get togethers with authors very plainly talking about their ideas and the scenes from the signing tour were my favorite of the whole book. It was Darcy's personal life which rubbed me the wrong way, while Westerfeld nails the essence of young adulthood (you have all this freedom but man you have to spend it on boring stuff like buying mops) it seemed like he glorified her failures and accidentally sent a weird message while doing so.

Darcy is less put together than I was at her age, yes I may have been in a college instead but I never had as much trouble setting a food budget for myself and sticking to it (I say that as a person who loves food and has a hard time not splurging on it, also as someone who lives in another expensive city I was hugely jealous that her budget for a day's worth of living expenses, $33, is equivalent to an entire week's food budget for me). Afterworlds seems to say that oh you're going to make mistakes and that's okay, they won't be bad enough to merit long-term consequences, at least in some areas such as Darcy's living situation. And these situations don't seem to force Darcy into the kind of character growth that she desperately needs to go through. She's a young adult, that means that there's a lot she doesn't know and one of those things is communication. She's closed-off and surprisingly distrustful for someone coming from a happy, stable life and those traits do bring her some trouble, both the most realistic drama of the book and the kind that made me pull more than a few grumpy faces.

On the one hand I empathized, I was much more estranged from my family when I was her age, but on the other the story never provided her with the external person saying "suck it up, deal with the fact that your girlfriend has a history" and that's the most dangerous part of this story. Darcy doesn't have a real support network, again she's bad at communicating with her good friends and family, and I'm afraid that the book has accidentally sent the message that you have to be on your own and independent! when you leave home and that you won't need help. That's completely untrue for one thing and as for another, I have so many friends who never did reconcile with their families and are missing that part so it hurts to see someone willfully ignore it. I don't want a 16 year old to read this book and think that they too can live a happy adult life on their own and the book does suggest that a bit.

But that's not the only story in this book, every other chapter is a chapter from Darcy's actual novel, "Afterworlds", and I can't even begin to think of the headaches this must have made for Westerfeld's editor trying to make sure that the pacing would allow for this and to make sure that the details from Darcy's life were present in Lizzie's. I was a bit hesitant at first reading this section, paranormal romance is not my thing and since this was a book that Darcy had written in a mad NaNoWriMo rush, was this supposed to be intentionally bad and a mockery of paranormals? But then I started noticing a few details in there that had clearly come from Darcy's conversations and relaxed, this is supposed to be the final draft of the book and it's a fun story in it's own right. The introduction actually reminded me a lot of Malinda Lo's Adaption but the story soon goes in a fairly different direction (as noted by character's in Darcy's side of the story, seeing the in-character critiques was also amusing), from thriller to romance. It doesn't fully forget it's action-movie like start still has quite a bit of tension but, despite Lizzie's character arc, I find that I just have less to say about her life than I do about Darcy's. Again as expected, this story also wasn't my cup of tea but it was a satisfying read and I do think that the ending nailed it, all of "Darcy's" revisions were well worth it.

I do recommend this book despite my criticisms, it is a fun read and a take on young adulthood that's closer to my own than nearly any other story I've ever read. I just hope people realized that there are some accidental messages in there that should be viewed carefully, and if they enjoy the "Afterworlds" part they really should check out Adaption as well.

Wow. Two POVs: Darcy, the writer, and Lizzie the main character of Darcy's book.
I loved how Darcy's real life struggle weaves into her book. As a writer, I connected with the story on a deeper level. Waiting to be a published author, feeling like a fraud the entire time and wondering when everyone would figure it out is a truth I live with.
Lizzie's story held a bit of creepiness and fantasy that I loved. She deals with having survived a terrible terrorist attack and gaining her "shine" (seriously, you'll have to read it). She tests the limits of her powers and must decide how to use them. When she gives into the power, she must face who she becomes.
Both girls are real. Likeable. Heck, I wanted to hate Darcy for the whole having a book deal and getting a six figure advance at 18... but I couldn't, she was scared and unsure and... just like me.
In the end it came down to learning to be honest, to growing up.
I loved it.
A fabulous, well-written book! Another win for Scott Westerfeld.

There was just a lot missing from this book. Like you know, a decent plot. You'd think with two stories going on something exciting would happen. Alas, the story fell flat. The characters fell flat. I love Westerfeld's other novels, but this one was just . . . boring and redundant. Save your money and time.

Amazing book, really. In a smart and rather tongue-in-cheek way, Scott Westerfeld introduces us to the world of YA literature while at the same drawing an incisive satire of the whole thing. A lot of people complain about neither story getting enough closure, but I do believe that's the point: For Darcy, life goes on, for Lizzie, marketing. YA literature, as is made quite clear with this book, isn't about broadening horizons or making young readers think; it's about selling books. Books that could be the start of a much deeper love affair with the printed world, granted, but which are also a double-edged blade many writers don't stop to think about. And Scott Westerfeld chose to show it to us as it is: a young writer facing the world, albeit in a very mild and cushioned way, while her story is put in evidence for everyone to read. I have to say, I DID NOT like Afterworlds (Darcy's book, that is); I found it to be pretty much a condensed version of what every other YA book out there (safe for a few notable exceptions, mind you), is about. And that, contradictory, is what I loved about Afterworlds (Westerfeld's book): The way he weaves a heartwarming coming-of-age story (without the extreme drama most "coming-of-age" YA novels a-la John Green usually bring forth), and at the same time show us that anyone at all can write a story, and that's there's a market for just any book, even if some dislike it (such as myself; I'll admit I'm not fond of YA). Or that's pretty much my take on what I read. Maybe Scott Westerfeld meant something completely different, but that's my opinion of it. Also, I did enjoy several jabs he throws at other YA writers, and the YA community as a whole. Very on-spot, playful as they may be.

It almost seems like Mr. Westerfeld's publisher said, "Hey, Scott, we could really sell a novel with something along the lines of paranormal romance (because that's still hot) or maybe a coming of age story. Oh and it would even be better if you had an underrepresented protagonist, either a minority in race or religion. A homosexual main character might even work. And give it a little gimmick to appear fresh and original."

So Mr. Westerfeld decided to mash all these bits together and wrote Afterworlds. For me it's a bit much. I would have been fine with Lizzy's story. I really enjoyed her chapters. She starts off running away from terrorist (some kind of cult Christian group called The Movement for the Resurrection, which made me raise a brow. Really? Christian terrorist? Ah...sure. Add culturally sensitive to that editor wish list). This part really pulled me in. From there she becomes involved with a hot Hindu death god, still interesting, and then we are back to Darcy in the next chapter. That was when I wanted to stop reading.

Darcy was not nearly as interesting. First I had to get past the fantasy of an eighteen-year-old writing a book in 30 days, with no previous writing experience (not even fan-fiction), no critique partner or beta readers and no three months of rewrites. Then she sends out one query letter to her dream agency, is signed on immediately and sells her book in a week or so for a ridiculous amount of money.

Once I got over that scenario, I still wanted to skip over Darcy's part. Her falling for an older girl who wouldn't tell Darcy her real name before she changed it, neither intrigued me nor made me swoon with romance. I'm a girl who isn't into other girls, so the romance fell sort of flat. Maybe it was because I never felt a real connection. I was charmed with the romance/friendship between the woman in Fried Green Tomatoes. Probably because that was a real relationship built during hard times that endured even after death. It was a love filled with substance. Darcy and Imogen are just two girls hooking up and making out.

And speaking of Fried Green Tomatoes, that too was a story within a story, so this isn't something new. Overall the book would have better if it was about Lizzy--traveling to the land of the dead, meeting a ghost who becomes her friend and the romance (granted it was insta-love) with Yama. Unfortunately, Darcy appears every other chapter to remind me I'm reading a book and not living a story. Thanks, Darcy, for jolting me back into reality when all I really wanted to do was be drawn into Lizzy's world and stay there for a while.

Darcy Patel wrote a novel in 30 days one November (presumably as part of National Novel Writing Month - although it's never said). With all the confidence of an 18-year-old, she sends off her newly created masterpiece to an agent who finds a small publisher to publish it. When she is told to make changes to her novel, she balks because she's written the perfect book. Then she realizes she has a choice to make - make the changes or go elsewhere to be published. She makes the changes.

Westerfeld opens the book telling the story of Lizzie who is in the Dallas airport waiting to board her plane. She's walking along the empty concourse when shooting begins behind her. Terrorists are killing everyone in sight. Not knowing what else to do, Lizzie calls 911 who tells her to play dead when Lizzie admits that there's no way out. When the terrorists begin shooting dying people, she plays dead and inadvertently slips into the afterworld. She is forever changed. It took me a couple of chapters to realize that Lizzie was Darcy's main character in her book, and every other chapter in Westerfeld's book was a chapter in Darcy's book.

Unlike other reviewers, I hadn't read anything else by Westerfeld so I came to this book with no expectations. Also unlike other reviewers, I had no trouble believing that an 18-year-old could write a YA novel in which an agent and publisher would see potential and that she would move to New York, etc., etc.

I was mesmerized by the first 300 pages. But then my interest began to wane - primarily due to Lizzie's story, which had started off with, literally, a bang, but seemed to drag on much too slowly after that. Lizzie's occasional foray into the afterworld with and without her hero just did not have enough oomph to hold my attention for any more than half the book. So I found myself speed reading through Lizzie's story to get to Darcy's story. I was very interested to see how Darcy would handle being a paid author and all that entails as well as her love interest.

All in all, this was an interesting read. I'm glad I read it, but would not care to read it again nor will I recommend it to family and friends.

Afterworlds is the story of two stories - first: 18yo Darcy, who has just sold her debut novel to a New York City publisher, and second: the novel (titled Afterworlds) Darcy wrote. The book alternates between the two plots, and it's actually quite fascinating at first to see how Afterworlds-the-fiction develops (presumably in re-writes) as Darcy experiences more of life in New York City.

Afterworlds-the-fiction grabbed me from the get-go. Main character Lizzie is caught in a terrorist attack in a New York City airport, where she discovers while playing dead that she can actually transfer to the "flipside," or divide her spirit from her physical body and interact with the dead. The scene is gritty, disorienting, and had my undivided attention. I was intrigued with the fiction's basis in Hinduism and the Vedas, the nod to Yamaraj (the god of death), and with Lizzie's transformation into a teenage psychopomp (or grim reaper, of sorts).

But while Afterworlds had enough grit for a reader to gain traction, Darcy's story felt like the pilot for a show on The CW or ABC Family. It was too shiny, too charmed. And wholly unbelievable.

In one chapter, she joins her lover and another (enormously famous) author for one week of a book tour, and discovers that with no experience whatsoever, she's able to hold her own in front of an auditorium of high school students. What is ironic about this scene is the "duel" that emerges between the three authors in answering a question about what matters most in fiction: setting, theme, character, plot, or conflict. Darcy's answer is conflict, and yet throughout the book, there seems be so blessed little of it in her own life, and indeed, in the story Westerfeld has written about her.

Even when Darcy acts like a particular jerk to her lover, she's forgiven. When she reveals a major secret to her traditional Indian family, it's glossed over as nothing. She runs out of money to maintain her devil-may-care lifestyle in New York, but no worries, she'll figure it out. With no real conflict, no real tension, there's no real growth and ultimately no real caring for Darcy. I finished her story thinking "So what?"

Darcy's story runs out of steam at least four chapters before the fiction's does, which made for a torturous conclusion as I skimmed through Darcy's chapters to see how Afterworlds ends.

I have to credit Afterworlds-the-fiction for at least having tension and depth, and there were parts that were downright creepy. I cared about Lizzie, since out of the entire book - both stories, combined - she was the most complex, fleshed-out character. But it seems consequences are as absent in Lizzie's world as in Darcy's, since Lizzie commits a pretty heinous act, and never has to answer for it. As a reader, I was extremely disappointed. There's a hint that Lizzie's consequence will be her lover's dismissal of her, but even he implies that in time, all may be forgiven.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am at not thoroughly enjoying Scott Westerfeld's Afterworlds. I love him as an author, but felt like this was such a missed opportunity. He is brilliant, this book is not.

Scott Westerfeld is known for delivering high-concept Young Adult books based in creative, compelling worlds. Afterworlds seems to promise more of the same, but after a strong start ultimately sputters to a shallow and uninspiring end.

Having read Westerfield's Uglies series, I was hoping that I would devour this book as I had those. Unfortunately, this one did not quite manage to suck me in and make me feel like I was a part of the story. While I liked the different narrative voices - having seen the convention used in Faulkner and Piccoult before, I was thrown by the use of it in this work. It seemed bloated to me, as if there could have been some judicious editing, especially when it started to bog down in the middle. It was a good read, nonetheless, though I just wish it had lived up to the expectations I set for it.

This book is a beautiful combination of real life and fantasy. It is so grounded in the reality of coming of age while still getting to explore other worlds. Each character is interesting and deep and the two store lines balance each other out. One provides the lighter side while the other the trill and horror. I definitely recommend it.

There was just a lot missing from this book. Like you know, a decent plot. You'd think with two stories going on something exciting would happen. Alas, the story fell flat. The characters fell flat. I love Westerfeld's other novels, but this one was just . . . boring and redundant. Save your money and time.