Everlost

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Everlost is a fantasy novel by Neal Shusterman and the first book in the Skinjacker trilogy. It is set in Everlost, a place between life and death where lost children, called Afterlights, drift. They can’t usually be seen by the living, and if they stay still they tend to sink toward the Earth’s core. They stay connected to the objects they loved, and when such an item breaks, it crosses over to Everlost and stays there forever. Some places that people cherished, like parts of the World Trade Center, also cross over because they are remembered.

Two living children, Nick and Allie, wake up there and are saved by a boy named Lief. He explains they are Afterlights and cannot be seen by the living. They meet Mary Hightower, known as the Sky Witch, who lives in the ruined World Trade Center and has written many books about Everlost. She acts like a caretaker but has her own hidden plans. Allie discovers she can “skinjack” living people and even pull things into Everlost, while Nick learns more about his own role in this strange world. They face dangers from the McGill, a dangerous Afterlight who commands a ship and has captured Nick and Lief. The McGill turns out to be Mikey McGill, Mary’s brother, who died and became a monster.

Allie uses her abilities to outsmart the McGill. Mary reveals his human identity, and Allie escapes with Mikey’s help to continue her journey home. The story starts a larger adventure in a world full of mystery and danger for anyone who stays in Everlost too long.