Elsewhere (2005) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Elizabeth Marie Hall: Liz is the main character who dies in a horrible car crash and ends up in Elsewhere. She ends up living with her grandmother.
• Thandi Washington: Liz's first friend in Elsewhere.
• Betty: Liz's grandmother that helps her through a lot of her problems in the beginning of the book, also in Elsewhere
• Curtis Jest: One of Liz's best friends in Elsewhere. Lead singer of Machine, Liz's favorite band.
• Owen Welles: One of Liz's best friends in Elsewhere. He died in a fire.
• Sadie: Liz's dog in Elsewhere that she gets along very well with. Died in a car crash.
• Emily Welles: Owen's wife from Earth.
• Alvy Hall: Liz's little brother who is the only one she manages to make contact with through the Well.
• Aldous Ghent: The administrator that helps Liz get acclimated to Elsewhere, and eventually becomes a good friend.
• Zooey Brandon: Liz's best friend on Earth.
• Amadou Bonamy: A cab driver.
• Jen: Owen's dog in Elsewhere.
• Esther: The operator of the Observation Deck (OD) near Liz's home in Elsewhere.
• Paco: Thandi's dog in Elsewhere. Drowned on Earth, and ends up in Elsewhere.
• Olivia: Liz's mom on Earth.

Quotes edit see section history

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• “A life isn't measured in hours and minutes. It's the quality, not the length.”

  Elizabeth Marie Hall

• “A human's life is a beautiful mess.”

• “Don't you know there's no such thing as forever?”

  Elizabeth Marie Hall

• “In the end, the end of a life only matters to friends, family, and other folks you used to know, for everyone else, it's just another end.”

  Lucy the pug

• “On Earth the attempt to stay young,in the face of maturity is futile.”

• “Did you know there are over 300 words in Canine for love?”

• “It's a good thing to know how to apologize properly. Very few people know how to apologize properly.”

  Curtis Jest

• “Then again, the conditions are rarely very good anywhere, but love still happens all the time.”

  Curtis Jest

• “As the wisest here know, it isn't a sad thing getting older.”

  narrator

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• “In the end, the end of a life only matters to friends, family, and other folks you used to know,” the pug whimpers miserably. “For everyone else, it’s just another end.”

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• “A life isn’t measured in hours and minutes. It’s the quality, not the length.

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• “When I said ‘I like you very much,’ I actually meant ‘I love you.’”

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• As the wisest here know, it isn’t a sad thing getting older. On Earth, the attempt to stay young, in the face of maturity, is futile.

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• “I have heard of a place, about a mile out to sea and several miles deep. Apparently, this is the deepest place in the ocean. People call it the Well.”

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• Cheer up, little pug. You worry too much. That’s why you have so many wrinkles.”

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• then dead. “On Elsewhere,” Polly continues, “a life is more finite: man dies, and ages backward until

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• “I believe she is up there. And I believe there are angels there and harps and heaps of puffy clouds and white silky pajamas and everything.”

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• I was walking down my street with Slim. We live in D.C., by the way. This crazy bullet comes out of nowhere. Slim’s yelling at me to duck, and then he’s screaming, ‘SHE’S BLEEDING! OH LORD, SHE’S BLEEDING!’ Next thing I know, you’re waking me up on this very boat, asking me where you are.”

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• Liz learns the proper way to state her age: your current age followed by the number of years you have been in Elsewhere. Liz’s current age is fifteen–zero. She also learns that her new “birthday” is January 4. It is a somewhat confusing calculation that involves adding the number of days past one’s last birthday to the day one died.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

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• Earth
• Massachusetts
• The River
• The Well: A place deep in the ocean.
• The Observatory

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Gabrielle Zevin (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Quill Award (Finalist, 2006)
• Connecticut Nutmeg Children's Book Award
• Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
• Abraham Lincoln Award (Finalist, 2011: Teen Fiction)
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2006, #10)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PZ7.Z452 E1 2005
• Dewey: 818'.6

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This book is fine for 11+. There is one mention of Liz's 16 year old friend losing her virginity after prom, but it's made in passing, and not dwelled upon.It discusses an afterlife that would lead to reincarnation and only briefly mentions where God plays a role in the lives of the characters. Although it is fantasy it does not support the idea of heaven and hell

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Teens › Social Issues

More Books Like This edit see section history