Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

 

 

What happens after death? Where do we go after death? Where do our souls go? Is the afterlife physical or mental? This book has a very unique idea of what happens after death and it kept me gripped for the entire book. It made me cry and it made me question my own beliefs about the afterlife. The main character Liz is only a teenager when she dies and she is looking forward to going to university and living the rest of her life but she goes to Elsewhere where she meets her Grandmother who died just before Liz was born. Obviously it is traumatic for Liz but she makes friends and falls in love but she cannot grasp the idea of Elsewhere. What happens to all the pets? They all go here too.Liz is not so distanced from her living family as you think she might is. She watches her family from the watch towers but it is dangerous as the more she watches them, the more she wants to return to her family and the more she misses them. The idea of the book is that after death you get younger before returning back to earth as a baby.

It is a thought provoking book that gives you hope for all the people who you may know who have passed away unexpectedly. I could never think of Zevin's idea for a book and I really respect her for it. I recommend it to anyone wanting to get into reading because it will get you hooked and if you loved this book, you must try the Lovely Bones. It is a very interesting interpretation of death which is a taboo topic that no one knows anything about. Death is usually talked about from the point of view of the bereaved left behind but this book considers it from the point of view of the dead.

Another World by Pat Barker

I read this book in preparation for my English literature coursework where I was planning to do mentality after the war. Yes it did mention the degradation of the mind because of war but that was not its main purpose. And yes it was quite a good book. The book freaked me out. I should have interpreted from the cover that it was about ghosts but sometimes you try to deny the cover. I know they say "Don't judge a book by the cover" but you should have a look because it may have nothing to do with what you think but it was a thrilling book. I could not put it town as it kept me gripped from the moment I picked it up. However it is mainly a book about how the present intertwines with the past. I definitely recommend it but start reading it with an open mind. 

It is about an everyday family of a step brother, step sister, toddler and a child on the way and parents who move into an old house. The family is so ordinary which makes it hit home and many people can relate to them. Even if you don't want to. As they start re-decorating they find things they never wanted to unearth. I recommend that you definitely read it but don't read it in the dark! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

I was lucky enough to be allowed to borrow my father’s copy of his favourite book: A Farewell to Arms. The book is about an ambulance driver who falls in love with a nurse and the struggle of love in a time of great chaos. It is partly autobiography which adds the reality of war and real experiences to this book. Hemingway himself was an ambulance driver during World War 1.

“I remember thinking at the time that it was the end of the world”

This quote is half truth about Hemingway’s opinion on war and the trauma during it. In the book Lieutenant Frederic Henry is struck by a mortar shell which also struck Hemingway himself. This book is an explosion of the caught up feelings that Hemingway felt during the war. I loved the book even though it frustrated me so much and made me cry because I gained such a great relationship with all the characters in such a short book. I remember when I had finished the book my mum phoned and I just cried. I am making her read it now to let her comprehend why I was so distraught. I hope you read it too and I’d love to know what you think in the comments.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

This book is so confusing to begin with; it has so many narratives but they all intertwine with each other by the end with a side of tears. I read the end on a heaving public bus. I will not be doing that again.

It questions true love of a young age but it also shows that one must listen to their heart. It is a test of true friendship but also the difference between friendship and love. The book is full of twists and one tragedy after another. 

You build such a relationship with the characters despite there being so many. You begin to know them as real people that you have known all your life. I saw myself in the main character Pelagia who had a traditional Greek life. It is an amazing exploration of the Greek life during the World War. 

It was another one of my mum's favourite books and has now become one of mine. Both my parents recommended it and as it would help with my English Literature coursework I felt that I was obliged to read it. Therefore if you are debating whether or not to read it then there should be no more questioning. You have to read it.