Afterworlds

Westerfeld, Scott. Afterworlds. Simon Pulse, 2014.

Darcy, a high school senior, wrote a novel for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and is on track to have her book published. In fact, her publisher offered her a two-book contract for what seems to Darcy a ridiculous sum of money. Now Darcy is putting college plans on the back burner and moving to New York city to fulfill her dream of being a famous author. Alternating with the chapters of Darcy's life are chapters from Darcy's book, so the reader gets a peek into both the publishing world and the paranormal romance that Darcy wrote for NaNoWriMo.

My summary doesn't do this book justice. This is one of those rare books that I knew I would love from the moment I started reading it. I wanted to drag it out and read more slowly so it would last longer, but I got so wrapped up both in Darcy's life and in her story that I just had to keep reading. This book would be an easy sell for fans of paranormal books and for strong teen readers who want a large tome they can just keep reading and reading. This also would make a great addition to a library's NaNoWriMo display.

Recommended for: teens, adults
Red Flags: minor language, minor fantasy violence, some of the characters in Darcy's novel were murdered and it's hinted that they may have been abused, too, although details are never given
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars