This story is presumably in its final form and is a fairly typical paranormal romance. The second story, entitled Afterworlds, is the novel that Darcy actually wrote. Her story is a contemporary coming-of-age tale as she decides to defer college and live her dream by moving to New York to live as a novelist by immersing herself in the YA writing world. She has almost a year to submit her final revisions before publication. Borrowing secrets from her mother’s past and her parents’ religion (Hinduism), she wrote a manuscript during NanoWrimo when she was a senior in high school, and to everyone’s surprise, publishers loved it and gave her a fat, two-book publishing deal. Darcy is 18, Indian, and, as she later learns, a lesbian. The Plot: This book actually contains two books, neither of which can be fully realized without the other (more on that below). I could be completely off-base, and maybe I am seeing what I want to see because I want an excuse for liking this book as much as I did, but since this is my review, I’m going to use this review space to tell you why I think everyone else is wrong and you should bow to my opinion. It must be said that I love satire, even when it's subdued, because that love colors my entire opinion of this book.Īs such, I’m baffled by the somewhat low reviews on this one.

So, I kinda loved this book, its intelligence, its meta-awareness, and the way a lovely coming-of-age story is packaged inside a clever satire-bordering-on-love-story to the YA publishing world. In a brilliant high-wire act of weaving two epic narratives - and two unforgettable heroines - into one novel, Scott Westerfeld's latest work is a triumph of storytelling. But Lizzie's not alone in her new calling - she has counsel from a fellow spirit guide, a very desirable one, who is torn between wanting Lizzie and warning her that.

With survival comes the responsibility to guide the restless spirits that walk our world, including one ghost with whom she shares a surprising personal connection. Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, the thrilling story of Lizzie, who wills her way into the afterworld to survive a deadly terrorist attack.

all while dealing with the intoxicating, terrifying experience of falling in love - with another writer. It means sleepless nights rewriting her first draft and struggling to find the perfect ending. That means book tours, parties with her favorite authors, and finding a place to live that won't leave her penniless. Instead of heading to college, she's living in New York City, where she's welcomed into the dazzling world of YA publishing. But it's really happening - her teen novel is getting published. Darcy Patel is afraid to believe all the hype.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld