Shusterman, Neal. Everfound (Bk3 Skinjacker Trilogy)

Shusterman, Neal.  Everfound (Bk3 Skinjacker Trilogy)   

Simon & Schuster/Little

Brown 2011  512p  17.99 978-1-41699-0499   

ms/jr   Fantasy           VG     

The Skinjacker Trilogy concludes with a satisfying dramatic road trip aboard a ghost train, populated by Afterlights on a mission to carry out evil Mary Hightower’s plan to extinguish the real world forever.      Purgatory will never be the same. 

Shusterman has created a  fascinating universe in Everlost,  a "world between

life and death" inhabited by children and teens, existing side-by-side with the

everyday world.  New characters join the cast: Jix,a furjacker who choses to

inhabit the skins of big cats, is a spy of the Mayan King of Everlost, sent to

infiltrate the child army of Mary Hightower.  Add to this, Clarence, a scar

wraith, half in the real world and half in Everlost, with the abiltiy to

permanently extinguish the life of an Afterlight.  Longer than others in the

trilogy, this neatly ties up the loose ends, but will leave fans yearing for a

return trip.  

This volume does not stand particularly well on its own, leaving too much of the back story of individual characters as speculation, however, a handy and

informative FAQ (narrated by Allie the Outlaw) helps integrate background

material at the beginning of the novel.  Newcomers to the series will want to

pick up the previous offerings.  A satisfying end to a popular series from a

masterful storyteller.              Naismith, Pat