13 thoughts on “Afterworlds Spoiler Thread”

1. Finally I can start discussing this amazing book with someone other than my wife! I read it in ARC form a few months back and have been biting my tongue with fellow YA readers at work who keep asking questions but don’t really want to know the answers. This is one of those rare books where I’m split between which character I most identified with. Darcy got me with how she discovered her sexuality as it sort of snuck up on her, though I wish my family had been so accepting. Lizzie got me through her sheer determination to get through her tragedy and how hard she fights for the ghosts. It was interesting how both Darcy and Lizzie have such amazing character arcs that at times parallel each other and yet are so very different. They are both finding their way in their respective worlds and though one fights things that literally go bump in the night and the other fights writer’s block their emotions are so very similar.

   The book also managed to scare the beejeepers out me, especially during the scene with Lizzie and Mindy heading into the abandoned school. Do not read that part with the lights down low after midnight – you have been warned! And when Lizzie breaks into His house and picks up that shovel… I was right there with her, my heart pounding, feeling so very conflicted. What would I do in Lizzie’s place?

   I also enjoyed getting a peep into the book world from an author’s POV, which made the video from the Committee to Protect YA that much more amusing. As a bookseller I want customers to read this book because they need to see what being an author is all about and how the publishing world goes round. Maybe then they’ll stop complaining about having to pay full price for a hardcover!

2. I just read the entire book in just over three hours.

   Hopefully that says enough.

3. I haven’t read the book yet but I looked at the comments… #rebel 😉

4. I don’t care if the two characters in the book I’m reading are discussing the book I’m reading, and the ending changes YOU STILL SAY SPOILER ALERT.

5. I am finished!!!! Scott!!!! why the agent!! booo! 🙁

   I am pleased! I do hope that there will be an untitled Patel coming?….

6. I’d just like to point out something, in the scene with Imogen riding in the trunk of the rental car for research for her book.

   I realized something, most rental car agencies require the person renting the car has to be at least twenty-five years old in order to rent a car, Darcys fake ID says she’s only twenty-three and Imogen is twenty-three. So, how were they able to rent the car?

7. arkjhgkjhldsgkj darcy x imogen forever and ever amen.

   i was surprised i enjoyed darcy’s chapters more than lizzie’s… i expected the opposite. but i also didn’t know it would be about girl love <3

   definitely want to read Untitled Patel

8. Because of this book, I am now addicted to Uni Ball pens. Possible sequel? I was the same. I enjoyed Darcy’s parts more than Lizzie’s too.

9. I went into this book with almost no idea what it was about; my blind trust of you and your writing is becoming frightening, Mr. Westerfeld. But I really did enjoy it. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to sit down and consume a book in a few sittings without forcing myself.

   My bias towards sci-fi and fantasy won over so I definitely liked Lizzie’s parts a bit more, but I never found Darcy’s parts boring or hard to get through, which honestly surprised me because regular day-to-day life fiction tends to bore me. Nisha was a great character too; I loved her to pieces.

   Lizzie and Mindy were definitely the highlight for me though. I instantly fell in love with Mindy’s character and the relationship her and Lizzie build. It was so interesting and Mindy’s fear put a great edge on everything. I was shocked by the loss I felt when Mindy’s fear disappeared too; I definitely felt some of Lizzie’s unease there. I was partially happy because Mindy didn’t have to live in constant fear anymore, but sad because such a huge part of her was gone.

10. My new favorite book for 2014! 599 pages wasn’t long enough. I absolutely LOVED it!

    PLEASE tell me there will be a sequel!

11. I just finished it last night! Oh, god it was AMAZING! 😀
    As an aspiring author, I definitely liked Darcy’s parts more. Oftentimes, at the end of the chapter I would be like, “Wait, I wanna hear more about Darcy! I don’t want to read Lizzie!” But then I’d start the next chapter and be totally rapt a page in. So I clearly enjoyed both. I think I’m going to read all of one book and then all of the other whenever I reread it.
    I identify with Darcy so much! (Except for the whole blowing-her-budget thing. I would never do that.) Just everything about her and ALSDFJ;ALDSJF;AO
    It was extremely cool getting an inside look at the world of publishing. Nearly everything I read about it, especially near the end, made me so wistful about my someday. And now I really wanna go to YA Drinks Night! But of course, the whole setting of the afterworld in Lizzie’s part was really interesting. I liked it! And is it weird that I thought it was kinda cool she killed the bad man?
    Question: Is Standerson based on John Green? I can’t place the rest of them because I don’t know the authors that well (because I’ve woefully not yet read there books 🙁 ), but I got the sense that Standerson was John Green (because of the whole King of the Internet thing). (And maybe Kiralee is Holly Black? I don’t know why I would think that, because I know next to nothing about Holly Black. Except the trunk scene with Imogen was directly derived from her, so, hmm…)
    Second question: You said that Lizzie found out the bad man’s name from a receipt or something. How come she never refers to him by name? Seems easier than always saying “the bad man.”
    Speaking of names, you never mention that of Darcy’s father (and I don’t think Lizzie’s either, but I could be wrong about that). Is there a particular reason for that? I thought it was odd, since her mom got a name.

12. When I heard of Afterworlds way back in March, I was dying to read it. I’ve been dying to read more of your work, Scott. (I hope it’s okay to be on a fist name basis.) Uglies is the only others of yours I read, other than So Yesterday for HS reading Olympics last year. But after rereading Uglies at least six times, I know which parts are you and which parts are plot. It’s amazing to see you put yourself in every book from 2003 until now.

    On to Afterworlds. To Darcy’s story of indecision I couldn’t really relate (I’m not an author, I hate cities, and would never blow my budget, let alone have a budget per day). In any case, I still loved reading it. Seeing how tough life as an author can be and just life as a teenager can be was really interesting, even when that teenager has a $150,000 advance. I did think Darcy just gave into her feelings for Imogen a little quickly, especially for never having been in a relationship. I also felt Imogen had some pretty shady past that should’ve been explored a bit more. Firecat would’ve been an interesting drunken rant. Second to lastly, the fact that Imogen left when she found out about Darcy reading her phone. She reacted so nonchalantly at first and then exploded. I didn’t even realize she was going to react. I think she just said don’t read the diary as an empty threat. It was the fact that Darcy trusted the words more than Imogen’s actions. After I read a few more weeks (or pages), I realized that Imogen wasn’t talking about Darcy. It’s so terrible when you can’t yell to the characters “NO STOP IT YOU’RE WRONG,” and hope they get the message. Now, lastly, a brief scene at the very end or Darcy’s chapters with Johari. She wasn’t very well developed because minor character, but I love the fact that she doesn’t curse. Namely because I don’t and I’ve never found another person who didn’t. Just made my life, Scott.

    And Darcy’s Afterworlds. Lizzie was one of those characters who just said “Okay. This just happened. Let me make the most of it.” She didn’t try to make it disappear. She didn’t try to forget. She lived with it and grew from it as a person and a new spirit guide. I know everyone loved the relationship that Lizzie and Mindy have, but I think it’s a little creepy. I can understand Mindy’s side because she’s known Lizzie her whole life. But Lizzie just accepts Mindy, like it’s not weird for a senior to befriend an 11-year-old ghost. Plus, because Mindy is 11, Lizzie can’t talk about most of her life with Mindy because Mindy won’t understand that part of life. I do think Mindy wasn’t scared enough about the Bad Man. He literally kidnapped her and murdered her. Why was hiding in a closet enough? Why did Mindy think that he’d want to kill her again? I also love the fact that Lizzie actually told Jamie. I thought she should’ve done that sooner. But why not her mom? You’d think that her mom then would understand that dying isn’t so bad and she’d still have Lizzie and Lizzie would have a life. Her mom would worry so much less about everything, especially that she and Lizzie would then be in the afterworld together.

    Another aspect of your books that I love is the conflicting morality issues. Should Lizzie have killed the BM? Should ghost really be protected like Yamaraj does? Is it really wrong to use their memories like Mr. Hamlyn? Why do ghost want to stay “alive” in the afterworld? They have no purpose. Wouldn’t they get bored and want to die? (trilogy? hint hint nudge nudge)

    I mentioned a lot of things I didn’t like. But to say all of the things I loved, I’d have to write another book. To have included all of my suggestions (which I don’t think you need to do at all), it’d probably add another half a book at least. Afterworlds is an amazing concept and I must congratulate you.

13. Just sneaking over here to say, THANK YOU. I read the part when Imogen was introduced and was like “This is the part where the love interest is introduced.” And then it was IMOGEN. So I was like….Is it her? I wanted it so desperately to be her, but I’ve been disappointed so many times where queer characters are concerned (comes from watching stupid shows like Supernatural) that I didn’t want to get my hopes up. BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So yes, I just wanted to say thank you. I’m going to be walking on air for the next week or two. This book is beautiful so far. I love it.

    And no, I’m not reading any of the other comments here because I have not actually finished yet! Just got to the rooftop. 😉 I’m so ridiculously happy, seriously. 😀

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