Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this--she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience--and sometimes even change--moments from her life. Her first kiss.  A trip to Disney World.  Her sister's wedding.  A disastrous sleepover. In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life--and death. (Jacket Text) Click image above to see the trailer     Click the image to the left to listen to an excerpt of the audiobook, published by Brilliance Audio  Praise for the Book... VOYA This book might need to be sold to readers one at a time (the first line is "I'm dead"), but it will be well worth the effort. Huntley's writing is as lovely as the photograph on the book's cover and as poetic as the Emily Dickinson quotes sprinkled throughout. The nonlinear tale tells Maddy's life story, ranging from babyhood to her senior year and then back to toddlerhood. Readers learn along with Maddy about her family, her best friend, her boyfriend, and even her frenemies. Inspired by a friend's question, "Wouldn't it be funny if all those things you lost turned up after you were dead, just when you didn't need them anymore?" Huntley creates an entirely new version of the human experience after death. She pulls in some quantum physics but not so much as to scare off the unscientific, and intersperses the aforementioned Dickinson, but the world and the interactions between the spirits that inhabit it and the real world are as fascinating as the question of how Maddy died. This book is one where people who like to read the last page first will need a friend to cover it, so that there are no spoilers. It is also a book that will stick with readers, making them think not only about Maddy but also about the nature of life and death, time, possessions, and the interactions with both people and things that make us, us. Reviewer: Beth Karpas School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Madison Stanton is dead. When she awakes in a vast expanse of nothingness, she realizes that she doesn't remember her past life, much less how she died. As she explores her surroundings, she finds glowing items scattered about her, such as a bracelet, a pair of socks, keys, and a sweatshirt. When she imagines putting the shirt on her nonexistent body, she's brought back to a moment in her former life. From this experience she learns that every object around her is something that she lost while she was alive, and that using it will bring her spirit back to the moment in which it went missing. Armed with this knowledge, she attempts to discover how she died. With some help from the spirits of her boyfriend Gabe and her ex-friend Tammy, Madison learns the shattering truth of her demise. This fresh take on a teen's journey of self-exploration is a compelling and highly enjoyable tale. Huntley expertly combines a coming-of-age story with a supernatural mystery that keeps readers engrossed until the climactic ending. This touching story will appeal to those looking for a ghost story, romance, or family drama.—Laura Amos, Newport News Public Library, VA Kirkus Reviews Death is the new life. Stories about dead teens used to be mainly weepers about beautiful young girls with tragic diseases. Now along with vampires and zombies there are explorations of just what life after death might look like. First-time author Huntley's take on the topic is cleverly constructed and compelling. Madison, the 17-year-old narrator, recognizes the objects floating around her as ones she owned during her lifetime. Some experimentation leads her to realize that she can use them to re-experience and/or observe specific portions of her existence. Doing so helps her to answer the central question-how she died-as well as to reconnect with others in this formless void. Weaving concepts from physics and the poetry of Emily Dickinson into a series of (not chronological) vignettes from Madison's life works surprisingly well and presents a clear picture of relationships, choices and consequences. Refreshingly, Madison's death resulted from her effort to take care of a friend, not bad choices about drugs or alcohol. Intriguing and thought-provoking. (Fiction. YA) Praise for the Audio Version of the Book... School Library Journal *The Everafter (unabr.) 5 CDs. 5:07 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2009. ISBN 978-1-4418-0183-8. $54.97. Gr 7-10–Seventeen-year-old Madison (Maddy) Stanton is confused, lonely, and dead in this novel (Balzer & Bray, 2009) by Amy Huntley. Where she is and how she got there is unknown, but in the expansive darkness that surrounds her, she discovers floating, luminescent objects she lost in her previous life. Maddy sees these items and feels that her “life is lying in a heap of memories piled on top of one another.” Each object allows her (and listeners) to skip through her past life, proving that even seemingly insignificant items—a bracelet, a pine cone, a piece of popcorn—elicit memories. During her soul searching, Madison also discovers clues to her mysterious and sudden death. Tavia Gilbert is amazing in her ability to transition between numerous characters, from a silky, Southern drawl to a soused father to a complicated, contemplative teenager. This is as close as you can get to a full-cast narration with a solo voice. Huntley’s fabulous, haunting debut novel is a ghost story, a mystery, and a love story that creates a unique twist on one of life’s ponderables: what happens after we die?  A compelling addition to teen collections.–Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH.    Way to Go, Tavia Gilbert! YALSA (Young Adult Library Association) Named THE EVERAFTER a finalist for it's Morris Award. For Purchase Information, Click Here For Information on Purchasing the Audio Version of this book, Click Here