Nevernever [Paperback]

Grade 9-12-In this sequel to Elsewhere (Harcourt, 1991), Ron, a runaway, lives in Bordertown, where the World and Faerie meet. Once a human, he has been turned into a werewolf by a potent spell. His friends are humans, elves, and halfies, and his task is to protect Florida, an orphan elf who is the unwilling heir to the Elflands throne. It soon becomes obvious that things are not always what they seem in Bordertown. Technology is not reliable, magic is not predictible, and people are not necessarily who they say they are. This is cyberpunk fantasy, where magic, teenage gangs, elvish whimsy, rock-and-roll, and adolescent angst blend into a sometimes murky but always lively plot. A murder, a kidnapping, and a trip into the magical forests of the Nevernever lead readers ever deeper into twists and turns and an open-ended conclusion that could permit a sequel. YAs will want background information about the characters and setting that can only be learned by reading the first book. However, the dialogue is snappy and the action never flags. Ron seems to have learned a lot since his arrival in the Borderlands and is a character with whom many teens will identify. Readers may feel at times as though they have fallen into someone else's psychedelic dream, but they will probably enjoy the trip. Fantasy and science-fiction buffs who have read Elsewhere will devour this book and look for more.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Fast-paced, occasionally confusing, but never dull: a sequel to the punk fantasy Elsewhere (1991) recounting the further adventures of teenager Ron and his friends--other human runaways, elves, and those of mixed blood. Known as ``Wolfboy'' since the lovely elf Leda put a spell on him, Ron is trying to adjust to his new shape and to find love (or sex) in the ever-shifting power struggles on the border between the World and Faerie. But even love takes a back seat to the nonstop kidnappings, false accusations of murder, and motorcycle gangs, and to the deadly search for the true heir to Faerie, who has the disconcerting habit of being two ages at once, in the same time and place. Though it doesn't stand well alone, this has the same witty adolescent verve and vulnerability--plus a message concerning peace among those who are really different. (Fiction. 14+) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

"Sometimes violent and profane, yet beautifully written . . . Not for the weak of heart, but a book for the adventurous soul." (The New Advocate )

Praise for Will Shetterly's Bordertown novels: "A gritty, vivid portrait of a half-familiar world . . . Elsewhere works almost perfectly." (Newsday )

Shetterly has just enough distance from his hero to shape [his] troubled journey with skill and conviction, too little distance to patronize." (The Village Voice Literary Supplement )

"Breaks ground that other writers will certainly try to cultivate." (Minneapolis Star Tribune )

Grade 9-12-In this sequel to Elsewhere (Harcourt, 1991), Ron, a runaway, lives in Bordertown, where the World and Faerie meet. Once a human, he has been turned into a werewolf by a potent spell. His friends are humans, elves, and halfies, and his task is to protect Florida, an orphan elf who is the unwilling heir to the Elflands throne. It soon becomes obvious that things are not always what they seem in Bordertown. Technology is not reliable, magic is not predictible, and people are not necessarily who they say they are. This is cyberpunk fantasy, where magic, teenage gangs, elvish whimsy, rock-and-roll, and adolescent angst blend into a sometimes murky but always lively plot. A murder, a kidnapping, and a trip into the magical forests of the Nevernever lead readers ever deeper into twists and turns and an open-ended conclusion that could permit a sequel. YAs will want background information about the characters and setting that can only be learned by reading the first book. However, the dialogue is snappy and the action never flags. Ron seems to have learned a lot since his arrival in the Borderlands and is a character with whom many teens will identify. Readers may feel at times as though they have fallen into someone else's psychedelic dream, but they will probably enjoy the trip. Fantasy and science-fiction buffs who have read Elsewhere will devour this book and look for more.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
  (School Library Journal )

Growing up is hard to do . . . especially if, like Ron, you've been cursed (blessed?) and changed into a half wolf/half human. But though he may look strange, there is nothing weird about his loyalty to his newfound friends, or in his attempts to stay true to himself in the deadly, shifting world of Bordertown.

WILL SHETTERLY is the author of nine novels and numerous short stories, comic books, and screenplays. His American magical-realist novel Dogland was called "a masterwork" on National Public Radio. He lives in Bisbee, Arizona.