After Eli
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4.5 • 8 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Some people die heroically, others accidentally. When Daniel Anderson’s older brother dies, he wonders which category Eli’s death falls into. In an attempt to understand, Danny creates a Book of the Dead — an old binder that he fills with details about dead people, how they died, and, most important, for what purpose. Time passes, and eventually Daniel is prompted to look up from his notebook of death and questions to make new friends and be swept into their imaginings. With gentle humor and genuine emotion, Rebecca Rupp examines the questions that arise following a profound loss and the moments that start life rolling again.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Daniel, a wry and thoughtful narrator, looks back on the summer when he was 14, three years after his older brother, Eli, died in Iraq at age 22. Rupp skillfully weaves Daniel's memories of larger-than-life Eli and his lingering anger about his death with Daniel's day-to-day challenges, including his dysfunctional family (Daniel repeatedly clashes with his father, and his mother is all but catatonic, continuing to mourn Eli); his frustrations with his popular but conventional friends; his attraction to Isabelle, a gorgeous and free-spirited newcomer to town; and his nascent friendship with school outcast Walter. Throughout, Daniel adds to his "Book of the Dead," in which he documents famous and infamous deaths that seem tragic, senseless, or cruel. The pain running through the narrative is tempered with hope, humor, and resilience, offering insight into the anguish of those left behind. A rich cast of secondary characters (Isabelle's bickering twin siblings are scene-stealers) is a powerful source of support for Daniel in a story that's as much about self-knowledge as acceptance. Ages 9 12.
Customer Reviews
In Love
I literally loved this book. Definitely one of my favorites.
Made me cry. Literally
It touched my heart. I know the feeling about trying to be someone else when that someone close to me has died and were a big part of my life. We shouldn't forget them. We should honor, love, and remember them. <3