Last Bus to Everland

April 15, 2019
Bullied by two of his female classmates, Scottish teen Brody Fair is saved by a handsome Spanish boy wearing blue fairy wings. Nico Clark Calderón invites Brody--via an invitation written on an origami lily--to meet him on an Edinburgh hill on Thursday at 11:21 p.m. precisely. Charmed and eager to see Nico again, Brody sneaks out and enters Everland--a magical place where no one dies and the passage of time is ambiguous. At home, Brody, who is white, feels invisible to his overworked mother and agoraphobic father, caught between his gifted older brother and intense younger sister. In Everland, he is the drummer in a band and unafraid of being out as gay. He encounters a gang of misfits escaping their realities, including bisexual Argentinian Dani; Muslim Zahra, whose mother has multiple sclerosis; talented but stressed Japanese violinist Miyumi; and Polish Kasia, whose ex-girlfriend stopped coming to Everland. Challenges at home and changes in Everland eventually force Brody to make a difficult decision. Brody is a protagonist worth caring about; his insecurities and struggles are genuine and sympathetic, as is his temptation to run away and never look back. With empathy, Cameron (Out of the Blue, 2018) creates a cast in which every character is prone to being misjudged and has depth beyond their face value. She seamlessly weaves the two worlds together, creating a story that is deeply emotional and evocative. For the lost and misunderstood. (Magical realism. 13-18)

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Starred review from June 10, 2019
In this absorbing contemporary fantasy, a gay Scottish teen finds a refuge from his everyday life in Everland, a magical realm that draws visitors from all over the world, opening at 11:21 p.m. each Thursday. Here, Brody can escape tormenting bullies, his father’s agoraphobia, and his family’s financial issues, and follow his dreams to be a musician. But strange developments in Everland threaten both his happiness and his increasing connection to a new friend, handsome and artistic Nico. Caught between the real world and the fantasy, Brody may lose everything he cares for. Cameron (Out of the Blue) paints a compelling picture of a fantasy world that acts as both playground and haven. The true strength of the story, though, lies in the diverse cast of relatable characters, including Kasia, an acerbic lesbian; hijabi Zahra, an avid cosplayer; and Jett and Jett, a music-savvy, pansexual guitarist who uses a wheelchair. Brody’s need to escape the mounting pressures of the real world contrasts nicely with Everland’s myriad temptations, such as a stage where he can perform with a band, setting the scene for tough choices and emotional breakthroughs. Portal fantasies have a long and rich history, and this is a worthy addition to the genre. Ages 14–up. Agent: Hellie Ogden, Janklow & Nesbit UK.

Starred review from May 1, 2019
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* Rescued from bullies by 17-year-old Nico, Brody, 15, immediately crushes on the beautiful older boy and is thrilled when Nico invites him to meet up the following Thursday. To Brody's amazement, Nico ushers him through a magical doorway into an alternative world, a demiparadise called Everland, where no one can be hurt, no one needs to sleep, no one can die, and no matter how long you stay, when you return to the real world, only moments have passed. Brody falls in love with Everland even as he is falling deeper in love with Nico, who is also gay. Meanwhile, in the real world, life is grim. Brody's dad is ill; his family is in dire financial straits; and?perhaps worst of all?Brody feels ignored by his parents and like he's always second best to his brilliant older brother. What if Brody could live with Nico in Everland, well, forever? Cameron's debt to Barrie's Peter Pan is obvious: Brody is referred to as a lost boy; he and Nico find a pirate ship in Everland. And yet the author is very much the master of her own original material. Everland is a lovely conceit amid beautifully realized worlds and wonderfully individual, empathetic characters. The result is a memorable fantasy to occupy a proud place on the shelf beside Peter and Wendy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)