Annette's Book Spot: afterlife

Showing posts with label afterlife. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Audiobook Review: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune book cover and review

TJ Klune's take on the afterlife in Under the Whispering Door is creative and entertaining.

Wallace is a pretty nasty person. He's a lawyer who only thinks of himself and the bottom line. He has alienated any family or friends he ever had. When he finds himself dead, he simply cannot believe it. He is met by a reaper, who escorts him to a tea shop which is a waypoint between life and death.

Hugo, the owner of the tea shop, and the reaper, May, are there to help Wallace (and others) accept their new state and transition to the afterlife (which is through the Whispering Door on the fourth floor.)

Other residents of the tea shop include Hugo's grandfather and his dog who both are dead, but for some reason have never gone through the door.

The setting and story are very creative and stories of others who have passed through the tea shop, as well as "live" customers, add to the entertainment. And the budding romance between Hugo and Wallace adds the romantic element.

Kirt Graves is the audiobook narrator and is absolutely perfect for this story.

It isn't sad, and the ending provides more happiness than is maybe deserved. Under the Whispering Door will make you think about death in a different way.

Published by Tor, 2021, Macmillan Audio
Audiobook obtained from Cloud Library
384 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Book Review: The Devil's Intern, by Donna Hosie

To be honest, I really didn't like The Devil's Intern at first, but once the book got going and the setting changed, I enjoyed it much more.

Mitchell has spent the last four years in Hell. He died at the age of 17 when he got hit by a bus. Mitchell cannot accept his death, and when he finds out his boss, Septimus, has access to the Viciseometer he plots to steal it. You see, the devise is a time machine and Mitchell wants to go back and change his life so that he doesn't die.

Mitchell takes three friends along, who have died at various times, so they can change their outcomes also. Alfarin is a Viking prince, Elinor is an English peasant from the 17th century, and Medusa is a child of the 1960s. Medusa is the romantic interest. They visit each of the periods of their deaths, and....well...I'm not going to tell you what happens.

The beginning of the book really annoyed me. Mitchell describes a very weird version of Hell. Hosie tries to make humorous references and analogies, and most of it just made me roll my eyes. It was too over the top and much too prolific. Hell is depicted as a fairly normal place where you go to work, eat, and even go to dances. I think Hell would have been more entertaining if it were a bit darker, and more as we traditionally think of it. I had a hard time not skimming and potentially DNFing. But, I persevered.

I enjoyed the story much more after they began time travelling. It was more exciting, and not so light-hearted. The entire tone of the book changed. Time travel is always tricky, so it's best not to analyze the scientific principles too much. Some of it didn't make sense to me, but it can make your head spin if you try to sort it out. I just went along with it and was very satisfied.

I also wish we got to know the characters a bit better before the time travelling. I didn't understand their connection and got their backgrounds confused at first. I didn't feel attached to them until they started on their adventure, then the attachment slowly grew.

Also, they make some stupid decisions. If you want to change the outcome of an event using time travel, wouldn't you plan to arrive some period BEFORE that event? And, if you are going to order McDonalds in the current time period, would you send the Viking prince to the counter to do so? This was used as comic relief, I think, but wasn't placed well. I guess you can see, I just didn't mesh with the "comedy" in The Devil's Intern.

The resolution is probably my favorite part. I found it creative and appropriate.

For time-travel fans, or those who like their depictions of the afterlife a bit lighthearted, The Devil's Intern might be appealing.

Published by Holiday House, August 1, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
229 pages (Qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)

Rating: 2.5/5

Monday, September 30, 2013

Book Review: More Than This, by Patrick Ness

I'm not sure what to say about More Than This. I'll start with, "It's unique!" I enjoyed the book, it was easy to read, but I'm not sure I get the point.

Seth dies a brutal death, as his bones are crushed on the ocean floor. He remembers every detail of this death when he wakes up in a strange, desolate, but somewhat familiar place.

More Than This finds Seth trying to figure out where he is, and where is everyone else? He seems to be alone. He's back in his childhood home, but everything is abandoned -- dirty, dusty, broken, and in some cases burned.

Is this hell? Seth has reasons to believe he might be in hell, as he struggles with dreams about his past that serve as flashbacks. Seth does start to figure some things out, but with these revelations, he still doubts everything he thinks and feels.

More Than This will not appeal to the teen masses. It's messages about life and what it means to be alive are subtle, and as Ness is known for, we get very few answers. (I never read past book 1 in the Chaos Walking trilogy because I was SO ANGRY at the cliffhanger.) I spent most of this book eagerly anticipating the ending -- finding the solution to this big mystery -- but I was disappointed.

At almost 500 pages, More Than This reads surprisingly quickly. I'm not sure to whom I'd recommend More Than This. I could recommend it to some teachers for a classroom read. I think More Than This could generate some interesting discussions.

Published by Candlewick, September 10, 2013
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection
480 pages

Rating: 3/5

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Book Review: Girl of Nightmares, by Kendare Blake @KendareBlake

Girl of Nightmares is a creatively creepy tale of ghosts that I enjoyed just as much as the first book, Anna Dressed in Blood. And, if you haven't read Anna, you might want to stop reading NOW, since I have to spoil it a bit to talk about Girl of Nightmares.

After Anna saved Cas' and his friends' lives at the end of Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas hasn't been able to stop thinking about her. He wants to know where she went, and he really wants to bring her back.

His friends, as well as his mother, Gideon, and Morfran, think its dangerous for him to pursue Anna. But, either Cas is going crazy or Anna is trying to contact him. Because Cas sees her all over the place -- and his friends, even Thomas, who is a witch and can read minds, can't see her.

Thomas and Morfran end up helping Cas figure out how to get to Anna and bring her back, although they believe that Cas might die in the attempt. Of course, Thomas and Carmel aren't going to let Thomas do this alone. So all the old characters are back, and there's a new character Jestine, who is important too and may allow for another episode in this series.

Girl of Nightmares, just like Anna, is a bit gory, especially at the end. There is a nice steady build up of tension throughout the entire book, which Blake seems to be a master of. And the way things worked out was unique and surprising, and I loved the resolution. Girl of Nightmares also has enough "regular" teen stuff (Thomas and Carmel's relationship, for example) to give some relief to the tension -- but never for very long.

I wouldn't say Girl of Nightmares was frightening, but it is creepy just like Anna. It moves fairly quickly and once I got about halfway through, it was difficult to put down. Anyone who has read Anna Dressed in Blood will definitely enjoy reading the further adventures of these characters. Girl of Nightmares has the same feel and style, but I still really enjoyed it. And, if you like some ghostly creepiness, you should start with the first book.

Published by Tor Teen, August 7, 2012
Copy obtained from the library
332 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Book Review: Grim, by Anna Waggener @AnnaWaggener

Grim is an unexpectedly deep, dark fantasy about the afterlife that gently sucks you in.

The summary for this one is going to be difficult -- that's probably why the summary on the book isn't very good. Erika has died in a car accident. She's in the afterlife, being led to her final destination by Jeremiah. She has left behind three children (Rebecca, Shawn & Megan) and a boyfriend, Matt.

The story alternates between the children's perspective as they deal with her death, and Erica's perspective as she figures out where she is, what she is, and who Jeremiah is. And, there's some short sections, typed in white text on black (at least in the ARC) about a king and queen and their kingdom that really baffle, but will eventually make sense.

Erica and Jeremiah end up in Limbo, and it's bizarre. Waggener has created a unique world here, with dead people who can't accept their deaths, and a crazy royal family whose king rules over Limbo. The procedures for entry and exit are unclear. There's evil things living in the water, and a bird who lives with Jeremiah that seems to be important, but that's never really explained. Confusing? Yes. But the confusion is part of the experience.

Erica wants to see her kids, which causes all kinds of problems. Jeremiah is much more than he seems at first -- his back story is extraordinary (and adds more confusion.)

I'm not a big fan of high fantasy, and this one is pretty fantastical. I did enjoy the pace and the writing. Since this is such an unbelievable fantasy, I felt detached from the characters, reading the story to find out what was going to happen but without any real emotion. And, there's room for emotion -- don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. It's pretty dark.

I guess you could say I didn't love Grim, but I have a great appreciation for the creativity of Waggener. The world building and settings were vivid and very uniquely done. I would recommend Grim to fantasy fans who want a darker story involving death and the afterlife. While not for everyone, I'm certain I can find a teen audience for Grim.

Published by Scholastic, June 1, 2012
ARC obtained from the publisher
320 pages

Rating: 3/5

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Book Review: Devine Intervention, by Martha Brockenbrough @mbrockenbrough

Devine Intervention is a sweet middle school book that presents a unique take on the afterlife.

Jerome is dead, and since he make some pretty serious mistakes during his life, he's been assigned to the "Soul Rehab" area of the afterlife, where he must be a guardian angel and prove his worth before he can graduate to heaven.

Heidi is his assignment. Heidi hears Jerome's voice in her head all the time as he gives her recommendations and generally helps her out throughout her life. However, tragedy strikes and Heidi drowns in a frozen lake. Jerome tries to save her, but he only saves her soul. Jerome then tries desperately to help her soul get into heaven.

The banter between the two characters is entertaining. Their relationship is unique, and Brockenbrough does a good job making the reader believe. But....I'm not in middle school, and as hard as I try to put myself in the mind of the intended audience, most of Devine Intervention seemed silly to me. The fact that the entire misunderstanding (which I won't explain any more) is because Jerome just decided NOT to read the instruction manual for being a guardian angel was too much for me to believe.

But, just get past that. There's an entertaining dog, a helpful best friend, and a cranky old lady neighbor. There's more to Jerome than we first realize, and he actually grows during his time in rehab, and learns a bit about his father that he never dreamed was true.

There's also a message about fitting in and coping with differences. Heidi is a misfit, and really doesn't want anything to do with most kids her age. She also grows during Devine Intervention.

By the way -- I'm not misspelling "Devine." It's Heidi's last name.

I did see the ending from way back in Devine Intervention. I'm not sure if middle school kids will or not, and it doesn't really matter. Either way, you are rooting for Heidi to find peace and Jerome to get to heaven! Recommend Devine Intervention to younger teens who like a lighthearted look at death and the afterlife. On the Bright Side, by S.R. Johannes is a book that comes to mind as a read alike.

Published by Arthur A. Levine, June 1, 2012
ARC obtained from the publisher
295 pages

Rating: 3/5