Author: Jess Rothenberg
Release Date: 21st February 2012
My Rating: 2/5
Blurb:
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.
BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?
BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.
But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?
In A Nutshell:
The plot was lacking but the characterisation was great.
My Review:
Before I start, in the interest of full disclosure, I read an ARC of this. Certain things may have been edited before publication, but most likely not everything I had an issue with.
My first impression was that the storyline really didn't grab me (hence why I waited almost a year before finally reading it) and that the first few paragraphs are just one long rant. I persevered because I had heard some wonderful things from other bloggers, and I admit that towards the end of the novel, my opinion of it rose a little when some issues were explored a little bit more. But for me, really, the whole story really was missing something.
What I didn't like: I thought it was a bit over dramatic. Brie's actions after her death, and even the fact she died of a broken heart, grief or no grief, were a bit too much for me to take seriously. I struggled with the whole vengeful ghost gets revenge-learns acceptance-seeks redemption-discovers reincarnation story arc. I got a bit confused towards the end with how everything was wrapped up and really, it was just a bit too much for me on the supernatural/paranormal side of things.
What I really liked: The characters. I liked the them all; Brie, Patrick, everyone at Slice, Brie's friends and family, Jacob. Had they all been in a contemporary novel, I think it could have been fantastic. I love how Brie is obsessed with 80's music and stationary. I was excited by how much love was shown for Disney movies and one of my all-time favourite quotes has come from this book - "There's no such thing as too much Disney". I also totally love the use of song lyrics as chapter titles (and that the artist was included at the back of the book in case you couldn't figure out what they were!).
My parting thoughts? Everything in life has consequences, good and/or bad. Live your life (and in this case, your death) without malice and leave revenge up to karma because there are always two sides to every story.
Reading Wishes
I've only ever read one book that was about the after life and found it quite interesting. I will be adding this to my TBR list too.
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