There was something very sweet and also sad about this book. Anyone who's ever suffered from a broken heart would be able to relate to this book. Maybe not the DYING of a broken heart bit, but that's what made this book so very special.Brie is a girl who had been with her boyfriend, Jacob, almost a year. When he breaks up with her, she literally dies of a broken heart.
This story is about the different stages of grief and getting past them. From the first stage, denial, to the final stage, acceptance. To help Brie with her story, there is Patrick. He's the one who tells her about the new world she's has entered and how to leave the Earth peacefully. It wasn't about religion, even if there were elements of good and bad - it was about letting go.
Brie's voice is so funny, yet serious in some places. Jess did a fabulous job with that.I loved the way Jess told this story. Brie was very human - even as a dead person. She still felt human emotions, reacted the way she would have if she had still been alive. She had rages, she had regrets, and like anyone else, she also felt the need to redo some days.Most of the characters really touched me in some way from Crossword lady at the diner (although I never found out her story) to Jacob - a boy who didn't mean to hurt Brie, but did anyway. I loved the ceremony Brie's friends did. It was like a cleansing ceremony even if things did heat up afterwards.I was never bored at any time as I read this.
There was too much going on - too many things that happened and just like a book I recently read, it dealt with the aftermath of someone dying, even if it was seen through the eyes of the person who died themselves. And there was definitely a twist that was in no way obvious. I really appreciate books like this. A book that deals with the afterlife - and not in the way of angels and demons, but in a more human and, perhaps, relatable way.I think most people will like this book - at least I hope they do. I know I did.
