Hereafter

Afterlife, Volume 1

By: Terri Bruce

Narrated by: Amy B. Martin

Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn't plan on dying any time soon, but that's exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on Earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn't get you drunk, and the sex...well, let's just say "don't bother". To make matters worse, the only person who can see her - courtesy of a book he found in his school library - is a 14-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife. Unfortunately, what waits in the Great Beyond isn't much better.

Stuck between the boring life of a ghost in this world and the terrifying prospect of three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment in the next, Irene sets out to find a third option - preferably one that involves not being dead anymore. Can she wipe the slate clean and get a second chance before it's too late?

©2012 Terri Bruce (P)2015 Terri Bruce

Interesting premise

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I also own this book in the kindle edition as well.

So, the first thing I have to say is that Amy B. Martin was a fantastic choice for a narrator. The last audio book with a female narrator sounded too robotic. This one wasn't. At all. Which made it infinitely more enjoyable to me.

Unexpected

I look forward to the sequel. I don't want to give away anything, so just listen already!

very good

I loved this book. I read this book in one day. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Geeedh!

Interesting theme. However, story dragged on too many times. The sad to say clincher? The ending just sucked! I haven’t read/heard this terrible of an ending to a book in years. Yuck!

A Guide for the Recently Deceased.

Would you consider the audio edition of Hereafter to be better than the print version?

Amy B. Martin made the characters come to life. She uses different convincing voices to indicate characters. The conversations were so real, it was like I was there. The adolescent boy, Jonah Johnson is portrayed with perfect enthusiasm and wonder. Irene is angry, as well she should be. Her voice changes as Irene grows to discover and correct some of her faults.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jonah Johnson. He kept the story alive and moving. He was funny and so excited with each discovery of a new facets of the afterlife. I loved the way he stuck with Irene even when she was unkind and gave back as good as he got.

Which scene was your favorite?

The funniest scene was in the library when the ghost librarian threw Irene and Jonah out for making too much noise.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A Guide for the Recently Deceased

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this book very much. It's a topic not covered very often. Ms. Bruce has done a wonderful job of bringing this topic to life.

Totally Amazing!

I absolutely loved this book (audiobook) The author had me from the very first words. I was completely enthralled with Irene's story which has layer upon layer of drama, intrigue, real emotion. I felt so much as I went along on her journey. I laughed, I stopped several times to ponder different aspects of Irene's discoveries about life, and beyond. I absolutely adore Jonah he is a breath of fresh air and made an impressive, lovable "Jiminy Cricket" I couldn't help but laugh so many times both at the expense of as well as along with the characters. I also found my heart pounding, holding my breath during some pretty traumatic scenes for Irene, as well as the times that I actually cried both with sadness and at other times because I was so deeply touched, especially by Jonah. Wise far beyond his years. The author just has done such an amazing job. I can't even fathom where she came up with this story, but can definitely appreciate the talent she had shared with us all. Finally I have to give it up for the narrator. She is so expressive and really made Irene, Jonah, and all of the other characters come alive. I was very generously given a complimentary copy of this audiobook for an honest review. I can't wait to finish writing this review so I can seek out the second in the series, Thereafter. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's an awesome adventure.

Irene Starts to Grow Up, After Death

Humor and sorrow come together in this story about life after death with a serious message about making the most of life while the rest of the living can still see you.
Set in the area of Boston and Salem, Massachusetts, Hereafter is the first in the Afterlife series of books about a party girl who wakes up from a blackout and finds that she is dead, but hasn't gone anywhere.
Excellent job on the audiobook narration!

Seen better

I found this book a little too comical for my taste, it's not but I usually pick to read but it was only $1.99 if you like things that are very serious, and not very exciting then you'll find this one all right

NO character development.

Any additional comments?

I kept waiting for the character development and it never happened. The main character is supposed to be 36 years old and acts like a petulant two year old, or maybe hormonal 12 year old, for the entire story. Most of the supporting characters are very one dimensional and boring. The one exception is the character that is supposed to be 14 years old. He is the one that kept me hanging in there to see if the story would go somewhere. I'm disappointed that I stuck with it to the bitter end. The narrator did the best she could with the material she had to work with.