18 Truths (My So Called Afterlife #2)

PARANORMAL:  Olga Gay Worontzoff and her boyfriend, Nate, are dead.  They are currently in Limbo (one of the four realms of the Underworld) and instead of proceeding on to Heaven, they choose to be spirit guides to the recently deceased.  Olga hopes this will give her a chance to find out what happened to her best friend, Conner, after he died.  She does not have much luck with her first assignment as a spirit guide, and secrets come between her and Nate, making her vulnerable to harassment from demons.   If Olga cannot let go of her negative emotions – jealousy, grief, guilt – she may lose more than Nate and Conner.  She may be locked out of Heaven forever!

This book makes a great case for the saying, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”  Olga doesn’t mean to do bad things, but she keeps making choices that land her in trouble.  Teens will definitely be able to relate to this.  The biggest drawback here is that the story struggles to find its focus.  It’s a mix between a sermon on trusting God and a fantasy novel.  The two don’t always blend seamlessly, but Olga’s journey through the afterlife is compelling (reminiscent of a train wreck, one just can’t look away), and the entirely unforeseen twist on the last page will have readers ready to dive into the next book!

Leslie Stokes