This Is Your Afterlife by Vanessa Barneveld
on 21st October 2014
Pages: 194
Goodreads

When the one boy you crushed on in life can't seem to stay away in death, it's hard to be a normal teen when you're a teen paranormal.Sixteen-year-old Keira Nolan has finally got what she wanted-the captain of the football team in her bedroom. Problem is he's not in the flesh. He's a ghost and she's the only one who can see him.Keira's determined to do anything to find Jimmy's killer. Even it if means teaming up with his prickly-yet-dangerously-attractive brother, Dan, also Keira's ex-best-friend. Keira finds that her childish crush is fading, but her feelings for Dan are just starting to heat up, and as the story of Jimmy's murder unfolds, anyone could be a suspect. This thrilling debut from Vanessa Barneveld crosses over from our world to the next, and brings a whole delightful new meaning to

When the most popular boy from school’s ghost shows up in your bedroom, what do you do? If you’re Keira Nolan – you try to solve his murder.

This is Your Afterlife is a fun and exciting story about Keira, a girl previously without psychic ability and now all of a sudden gifted with clairvoyance. Keira’s new-found gift gets her caught up in the middle of a murder investigation unlike any other. When Jimmy appears in her bedroom as a ghost, Keira doesn’t know what to do. He’s the town’s football hero and the guy she’s been crushing on for years. But now he’s dead and she is the only one who can talk to him and find out what happened. Things get a little more complicated when Jimmy’s brother/Keira’s ex-friend Dan enters the picture. They have to get to the bottom of what happened to Jimmy with the help of Keira’s gift before it’s too late.

I had a great time reading this book. With a vibe very similar to the Mediator series by Meg Cabot or Dead Actually by Kaz Delaney, This is Your Afterlife is a great combination of paranormal mystique and suspenseful drama. Keira was a fun character to follow as she tried to solve Jimmy’s murder. She’s naturally curious and has a great entrepreneurial spirit (I have to admit, I loved that she had her own tarot hotline). When she starts to see ghosts (Jimmy’s in particular) she didn’t freak out but rather she tried to do what was right. Still mourning after her grandmother’s passing, Keira knows what it is like to lose someone somewhat unexpectedly and wants to help Jimmy in order for his family to get some kind of closure. She really is rather sweet – if not a little naive at times.

Plot wise, this book was a little predictable but I don’t think that in any way detracted from the story. It’s a fun book with characters I couldn’t help but like. Even the person responsible for Jimmy’s current state was a character with interesting quirks and was interesting to read. There’s a lovely romance for Keira as well as a beautiful friendship which developed between Keira and Jimmy. This is Your Afterlife is a book which deals with a range of issues from loss and grief to friendship and moving on. I would recommend this book for younger teen audiences and anyone who enjoys a fun paranormal read.

 

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the review copy.