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The Next Thing I Knew (Heavenly #1)

by John Corwin (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 107 ratings · 58 reviews

When Lucy Morgan drops dead along with everyone else on Earth she refuses to take death lying down even if, technically, her corpse is.

She drags her ghostly social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife. More importantly, they want to discover who or what killed everyone and why the heck anyone would do such a mean thing.

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Kindle Edition, 246 pages

Published July 12th 2011 by Harper Young Adult

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Community Reviews

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Apr 08, 2013 Karla(Book Addict) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Karla(Book Addict) by: John Corwin

Shelves: favorites, trapped-me

deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile

5 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2011 Scarlet rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r, ebook, sci-fi, aliens, afterlife, i-own, other-worlds, review, romance, ghosts, insta-love

**A copy of this book was provided to me by R2R: Read to Review. Thanks for letting me participate!**

1.5 STARS

-Warning: This review contains spoilers-
The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin is definitely an interesting book. Though there were some things that really bothered me:

1. The Religious Aspects:
Just to let you all know, I'm agnostic, but I'm very open-minded and I think its important to respect what other people believe in. Now given that everyone dies in the beginning of the book and are...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2012 Roxanne Kade rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get a copy of THE NEXT THING I KNEW through Read2Review.

The blurb was very interesting and immediately got my attention. When I first started reading I thought this was going to be a book based purely on paranormal elements but then it took an unexpected turn into the sci-fi realm and I was sucked in even further. The story flowed very well and each scene was filled with so much detail that I could actually picture myself in Heavenly. Lucy was an interesting character. I co...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Lolita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: already-released, books-that-i-own, e-books, got-a-copy-for-review-reviewed

I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really original book. I also would like to say I find it a strange book. Due to the originality of the story I decided to give it 4 stars. I love reading original stories and someone recommended this book to me, I couldn't find the paperback version so whenn this book was part of R2R I decided to enter and read the e-book.
This book is about Lucy and it starts with the moment she finds out she has died. And not only she has died,...more I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really original book. I also would like to say I find it a strange book. Due to the originality of the story I decided to give it 4 stars. I love reading original stories and someone recommended this book to me, I couldn't find the paperback version so whenn this book was part of R2R I decided to enter and read the e-book.
This book is about Lucy and it starts with the moment she finds out she has died. And not only she has died, but the whole human race. Lucy and her friends start to find out what they can do as ghosts and what their limits are. And then whenn you finally start to get a sense of what is possible in this world something new happens and you have to get used to this. And this happens everytime whenn you get the feeling you know the world of this book. From urban fantasy it changes to some sort of science fiction. I found myself sometimes struggling to continue this book. I really like the originality of the story, but sometimes it is a bit confusion. Sometimes the story moves too fast and sometimes too slow. In the 200 pages of this book so many things happen. It is difficult to get used to the world, because what you think this world is and what the book is about changes everytime. I find it difficult to evaluate the book. It is really different from the books I normally read. a minpoint is the short size of this book, someitmes I felt there was not enough time to adapt to the new changes. And at the end of the book there are still so many questions and lose ends. And I would've liked some more elaboration on lucy's thoughts and feelings.
So to conclude: this is a really orginal, but strange story with many twists and turns. Everytime I was surprised again by the unexpected new directions the story took. I enjoyed the book, but it still took me some time to finish it. Further I think the story could've profit from making the book larger, there is still so much open. Or maybe I just am not used to read stories that leave so much open at the end. This book is certainly a recommendation for those who like original stories and love being surprised by a book.(less)

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Dec 17, 2011 Cynthia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

Science fiction fans come closer, the dead are certainly rising to the occasion! WOW! My head is spinning! John Corwin has a great writing style with humor at times, and yes even when the world is all dead, there are some funny situations too! This paranormal does have some romance even with dead people laying around and their ghosts walking freely, but no way no how can one just label this as a paranormal romance. 'The Next Thing I Knew' is so much more than just giving it a one genre label, an...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin reads like a chocolate truffle. The well-crafted story is a treat and fun read with a juicy core of greater issues and philosophy. This is an excellent book that can be read on many levels ranging from simple popcorn fun to serious consideration of death and what comes after. I don’t want to scare those off who want to read a fun book as this one is. I mean the broad plot points are that everyone is dead and aliens come into the picture, fun stuff. However, w...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Tugcenin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 11-2011-november-books, sci-fi-dystopia-fantasy-pnr, read-to-review, 12-2011-december-books

Lucy is dead along with everyone else on Earth, but she refused to accept this fact, even though she is already a corpse. She insisted on getting her life and friends back even if she was a ghost. And they worked to find out what happened to them and more importantly, who did it?

This was an interesting book, nothing like I have usually read. I liked the unique story and writer's imagination but still I had difficulty to finish it. Maybe it wasn't totally the book, I am not a ghost story fan mys...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Felicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read just about anything, from fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, and even *gasp* a book with normal first-world problems in them. I have to say that I've never come across a book quite like this.

Originality and World-building: 5/5 stars

This is the first book I've read where everyone dies at the very beginning. Two sentences in, and everyone is dead. I loved it. The Ghosts vs Aliens aspect is also really cool. From the alien languages, to the different ways the aliens think, to the way Heavenly and...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: scifi, young-adult

The idea of having everyone on Earth become ghosts was definitely original in my experience. I like a little scifi every once in a while, so a plot of having aliens trying to colonize the Earth was one I could get on board with. (Literarily. Literally I would definitely have a problem with that.)

The pacing was a little odd at times. The first third or so of the book was dedicated to the exploration of Heavenly and the rules of being a ghost, which was interesting for a while but eventually got a...more The idea of having everyone on Earth become ghosts was definitely original in my experience. I like a little scifi every once in a while, so a plot of having aliens trying to colonize the Earth was one I could get on board with. (Literarily. Literally I would definitely have a problem with that.)

The pacing was a little odd at times. The first third or so of the book was dedicated to the exploration of Heavenly and the rules of being a ghost, which was interesting for a while but eventually got a little slow. The things suddenly picked up a lot when the aliens arrived, and certain cooperation problems were solved with a speed that left me incredulous. I was also a little irritated that Lucy didn't seem to see a certain betrayal coming despite hints the size of an interstellar billboard.

There were a couple elements of this story that seemed totally disconnected from the main plotline. First, Lucy and Chris's romance bothered me for a lot of reasons that definitely were not resolved by the end of the book. (A "let's get it over with" attitude toward sex is not romantic at all and frankly a little disturbing.) I think this relationship could have been eliminated completely without affecting the plot in the least. Last living human Nick's appearances were a little more integrated into the story but still seemed a little random, and I was surprised that he wasn't involved in the climax of the story. I wish, though, that Nick had been the love interest in this book rather than Chris, which I think would have made a much better story.

I didn't get much of a sense of personality from Lucy for the first half of this book. Maybe this was a YA issue, but she just didn't seem to have any kind of goals or interests or anything. Eventually she did improve to the point where I found her mostly credible as a leader.

I also have a caveat for any religious readers: The Next Thing I Knew is quite explicitly anti-religious, which might bother you if you are not. (It bothered me a little, and I don't consider myself religious. I just don't like preachiness. Which is actually why I don't consider myself religious. Go figure.)

Overall, the story was pretty decent. Check it out if you like YA scifi or if you're looking for something a little different.

Check out the review with more info and recommendations at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...(less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Shirley Frances rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2-review

I was surprised by this book. The premise was very different from anything I've read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book revolves around Lucy, who wakes up being a ghost and surrounded by friends and family who are ghosts too. She's determined to make the best out of the situation, experimenting new things and discovering how they came to be that way. It was interesting to read about the different things Lucy and her friends were doing and their abilities now that they were ghost. The writing...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin

This book starts off with the main character Lucy waking up and realizing that she is dead; it appears she is a ghost. She start to wonder around her house her neighbourhood meets up with a friend who also confirms that yes everyone is dead. The Apocalypse must have happened.

In her travels Lucy finds her friends, family members, neighbours and even the boy she has a crush on. With nothing to do, no time limits, no school, iPods, facebook etc. Lucy and her fri...more

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Nov 19, 2011 KK rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

The Next Thing I Knew is a YA book that I would classify as more Sci-Fi than paranormal. It is about life after the apocalypse. This story was very imaginative in that the story is told from the point of view of ghosts. The main character Lucy is a teenage girl who wants to find out what happened to humans. It is filled with ghosts, aliens, space travel, and a nasty virus but also about love, friendship and finding out just how strong you are when put in bad situations. The story started off str...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin was a very unique and interesting read. From the very first page it begins with Lucy waking up to realize that everyone in the entire world has died. Everyone she know now exists only as ghosts. They are in a new realm where they can pretty much do whatever they want. They can visit any places on earth, in space, or in the new realm that they now live in. Lucy and her friends find it fun in the beginning, but then they try to find out how it is possible that...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Pat (graceinaz) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book Review: The Next Thing I Knew (Heavenly)
by John Corwin
Kindle Edition
Published July 12th 2011

A good read, easy to follow, and well-written, this work of fiction was very enjoyable, even though I am not usually a fan of the paranormal. The story begins with a group of high school acquaintances apparently dead, in a type of afterlife, along with everyone else in their town. It doesn’t take them long to figure out that all human life appears to have been extinguished by some mysterious force....more Book Review: The Next Thing I Knew (Heavenly)
by John Corwin
Kindle Edition
Published July 12th 2011

A good read, easy to follow, and well-written, this work of fiction was very enjoyable, even though I am not usually a fan of the paranormal. The story begins with a group of high school acquaintances apparently dead, in a type of afterlife, along with everyone else in their town. It doesn’t take them long to figure out that all human life appears to have been extinguished by some mysterious force.

This group of teens soon sets out to discover the truth behind the deaths and how they can save the world from being taken over. With a lot of help from the nerdy friends in the group, they find ways to accomplish tasks and maneuvers that previously would have been thought of as magic, if not totally impossible for the human mind to comprehend.

The characters were likeable (well, most of them) and the interaction between them was very much as one would expect of teenagers. The story had a bit of romance, jealousy, mystery, a lot of adventure as one might expect - and a touch of sexual content that in my opinion did not need to be there. When I began reading I thought a couple of my grandchildren might enjoy the reading, but as I read further, I have to say I could not in good conscience recommend it for young adults – at least not mine. That’s just me, however, and each reader should make their own call on that issue.

Over all, the book held my interest throughout, entertained me, and I was not able to guess what would happen next, which made it all the more exciting to read. I found it difficult to put down. I would definitely read other books by this author and recommend his works to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Oct 19, 2011 Lainy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Blurb from Goodreads

When Lucy Morgan drops dead along with everyone else on Earth she refuses to take death lying down even if, technically, her corpse is.

She drags her ghostly social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife. More importantly, they want to discover who or what killed everyone and why the heck anyone would do such a mean thing.

But what they discover changes everything. And if they can't figure out how to put their newfound ghostly...more

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Oct 04, 2011 t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Both YA and Adult Sci/Fi Fantasy lovers

Recommended to t'irla ~The BookSlayer~ by: The author

Shelves: misc, owned

The Next Thing I knew is a young adult book geared to the older end of that readership. In this book the whole human population has been killed. We have the story of Lucy who as a ghost lived, fought,loved, developed friendships and gave hope to the human race. We meet, aliens of several types, fanatic religious freaks, ghost, ghost and more ghosts of all types.

I typically don't read YA and don't step this far into the sci/fi end of fantasy. But this book was GOOD...It crammed so much into one...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Diana Banana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. This book was different than just about anything I've read before. It starts off with everyone dying and only gets more interesting from there.

The main character, Lucy, is hilarious. I was actually laughing out loud at some of the things she did, especially at this one point when she possesses a gorilla. I won't say anything else to avoid spoilers.

I couldn't put this book down, which is saying something. I probably would have read it all in one sitting if I hadn't had to force myself to put...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book totally rocks your world and beliefs in such a short space of time. You must go to the store and buy this book now. This is such an unique twist thrown at humanity in which humanity is entirely unprepared for and thensome. I wish there was more than 5 stars as a rating cuz in my opinion it should be a 10 start book. Here are my thoughts on the book:

Lucy Morgan is your normal teenage girl that has secret crushes and lives with her techno gadgets. There is just one thing about Lucy that...more This book totally rocks your world and beliefs in such a short space of time. You must go to the store and buy this book now. This is such an unique twist thrown at humanity in which humanity is entirely unprepared for and thensome. I wish there was more than 5 stars as a rating cuz in my opinion it should be a 10 start book. Here are my thoughts on the book:

Lucy Morgan is your normal teenage girl that has secret crushes and lives with her techno gadgets. There is just one thing about Lucy that you don't know~she's dead and so is everyone else around her. Lucy is a ghost that has the ability to control things outside of herself. Lucy's best friend Kyle is a very science minded guy which helps Lucy out greatly. Ms. Tate believes that this is the afterlife and this is God's punishment for mankind. Ms. Tate also believes that anyone who doesn't follow her beliefs are nothing but sinners in God's eyes. Lucy tries to create something for everyone to enjoy but somehow it is never complete and entirely useless. Lucy develops a relationship with Chris Rogers that is wholly unexpected to either of them. Lucy makes a startling discovery yet keeps it to herself for the time being. Lucy meets Harb, a young native of India, who tries to appear older than he really is. Harb likes being the center of attention yet no one really listens to a word that he says which frustrates him badly. Lucy meets another ghost named Anil, who teaches Lucy a better way of doing things that she controls. Lucy has Anil meet with everyone trying to discover there place in the afterlife. Lucy also becomes acuainted with the Rrilk named Zhrii and the Shaval whom she named Diana. Lucy makes another startling discover about the Shaval~They are the reason Earth is full of dead people. Will Lucy learn to control her abilities? What is Ms. Tate planning? What discoveries does Kyle make? How close with Lucy be with Chris? Why is Harb so secretive? Where does Anil fit in? Can the Shaval be turn from there present plans? Your answers await you in The Next Thing I Knew.(less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Chapter by Chapter rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was great! I honestly didn’t know what to expect. It was a mixture of paranormal with a dash of sci-fi. I knew this book was going to be good after reading the first few pagess. When the first giggle escaped my lips, I was hooked. Corwin does a phenomenal job of including humour throughout this novel. This book was like . . . Ghost (the movie) meets The Host (Stephanie Meyer) meets MIB (Men In Black).
I really enjoyed reading about Lucy, and seeing her evolve from an innocent teen to a...more This book was great! I honestly didn’t know what to expect. It was a mixture of paranormal with a dash of sci-fi. I knew this book was going to be good after reading the first few pagess. When the first giggle escaped my lips, I was hooked. Corwin does a phenomenal job of including humour throughout this novel. This book was like . . . Ghost (the movie) meets The Host (Stephanie Meyer) meets MIB (Men In Black).
I really enjoyed reading about Lucy, and seeing her evolve from an innocent teen to a strong, dependable heroine…even if it all happens in the afterlife, in a little place called “Heavenly”. Reading her interactions with Chris is so adorable. You can’t help but smile at her discoveries about life and about herself.
There are so many twists and turns in this novel. I found myself gasping and saying “what?” in various points throughout the book. Once I thought that it was all figured out, and that the characters had their game faces on, Corwin would throw in another twist, and I’d be “what”ing all over again! It was fantastic! I love books that do that, that constantly leave you on your toes and guessing what could possibly come next! I mean, what doesn’t Corwin include in this book. We’ve got space ships (yup!), we’ve got giant bugs (omg – side note: I’m deathly afraid of bugs, so when this part came up, I eeeeked!), we’ve got angel/demon things . . . as the story progressed, things kept getting curiouser and curiouser! Loved it!
My favorite parts in the book were Lucy and Nick’s interactions. It was so interesting to see what would happen when they merged. I was always curious about what was going on between them. My heart went out to Nick when he thought he was going crazy during his video diary episodes. To see how he deals with the realization that there will be no rescue in sight for him.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi reads, for anyone who loves paranormal romance, and who likes a healthy serving of humour in their stories!

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Nov 25, 2011 Christine O'Neill rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: readers who enjoy science fiction

Recommended to Christine by: R2R

Shelves: read2review, sci-fi

I received this book as part of Read 2 Review (Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Goodreads Group).

Lucy Morgan discovers she has died….along with the entire population of the world. Everyone she knows is now a ghost, living in a realm called “Heavenly.” With the knowledge that the future she was looking forward to is gone forever, she is determined to figure out how and why this happened. Together with the help of her friend, Kyle, they discover that even though they are dead, there...more I received this book as part of Read 2 Review (Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Goodreads Group).

Lucy Morgan discovers she has died….along with the entire population of the world. Everyone she knows is now a ghost, living in a realm called “Heavenly.” With the knowledge that the future she was looking forward to is gone forever, she is determined to figure out how and why this happened. Together with the help of her friend, Kyle, they discover that even though they are dead, there is still more danger coming their way.

‘The Next Thing I Knew” is a very creative and unique science fiction book. Mr. Corwin provides excellent descriptions of “Heavenly,” Earth after the “Apocalypse,” and the different forms of alien life Lucy and her friends encounter on their path to understanding what happened to the human race. It was easy to imagine their new world and experiences, and this made the book a very fun read!

The book touches on three main themes: self-image, religion, and how different individuals cope with loss. These are difficult concepts to include in a YA novel while still keeping it light and fun to read, but Mr. Corwin accomplishes this well. He integrates these underlying themes seamlessly into the characters and the story.

Some parts of the story left me confused, and I wished the ending wasn’t so abrupt.

For example-
(view spoiler)

With that said, I found the book entertaining and fun! The story got me thinking more about the importance of religion, relationships, and how we view others compared to how we view ourselves and I enjoyed this aspect of the book!

Hopefully this is the first in a series - I would like to see how Lucy's story continues.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy science fiction.
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Nov 20, 2011 Candis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, apocolypse, young-adult, aliens, ghosts, read-to-review

I received this book via R2R. As always, thanks to the lovely ladies who work so hard to bring us fun things to review.

So this story starts with the end of human race. Everyone dies at the same time. Lucy is the protagonist of our story and we follow her as the world tries to figure out how to move on.

Pros: Interesting story pattern. It kept me reading to try and figure where the story was going too. Well written.

Cons: Wow...ghosts? Aliens? It had me so confused. This story is more Sci-Fi than p...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) by: R2R

Shelves: reviewed

I received this book as a part of the Read 2 Review program.

First I would classify this book as beginning much like a dystopian novel then ending for science fiction. I read all genres for the most part, so this didn't bother me.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half behaved with the right mix of dystopian with a bit of romance for good measure. Then the second half of the book fell apart for me.

Let me explain. The author introduces us to a girl who behaves very much like a girl...more I received this book as a part of the Read 2 Review program.

First I would classify this book as beginning much like a dystopian novel then ending for science fiction. I read all genres for the most part, so this didn't bother me.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half behaved with the right mix of dystopian with a bit of romance for good measure. Then the second half of the book fell apart for me.

Let me explain. The author introduces us to a girl who behaves very much like a girl leaning toward being a girly girl. She loves and thinks of boys, clothes and shoes. Then the second half of the book, she starts to act and think more like a boy which may be natural because the author is male, but it threw me for a loop. The romance went from some to none for a good part. I understand Lucy must grow into the leader she is destined to become, but she is like a shadow of the character we thought her to be in a blink of an eye. I understand there is an event that precipitates that change, but I had a hard time accepting. I found myself skimming parts of the story to get back to where we had been led all along. We do get back there kind of. But there are also holes in the story with characters that go missing in the story with no explanation as to their whereabouts until they show up again. By the end of the story I found myself getting back to the good place I'd been in the first half. But sometimes it’s a little too late.

Although I read and love many book without romance, I hate to be teased. Don't start romance and decide later that's not the objective of the book. The story just lost its luster for me by the second half. Maybe I agree with some of the others that the story would have been better without romance. But in the end, I think the story benefited from it being there. I just think the second half of the book could have handled it better.

I also wonder if this is a standalone book or a beginning to a series???

Overall it was a pretty good read. I did like the story. I will probably read more from this author. If you’re not into romance, I think you will enjoy this one if you like dystopian or science fiction stories.

This book is probably not for "younger" young adults as sex although not explicit does play a part in the story and thoughts of characters bordering on explicit at times.
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Nov 27, 2011 Kristin rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: sci-fi readers not paranormal readers

Recommended to Kristin by: R2R (free read from the author)

I will start off by saying I hate criticizing books I don't finish but I will be honest and say I didn't finish this book so don't base your opinion on my critique. It isn't fare to the author....I'm sure for the right person this book was excellent, but not for my interests.

So there are dead bodies that morph back to position when moved, ghosts representing those dead bodies and aliens who caused the hysteria. I wasn't sure which to be more entertained by. I really tried hard to get through thi...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Kimba (Caffeinated Book Reviewer) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Next Thing I Knew is an interesting YA science fiction/fantasy novel. Seventeen year old, protagonist Lucy Morgan wakes up to discover she and everyone else on the planet are dead; ghosts.
Lucy is a well rounded character who comes into her own as the story progresses. She is funny and sees the good in others. She ultimately becomes the leader of a small group of teens. They set out to discover what happened and save Earth. The plot is a unique, post-apocalyptic story. Typical of most YA boo...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Sheri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, reviewed

This book begins with us meeting Lucy, the main character, who happens to have just died…like everyone else on Earth. Lucy is your typical teenage girl, or ghost as the case may be. Through the book Lucy is struggling with figuring out the technicalities of her new "life", as well as struggling with her first love and subsequently her first heartbreak. She is an outgoing, likable character and soon becomes the unwilling leader of a group of people who are trying to figure out what happened to th...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Georgina Morales rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really hope this is the first book in a series, otherwise I'll be forced to pull an Annie Wilkes stunt and hijack me a writer. Boy, is this book engaging! The story is very original, they way it mixes all kinds of crazy stuff and makes it work together is amazing. The characters are personable, fresh and funny; I found a few grammar problems and typos but nothing that can take away from the very pleasant experience the story gave me. From the moment it starts, it grabs you and keeps pulling yo...more I really hope this is the first book in a series, otherwise I'll be forced to pull an Annie Wilkes stunt and hijack me a writer. Boy, is this book engaging! The story is very original, they way it mixes all kinds of crazy stuff and makes it work together is amazing. The characters are personable, fresh and funny; I found a few grammar problems and typos but nothing that can take away from the very pleasant experience the story gave me. From the moment it starts, it grabs you and keeps pulling you in relentlessly, which was a problem for me since I was reading at bedtime. Let's just say I haven't slept much this last week.

As engrossed as I was with the story, I didn't realized it was coming to an end; it was also aided by the fact that the story doesn't tide neatly its loose ends and it just ends. Like that. I was flabbergasted. I actually, wouldn't recommend to finish a book leaving your audience hanging like that; then again, if you're writing a follow up, you mostly have your audience trapped already but you should let them know, with a note or afterword, that there will be more. If a second book comes out, I'll be the first one running to get my copy and if there isn't... well, I've told you my plan before.

I totally recommend it, The Next Thing I knew is engaging, light, fun, exciting, and intriguing. The one serious note I have is, though the voices in the book are very young and feel very enticing, there are a few moments there where, either because of the vocabulary or because the scene being described, the book becomes not really oriented to young (I mean young) audiences. I consider this a bummer because the one group of people who could best identify with the protagonists can't join the party. Of course, this is mostly a matter for parents to decide but, as a mother of two youngsters, I would've loved for them to read it. They'll have to wait a couple more years, not much.

All in all, a great experience you shouldn't miss. C'mon, what you're waiting for? Go get your copy!!(less)

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Nov 30, 2011 Ananda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2review, part-of-a-series, paranormal, read-in-2011

Boy oh boy..
I really don't know what to say about this.
Lucy is dead. Her family and friends are dead. Could it be the whole human race is extinct?
They are ghosts. They can wonder freely and fly all over Earth, even Venus and Pluto.
Yeap, you heard well!

I must say I have never been so confused while reading a book. Usually from the very beginning I know what to expect, whether the book will be about vampires, ghosts, teenagers, etc...etc.
But this book just kept swirling me round and round.
Is it a...more

5 likes · like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Older teens and young adults

Recommended to Nicole by: r2r

Shelves: free-read-for-review, fantasy, sci-fi, young-adult

Well now...

What an odd funny little book.

I am really glad I finished it, I came very close a couple of times to putting it down. The only reason I probably didn’t is my OCD and my inability to let things go. But I really am glad I finished it!
Lucy is a typical teenager except she is dead, right off the bat John Corwin kills most of his characters. They. Are. All. Dead. LOL! So the book is about their afterlife and discovering what killed them. Can’t say I ever read another story like this before...more

15 likes · like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Ronda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2-review

I've never read a book like this before, I think it is more Sci Fi than paranormal but good just the same.. I would have given this 3.5 stars as opposed to 4.

I started of by being very very curious, how was a story going to be built upon starting with death? I soon found out...

I got to a part where Lucy found out about another species (I don't want to say much because of spoilers) and this part almost made me put down the book, it just wasn't for me but the curiosity on how the book would develo...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 26, 2011 Paige Bradish rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was really amazing. At first I thought that I wasn’t going to like it because I wasn’t sure if it was the right kind of book for me but it really was and I really really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to anyone who really likes ghosts, because this book really got into the world of ghosts, and I like that because I haven’t read many books like that.

My favorite character had to be Lucy. The reason why is because she was so strong throughout the whole book. I mean who else could...more

like · see review

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About John Corwin

John Corwin has been making up stuff all his life. As a child he would tell his sisters he was an alien clone of himself and would eat tree bark to prove it. For John, making stuff up was about one thing: teasing his sisters.

In middle school, everything changed. A class assignment to string random words together into a coherent story led to the birth of Fargo McGronsky, a young boy with anger mana...more

More about John Corwin...

Books by John Corwin

Sweet Blood of Mine (Overworld Chronicles, #1)

Dark Light of Mine (Overworld Chronicles, #2)

Fallen Angel of Mine (Overworld Chronicles, #3)

Dread Nemesis of Mine (Overworld Chronicles, #4)

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“Even though the place looked like Kansas, I didn´t need to tell Toto that my Facebook Places status wasnñt anywhere on the planet Earth, much less Kansas.” — 6 people liked it

“You let your mind rule your reality instead of you ruling your mind."
"Are you reading this stuff out of a Dr. Phil book?” — 4 people liked it

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