The Trial of Fallen Angels

Nov 09, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Trial Of Fallen Angels
By
James Kimmel Jr.

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Justice in the afterlife...what do we really believe...miracles? an afterlife? heaven?

My thoughts after reading this book...

When I first started reading this book I thought of The Lovely Bones...just a little bit. And...after reading this book and thinking about it...I think that it is sort of a spiritual fantasy. My idea of this book is this...you know from the start that Brek is not alive any more...she was a lawyer, a mo...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Aline Wirths rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Meine Meinung
Das Zitat „Ein außergewöhnlicher Roman über die großen Fragen des Lebens“ stimm in diesen Buch komplett. Irgendwie hatte ich was total anderes erwartet und noch immer überzeugt mich der Klappentext nicht. Er wird den Roman nicht gerecht und stimmt auch nicht mit dem tatsächlichen Inhalt.
Eigentlich hat mich der Roman überrascht. Es wird philosophiert und so richtig über den Sinn des Lebens gesprochen. Ich möchte nicht sagen, er ist schlecht, dem ist gar nicht so. Ein wirklich herausr...more Meine Meinung
Das Zitat „Ein außergewöhnlicher Roman über die großen Fragen des Lebens“ stimm in diesen Buch komplett. Irgendwie hatte ich was total anderes erwartet und noch immer überzeugt mich der Klappentext nicht. Er wird den Roman nicht gerecht und stimmt auch nicht mit dem tatsächlichen Inhalt.
Eigentlich hat mich der Roman überrascht. Es wird philosophiert und so richtig über den Sinn des Lebens gesprochen. Ich möchte nicht sagen, er ist schlecht, dem ist gar nicht so. Ein wirklich herausragender Schreibstil, der dich auch bei der Geschichte lässt. Die Frage die sich mir hier stellt: Ist es so gewollt vom Autor? Sollte die Story an sich in den Hintergrund verschwinden? das sind Fragen, die ich mir immer noch zu beantworten versuche.
Die Story an sich ist sehr spannend. Brek muss nicht nur akzeptieren, wie oder das sie gestorben ist, sondern sie muss auch erkennen, wo die gerechtigkeit liegt. Die ganze Präsentationssache ist nichts anderes, als sie auf ihr Leben danach vorzubereiten. Sie erkennen lernen und wird mit vielen Personen in ihrem Leben konfrontiert. Sie sieht deren Leben und versteht vieles.
Eigentlich ein sehr gut gelungener Roman, der es schafft einen stabilen Spannungsbogen zu halten. Auch wenn immer wieder langatmige philosophische Gespräche auftauchen, stören sie der gesamten Story nicht. Im Gegenteil, es regt an selbst nachzudenken, wo die Grenzen zwischen Gut und Böse liegen, wie nah diese sind und dabei viel zu oft verwischen, wie halsstarrig man diese oft übersieht. Es geht gar nicht um Leben und Tod, das hab ich früh erkannt.
Die Story ist wirklich toll und außergewöhnlich. Wirklich sehr gut ausgebaut und meinen Charas genau richtig bespickt. Sie unterstützen die Geschichte und den Ablauf. Allerdings hätte ich da gern mehr Farben, Ecken oder Kanten gesehen. Die Idee historische Figuren einzubauen oder nur kurz zu erwähnen, darf man hier auch nicht außer Acht lassen. Sie haben schon einen besonderen Wert.
Ein letztes Wort noch zum Cover. Als das Buch in meinen Händen lag, kann ich nur sagen: WOW. Denn die Idee vorne, hinten und den Buchrücken zu bedrucken ist voll gelungen. Es gefällt mir in seinen Farben, die ineinanderfließen. Auch die Darstellung des Titels ist mal etwas anderes. Echt gut gelungen.

Das Buch ist für jedermann, der gern auch mal mehr lesen möchte. Etwas, für was man Zeit braucht und nicht einfach so herunterliest.(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Pan18 rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was quite different and had an interesting concept about afterlife.
The mystery about how she died was well maintained. Some of the events and characters and their purpose was a little confusing...the weird crayfish trial, Karen's trial ( Karen seemed particularly stupid for someone who had chosen to work in the Air Force and yet not understand National Defense) , Elymas- why him? Luas could have done the same thing for her, didn't get the Noah's ark rant, and the entire last bit of the...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Jojo rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting take on the afterlife. Brek's death is seen as "coming back home" and she is eventually chosen to be a lawyer of the dead. This book is written in first person and fairly heavy and slow. It's one of those books that is in no rush to get to the end and would rather have the reader enjoy the ride.

I thought Brek was a well-rounded character. Kimmel did a great job of not letting Brek's disability define her character and yet still have clear influence on her life. It was a very inter...more An interesting take on the afterlife. Brek's death is seen as "coming back home" and she is eventually chosen to be a lawyer of the dead. This book is written in first person and fairly heavy and slow. It's one of those books that is in no rush to get to the end and would rather have the reader enjoy the ride.

I thought Brek was a well-rounded character. Kimmel did a great job of not letting Brek's disability define her character and yet still have clear influence on her life. It was a very interesting idea to have a courtroom in heaven (or limbo, really?). However, the other characters, in contrast, bored me. The dead clients were more interesting. Luas was a mentor but he was completely defined by that role. He did not feel like anything more than a plot device to explain what happens.

As others have mentioned, this book is a lot more spiritual than I thought it would be. You'd think a courtroom would spice things up a bit. However, I was a bit disappointed to see that it wasn't really as cool as I hoped. It's like reading the Bible all over again, contradictions abound! The point of heaven's lawyers was to present the dead to God for the final judgement. However, it's been stressed many times that God is the supreme law and he doesn't need any help from the lawyers to decide justice. So, for example, it's perfectly fine for one of the lawyers to show all the bad qualities of a client. Justice will still somehow be served correctly. SO WHAT'S THE POINT OF LAWYERS THEN?

There were also a few inaccuracies. If I remember correctly, you are not allowed to show the extent of injury to the jury. That would influence their decision and cause a possibly wrong verdict. For example, Brek's stump was shown to the courtroom somehow without any objection. If demonstrated that way, the jury would be more sympathetic to (in this case) the plaintiff.

Overall, the book was interesting. However, it simply isn't my "cup of tea." It's too spiritual for me and I felt like the author's message was being crammed into my throat. For the readers out there looking for a deeply religious book, this might be your thing. For those seeking a quick easy to read novel, this ain't it. Young readers are not advised to read this book. Let's just say Kimmel get's pretty descriptive of exactly how Brek lost her arm.

Won in a giveaway in return for an honest review(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Trial of Fallen Angels is James Kimmel Jr.'s first fiction book.

Brek Cuttler awakes in a train station. She's sitting on a bench in her favourite 'power lawyer' suit. The station is deserted. Her suit is covered in blood. She is sure she is dreaming when a man comes along and welcomes her to Shemaya. She struggles to remember who she is and what she was doing before she arrived at this station. Inevitability, she discover that the man Luas is right - she is dead. And she has a job to do in S...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, fantasy-science-fiction, fictional-history, lit-fic, magical-realism, mystery-thriller, world-war-ii

I didn’t really know what to expect from this novel - from the premise it sounded like a mixture of fantasy and mystery. And even now, after finishing it, categorizing it into a genre still proves rather difficult. Kimmel explores a lot of big themes here in his fictional debut - justice, forgiveness, truth, good, evil and the interconnected nature of humanity. The book deals with religion, too, but in a vague and rather non-specific Christian way (though Judaism and Islamic faiths also play a p...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Lori Anaple rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, i-guess-i-am-wrong, preachy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What I liked:

1- It was a novel look at "life after death".

2- I liked how the story of how Brek died came in bits and pieces. Much like it did to her. We knew about it when she remembered it.

3- The interconnectedness of it all.

What I didn't like:

1- It was so freaking confusing! I know, I know, it is called reading. You are supposed to have to think on it, digest it, marinate on it so to speak, in order to grasp it. But DAMN! It took me too many braincells to figure it out. For example, When she g...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this book was intriguing to me: dead people in the afterlife, on trial to defend their lives. The lives of the main character, her murderer, and some of the others whose defense she witnesses, are all intertwined in unexpected ways, and people are not as black and white as they seem. I did like the point made at the end, that mercy and love should triumph over justice, but overall the book was a little disappointing, just a big, weird, kind of incoherent fantasy of what an afterli...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have very mixed feelings in regards to this novel. The description is horribly misleading; the book has relatively nothing to do with lawyers. The genre would be spiritual or religious. (maybe) This is the author, Kimmel's first novel so I'll cut him a little slack. He is also an attorney, unfortunately he should have stuck with his day job.
While the main concepts in the book are great, they are more posed for philosophical debate. It feels as if the author throws a back story around these id...more

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May 20, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was emotionally compelling and kept me engaged. I enjoyed reading it, and being challenged by it. It left me with many questions and wanting to talk to others about it. As some other reviewers have noted, some knowledge of the Bible and Biblical characters is very helpful. (As it is for much of Western literature.) Once I realized that some of the novel characters were also Bible characters, I found myself trying to puzzle out who was who. I got several -- some right away, others took...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Quinn rated it 3 of 5 stars

An author whose first novel tackles what happens after death, what a personal last judgment looks (sounds and feels) like, and how forgiveness, justice and mercy can be balanced on the point of free will is daring and bold. I wish the book had taken the big topic, well-crafted plot beginning and carried it through to the end. But it didn't. Brek is too good to be true--the loving wife, the perfect mother, the amazing small-practice attorney who has a mentor who adores her and a bright future bec...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Angie Chua rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have near to zero knowledge about the Bible references so it made me really difficult for me to catch on what the author was depicting/symbolizing. I think I would have appreciated the parallels made in the book more should I have better background knowledge.

I find the story intriguing and the concept refreshing. I liked how the author presents us with different perspectives of people related to Brek (in one way or another). Even though I was struggling with the religious references, the sheer...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Donna Riley-lein rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Trial of Fallen Angels

James Kimmel, Jr.

There has been so much written about Angels, Heaven and the afterlife. Not having any sort of concrete proof, we have to go on hunches, instinct and imagination.
That’s how so much bad fiction gets written.
But, The Trial of Fallen Angels is different. What if there was a final judgment, and guess what? Earthly lawyers are in charge of presenting your case.
Not just any lawyer from the phone book. How about the lawyer you wronged or killed?
And that lawyer...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Karin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, favorites, myths-legends-fairy-tales, novel, personal-growth, religion-spirituality

I won this book on goodreads' giveaway. It's a great book; gave me lots to think about. I've read it twice since i got it!

Brek's life is just fine- or so she thinks. Her law practise is going well and her husband just did a fantastic job bringing down an educator who was funneling schools' cash to a Nazi Supremist group. Her little baby girl is adorable. The family's biggest problem is getting to the day care center on time to pick Sarah up before the 6 pm deadline and the $5./ min. pick-up fee...more I won this book on goodreads' giveaway. It's a great book; gave me lots to think about. I've read it twice since i got it!

Brek's life is just fine- or so she thinks. Her law practise is going well and her husband just did a fantastic job bringing down an educator who was funneling schools' cash to a Nazi Supremist group. Her little baby girl is adorable. The family's biggest problem is getting to the day care center on time to pick Sarah up before the 6 pm deadline and the $5./ min. pick-up fee begins.

Driving home from the daycare one night (Brek just made it by 6pm), she finds herself bloody and without her daughter sitting in an abandoned train station. What just happened? Brek's memory refuses to tell her anything beyond stopping at the store for some milk.

Luas shows up and tells Brek she is in Shemaya because she is dead and now she will be a lawyer to present souls at the Final Judgement of God. She is taken to her Nana's house to rest and recouperate and get acclimatized to her new life.

Brek refuses to believe she is dead, but at the same time is glad her daughter isn't with her- so IF she's dead, at least she knows her daughter is safely alive. She misses her husband Bo so much.

Nana tells her that the people she will meet will help her figure out what happened to get her here or help her to get ready to 'move on'.

Brek reviews her memories of her life, including why she lost one arm and why she is SO interested in justice- both for herself and for others. Justice is THE most important thing on earth- or in heaven... or is it?

Brek discovers that she can feel other souls' memories and experience their thots and feelings at the time of an event. The problem is, is that most people aren't saints (who go directly to heaven, without needing the judgement) or horrific people ( who go directly to hell, no lawyers needed there, either) but people who have done both good and bad things. The lawyers are needed to present each soul's case before God. So people have a 'fair' trial. Brek discovers tho, that many cases don't show both the good and the bad of a soul's life, but just the bad. She doesn't think that is fair and is determined to be an impartial attorney...until she meets her first client.

The book is full of questions about the usefulness of 'justice'/ punishments, revenge and retaliation and forgiveness.

Great story, fast-paced, with real-world implications. Biblical stories and references are used in a thot-provoking manner to make the reader (as well as Brek) think about their own views of justice, mercy and forgiveness.

My only complaint is that the book binding didn't hold together very well. Hopefully that will be corrected before they go for publication!(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Kim McGee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Brek Cuttler has it all - a high paying, high profile job as an attorney, a handsome tv reporter husband and a new baby. She is happy, she is loved and she has just died. When she comes to in a train station she is approached by her grandmother who is tries to calm Brek and smooth the transition into Shemaya. God has a plan for Brek and she is asked to join an elite group of lawyers who represent souls as they are presented on Judgement day. The book flips between stories of the souls that Brek...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Ashley Dallas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, favourites

I won this as a Firstreads Giveaway.

This book.... oh my goodness I can't even begin to describe it.
It's one of those books that just occupies your mind. While you're reading it, you can't think of anything else. Once you're done, you can't think of anything else, and it's hours before your mind can even try and wrap your mind around something other than this book.......
It is mind-blowing.
It is wonderful.
It amazing.
I really can't say anymore, without revealing too much, but the main character...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Magdalene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not too far into the book, I could totally envision a screenplay adaptation. It started out of the gate capturing my attention and took me a little bit to get comfortable with the visualizations of the main character's state at death. Once the story enfolded however, I did sometimes have to step back and process the different character's introduced. There were so many at times and as I got closer to the end, it became important to step back and remember who was who in the story and the connectio...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-thing, favorites

Wow! This book blew me away. It was quite the mind bender and it has taken me several days to settle down enough to review it. This would be an excellent book club discussion as I am sure many of the concepts and people in the book would provide excellent fodder for discussion.

The book raises many questions about the concept of justice. Is justice better or forgiveness? Does our legal system really provide justice? Who must forgive?

The issues are highlighted as Brek, recently departed is in the...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Diane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: at-home-read

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

It was an intereting but at times confusing read. It's centered on the idea of an afterlife where one's soul finds out how it will spend eternity through a trial presented before THE judge (God). Here we find our protagonist, Brek, a young lawyer who was murdered (under unknown circumstances at first), who finds herself having to represent others in their own final trials.

She soon begins to question if one can ever have a fair trial and if Go...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really liked the first part of this book, was really interesting, but omg it just turned horribly confusing and a bore to read, it seemed to just go off the rails and i didnt even end up caring that i didnt understand half of what was going on, just became determined to finish it for the sake of it. I cant even describe how pointless and weird half of it became with the Ark, and the idea surrounding judgement just went WAY too far and i got sick of hearing about it. I think this book has a ver...more

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Nov 09, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 10/1/12 - Won this book on First Reads/Goodreads.

10/18/12 - Received this book today.

11/9/12 - This book really gets 4.5 and almost 5 stars from me. It was very intriguing, thought provoking and gripping. It would have been an unqualified 5 stars, but for one thing -- I kept getting lost in the spiritual/philosophical stuff. It was over the top and confusing for me. Not the actual Biblical references, but the more bizarre concepts, like (to name a few) going to visit the people she knows sitting...more 10/1/12 - Won this book on First Reads/Goodreads.

10/18/12 - Received this book today.

11/9/12 - This book really gets 4.5 and almost 5 stars from me. It was very intriguing, thought provoking and gripping. It would have been an unqualified 5 stars, but for one thing -- I kept getting lost in the spiritual/philosophical stuff. It was over the top and confusing for me. Not the actual Biblical references, but the more bizarre concepts, like (to name a few) going to visit the people she knows sitting in monks' clothing in Cudi Dagh on laptops and then Gautama with his sphere sculpture. It has to be a little more concrete for me a lot of times. For the most part, those specific instances were few and the majority of the book deals with the plot.

The concept of this book is very unique and thought provoking -- what happens after we die and go to our final judgement? Brek finds herself bleeding on a platform in a train station and can't remember why. It turns out no one who comes here after death does (though it seems everyone who comes here dies tragically, not sure what happens to people who die of natural causes) and that begins their journey in Shemaya, finding out why they died and participating in the trials of others who have died to assist them in obtaining their final judgement. But Brek soon finds out the concept of justice she has studied her whole mortal life takes on an entirely new meaning in Shemaya. For one, all the trials she sees seem to only portray the bad things people did in their lives and none of the good, so how can God give them a fair trial if that's all He sees? As she's struggling with this concept, she's also struggling to deal with her own death and to remember how it occurred and missing her husband and daughter. She also is confronted with the events that caused her right arm to be traumatically amputated as a child.

The book also deals with the connectivity of people, as each character Brek is introduced to in Shemaya connects back to one another and herself in some way (with a few minor exceptions) and how events in our lives and our own choices and actions affect those of others around us. Brek is introduced to people she knew on earth in the opposite manner in which she knew them on earth (negative or positive) and must learn of their back stories and other qualities that she never knew on earth. Then, she is presented, in the end, with the ultimate choice (justice or forgiveness) and the revelation that, in order to reach her own final judgement, the choice rests not in God's hands but in hers. I did find it odd, though, that Luas and Haissem, who seem to have been there for centuries, have not grasped the concept that Brek seems to by the end of the book in her much shorter time in Shemaya.

The author is Quaker (and a lawyer, hence the legal aspects of the book) but deals with the religious and other issues in this book (World War II and the Holocaust) from a Jewish perspective, as well as Episcopalian and even Catholic views at times. Maybe some of his Quaker views show through, though I'm not familiar with their beliefs. The story of Noah and the flood and rainbows features prominently in the book. There were a few aspects of WWII that I was unaware of (the Israel connection) and it seems like more and more books these days seem to have some connection to that time period, and there were also some aspects of the white supremacist and Palestinian conflicts and ideals, again, all connecting the characters.

I actually struggled with the concept of Shemaya at first, as it goes against my own religious beliefs of what the afterlife would be like; however, by the time the purpose of Shemaya is revealed at the end of the book, I was able to accept the concept more, though, again, I was surprised by the "leaders" directing Brek and other newly arrived characters through the book who hadn't grasped the concept so they could move on.

The ending is left slightly hanging. Brek's choice isn't directly spelled out for us, but I think it is implied, if I grasped it correctly; and there is a great lesson to be learned from this book and I hope I can remember it in my own life from this point on.

Content: Scenes dealing with murder and rape (slightly graphic at times, not at others), both in WWII and modern times. No language that I can remember. If there was, it was probably only mild.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Savannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads, ya-adult

I won this book from Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!

At first when I read the description of this book I didn't fully understand what I was about to get into. It sounded like a mystery and one of those books that keeps you hooked but didn't realize it was spiritual. It's not overly spiritual, however.

Some things I loved about this book:
I loved the way the author spoke. He has a way of saying things that I've felt but haven't been able to put into words. This book is amazing. It is one of those st...more I won this book from Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!

At first when I read the description of this book I didn't fully understand what I was about to get into. It sounded like a mystery and one of those books that keeps you hooked but didn't realize it was spiritual. It's not overly spiritual, however.

Some things I loved about this book:
I loved the way the author spoke. He has a way of saying things that I've felt but haven't been able to put into words. This book is amazing. It is one of those stories where you meet characters and are told only some information about them. As the story continues the characters intertwine with one another and it slowly starts to make sense and come together. I had a hard time setting this book down. I loved the spiritual aspect of it, the justice of it, the forgiveness, the anticipation, the shock, the beautiful pictures that came to mind. I could go on and on. I felt like I was in Shemaya Station. I even understood more about the bible because of this book. I know, sad but I never understood some of the stories all that well. Just the basics. I loved the "AH HA" moment when I realized that the LAWYER is the one being judged! If you wish for forgiveness upon the person you're presenting then you reach The Kingdom of God. If not, and all the lawyer seeks is justice then the case is presented over and over.

I loved how in the end it comes down to forgiveness. No matter what someone has done, they go to Shemaya, meet whoever influenced them in life, be with loved ones, figure out what's going on, and realize that forgiveness is better than justice. Forgiveness is love. I also love how it opened up my eyes to how God punished us with justice by flooding the Earth but ultimately wanted our forgiveness, so promised never to flood Earth again and shows us with rainbows. Rainbows contain God's covenant never to seek justice again. I also realized Noah forgave God for the flood and that people tortured and murdered God and he forgave us for that with Easter.

Some thing I did not like but is probably just me was the many characters introduced. I get confused in movies or books when many characters are introduced and you're still trying to figure out how everyone plays their part in everyone else's lives. I want to re-read it again because I know now how everyone plays apart in everyone else's lives and I feel like I'll pick up more of the details that I may have possibly missed. I know when I re-watch a movie similar to this style I pick up things that I missed. I'd also like to re-read it just because I can't stop thinking about it, it just opened my eyes and opened up my mind.(less)

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Feb 05, 2013 Joan 2 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was very different from what I expected. It is hard to put into a category, since it was a bit of many genres. Fantasy, obviously, but certainly mystery and suspense. There are also philosophical, spiritual and moral threads throughout the story. That was unexpected. It was so well written, with all of these threads woven together. I would recommend this book to anyone, of any belief. I actually would have given it 4 stars, but the author's note at the end was worth a star of it's own!...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Your Excellency rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2013, to-read-again, top-25

Absolutely magnificent! This is the rare book that reaches down into your soul, touches it, and brings you back up with it. Beautifully written, with incredibly well-defined characters, a diverse set of stories contributing to its direction, and a conclusion that should shake you.
One review said..." a heady combination of the movie “What Dreams May Come,” John Grisham’s best work, and Dante’s” Divine Comedy.”" That's a start, but it doesn't do justice (pun intended) to its subject. Perhaps becau...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a powerful and unique novel. There are many issues to think about during and after reading. Apparently, it took 10 years for this author's 1st novel to be written. That is certainly shown in the pacing and not getting too bogged down in a preachy way. I am sure there was significant editing to make this novel so readable. And it works so well. Prepare to be emotionally touched by reading this book as the stories within this story are vividly written.

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Sep 07, 2012 Peggy Chapman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways - I won this book as a first read. This is a passionate book that raises through the mechanism of fiction, universal questions about justice, good and evil, and spirituality. The author's background in law and his own struggles with secular justice are the thread tying this book together. Through the story of a young lawyer who meets an untimely death, and her post-death experiences of justice in a greater context than the law,suggests the impossibility of truly...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Jessi rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't know if I liked this book. It was different than I expected. From the book description, I expected more emphasis on the main character's experiences, I guess. Although the book did spend some time with her, her "afterlife" was very disjointed. It was difficult to figure out what was going on sometimes. In the story, you follow the lives of the main character's distant relatives, and ultimately the men who killed her. The book is spiritual, but not overtly religious. Mostly, it was just v...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars

I want to say first off thank you to libraything.com for choosing me as a winner of this early uncorrected proof for review. It need's no fixing because I felt it was perfect. Was so blown away by this book which deals with the hereafter and the journey to choose "justice" or "forgiveness" when all is said and done. I do not want to give away the entire story so I will just say that it has a bit of mystery, suspense, history, all rolled into intense spirituality. This book kept me up at night la...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Joyce Carter rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a Christian I wasn't sure how i was going to feel about this book. I have to say that I loved it!
It is a story about forgiveness and even though there were things that were totally out there, I was able to move past them and love the point of the story. This is a good book, well written and engaging.
I didn't find it to be anything at all like The Lovely Bones, which I didn't like.

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Sep 08, 2012 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars

I won this book through the Goodreads Giveaway. I did not realize that this story was spiritually focused - so while expecting a legal thriller, I found myself reading John Grisham meets The Shack. The intersection of characters and events were gripping - I could easily have loved that angle on its own, without the Judgement Day scenario. I found the major players in the "beyond" confusing and superficial without any real depth.

I will think on this more, and update if I can articulate more spec...more

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Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by James P. Kimmel

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Trivia About The Trial of Fall...

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combine
Other Editions (6)