Afterlife (The Resurrection Chronicles, #1) by Merrie Destefano

Sep 16, 2010 Crystal ♥ RBtWBC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Destefano's debut is a darkly wonderful novel, fast paced and compelling, chuck full of suspense & mystery, murder & deceit, with the ever present struggle of good vs evil, and just a dash of romance.

The story takes place in New Orleans in a type of futuristic world, totally different from our own and makes you appreciate the fact that your world is not like this. At least for me it did. It's done in several different character POV's, including a dog. Yes, I said dog, but Omega is no or...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Abbe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-library

Review

“AFTERLIFE is a seamless combination of hard-boiled mystery, science-fiction exploration of a future based on cloned existence after death, and a fantasy struggle for the survival of good in an evil world. Merrie Destefano has made a fine start on a promising career.” (James Gunn, Science fiction Grand Master )

“AFTERLIFE is like smoke in the darkness – intriguing and illusive. Merrie Destefano led me on a gritty page-turning journey of life, death and resurrection. I was riveted from th

...more

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May 16, 2012 Morgan Busse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Afterlife gives an intriguing peak into a world where you can live forever (or at least resurrect 9 times).

I will not re-write what the book is about (you can read about it in the blurb above or in some of the other reviews). Instead, I want to share what I liked about Afterlife.

First, the writing is great. Her descriptions of New Orleans jump off the page. You can feel the humidity, hear the sax playing on some lonely corner, see the shadows and fog roll over the city. I usually do not enjoy fi...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Natasha rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the most original Urban Fantasy books of the year! I'm on a hell of an awesome reading streak. The last 10 books I've read were A+. I love it. Afterlife is the first novel in The Resurrection Chronicles by Merrie Destefano. That's a mouth full!
Starting off, you get a 101 on Babysitting, and no I don't mean taking care of children. Babysitting in Afterlife takes a whole new meaning to looking after someone. I'll break it down for you. Resurrection is a way of life in this world. Nine live...more One of the most original Urban Fantasy books of the year! I'm on a hell of an awesome reading streak. The last 10 books I've read were A+. I love it. Afterlife is the first novel in The Resurrection Chronicles by Merrie Destefano. That's a mouth full!
Starting off, you get a 101 on Babysitting, and no I don't mean taking care of children. Babysitting in Afterlife takes a whole new meaning to looking after someone. I'll break it down for you. Resurrection is a way of life in this world. Nine lives is as much as a person can get, but for me, nine is more than enough. Each time someone dies there memories are downloaded into a new body at "Fresh Start", which is the facility and head mangment of Resurrections and more. Even when it's capiable of having nine different lives, that still isn't enough for some people. Which is when others try to fine a true life of immortality. That can never be good, and it only brings trouble everyone, espeically Chaz and Angelique.

Each chapter titles which character's POV it will be in. We get a variety of POVs in this novel, which I enjoyed. There's Chaz, Angelique, Neville, Russell and even the dog named Omega. Chaz and Angelique have the most chapters in their POV's. I really liked the characters. The secondary characters really stuck out, and had me intertained. As for a dogs POV, I enjoyed it, but since I'm a avid reader of shape shifter / Werewolf novels, and have read the POV of animals before, I found it not as believeable as others I've read. Of course no one can know what a dog is really thinking, but I found this Omgea was way to smart and thought more like a human than other animal POV's I've read before. I did still enjoy it though, I love when authors mixes things up, and having a few chapters ina dogs POV really mixes it up. I said POV a lot in this paragraph, huh?

Afterlife is a wonderful, exciting and refreshing read. The characters are interesting, and the plot keeps you on your toes. If your an Urban Fantasy reader, this book should go on your TBR pile. If your a Urban Fantasy reader, who is stuck in a reading rut, then this is really the novel for you. It's a mix up from normal Urban Fantanys. And original read indeed! . (less)

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Oct 13, 2010 Jackie (Literary Escapism) added it

Shelves: dnf, new-author-challenge-2010, read-2010

I hate to say it, while Afterlife may be a great novel, and I’ve been seeing some great reviews, I just can’t read it. The whole premise of the story is that people get a second chance at life. Not just a second, but up to nine lives total. Once you die, you get to go back and do it over again as someone else. The premise still sounds fantastic and I am still intrigued to see how it is, I’m just going to have to wait. Honestly, the idea that the characters maintain some of their memories is a gr...more

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Oct 04, 2010 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I managed to do a one day read! Really surprising since my little niece was home today, being her usual loud self! Love her to death, but she hasn't learned the meaning behind inside voice yet.

Anyway, I read Merrie Destefano's debut Afterlife and it wasn't too bad. It was another different read for me. Other then the idea of resurrection there wasn't too much supernatural involved. But the cover was wicked awesome so I couldn't pass reading this.

The book was told in multiple points of view, whic...more I managed to do a one day read! Really surprising since my little niece was home today, being her usual loud self! Love her to death, but she hasn't learned the meaning behind inside voice yet.

Anyway, I read Merrie Destefano's debut Afterlife and it wasn't too bad. It was another different read for me. Other then the idea of resurrection there wasn't too much supernatural involved. But the cover was wicked awesome so I couldn't pass reading this.

The book was told in multiple points of view, which gets a little confusing sometimes, because as you're trying to get into the swing of things with our first narrator it changes to someone else and it took awhile for me to realize he was someone we just saw.

But by having multiple points of view, we're able to know what these people are thinking and how they act. We learn fairly quickly who's good and who's not so good.

The concepts were a little tough to understand as well, the book doesn't really have a futuristic quality to it, but the science behind it obviously is in some ways and it was hard for me at least, to pick up on these things. Like the deal with being resurrected into a new body and get to live 9 lifetimes.

It takes awhile to fully understand all of it and having finished I can't say I understand it all 100% either, but it was still a fairly good read. It was interesting to be in the minds of different characters and learn about their nefarious plans if they were evil or what they were thinking and desiring if they were good.

The pace was well set as well, for soon something shocking happens. One major event happens early on which was devastating and then it soon gets worse, which really amps up the pacing and action.

There wasn't a lot of romance. Hardly any at all, there were feelings to be had, but not much acting upon them. And while the ending was good and somewhat final, I don't know if this is a planned series or just a stand alone, either could be possible at this point.

Overall I give it a 3.5/5 stars. It was a decent read, albeit confusing at some times because somethings just didn't get readily explained or explained in enough details, which made it harder for me to understand what was going on in certain points. But still a good read!(less)

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Feb 02, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Resurrection Chronicles: Afterlife is a novel of Fiction by Merrie Destefano from EOS.

Book Blurb:

Welcome to your next chance.

Chaz Dominguez is a professional Babysitter in New Orleans, helping to integrate the recently deceased into their new and improved lives. Though Fresh Start has always been the only game in town, resurrection isn't all it's cracked up to be. Nine lives are all a person can get - and a powerful group of desperate, high-level Nine-Timers will stop at nothing to possess t...more

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Aug 19, 2010 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book and I am totally floored by it. It went beyond anything I could even imagine. It was urban fantasy based in a place I love to read about, New Orleans. But, this New Orleans is a futuristic one where life and death are completely turned on their ears. Where cats are not the only ones with nine lives, if you choose that path. (Not a spoiler because it is in the description on the back of the book. If fictionally questioning God's plan is offensive to the reader then...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. What a brilliant debut novel! Afterlife by Merrie Destefano is intriguing, dark and mysterious. Merrie had me hooked from the very beginning, throwing me head first into the action. She did a wonderful job creating a scary world where humans recreate resurrection over and over. This book was very different from most of the novels I've read, which made it extremely refreshing.

The story is told in multiple points of view, we even get a run down of a very lovable doggy's play by play. For this...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Teri rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received and ARC of this book and it was amazing!
In the first few chapters, that hanging chapters based in separate character's POV was a bit disorientating for me in the beginning. As the story developed it engulfed me into this work of a future time where people can "jump" their consciousness to a new body up to 9 times. In a car wreak and you have the expensive chip.... swoosh =new body.
It is a really interesting concept and it made an amazing story. Once you get used to the different chara...more

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Feb 25, 2011 CoffeeTimeRomance andMore rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles is an intense science fiction adventure that keeps you tied in knots although at times I did not quite grasp the storyline and found myself lost. But as the plot thickened and the characters’ agendas started to become clearer, I found myself understanding more of this tale. Ms. Destefano’s talent introduces us to a world where death does not mean the end of life as we know it. The concept is fresh and unique and leaves me a little terrified of the possibili...more

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Jul 09, 2010 Tez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nine lives aren't enough for those seeking immortality.

Fresh Start employee Chaz Domingue assists his newly resurrected charges for their first week, and this one's proving a real challenge. Angelique Baptiste's previous identity had ties with Chaz's brother, and was highly involved in some revolutionary research - the results for which some people will kill. With resurrection, that's not much of a threat, but Chaz is a One-Timer who never signed up for future lives.

Merrie Destefano has crafted...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Sapphyria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis from the back cover:

Welcome To Your Next Chance.
Chaz Dominguez is a professional Babysitter in New Orleans, helping to integrate the recently deceased into the new and improved lives. Though Fresh Start has always been the only game in town, resurrection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Nine lives are all a person can get-and a powerful group of desperate, high-level Nine-Timers will stop at nothing to possess the keys to true immortality.
Now the only hope for Chaz and his family-and...more Synopsis from the back cover:

Welcome To Your Next Chance.
Chaz Dominguez is a professional Babysitter in New Orleans, helping to integrate the recently deceased into the new and improved lives. Though Fresh Start has always been the only game in town, resurrection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Nine lives are all a person can get-and a powerful group of desperate, high-level Nine-Timers will stop at nothing to possess the keys to true immortality.
Now the only hope for Chaz and his family-and the human race-lies in the secrets locked away in the mind of Angelique, the beautiful, mysterious Newbie he must protect….(Destefano, 2010.)

I located Merrie Destefano while perusing the Facebook page of Supernatural Underground http://www.facebook.com/Supernatural..... Merrie was having a contest to win a signed cover flat of her upcoming June 2011 release of her next book, "Feast" (which I will review on this blog after it comes out). Anyway, after finally receiving "Afterlife," I was able to sit down this past weekend and start reading it.

"Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles" is an urban fantasy book that hints at Sci-Fi. It has a complex plot that brings together life, death, resurrection, cloning, immortality, murder, & mystery. It makes you think about the ethics involving godless resurrections, cloning, and the problems involved. I actually wasn’t sure about this book at first (now wait---keep reading). This book is very Sci-Fi oriented, of which I’m not normally a huge fan. The most Sci-Fi I get is my love for Star Trek: The Next Generation; the only Star Trek series I really could get into, although I can tolerate the original series for a minute or two. I kept thinking throughout the book that “If this book was made into a movie, my dad would be all over it.” Dad is a HUGE Sci-Fi fan.

Each Chapter is told from the viewpoint of a character:
Chapter 1= Chaz
Chapter 2= Neville
Chapters 3-5= Chaz
Chapter 6= Neville
Chapters 7-9= Chaz
Chapter 10= Angelique…..and so forth through all 81 chapters and the Epilogue.

The first 7 chapters had me lost in some areas because there wasn’t a lot of background information on the characters: Chaz, Angelique, Neville, Omega, & Russell. This is where my impatience causes me grief. Those first 7 chapters are only 33 pages of the 332 page novel. I should have just stopped judging the book before it even began….Chapter 8 begins the background of Chaz and a lot of things started coming together; add in Angelique’s background in Chapter 10 and Wow!! There are so many twists, turns, and happenings that you don’t expect but make total sense. When it was all said and done, I found this book to be a great read.

If you don’t want to buy the book first, as I did, then check if your library has it or can get it for you….If urban fantasy that dabbles with Sci-fi is your thing then you won’t be disappointed.(less)

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May 04, 2013 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-fantasy-scifi

I'm surprised by how much this book intrigued me. When I first starting reading I thought, "Ugh, alternating first person narratives. I'm not going to be able to read this!" But, I quickly adjusted to the flow (and multiple narrators) of the book. Afterlife was a thought provoking read. What would the world look like if resurrection was a possibility for everyone? This book wove the story together wonderfully well in a way that didn't lay everything on the table at once but piece by piece allowi...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Sharon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, meh

This sci-fiction suspense type mystery, frustratingly left me unsatisfied, I didn't mind the numerous point of views angle or the plot/concept, I thought that was an awesome idea for a novel & the writing angle refreshing & new, which is why I picked it up in the first place. I just couldn't get on with the characters I found them lacking. I hate not fininshing a book - so read on, yes it picks up about chapter 7-8 but still left me uninspired, I just didn't like it & I really wanted...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Carien rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf

A very original story in a well thought-out setting. The world building is very good: it paints a future that's dark, sinister and gritty. Destefano doesn't leave it at that though, she really thought about how the world would be affected by an invention like resurrection and integrates this in the story seamlessly. The story is written from multiple viewpoints, but all are very interesting and each has it's own voice. (My favourite was Neville's viewpoint as he's got an almost poetic way to des...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Bob rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a hidden treasure. I went to the $1.00 store to look around one day, saw this book and thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did. Even if I had paid full retail price on this book I would have said it was well worth it and for a buck it was even better. You never know where you are going to find a gem in the world of books so always keep looking as it's books like this that make the search worth it. This book introduced me to a new world and people that I fell in love with and w...more

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Oct 28, 2010 Tina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-it, adult-fantasy

This was definitely original, but the world didn't hold my interest.

Plot 3 stars - Not to bad. There is a lot of potential with the series. Action was not bad.

Cover 2 stars - Is it just me or does the cover model look like she's on crack? She is really freaky looking. Angelique is supposed to resemble a model. What happened?

Writing 1 star - Confusing. Their was not enough information to keep the reader informed. Most of the book kept me confused. All new paranormal terms and the author did a te...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Kathryn Daugherty rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Oh, what a hot mess this novel is! First, the author should refrain from all her stilted metaphors. They are overwhelming. Second, she should give some thought about developing characters. Chaz, Russell, and even Angelique are practically interchangeable. In fact, we are told that Chaz is a musician, but only Russel has musical metaphors. Third, although showing, not telling, is the best way to advance the plot, this novel's history and background remain opaque well past page 75. Even after some...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-by-both-of-us, recycle

Afterlife the Resurrection Chronicles

By Merrie Destefano

It is really difficult to review this book. I have rarely seen such a sweeping attempt to incorporate so many grand ideas in such a completely haphazard way. The book is science fiction but often read more like urban fantasy – especially at the end when things waxed very metaphysical.

At times it was like the author thought up several really cool ideas (living nine times, a world divided between stringers and one timers, needing a death cert...more Afterlife the Resurrection Chronicles

By Merrie Destefano

It is really difficult to review this book. I have rarely seen such a sweeping attempt to incorporate so many grand ideas in such a completely haphazard way. The book is science fiction but often read more like urban fantasy – especially at the end when things waxed very metaphysical.

At times it was like the author thought up several really cool ideas (living nine times, a world divided between stringers and one timers, needing a death certificate to have a child, the underground circus, impending societal collapse) but had no idea how to do the requisite world building. The logic flaws in the story were so gaping as to be distracting. That could have been forgiven if the smaller story and character development had been compelling. It wasn't.

Chaz was supposed to be angsty, deep, and philosophical…I think. He was written in the style of the hard boiled noir detective. I never got to the point where I cared for him. Angelique wasn't particularly compelling either. Worse, their romance – if it could be called that – came out of nowhere and never felt real.

The writing style is often very evocative and there is no doubt the author is an excellent word smith. She paints very vivid setting that sets the mood perfectly. The trouble is that it never comes together from chapter to chapter. It starts with chapter one. A very specific mood and world is painted except that isn't even close to what the rest of the story is about. At first we find out the Chaz is a ‘baby sitter’ whose job it is to watch newly revived ‘newbies’. That really doesn't make in sense mid-way through the book. I never got any sense of motivation for that given who he was. It felt more like an excuse to have him watching Angelique. When we learn who she is and what happened to her…it makes zero sense.

On the world building front, just a few things bothered me :
A world where the super rich could buy stolen children and yet no one could get around the population laws? On the entire planet, everyone was compliant except for the underground circus? The nine timer scenario was predicted well in advance and yet…no solution except for the one time serum that was almost magically cooked up and absolutely couldn't be replicated. Not with all the power and money in the world? And what was up with the cure being contagious then later not? In science fiction, you can one or maybe two unbelievable things but not half a dozen.

Story wise, the weird idyllic immortal life Chaz and Angelique ‘won’ with their adventure was just too pat and too sudden for my taste.

(less)

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Aug 11, 2011 Paris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Normally, I don’t like books with too many POV characters. Normally, I don’t like books that make me feel super confused, like I missed a huge chunk of the story and I can’t find it anywhere. And normally, I am not a huge fan of books where the main protag is a guy (I usually find it hard to relate to him, seeing as I’m not a dude). But normally, has nothing to do with this book. I loved every confusing page of it. I didn’t mind that there were 5 different narrators, one of which was a dog and o...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up. The cover didn't interest me and the blurb didn't grab me, but I gave it a try and I'm glad I did. This book is set in a future where humans can have up to 9 lives through something like cloning. Instead of starting out with our main character explaining how things work, we are thrown right into the midst of things. I would have liked this book considerably less if there was an info dump at the beginning. Instead, we pick up small bits of back...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

~4.5 stars~

I'll be the first to admit when I read the back cover copy for this book I wasn't sure if I would like this book. Don't get me wrong I read a ton of paranormal fiction but it's mostly full of teen angst and romance (yeah I read YA fiction). However when I learned that this book featured a dog as one of the main characters I thought, "Cool, a furry creature who isn't a werewolf!" I jumped at the chance to review this book and I was not disappointed in the least.

This book has an awesome...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Set in the New Orleans of the future, Afterlife gives us a chilling look at what humanity might become if we developed the technology to transcend death. The Fresh Start company uses clones and memory “downloading” to resurrect anyone with the money to pay for the privilege, up to a total of nine lives. But as we quickly learn, there are so many things that simply weren’t thought out before the technology was unveiled.

The hero, Chaz Domingue, is a scion of the family that founded Fresh Start, bu...more Set in the New Orleans of the future, Afterlife gives us a chilling look at what humanity might become if we developed the technology to transcend death. The Fresh Start company uses clones and memory “downloading” to resurrect anyone with the money to pay for the privilege, up to a total of nine lives. But as we quickly learn, there are so many things that simply weren’t thought out before the technology was unveiled.

The hero, Chaz Domingue, is a scion of the family that founded Fresh Start, but his older brother is the one who inherited the billion-dollar empire. Instead, Chaz works as a Babysitter, shepherding the newly resurrected through their first disorienting days after returning to life. Since acquiring his latest charge, the lovely Angelique, Chaz finds that danger is stalking him and his family but doesn’t know why. The answers may lie in Angelique’s fragmented memories, and what the two of them learn has the potential to affect the fate of all humanity.

Merrie DeStefano drops the reader right into the action; for the first few chapters, you may feel as lost as Angelique herself, trying to get your bearings in this strange new world. The chapters are short and tense. Each chapter focuses on one incident, either in the main narrative or in the characters’ past, and most of the chapters conclude with a revelation that propels the plot forward or gives us further information about Chaz and Angelique’s world. They are told from several points of view, including Chaz, Angelique, a couple of villains, and a dog (I love the dog). The rapid-fire chapters can feel choppy at first but keep the story moving at a good clip.

Despite this quick pace, Afterlife is a book that tugs at the heartstrings. Some passages will be hard to read if you love children; others will be hard to read if you love dogs. What the novel won’t really do is make your heart pound with romance; the romance is not the focal point of the story and is rather thinly developed. Obviously, some readers will like this non-romanciness and others will not.

Afterlife features some Christian themes and motifs. These are handled well; the story asks a number of questions about death and the soul with very little preachiness. There were only a few moments that seemed to preach. It’s more that the “rules” and internal logic of Afterlife are rooted in the Christian cosmology.

If there’s a sticking point here, it’s a small one, but one that packs a big punch. The word “Mongoloid.” I could never quite suss out from context what it means in the novel’s world, but I gather that it’s not the same thing it means in our world. Nonetheless, it does mean something in our world, and it’s a word I have a visceral negative reaction to. It’s not an epithet I like to see used by a hero I’m supposed to be sympathizing with, so it took me longer to start liking Chaz than it otherwise would have. I found myself wishing DeStefano had made up a fictional epithet instead.

Other than that, Afterlife is an addictive read, with a breakneck pace that might fool you into thinking it’s “just” a thriller — until you realize how deeply it has its claws in your emotions. I recommend it to anyone looking for something different in urban fantasy. It’s not quite like anything else I’ve read, and blends urban fantasy, science fiction, philosophy, and apocalyptic fiction into one satisfying whole.

Review originally published at Fantasy Literature (less)

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Sep 27, 2010 Tori [Book Faery] rated it 5 of 5 stars

See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

I've never read a book that's left me completely and utterly speechless by the time I finished it. Usually, I'll have something to say, even if it's a sentence as simple as 'I love it' or, 'I hate it'. A simple 'I love it,' however, won't cut it for AFTERLIFE. This novel is so rich with beautiful descriptions, reflections, and events that I fear I will be unable to give anything Merrie has incorporated justice.

AFTERLIFE is in...more See this review in it's entirety at:
http://www.book-faery.blogspot.com

I've never read a book that's left me completely and utterly speechless by the time I finished it. Usually, I'll have something to say, even if it's a sentence as simple as 'I love it' or, 'I hate it'. A simple 'I love it,' however, won't cut it for AFTERLIFE. This novel is so rich with beautiful descriptions, reflections, and events that I fear I will be unable to give anything Merrie has incorporated justice.

AFTERLIFE is in this futuristic New Orleans setting, where everyone on earth can live more than once. In fact, you can live nine times. Basically you get this little chip inserted into your body, and when you die -- or "jump," as a lot of the characters refer to it -- your soul, whatever it is that makes you, you, transfers to a newly made clone.

Which brings us to the first few pages in the book. Chaz, one of the characters we follow along in this tale, is Babysitting a new clone, Angelique. The two are out drinking during Angelique's first day of rebirth. It is then that they stumble upon our third character, Neville. I won't give much away, especially since what happens in the beginning is especially important for what happens towards the middle and end. Besides, this story is fun to figure out on your own.

I thought that the POV swap was one of the most interesting aspects of this story. I mean, you witness events through Chaz, Angelique, Neville, Russell, and Omega the dog. (Yes, you get to witness the story from a dog's POV. And yes, it is so incredibly awesome.) What's even better is that the POV swap wasn't jarring. I had no problem discerning which scene was happening in which person's perspective. This switch truly was a genius way to get me to hate Russell and Neville on a completely new level. Chaz, at some point, actually grew on me because of witnessing so much through his eyes. Angelique was a bit weird -- I think because of the whole past life issue -- but she was also likable. At least I was upset enough towards the end.

The speech of some of the characters was a bit strange. I wanted to smack these characters for sounding so moronic at times -- especially Neville. It's also a minor detail that one tends to overlook after reading it for so long. Consider this a warning for those of you who are easily annoyed with speech like that. There are also a few words and phrases that might throw people off. I didn't have a problem with them, but I know some will.

I had a hard time adjusting to some of the lingo at the start. And when I say lingo, I'm specifically talking about all the street talk and drugs. They kind of confused me, just because I was unfamiliar with what each did. Due to my confusion, I found myself wishing that there was a bit more exploration with these sorts of facts earlier on. As it is, readers are flung into AFTERLIFE's world with little more than a safety blanket to cling to. We see the good, we see the bad, and we definitely see the ugly. Rest assured, these things do get acknowledged later on in the story; Merrie doesn't leave her readers in the dark.

The format of this novel is extremely different from what I'm used to reading. Typically, the books I've grown accustomed to are in first person and travel from point A to point B. I discover what happens along with the characters. Yet in AFTERLIFE, it's completely different. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it. It's kind of like... Merrie teases you with something new that happens. The chapter ends. Then you witness the scenes leading up to that one event via each of the other characters.

AFTERLIFE is a unique debut with beautiful descriptions by an insanely talented author who is not afraid to try something new. This novel was refreshing and exciting, and I am eagerly anticipating Merrie's future releases. If you enjoy urban fantasy,and if you want to see a new take on what life would be like if humanity could be almost immortal, then you definitely need to check this book out. You'll regret it if you don't!(less)

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Jan 21, 2011 Steph rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, series-ongoing, author-웃, series-book1, sos-games-bsb-r1

Where to start? For the first 1/2 of this book I was a ball of frustration. My hubby kept asking, "Still reading that one? Why don't you stop and move on?" The answer ... so many 4-5★ reviews had me curious what I was missing.

The book dumps you into the world with little to no explanation of, well, anything. You meet the two mains, Chaz, who is a babysitter and employee of "Fresh Start". And, Angelique, the Newbie he's babysitting.

There are many POVs, including a dog's, which added to some of...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Kirsten rated it 2 of 5 stars

The concept of the book is brilliant (there are plenty of comments about it, so I won't go into it here). But the execution...? The book was not well plotted or paced and the resolution was more than a bit of a let down. Seriously...I was bored and would have abandoned the book early on if not for my stubbornness to always finish what I start. :) A rather predictable conclusion to a very formulaic plot which is a shame as the concept had such promise.

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Jan 08, 2013 Erika rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-read-jan-2013, cheese, computer-ebook, fantasy, library, paranormal, sci-fi

Not my favourite narration style, so the book was an uphill battle and the clunky wording didn't help.

It felt like the plot and information on the world were being doled out stingily until the last third of the book and then you learn about what's happening with your major players. Then the end happens and the epilogue is meh.

The only part I liked was Chaz and Neville and the in between.

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Dec 03, 2010 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVE the writing style of Merrie Destefano, you feel as if you are being told the story first hand from each character, and not reading it from a book.
The book is full of intrigue from the first page, not even a quesion if it's a page-turner. Absolutely! It's easy to get drawn into the characters, the analogies are priceless. I'm looking forward to more books from thisi author!

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Oct 11, 2010 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, 2010-read, kindle

If I had the time, I would have finished this book in one sitting. Terrific storytelling.

I really enjoyed how Destefano laid out this story by telling it from the different character's point of view. This helped me understand exactly what each character was thinking and feeling. I feel it was the best way for this story to be told. I wasn't confused by the multiple point of views at all.

The futuristic setting in New Orleans was perfect and felt believable. The only thing keeping this book from...more

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title link	preview: Afterlife
avg rating	preview: Afterlife Goodreads rating: 3.23 (239 ratings)
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Afterlife (The Resurrection Chronicles #1)

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