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Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide
Noah Finn is about to commit suicide. He's standing on the roof of the World Trade Center's north tower when American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the building.
Greeted by a man who calls himself Christopher Saint on a NYC subway train, Noah must learn seven lessons for the right to choose his afterlife.
It's 08:46 am.
And Noah Finn no longer wants to die.
Greeted by a man who calls himself Christopher Saint on a NYC subway train, Noah must learn seven lessons for the right to choose his afterlife.
It's 08:46 am.
And Noah Finn no longer wants to die.
164 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 1
13 people want to read
About the author
E. Rachael Hardcastle
21 books46 followersE. Rachael Hardcastle is an Amazon international no.1 bestselling author from Bradford, West Yorkshire in the UK. She has diplomas in Successful Self-Publishing and Journal Therapy, alongside a university Business Studies qualification and many other writing-related achievements.
Rachael is also a trained copy-editor and publishing coach, and now runs Curious Cat Books, an indie publishing house designed to help overwhelmed debut authors. She is also now the manager of the upcoming anonymous wellbeing blogger, 'Girlboss.Guru' (1st Sept 2021).
"As a speculative fiction author, I believe in entertaining my readers by offering a temporary escape from reality. Whilst I aspire to write fun, addictive adventures with characters my readers can relate to, I need to write meaningful and emotive stories alongside them to explore the depths of what it is be human—in doing so, I can encourage people to also look within.
I feel through writing we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps me to understand what my purpose is."
Rachael is also a trained copy-editor and publishing coach, and now runs Curious Cat Books, an indie publishing house designed to help overwhelmed debut authors. She is also now the manager of the upcoming anonymous wellbeing blogger, 'Girlboss.Guru' (1st Sept 2021).
"As a speculative fiction author, I believe in entertaining my readers by offering a temporary escape from reality. Whilst I aspire to write fun, addictive adventures with characters my readers can relate to, I need to write meaningful and emotive stories alongside them to explore the depths of what it is be human—in doing so, I can encourage people to also look within.
I feel through writing we face our darkest fears, explore infinite new worlds and realise our true purpose. Creative writing helps me to understand what my purpose is."
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 6, 2018
E. Rachael Hardcastle’s “Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide” captures the mind, heart, and soul from the very beginning. Noah, a 28-year-old janitor is just about to commit suicide while standing on the roof of the World Trade Center just as American Airlines Flight 11 plummets into the building. Suddenly, as he sits on a New York subway train, he’s greeted by a man who calls himself Christopher Saint. He tells Noah that he must learn 7 lessons to earn the right to choose his afterlife, and as Author Hardcastle so adeptly points out—and Albert Camus so wonderfully put it—“… in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself”.
“Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide” is just as much about life as it is about death. Hardcastle provides an expertly woven, complex plotline that results in a catharsis for both of her protagonists—Surprising, considering that one of them is a being we humans consider to be immortal, perfect, and stable.
Through Noah and Christopher, the author explains that, in everyday life, every action we take and every decision we make has a major impact on someone, sometime, somewhere. We see how the instruments of action and reaction are able to spark changes in this world and generate little epiphanies that benefit humankind as a whole. In the end, Noah and Christopher both teach us that we are each responsible for the destiny of the entire human race… and even a 28-year-old suicidal janitor can act as a catalyst for redemption.
“Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide” is just as much about life as it is about death. Hardcastle provides an expertly woven, complex plotline that results in a catharsis for both of her protagonists—Surprising, considering that one of them is a being we humans consider to be immortal, perfect, and stable.
Through Noah and Christopher, the author explains that, in everyday life, every action we take and every decision we make has a major impact on someone, sometime, somewhere. We see how the instruments of action and reaction are able to spark changes in this world and generate little epiphanies that benefit humankind as a whole. In the end, Noah and Christopher both teach us that we are each responsible for the destiny of the entire human race… and even a 28-year-old suicidal janitor can act as a catalyst for redemption.
August 7, 2018
This is a surprisingly easy read with a wealth of emotional depth.
Noah Finn, recovering drug addict and survivor of multiple suicide attempts, has finally decided to end his life once and for all. As he stands ready to jump atop the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, hijacked flight 11 hits below him. Then he realizes he may not want to die after all.
Unaware he’s dead, he awakens on a subway platform and hurries to board, not wanting to be late for work yet again. But the only other passenger on the train is Death, and Death has a lot to show Noah about the life he never appreciated.
Death shows Noah about the people in his life and the choices that he made made and how those choices affected all those around him in both good and bad ways.
Though I felt some of the writing seemed a little rushed, this was a touching book. At the end, I teared up, both because of Noah’s newfound appreciation for what he lost and at my own memories of September 11, 2001.
Noah Finn, recovering drug addict and survivor of multiple suicide attempts, has finally decided to end his life once and for all. As he stands ready to jump atop the North Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, hijacked flight 11 hits below him. Then he realizes he may not want to die after all.
Unaware he’s dead, he awakens on a subway platform and hurries to board, not wanting to be late for work yet again. But the only other passenger on the train is Death, and Death has a lot to show Noah about the life he never appreciated.
Death shows Noah about the people in his life and the choices that he made made and how those choices affected all those around him in both good and bad ways.
Though I felt some of the writing seemed a little rushed, this was a touching book. At the end, I teared up, both because of Noah’s newfound appreciation for what he lost and at my own memories of September 11, 2001.
February 10, 2019
Thought-provoking and profound. Asks and explores questions around life, death, afterlife and religion, told through interesting and engaging characters. This put me in mind of Paulo Coelho, and I’m looking forward to more gems from this talented author.
I bought my copy direct from the author at an event at Harrogate Library.
I bought my copy direct from the author at an event at Harrogate Library.
October 8, 2021
Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide is a very deep and meaningful read to say it has a notably short page count. I had the fortune to meet E. Rachael Hardcastle one day at a book signing in WHSmith and I remember talking to her about the passion and motivation behind writing. The way she spoke and articulated her work methodology to me was just inspiring. She had a clear understanding of the joy writing can bring into peoples life and she gave me so many good tips and hints on how to keep up with my own motivation in writing. I remember asking her about the book she was selling and I the pitch she gave to me was really interesting. I felt after the time she spared for me and how insightful her writing methods were I wanted to give her work a try.
The story of Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide focuses on one Noah Finn. He is a depressed and recovering drug addict living in New York city who decides to commit suicide on the one day he need not need try. His job as a janitor at the world trade centre ends up placing him at the heart of the devastation that occurs on September 11th 2001. Dying from the attack, Noah meets a manifestation of death in the form of a kind gentlemen on a train called Christopher Saint. Christopher takes Noah through several lessons before he can make a to come to terms with his death and make final decision on his afterlife. These lessons are designed to take Noah on a reflective journey to come to terms with aspects of his life and the lives of those around him.
I adored the writing and narrative laid out here. The way Rachael has set out Noah's journey through the afterlife is so deep and impactful. She uses his depression and suicidal desire as a key starting point as Christopher Saint makes him learn the lessons and emotional results that stem from his death and the death of others. Death is a scary concept and Rachel tackles it with this beautifully calm approach which helps us come to terms with some of our deeper anxieties about it. It's not just about weighing up on the impact of death but also the value our own lives have. Noah learns through Christopher that while he may not have had an ideal life, he still had value to it and he helped him see it all despite how much he struggled. It takes someone truly in tune with the finality of life to appreciate the gift of life we are all given and It's portrayed in such a profound way in Noah's journey.
In terms of tone and pace the book also hits it out of the park. This is a heavy book in regards to thematic concepts. It's not just Noah Christopher is trying to teach about life and death, it's us; the reader. I have such a deep anxiety when it comes to death, the finality of it and the ambiguity of what comes after. I appreciate I will never know the answer and that is truly scary, but the book helped ground me in the here and now. It's structured and paced to make you learn alongside Noah and come out of his journey with a new perspective. I honestly commend what Rachael did here with the tone, it's a heavy topic to talk about but I think she treats it with a serious amount of respect and gravity.
Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide is a beautifully sad read and it helps to challenge our perspective on our lives and the death that will come to follow. It uses it's main character's journey in such a smart fashion to help the reader face the same existential dilemmas and try to form some definitive conclusion on them for ourselves. It was an experience to read from start to finish and I will hold it's words close as I continue forward in my own life.
The story of Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide focuses on one Noah Finn. He is a depressed and recovering drug addict living in New York city who decides to commit suicide on the one day he need not need try. His job as a janitor at the world trade centre ends up placing him at the heart of the devastation that occurs on September 11th 2001. Dying from the attack, Noah meets a manifestation of death in the form of a kind gentlemen on a train called Christopher Saint. Christopher takes Noah through several lessons before he can make a to come to terms with his death and make final decision on his afterlife. These lessons are designed to take Noah on a reflective journey to come to terms with aspects of his life and the lives of those around him.
I adored the writing and narrative laid out here. The way Rachael has set out Noah's journey through the afterlife is so deep and impactful. She uses his depression and suicidal desire as a key starting point as Christopher Saint makes him learn the lessons and emotional results that stem from his death and the death of others. Death is a scary concept and Rachel tackles it with this beautifully calm approach which helps us come to terms with some of our deeper anxieties about it. It's not just about weighing up on the impact of death but also the value our own lives have. Noah learns through Christopher that while he may not have had an ideal life, he still had value to it and he helped him see it all despite how much he struggled. It takes someone truly in tune with the finality of life to appreciate the gift of life we are all given and It's portrayed in such a profound way in Noah's journey.
In terms of tone and pace the book also hits it out of the park. This is a heavy book in regards to thematic concepts. It's not just Noah Christopher is trying to teach about life and death, it's us; the reader. I have such a deep anxiety when it comes to death, the finality of it and the ambiguity of what comes after. I appreciate I will never know the answer and that is truly scary, but the book helped ground me in the here and now. It's structured and paced to make you learn alongside Noah and come out of his journey with a new perspective. I honestly commend what Rachael did here with the tone, it's a heavy topic to talk about but I think she treats it with a serious amount of respect and gravity.
Noah Finn & the Art of Suicide is a beautifully sad read and it helps to challenge our perspective on our lives and the death that will come to follow. It uses it's main character's journey in such a smart fashion to help the reader face the same existential dilemmas and try to form some definitive conclusion on them for ourselves. It was an experience to read from start to finish and I will hold it's words close as I continue forward in my own life.
December 20, 2017
Noah Finn
Noah Finn and the Art of Suicide by E. Rachael Hardcastle
Review by: Jessica Lucci
From the first sentence, this book gripped me in modern, fantastical, spiritual, clutches. A would-be suicide victim unwillingly, at first, embarks on a journey through his life. In accepting his own death, he must accept his life, and the roles he has played in the stories of the people around him. Without being preachy or saccharine, this fast-paced novella roars with action, humour, and mystical drama. I recommend this book for ages teen through adult, and will be adding it to my gift list this year!
Noah Finn and the Art of Suicide by E. Rachael Hardcastle
Review by: Jessica Lucci
From the first sentence, this book gripped me in modern, fantastical, spiritual, clutches. A would-be suicide victim unwillingly, at first, embarks on a journey through his life. In accepting his own death, he must accept his life, and the roles he has played in the stories of the people around him. Without being preachy or saccharine, this fast-paced novella roars with action, humour, and mystical drama. I recommend this book for ages teen through adult, and will be adding it to my gift list this year!
May 18, 2025
Noah Finn and the Art of Suicide is an interestingly philosophical book that tackles basic yet complex questions that humanity has been grappling with since our beginnings. It does so in the backdrop 9-11. There is something to that date for the characters beyond the obvious tragedy and it unfolds quite provocatively as what's after life takes us on a very compelling journey. Read the story with an open mind, as options are important and patience is a virtue.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 6, 2018
Read it in one day!
Wow! I don't even know what to say. I was hooked from the first page. I'm sort of bummed out that it ended when it did and I will definitely read this book again!!
Wow! I don't even know what to say. I was hooked from the first page. I'm sort of bummed out that it ended when it did and I will definitely read this book again!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews