Afterlife, by Gary Soto

Everyone wonders where they will go and what will happen after they die. Gary Soto's The Afterlife, takes us on an adventure filled, tearful, yet enlightening journey with a Latino boy named Chuy. The story begins with Chuy getting killed in a club bathroom by a man waring yellow shoes. As we flip the pages and read more and more of this amazing book, we are driven into journeys with him, almost anticipating where we're going next. Chuy realizes he is now a ghost, and has to deal with both the fear and excitement of his powers, and abilities. He learns he can walk through walls, and be anywhere without anyone knowing. Throughout his journey, he visits family members, and sees them mourning his death, realizing that he really did have people who cared about him. He goes on a quest to find his murderer "yellow shoes" and meets a homeless ghost who terrorizes him. Of course, what would a story be without a little romance? The love that creates between him and this beautiful ghost named Crystal follows through the story. This comedic, dramatic, romantic, and almost theatrical book is the perfect entertainment for teenagers. Read it to find out more!

To me, the Afterlife was very captivating. I felt as if I were Chuy. The story is written in first person, so the narrator was Chuy himself. I was able to know exactly what was going on in his head, and in front of him, and Soto's idea of using first person for this story was perfect. I would recommend this book for many different reasons. One of them being that it teaches you lessons of life. It teaches you the importance of life, family, love, and just all those things that you come across on a daily basis that you think don't matter. It is greatly entertaining and will grasp the reader's attention in an instant. The Afterlife is also very grammatically written, yet easy and fun to read. Make sure to check-out a copy today from your nearest library and put your walking shoes on, because you're about to be taken on a long and fun journey!
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-Reviewed by A.A., grade 12.