I kind of see what the author wanted to do with this short story but the quality of the writing was way too low to make it a good story.

Some reviews suggest that the story could benefit from being a longer story, but I think it would actually be better as a flash fiction with fewer characters. It would have allowed the writer to (maybe) struggle less with the transitions between events, thoughts, and spacial dimensions.

The dialogues, the transitions, and the world building are the weakest points of the story. The high level concept is what's slightly better.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC! I originally chose not to give feedback because the writing was so difficult to read but I finally gave it one last try and….I could at least understand what the author was trying to do with the story. I did like that it was easy to tell the different characters apart. I feel it was a bit too rushed and cause the story to lose the potential I expected it to have.

This is a short, fast-paced fictional story that gives a different take into the next world. The characters are unique, and each one has their own specific voice. Their memories come into play and affect how they interact with each other. Details are given that fill out the story and enrich the setting.

Thank you for netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the ARC I read.

This being a short story and all, you really just dive right in to the story. So it can be a little like a puzzle, reading it and figuring out what is going on and what the author is trying to do. It was beautifully written and the ideas of the afterlife were really interesting to explore. An enjoyable read that makes me curious about this author’s longer works.

I was very surprised when this finished so quickly. The premise was sound and it had a lot of potential for a decent full length book. It left me wanting more though. Just as the characters were becoming people to me it ended and didn't go anywhere.

As I've already said I would be very interested in reading this if it were a full length novel but I felt it just didn't work as a short story.

What originally drew me to this short story was the title and the cover. I appreciated the mentions of collective consciousness, reincarnation, and entanglement, although I think these thematic elements may be lost on readers who do not already know and breathe these concepts. I absolutely love when a story ties itself together and these characters all being linked in the end was great!

I didn't realize going into it that it was such a short one. Interesting concept and I didn't struggle to read it because it was so fast paced but I think it could have been longer to explain more what was going on. Too many off the wall ideas left unexplained to where it became confusing.

A strange, complicated short story. I think it tried to do too much and ended up being confusing because of how much it jumped around.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

This was an intriguing little short story. The p.o.v.s were neatly woven together, and the imagery was vivid. I can't wait to read more from Jack Chaucer!

out of 5 stars, i give this short story 4! it was interesting and uplifting, i could see the potential of it being a full blown story, i think ill be keeping an eye out for more by this author. Thank you for letting me read this!

The premise of a universal consciousness in the afterlife was very interesting, but the execution felt a bit disjointed. The reader is pulled from perspective to perspective without ever feeling satisfied. I felt quite uncomfortable by the pressure the Ukrainian character was under to feel more empathic. However, I do think the ideas and questions posed by this story were thought provoking.

As humans I think the afterlife is something we are naturally curious about, so I was interested in this topic and liked where it was going. I just wanted more. I wanted a little more information in the transitions. In a short read I felt the author was able to give just enough background on the characters based on little clues, like what they were doing when they died, who they were with, etc. I could see this all playing out in my mind as I read and I think it would be a great story to elaborate on. Enjoyable short story overall.