Another Life

I usually stay awake till two in the morning anxiously reading a science fiction, fantasy, or weirdly disturbing book before compiling an immediate review about it – my thoughts and emotions still fresh. This time there’s going to be an exception because I won’t be doing a wild review about any of these genres (obviously) but if you enjoy reading something that tortures your soul and creates a yearning for something tender then by all means, read on.

Ignoring sleep-deprivation and a slow headache as I type this, Another Life is an incredibly joyful, heart-warming, and gut-wrenching piece of literature. I congratulate the author for his incredible level of observation and dedication to have written a book that focuses so intently on the fragile seams of relationships that I could effortlessly put myself in any of their situations and experience their fears, worries, doubts, insecurities, joys, and hurt.

On principle I don’t make a habit of reading these kinds of books, and not for any prejudice or to avoid falling in that gap of ‘mainstream reads’. Monsters, the unknown, space, science, violence, witty dialogue, expansive worlds – these are my daily bread and butter. Sometimes, it’s a staple for a good mental health – I’d like to believe – but you can always do with some salt, something that stabs you and plays with the strings of those heart muscles.

These rare and enjoyable books, of this particular caliber, remind me what it feels like to be human. I know deliberately stubbing my toe against the coach will yield the exact same emotions but I often prefer to read something that makes me cry – on the inside.

Tears and beard balm don’t go that well together.

As per usual, no spoilers, but just enough to get your fingers itching: already having mentioned what a great job Haller does at focusing the emotional landscape and leading us through the kaleidoscope of endless ups and downs that comes with it, there is another thing he excels at which had me intrigued and that is how the characters interact with each other, the world around them, and how their thoughts are effortlessly translated for the reader to interpret however they desire. There’s a lot of Christianity within the novel and with the turn of events, Haller expertly not uses it as a simple prop like a science fiction writer would use a planet or a ship, but this prop serves a function which is almost a double-edged sword; is it good? Is it bad? Can there be any gray areas in-between? Take this concept and add youthful ignorance, uncertainty, and identity into the mix and guess what; you get Another Life.

Poetic ~ Humorous ~ Subtle

tl;dr: As if Vacation Bible School conformed to our stereotypes of band camp.

Haller writes a story about the complicated truths people find when in close quarters and forced to think about faith. These kids do many of the things teens do (or hope to do) including, though not limited to, kissing, gossips, flirting, and considering their own existence. While the summer camp trope is a common one, Haller offers a sublty deep voice to the field. His voice is empathetic and poetic. No character is given short-shrift, making this a satisfying read for all. I will point out that VBS or VBC is not part of my faith, so I don't know how a Christian might feel about this book. I found the book respectful of all from the faulty faithed folks to the religious ones.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC.

I wanted to step out of my comfort zone with books and maybe open a new door up. So when I saw this book, it sounded interesting and it was filled with lots of Christianity (which I tend to stay away from)

I was not prepared for the emotion that came with it. I was not prepared for how much I would LOVE this book and the characters. Nor was I prepared for how much I would love the authors words and writing style. There are a lot of characters, but surprisingly enough, I liked every single character!

I'm pretty happy I stepped out of my comfort zone with this book.

This probably best suited to the upper end of the YA crowd. It's the story of five people in a small town over one summer- and it's centered on Vacation Bible School. Paul, April, Laura, Deshawn, and Benjamin are all struggling with something different- each has a topical issue lurking in their lives. Lots of secrets and some lies. Haller's MFA shows in the writing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of coming of age stories.

New author for me but pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the approval and look forward to a book relationship with other reads in the future,