Don't Fear the Reaper

After the death of her twin sister Keely Morrison has sank further and further into a depression and now has decided that suicide is her only way out and a chance to reunite with her sister. Keely finds herself in the bathtub when a man appears and Keely thinks that he has saved her until he parents come home. Then she learns that her attempt was a success as she watches her parents grieve over her body.

Keely finds that the man she thought saved her life is actually a reaper and now Keely is trapped in a netherworld on Earth. Her hope of finding her sister and seeking revenge on her murderer has Keely in an in between state fighting for her soul and her sister to find peace or spend eternity in hell.

Don’t Fear the Reaper was an OK story of what could happen in the afterlife but I felt that it really didn’t wow me with originality either. I’ve read others that are very similar to this one and while there are some interesting things tossed in to explain Keely and her depression and the overall plot was enjoyable enough it did seem to be a bit predictable.

I think for me what could have been done a bit better is Keely’s interactions with Banning and Daniel. Her situation gets slowly explained with these two seeming to have the answers but just not being forthcoming which made the story drag along where I would prefer there just be more action happening.

Overall, an OK read, good writing just not much to stand out as new and original to have me extremely excited in this read.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was warned. The story starts out with a girl attempting to commit suicide, to join her twin sister in death. The writing is very good and takes the reader into the character's mindset in a way that someone who hasn't been depressed normally wouldn't experience. The transition when she begins to realize she doesn't really want to do this is remarkable and I think would serve as a good warning for anyone who has ever contemplated suicide. Most people do change their minds when it gets too real, though for some it's too late by then.

The one thing I couldn't reconcile was disincarnate spirits having tears, letting out breath and bleeding when they don't eat or have other physical characteristics. Feeling pain might have worked on its own but too many living attributes hampered the believability.

Despite this, there was some real originality in the events and I found the story an enjoyable read. I did guess the twist at the end by halfway through, but I tend to pick up easily on the slightest hint of foreshadowing. Towards the end some of the fast action lost me a little, but overall I thought it was a good story and a well-written, enjoyable read.

This story about a girl who commits suicide to be with her sister and is confined to earth has a very disturbing premise. What is missing from her post-death adventure is any sense of the devastation that she leaves behind. Trapped in the netherworld she must find a way to get to her sister. Although the story isnt bad I was really upset by the ghastly opener and it certainly made me feel differently about the book.
it rather self-obsessed with plenty of the me,me me about it.
The concept is interesting but i couldn't warm to it.