The Afterlife Club

by Jude Ryan

When twenty-five-year-old Madeleine Duffy wakes up after a terrifying cycling accident to hear she's the newest member of the Afterlife Club, Cyclists' Chapter, she's thinks it's a place more horrifying than hell itself. After all, the only reason she even hauled her bulk onto that torture machine every morning was the chance to see London's hottest cyclist (aka Corduroy Man) go by each day -- and maybe lose a few pounds in the process. Things get even worse when Madeleine discovers she's expected to get back on the bike to help protect the living from traffic doom. How can a woman whose life revolved around shopping and croissants be expected to change in death? But when Madeleine's own reluctance to let go results in disastrous consequences, she must decide: is she strong enough to fulfill the new role she's been given, or should she cling to the empty life she no longer lives? And now that she's dead, how in heaven's name is she ever going to attract Corduroy Man?

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

214 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2011

About the author

Juggling a full-time job and a propensity to eat anything within reach, Jude Ryan writes fun, romantic fiction.

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the first few pages of this book I really wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it - the core idea of someone dying in an accident and then turning up in some celestial bicycle club just didn't sit well with me. However, I persevered and did enjoy the story of Madeleine, the reluctant cyclist who finds herself on a mission to save other cyclists from the fate that befell her. Woven into her story, we get to see how her parents are faring following her death, and also the life of the friendly "Corderoy Guy" who tried to save her.

The book had some dodgy plot holes - for example, would it be ethically right for a doctor to move in with the wife of one of his patients, regardless of the circumstances? I'd have thought not! I also felt that the characters of the other celestial bikers weren't especially well developed and could have been much stronger.

However, as a light read this was entertaining fun and the ending wasn't what I expected ( and still doesn't make much sense if I'm honest!)

[Bobbye Hudspeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange premise. I always find that exciting... to read something that's never been written before (if you know what I mean). To have the book be well-written on top of an interesting plot is a wonderful find indeed!

25-year-old Madeleine Duffy wakes up after a bicycling accident (being crushed to death between a bus and a concrete barrier) to find that she definitely isn't in heaven, but her surroundings aren't exactly what she expected to see in hell either. We find out that some bicyclists (and nobody, even the author apparently, knows who picks and chooses which ones and why) end up in the Afterlife Club where they are destined to spend eternity watching over living bicyclists who are traveling through the area where they themselves had met their demise. Madeleine isn't happy to have been plucked from her life, albeit a somewhat sad one with few friends and few things to show for 25 years on Earth, before she got to meet her secret crush "Cordrouy Man." She has watched "CM" for weeks, bicycling along the path she takes to work, but she's never had the courage to speak to him. After her accident, she gets to know him in a way she never expected. With twists and turns along the way, the ending is a happy surprise. A very nice "feel good" book to curl up with for a long winter evening.

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published: 06/05/2011
Author: Jude Ryan
Recommended for: fans of chick lit
Edition: Kindle

I saw this novel/novella on the Kindle store for free and so I thought that I would give it a try.

To be honest this isn't the best story I have read or anywhere near the best. I thought that the storyline of the book sounded really good and so I was looking forward to it. However it didn't manage to keep hold of my attention for very long at all, it was well written and Jude Ryan is clearly a talented author it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never been one to conform. I enjoyed thus book. It is what it is, if you're looking for a hidden moral or meaning, you're thinking about it too much and trying to turn it into something intellectual when its just run of the mill chick lit. Its never going to win awards it is just there for entertainment, if you stopped expecting so much you wouldn't be so disappointed. It took my mind off spreadsheets so I'm not complaining

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book, funny, refreshing and a little sad! However it was a nice short light read. The ending was the best!:).
Don't get the cover though, it has nothing to do with the book at all, and there was no romance whatsoever, which was a little let down..

[Luckngrace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't even explain it myself, but this book just creeped me out. Someone dies, goes to hell and is required to run a club having to do with the deaths of others. I just don't like to mess with God's territory, I guess.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free book from Amazon, and it was a nice read. I wish more had been done with the main character and her crush, but I guess that would have been stretching the premise a little too far... she was dead, after all. But, fun. I liked it.

[Elli (Kindig Blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Afterlife Club tells the story of Madeleine who wakes up after she has died to discover that she is now part of the Afterlife Club - Cyclists Division and now has to protect other cyclists from meeting the same fate as her...

This story is definitely a very different and interesting premise which makes for a unique plot. It's very easy to read - Madeleine's narrative flows well and the changes in perspective to Ryan which happen towards the middle is a nice touch to keep the story fresh. I had a couple of issues with the way the afterlife was portrayed however, just things like Madeleine picking up and interacting with objects in the world - she knocks over flower buckets causing a mess in the street, picks up a medical chart in a room full of people (wouldn't it float?) and then there are places where she can't connect with things at all. She also eats a piece of chocolate and is able to spit it out as it becomes a 'gooey mess' which was rather confusing. The story was quite heart-warming at times though and the ending I thought was quite an interesting touch although makes the rest of the novel rather redundant!

Overall it was alright as a quick read but probably best not analysed too deeply!

[Adele Wharton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the concept of the post- mortem journey of self discovery for the main character. In that respect it was a good, entertaining read.
That said, the editing is awful! The typos and other errors become more frequent towards the end, and the end itself I found very disappointing, it felt like a huge cop-out. Unfortunately I saw it coming and found myself hoping I was wrong about how it was going to end, but sadly I wasn't. Both those things gave the impression that the author had lost interest towards the end, which is a shame, because it could have been really good.

[Michelle Seckinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the parts about Ryan. Couldn't stand the parts about Madeline

[Myria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept

This book was an easy read with an interesting idea: that how we die becomes our job in the afterlife.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was worried it was going to be 'all a dream' esq. And it was.

[Sam Burborough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book, good twist at the end

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE AFTERLIFE CLUB
Jude Ryan
e-book
Kindle: 429 KB Print Length: 196 pages
Publisher: Chelsea Square (May 6, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Freebie in Jan. 2012

When twenty-five-year-old Madeleine Duffy wakes up after a terrifying cycling accident to hear she's the newest member of the Afterlife Club, Cyclists' Chapter, she's thinks it's a place more horrifying than hell itself. After all, the only reason she even hauled her bulk onto that torture machine every morning was the chance to see London's hottest cyclist (aka Corduroy Man) go by each day -- and maybe lose a few pounds in the process. Things get even worse when Madeleine discovers she's expected to get back on the bike to help protect the living from traffic doom. How can a woman whose life revolved around shopping and croissants be expected to change in death? But when Madeleine's own reluctance to let go results in disastrous consequences, she must decide: is she strong enough to fulfill the new role she's been given, or should she cling to the empty life she no longer lives? And now that she's dead, how in heaven's name is she ever going to attract Corduroy Man?
The Afterlife Club Page at Amazon.com

With a deep concept uncharacteristic to the genre and voice, this story is a slow moving STEAMBATH (1973 TV adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman's off-Broadway play) meets IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE meets a piece of light chick lit. While it was occasionally moving, I felt no good reason to care for Madeleine, she is selfish and stuck in a rather uncomfortable comfort zone. I felt sorry for the one's left behind and the Corduroy Jacket man she longs to meet. But, in death she learns the meaning of life. The ending was almost a non sequitur―abrupt and unexplained. The first two-thirds of the book is slow; I imagined myself dying before anything significant happens. About then, the foreshadowed and expected meeting of the story arcs happens.

There are a lot, A LOT of typos, characters' names changing, misspellings etc. It is listed as having a publisher who I am unable to locate, but it is inexcusable that this many errors made it to the reader's page, especially now that is priced and not free.

The British chick-lit voice and characters are pleasant enough, the characters are even well-developed, but the pace and the errata took away, and the concept, life/death/existential crisis was deeper than the story. If it were a bit less fluffy, the concept might meet the story but as it stands it feels off-balance.

And, I can't believe I remembered a TV movie from 1973, including the actress who was in it.



ORIGINAL POST: Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust on April 22, 2012

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, the cover of this book doesn't make any sense.

Second, even though I didn't like it, the book was very descriptive and had well developed characters. It was so descriptive that I absolutely HATED the main character. I suppose this is an accurate description of how some people are; she is CONSTANTLY making the SAME mistake, which is seriously frustrating, but there was almost no character growth (despite reassurances from her that there was) until literally the last pages of the book. The main character is a spoiled, self-pitying liar who absolutely refuses to take responsibility for anything in her life. I could go on and on about how annoying her character is, but I don't want to suffer through that again.

Third, the book is an interesting commentary on the function of the stay at home, helicopter mom who won't let her kid do anything on her own. Not only has she raised a completely reliant 25 year old who doesn't appreciate anything and demands being treated like the center of the universe, her lack of care towards longevity nearly killed her husband.

***SPOILER AHEAD***

Lastly, I did like the weaving of the two stories, however I think things fell into place much too easily (Ryan and Helen). So, despite how realistic the rest of the book was in it's portrayal of the Duffy family, the punishment of the lorry driver, Ryan and Christine's marriage, it utterly failed me when Ryan and Zoe simply moved in with Helen. Isn't there some kind of law against a doctor moving in with his patient's wife? Anyhow, the concept of the Afterlife Club was interesting, but that's about it.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this book sometime ago, so couldn't exactly remember what the premise of the book was! I chose this to read as a part of my GR March reading challenge (this fulfilled the A).

Anyhoo...the cover above does not match the story at all. I believe several other people on GR have commented the same.

The story is based on a young adult getting hit and "killed" by a lorry driver while cycling in London - and the "Afterlife" club she then becomes a part of. I found the book humerous in many points as the character was written in a quirky and funny way. However, somewhere half way through the book it turned rather serious, more specifically with Ryan and Zoe being left by wife/mother. I was a bit taken aback by the switch, however in the end I could see the tie - and the author did bring it full circle. HOWEVER, I the only criticism I have of this book is the ending. It was all a bit silly and made the book even sillier. I would have been content with Maddie 'disappearing' following her save of Ryan, but bringing her back to life - like it had all been a dream - was a bit far fetched. I think it took away from the story significantly. Or perhaps it's just me and my wish for some realism in this funny fictional, but serious theme (cycling safely in London) theme.

With all of that said I did enjoy the book and found that I did not want to put it down because I wanted to know what happen next! It was a easy read and didn't think too much thinking! So was nice to read after a long day at work.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just finished several very dark, horror books, I was looking for something lighter to read and came upon The Afterlife Club, which was labeled a romantic comedy. It was mislabeled. There was little comedy and the majority of the story bordered on the depressing. I did like the premise of the book, the story line was interesting and moved along well, though the author did fail to develop some of the characters and situations introduced within the story line. My biggest complaint, however, is that the climax and resolution all occur within the last three pages of the book. There is all this build-up and then everything finishes in 3 seconds! I keep running into this type of plot structure and it makes me crazy!! Let us readers savor some of the resolution - make it last a little longer! Also, the ending was too obscure for me - I don't mind a "mystery" ending, but the author usually leaves some base from which to imagine what happens next.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't crazy about this book as it started out. I was annoyed with the characters, the way the main character whined, the way the other characters treated her, and the fact that she never stood up for herself, and told them to "back off!" I guess that was part of the story line, but it just made me pissed at everyone. Then the story made a bit of progress, and I started to enjoy some of the character development and the way different parts of the plot began to intertwine. Suddenly, it was just over. No real explanation of what had been going on or what happened with any characters other than the main character. Not my idea of good ending. If the different aspects of the story had had more explanation/wrap up, I probably would have enjoyed this story a lot more.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brainless, quasi-entertaining read I picked up after finishing a heavier biography. It did okay for itself, despite the whiny, self-loathing protagonist - right up until the last page. Where all the interesting things about the book and all the questions you developed about relationships, the setting, the resolution - disappeared. It almost felt like the author was just... done writing, and didn't want to be bothered to come up with a well-rounded, well-fitting completion to the story they had dreamed up. It was promptly deleted off my Kindle.

[Kat Kole]

I cannot believe this book was given a "Romantic Comedy" tag line behind its title on Kindle version. There was no "romance" to speak of, nor anything laugh worthy. It doesn't hold any of the cheekiness one might anticipate from reading the synopsis, don't be fooled.
On the positive, it was easy to read, the story (while much heavier than expected) flowed well & kept its pace.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started well... but I kept thinking where is this going?

The character name should have been a clue... 'Duffy' - as in Patrick... famous for that shower scene in Dallas where the whole previous series turned out to be a dream.

That's kind of like this book. At the end the whole thing never happened.

ARGH!

There was a bit of a moral to the story I guess, but that is about all I could take away from it.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this for free on my Kindle and it kind of ended up being a "you get what you pay for" kind of deal. I really didn't like the main character. I kept waiting for her to stop whining and being selfish and superficial but it never really happened. I liked some of the secondary characters (The Professor, Dr. Killam, Madeline's mother) but I never could bring myself to like Madeline. I did find that the story was an interesting concept and I didn't see the end coming.

[Karrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled with finishing this book and to be honest relieved when I did so I could get on and read another ok.

The concept of the book would of been good. I found that I wanted to jump the parts about Madelein being in the after life club and to read the parts about Ryan and Zoe life.

Not to spoil the ending but can anyone explain it

I will read another of Jude Ryan's book just to see if any are better then this one

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Freebie off kindle. At first wasn't too sure about this, but then got into it and really enjoyed it to a point. Two parallel stories moving on together and getting linked more and more but the ending was so annoying. As other reviewers have said it was as if the writer just wanted to stop. Completely ridiculous ending which has left me feeling cross!! Glad I didn't pay for it. Just as an aside the cover I as did have a bike on it!

[Lianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty obvious that this is meant to be an easy to read, light-hearted book, so I found it easy to ignore a few oddities in the plot and just enjoy the story. The idea behind it is a bit different and certainly grabbed my attention, but ultimately while I enjoyed the book, it could have been so much better, and it was a very, very unsatisfactory ending (abrupt and felt as if the author ran out of ideas and just wanted it finished).

[Karen Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

#27 - The cover does not reflect the story at all. The text itself had a number of typos. And that, folks, are my only complaints. A very fresh story idea, totally quirky and kind of ridiculous, but followed up with great characters and meaning without a hint of preachiness. I predicted the ending, but even when I got there the goosebumps were so overwhelming to my skin it was painful. I can't wait to find another story with as much emotional impact!

[Rainey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Read on a rainy day.

[Heidi Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best way to describe this book: City of Angels, the Cyclist Edition. Good read, if not a bit predictable.

[Kate Callahan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't bother

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was too much language in this book. Other than that, I enjoyed the plot.