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The Next Thing I Knew
When Lucy Morgan drops dead along with everyone else on Earth she refuses to take death lying down even if, technically, her corpse is.
She drags her ghostly social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife. More importantly, they want to discover who or what killed everyone and why the heck anyone would do such a mean thing.
But what they discover changes everything. And if they can't figure out how to put their newfound ghostly powers to work, humanity will be extinct for good.
She drags her ghostly social life back from the grave and enlists her friends to figure out the rules of the afterlife. More importantly, they want to discover who or what killed everyone and why the heck anyone would do such a mean thing.
But what they discover changes everything. And if they can't figure out how to put their newfound ghostly powers to work, humanity will be extinct for good.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2011
11 people are currently reading
1193 people want to read
About the author
John Corwin
81 books546 followersJohn Corwin is the bestselling author of the Overworld Chronicles.
He enjoys long walks on the beach and is a firm believer in puppies and kittens.
After years of getting into trouble thanks to his overactive imagination, John abandoned his male modeling career to write books.
He resides in Atlanta.
He enjoys long walks on the beach and is a firm believer in puppies and kittens.
After years of getting into trouble thanks to his overactive imagination, John abandoned his male modeling career to write books.
He resides in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 29, 2011
Well now...
What an odd funny little book.
I am really glad I finished it, I came very close a couple of times to putting it down. The only reason I probably didn’t is my OCD and my inability to let things go. But I really am glad I finished it!
Lucy is a typical teenager except she is dead, right off the bat John Corwin kills most of his characters. They. Are. All. Dead. LOL! So the book is about their afterlife and discovering what killed them. Can’t say I ever read another story like this before. I don’t read science fiction and thought through the first half of the book that this story was not for me, but somehow Corwin sucks you in with his characters eccentricities.
I liked how well he blended modern dialog and terminology into the story without sounding like an old guy trying to sound hip. That being said I do think Mr. Corwin needs a little more insight as to how a teenage girls mind works if he is going to write from their perspective. I would suggest to the author to attend a Justin Bieber concert followed by a midnight showing of breaking dawn and why don’t you just round out the night with some all night “boy talk” ;-)
Overall it was a fun read! Thank you to the brave John Corwin for offering his work up for review and to the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Group on goodreads!
What an odd funny little book.
I am really glad I finished it, I came very close a couple of times to putting it down. The only reason I probably didn’t is my OCD and my inability to let things go. But I really am glad I finished it!
Lucy is a typical teenager except she is dead, right off the bat John Corwin kills most of his characters. They. Are. All. Dead. LOL! So the book is about their afterlife and discovering what killed them. Can’t say I ever read another story like this before. I don’t read science fiction and thought through the first half of the book that this story was not for me, but somehow Corwin sucks you in with his characters eccentricities.
I liked how well he blended modern dialog and terminology into the story without sounding like an old guy trying to sound hip. That being said I do think Mr. Corwin needs a little more insight as to how a teenage girls mind works if he is going to write from their perspective. I would suggest to the author to attend a Justin Bieber concert followed by a midnight showing of breaking dawn and why don’t you just round out the night with some all night “boy talk” ;-)
Overall it was a fun read! Thank you to the brave John Corwin for offering his work up for review and to the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Group on goodreads!
November 25, 2011
I have to admit, the book ended in a far different place than the initial blurb. The Next Thing I Knew is a YA book, but does involve many adults themes. Betrayal, Murder, Death... Everyone has suddenly died as the book begins, but the journey only starts there. Once Lucy and others find themselves as ghosts, they begin to search for missing family and friends, learn to "live" without their usual physical forms, and search for the reason everyone was dead. Lucy learns about herself, blossoming into a true leader while finding her way in this new "world." From there... it takes an entirely different direction than I anticipated.
It was well written, the characters were diverse and human. All were genuine in their feelings of jealously, love, retribution... it really showed the range of human behavior, including first love and fanaticism. Seemingly benign characters turn out far different than their initial impressions.
One of the few complaints I had about this book, was the feeling of "missing time". I would read a paragraph, and by the end of it need to re-read it because surely that much could not have happened in one single paragraph. But it had... it felt like many things were just barely scratched across the surface, but I wanted more details of all the events. I wished for more detail in several key events.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone interested in Ghost/Apocalypse (End of the World)/Science Fiction.
It was well written, the characters were diverse and human. All were genuine in their feelings of jealously, love, retribution... it really showed the range of human behavior, including first love and fanaticism. Seemingly benign characters turn out far different than their initial impressions.
One of the few complaints I had about this book, was the feeling of "missing time". I would read a paragraph, and by the end of it need to re-read it because surely that much could not have happened in one single paragraph. But it had... it felt like many things were just barely scratched across the surface, but I wanted more details of all the events. I wished for more detail in several key events.
Overall, I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone interested in Ghost/Apocalypse (End of the World)/Science Fiction.
November 29, 2011
I got this book to read and review from Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy Fanatics and I loved almost every second of the time I spent reading it! The length, the story, the characters-everything was amazing. The few problems I had with it:
one of the villains/double crossing asshole turned out to be Asian. Maybe I'm making too big a deal outta it but I didn't like it.
the recurring problem I have with books when characters who are supposed to be smart fail to recognize a troublemaker-Harb in this case-it annoys me to no end. It seems unrealistic for people to not be suspicious of such a character.
I loved the humor in the book too. I can't wait to read the sequel.
I just have one request for John-I don't care about Chris (cuz I'm sure Nick can be pretty persuasive) but can we have Nibbles back?
one of the villains/double crossing asshole turned out to be Asian. Maybe I'm making too big a deal outta it but I didn't like it.
the recurring problem I have with books when characters who are supposed to be smart fail to recognize a troublemaker-Harb in this case-it annoys me to no end. It seems unrealistic for people to not be suspicious of such a character.
I loved the humor in the book too. I can't wait to read the sequel.
I just have one request for John-I don't care about Chris (cuz I'm sure Nick can be pretty persuasive) but can we have Nibbles back?
November 13, 2011
This book begins with us meeting Lucy, the main character, who happens to have just died…like everyone else on Earth. Lucy is your typical teenage girl, or ghost as the case may be. Through the book Lucy is struggling with figuring out the technicalities of her new "life", as well as struggling with her first love and subsequently her first heartbreak. She is an outgoing, likable character and soon becomes the unwilling leader of a group of people who are trying to figure out what happened to the people of Earth and stop even more destruction from happening. This is especially hard for Lucy because she does not see herself as a leader and has little to no confidence in her own abilities.
What I liked about this book:
1) The characters. I love a book where the author is able to "humanize" the characters and make them real. I thought the characters in this book were well developed. The author has given them enough background and emotion that they are fun to read about.
2) The humor. More than a few times while reading this book I actually laughed out loud. I really enjoy John Corwin's writing style.
3) The twists in plot. My favorite type of book is one that keeps you guessing. There is nothing more disappointing while reading a book than thinking you have everything figured out halfway through just to finish the book and find out you were right. No problems like that with this book. I had no idea what was coming, and when I did make a guess, I was usually wrong! I did not want to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next!
I am really hoping this is a first in a series because, even though the book wrapped up nicely, I was left with quite a few unanswered questions at the end. You know a book was worth reading when you do not want it to end!!
What I liked about this book:
1) The characters. I love a book where the author is able to "humanize" the characters and make them real. I thought the characters in this book were well developed. The author has given them enough background and emotion that they are fun to read about.
2) The humor. More than a few times while reading this book I actually laughed out loud. I really enjoy John Corwin's writing style.
3) The twists in plot. My favorite type of book is one that keeps you guessing. There is nothing more disappointing while reading a book than thinking you have everything figured out halfway through just to finish the book and find out you were right. No problems like that with this book. I had no idea what was coming, and when I did make a guess, I was usually wrong! I did not want to put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen next!
I am really hoping this is a first in a series because, even though the book wrapped up nicely, I was left with quite a few unanswered questions at the end. You know a book was worth reading when you do not want it to end!!
November 21, 2011
The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin
This book starts off with the main character Lucy waking up and realizing that she is dead; it appears she is a ghost. She start to wonder around her house her neighbourhood meets up with a friend who also confirms that yes everyone is dead. The Apocalypse must have happened.
In her travels Lucy finds her friends, family members, neighbours and even the boy she has a crush on. With nothing to do, no time limits, no school, iPods, facebook etc. Lucy and her friends start to explore the realm they all appear to be on, but is it heaven or someplace in between? They can move around from their realm to earth to outer space they can pretty much do what they want. In all of their exploring they end up finding small things and realize they need to figure out what happened to cause everyone on earth to die. The story is filled with alien’s, ghosts, space travel, a deadly virus and of course a love story.
The Next Thing I Knew is well written and the author adds humour to make it even a better read, I would say this book is more of a YA Science Fiction then a YA Paranormal book. It is a great read and what I really liked about this book is that it was different something new and fresh. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book, I can see how this story can lead into more books in this series and I can’t wait to see what John Corwin comes out with next.
This book starts off with the main character Lucy waking up and realizing that she is dead; it appears she is a ghost. She start to wonder around her house her neighbourhood meets up with a friend who also confirms that yes everyone is dead. The Apocalypse must have happened.
In her travels Lucy finds her friends, family members, neighbours and even the boy she has a crush on. With nothing to do, no time limits, no school, iPods, facebook etc. Lucy and her friends start to explore the realm they all appear to be on, but is it heaven or someplace in between? They can move around from their realm to earth to outer space they can pretty much do what they want. In all of their exploring they end up finding small things and realize they need to figure out what happened to cause everyone on earth to die. The story is filled with alien’s, ghosts, space travel, a deadly virus and of course a love story.
The Next Thing I Knew is well written and the author adds humour to make it even a better read, I would say this book is more of a YA Science Fiction then a YA Paranormal book. It is a great read and what I really liked about this book is that it was different something new and fresh. I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this book, I can see how this story can lead into more books in this series and I can’t wait to see what John Corwin comes out with next.
June 27, 2016
**A copy of this book was provided to me by R2R: Read to Review. Thanks for letting me participate!**
1.5 STARS
-Warning: This review contains spoilers-
The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin is definitely an interesting book. Though there were some things that really bothered me:
1. The Religious Aspects:
Just to let you all know, I'm agnostic, but I'm very open-minded and I think its important to respect what other people believe in. Now given that everyone dies in the beginning of the book and are transported to some type of afterlife they call "Heavenly," there is bound to be a little religion that comes into play. I don't have any problems with religion in a book, as long as it isn't being either overly preachy, or outright slandered. This story falls into the latter category. There were some comments, and even scenes, that were very disrespectful to the Christian religion, and I was actually very shocked by how everyone of that faith was portrayed as evil or crazy. I get the points that Lucy, the MC, tries to make by saying how upset she is that Ms. Tate and other people of the church look down on her and her family for being agnostic/atheist. I know what this is like, to be told what I believe is wrong or unholy. But even if I humbly disagree with some of the ideas of certain belief systems, I would never, ever, go out of my way to disrespect them. Everyone has a right to what they believe in.
Some quotes:
"Ms. Tate organized religious gatherings. The number of people that showed up to hear her ramble on about a book she could never again pick up in her ghostly hands creeped me out. More than anything, though, people wanted to ask questions and figure out how everything related to the big picture, the biblical end of days. I wanted them to go find something productive to do, like stamp the words "Epic Fail" on their foreheads and crawl back into their holes."
---
"Are you crazy?" I yelled at her. "They're aliens, not angels of God."
Ms. Tate glared at me. "I know you, Lucy Morgan. Your parents never took you to church. They've doomed your soul to an eternity of damnation."
"Bull," Kyle said swatting his arm through the air. "If being dead in this place isn't enough to convince you that your religion is full of dog turds, then you've got problems,lady. We need to figure out a way to stop these octo-bastards before we're all really dead."
"You're doomed, Kyle Jones. Your mother is a good woman, but you're a little demon child. I know you're the one who killed my pansies last year."
"What are you talking about?" he said.
"It's Hell for you, child. Hell!"
"You stupid witch."
---
They didn't even have religion bogging them down.
---
Aside from those reserved groups of religious people who were still waiting on their god or the Flying Spaghetti Monster to save them, people began to experiment with insane possibilities.
---
2. The Romance:
The romance in this book honestly didn’t feel that real or developed at all. Lucy apparently had a crush on some hot jock guy named Chris before she died, but they didn’t really interact with each other. When she meets him again in Heavenly, it’s insta-love on both sides. No development whatsoever. She gets all fluttery about his hotness when she sees him again in chapter 3, and by the end of that chapter they’ve already kissed. Then in chapter 4 they talk about having sex but she says she isn’t ready. Chapters 5-6 Lucy disappears to stalk some other guy Nick she found that’s still alive. Chapter 7, Chris and Lucy argue more about having sex until she finally agrees to “get it over with.” So they do. Multiple times. But by chapter 12 her and Chris have a childish argument where she finally admits she has feelings for the other guy, Nick, who thinks he’s going insane because he senses her presence but can’t even see her.
…the heck?
3. Characters and Plot-Pacing:
a) I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters in this book, but I will say I liked the diversity in personalities. My problem lies with the fact that most of them were either underdeveloped, extremely immature, annoying, or all three. Lucy is all of the above. Her best friend Kyle isn’t very supportive of her, like when she’s feeling down he tells her to stop being so melodramatic and not feel sorry for herself (wahhh, so no hugs Kyle? ]’:). Chris, well, he’s just a hot piece of fluff really.
b) The pacing of this book is fast, but that’s not my problem. My problem is that the sense of time passing was not very clear. Things are happening so fast with every chapter, it feels like everything is happening within a few days. If I hadn’t been told otherwise, I would have thought this book stretched a span of about 3 days. Every once in a while there would be a little comment that would mention how much time had gone by, but not all the time and not placed very well. Like I remember one time, Chris mentioned a conversation he and Lucy had “Several months ago,” and up until he said that I had thought that very same conversation had happened not but a day ago.
-
Alright, enough with the cons. Was there anything I liked?
Yes. I think John Corwin has much potential as a writer. The Next Thing I Knew had some very interesting and original ideas that are needed in the often dry, formulaic world of today’s YA books. I really enjoyed the overall concepts in this book and found some of them entertaining. Corwin can also be very humorous; I found myself laughing several times. Will I read the sequel? Perhaps. This book had some plot holes and a few threads left untied, so maybe I’ll check out the sequel to find out what happens.
1.5 STARS
-Warning: This review contains spoilers-
The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin is definitely an interesting book. Though there were some things that really bothered me:
1. The Religious Aspects:
Just to let you all know, I'm agnostic, but I'm very open-minded and I think its important to respect what other people believe in. Now given that everyone dies in the beginning of the book and are transported to some type of afterlife they call "Heavenly," there is bound to be a little religion that comes into play. I don't have any problems with religion in a book, as long as it isn't being either overly preachy, or outright slandered. This story falls into the latter category. There were some comments, and even scenes, that were very disrespectful to the Christian religion, and I was actually very shocked by how everyone of that faith was portrayed as evil or crazy. I get the points that Lucy, the MC, tries to make by saying how upset she is that Ms. Tate and other people of the church look down on her and her family for being agnostic/atheist. I know what this is like, to be told what I believe is wrong or unholy. But even if I humbly disagree with some of the ideas of certain belief systems, I would never, ever, go out of my way to disrespect them. Everyone has a right to what they believe in.
Some quotes:
"Ms. Tate organized religious gatherings. The number of people that showed up to hear her ramble on about a book she could never again pick up in her ghostly hands creeped me out. More than anything, though, people wanted to ask questions and figure out how everything related to the big picture, the biblical end of days. I wanted them to go find something productive to do, like stamp the words "Epic Fail" on their foreheads and crawl back into their holes."
---
"Are you crazy?" I yelled at her. "They're aliens, not angels of God."
Ms. Tate glared at me. "I know you, Lucy Morgan. Your parents never took you to church. They've doomed your soul to an eternity of damnation."
"Bull," Kyle said swatting his arm through the air. "If being dead in this place isn't enough to convince you that your religion is full of dog turds, then you've got problems,lady. We need to figure out a way to stop these octo-bastards before we're all really dead."
"You're doomed, Kyle Jones. Your mother is a good woman, but you're a little demon child. I know you're the one who killed my pansies last year."
"What are you talking about?" he said.
"It's Hell for you, child. Hell!"
"You stupid witch."
---
They didn't even have religion bogging them down.
---
Aside from those reserved groups of religious people who were still waiting on their god or the Flying Spaghetti Monster to save them, people began to experiment with insane possibilities.
---
2. The Romance:
The romance in this book honestly didn’t feel that real or developed at all. Lucy apparently had a crush on some hot jock guy named Chris before she died, but they didn’t really interact with each other. When she meets him again in Heavenly, it’s insta-love on both sides. No development whatsoever. She gets all fluttery about his hotness when she sees him again in chapter 3, and by the end of that chapter they’ve already kissed. Then in chapter 4 they talk about having sex but she says she isn’t ready. Chapters 5-6 Lucy disappears to stalk some other guy Nick she found that’s still alive. Chapter 7, Chris and Lucy argue more about having sex until she finally agrees to “get it over with.” So they do. Multiple times. But by chapter 12 her and Chris have a childish argument where she finally admits she has feelings for the other guy, Nick, who thinks he’s going insane because he senses her presence but can’t even see her.
…the heck?
3. Characters and Plot-Pacing:
a) I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters in this book, but I will say I liked the diversity in personalities. My problem lies with the fact that most of them were either underdeveloped, extremely immature, annoying, or all three. Lucy is all of the above. Her best friend Kyle isn’t very supportive of her, like when she’s feeling down he tells her to stop being so melodramatic and not feel sorry for herself (wahhh, so no hugs Kyle? ]’:). Chris, well, he’s just a hot piece of fluff really.
b) The pacing of this book is fast, but that’s not my problem. My problem is that the sense of time passing was not very clear. Things are happening so fast with every chapter, it feels like everything is happening within a few days. If I hadn’t been told otherwise, I would have thought this book stretched a span of about 3 days. Every once in a while there would be a little comment that would mention how much time had gone by, but not all the time and not placed very well. Like I remember one time, Chris mentioned a conversation he and Lucy had “Several months ago,” and up until he said that I had thought that very same conversation had happened not but a day ago.
-
Alright, enough with the cons. Was there anything I liked?
Yes. I think John Corwin has much potential as a writer. The Next Thing I Knew had some very interesting and original ideas that are needed in the often dry, formulaic world of today’s YA books. I really enjoyed the overall concepts in this book and found some of them entertaining. Corwin can also be very humorous; I found myself laughing several times. Will I read the sequel? Perhaps. This book had some plot holes and a few threads left untied, so maybe I’ll check out the sequel to find out what happens.
November 30, 2011
Boy oh boy..
I really don't know what to say about this.
Lucy is dead. Her family and friends are dead. Could it be the whole human race is extinct?
They are ghosts. They can wonder freely and fly all over Earth, even Venus and Pluto.
Yeap, you heard well!
I must say I have never been so confused while reading a book. Usually from the very beginning I know what to expect, whether the book will be about vampires, ghosts, teenagers, etc...etc.
But this book just kept swirling me round and round.
Is it a young adult book? Or a dystopian,paranormal..science fiction?
I really can't say. Better to say ALL of it in one package.
I do appreciate the effort Mr Corwin has went into creating an unique story and all that mixture of genres, but unfortunately it's not my cup of tea.
I am not saying it's a bad book, but it's definitely not a book for me.
I do love books that will intrigue me, but this one did confuse me a lot, and that's the main reason for the poor rating.
However, despite the poor rating I am giving this book, I must say Mr Corwin sure has a vivid imagination and this is truly an original story. I know people around here read the reviews and that helps them decide which book to put on their TBR list, but don't let my review stop you from reading this book. If you're into science fiction and aliens, do check it out.
I really don't know what to say about this.
Lucy is dead. Her family and friends are dead. Could it be the whole human race is extinct?
They are ghosts. They can wonder freely and fly all over Earth, even Venus and Pluto.
Yeap, you heard well!
I must say I have never been so confused while reading a book. Usually from the very beginning I know what to expect, whether the book will be about vampires, ghosts, teenagers, etc...etc.
But this book just kept swirling me round and round.
Is it a young adult book? Or a dystopian,paranormal..science fiction?
I really can't say. Better to say ALL of it in one package.
I do appreciate the effort Mr Corwin has went into creating an unique story and all that mixture of genres, but unfortunately it's not my cup of tea.
I am not saying it's a bad book, but it's definitely not a book for me.
I do love books that will intrigue me, but this one did confuse me a lot, and that's the main reason for the poor rating.
However, despite the poor rating I am giving this book, I must say Mr Corwin sure has a vivid imagination and this is truly an original story. I know people around here read the reviews and that helps them decide which book to put on their TBR list, but don't let my review stop you from reading this book. If you're into science fiction and aliens, do check it out.
April 9, 2013
deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile
December 1, 2011
I read just about anything, from fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, and even *gasp* a book with normal first-world problems in them. I have to say that I've never come across a book quite like this.
Originality and World-building: 5/5 stars
This is the first book I've read where everyone dies at the very beginning. Two sentences in, and everyone is dead. I loved it. The Ghosts vs Aliens aspect is also really cool. From the alien languages, to the different ways the aliens think, to the way Heavenly and aspects of ghostliness works, this novel offers an exceptional universe. I am in awe of Corwin's imagination and I can't wait to see what else comes out of it.
The current drek, especially in the paranormal romance department is so repetitive nowadays that it's very refreshing to see a paranormal novel take on the bland formulas and mix it up.
Romance: 2/5 stars
This was the weakest point of the novel and doesn't contribute. But I don't read books soley for the romance unlike a lot of my friends who love the Darkfever series, etc. where god-like men beat the crap out of mortal women or try to rape them and still the idiot women fall in love with them. Uh, really? So I found it no less plausible that Lucy had a huge crush on a football hunk and decided, hey, I'm dead, so I might as well go for it. Otherwise, there wasn't much romance aside from a non-explicit "sex scene". I did enjoy the touch of the dates Lucy and Chris went on--how's a picnic on the rings of Saturn suit you? Awesome! That was just cool enough to edge this part of the rating to a 2. LOL.
Plot and Pacing: 5/5 stars
This book moves fast. The only slow part I found was when they were figuring out their powers at the start. Then the pace quickens and I was sucked in, hook, line, and sinker, unable to put this book down until I'd finished it. It was so different from most other novels in this genre that plod along and even gloss over the action scenes unless it involves their love interest punching them in the stomach.
Writing: 5/5 stars
Corwin knows how to string sentences together. He's no poet but he reminds me a bit of Lee Child in the way his action scenes go. Details were vivid and fresh although in a couple of areas I think the book moves quickly from point A to B without explaining every detail in the middle. This is OK, but a few more details would be nice.
Thought: 5/5
While many books are simple page-turners, some books make you think. Hunger Games, Harry Potter, to name a couple. I'm fine with page-turners but it's nice to find books that offer food for thought. I'm a Christian and the minute Lucy described Ms. Tate, I thought--"I know people exactly like that!" They give Christianity a bad name and drive me crazy. In any religion, we'd call them zealots. Ms. Tate played on people's fears and manipulated them into following her somehow (although that isn't made clear) to the point where they seem to have changed the way Heavenly acts. I looooved the zombie-like descriptions of the inhabitants of Ms. Tate's church. It reminds me so much of people who claim to love God but really are just there for show. After reading some of the reviews here, I honestly thought I'd get my hackles up because some readers really took offense but it was one of my favorite aspects of the book.
I also thought the book makes you think about how beauty often disguises evil. The Shaval seem so lovely but have no regard for other sentient beings. Sometimes I think we humans act the same way towards each other and lifeforms on this planet.
Overall: 5/5 stars
I know you may wonder how I arrived at 5 stars when romance was a 2, but I don't average the scores. I think everyone is looking for something different in a novel and all I can say is I found what I was looking for and loved every minute of it.
Bottom Line:
If Romance is your only love, this book isn't for you.
If you're into only vampires or faeries, this book isn't for you.
If you loved the X-Files, you'll probably love this book.
If you enjoy deep, provocative Sci-Fi but like action, this book is for you.
Thanks so much to John Corwin for providing me with a copy of this book to review and for telling me about Goodreads! I rarely venture off Amazon but this website is pretty cool!
Originality and World-building: 5/5 stars
This is the first book I've read where everyone dies at the very beginning. Two sentences in, and everyone is dead. I loved it. The Ghosts vs Aliens aspect is also really cool. From the alien languages, to the different ways the aliens think, to the way Heavenly and aspects of ghostliness works, this novel offers an exceptional universe. I am in awe of Corwin's imagination and I can't wait to see what else comes out of it.
The current drek, especially in the paranormal romance department is so repetitive nowadays that it's very refreshing to see a paranormal novel take on the bland formulas and mix it up.
Romance: 2/5 stars
This was the weakest point of the novel and doesn't contribute. But I don't read books soley for the romance unlike a lot of my friends who love the Darkfever series, etc. where god-like men beat the crap out of mortal women or try to rape them and still the idiot women fall in love with them. Uh, really? So I found it no less plausible that Lucy had a huge crush on a football hunk and decided, hey, I'm dead, so I might as well go for it. Otherwise, there wasn't much romance aside from a non-explicit "sex scene". I did enjoy the touch of the dates Lucy and Chris went on--how's a picnic on the rings of Saturn suit you? Awesome! That was just cool enough to edge this part of the rating to a 2. LOL.
Plot and Pacing: 5/5 stars
This book moves fast. The only slow part I found was when they were figuring out their powers at the start. Then the pace quickens and I was sucked in, hook, line, and sinker, unable to put this book down until I'd finished it. It was so different from most other novels in this genre that plod along and even gloss over the action scenes unless it involves their love interest punching them in the stomach.
Writing: 5/5 stars
Corwin knows how to string sentences together. He's no poet but he reminds me a bit of Lee Child in the way his action scenes go. Details were vivid and fresh although in a couple of areas I think the book moves quickly from point A to B without explaining every detail in the middle. This is OK, but a few more details would be nice.
Thought: 5/5
While many books are simple page-turners, some books make you think. Hunger Games, Harry Potter, to name a couple. I'm fine with page-turners but it's nice to find books that offer food for thought. I'm a Christian and the minute Lucy described Ms. Tate, I thought--"I know people exactly like that!" They give Christianity a bad name and drive me crazy. In any religion, we'd call them zealots. Ms. Tate played on people's fears and manipulated them into following her somehow (although that isn't made clear) to the point where they seem to have changed the way Heavenly acts. I looooved the zombie-like descriptions of the inhabitants of Ms. Tate's church. It reminds me so much of people who claim to love God but really are just there for show. After reading some of the reviews here, I honestly thought I'd get my hackles up because some readers really took offense but it was one of my favorite aspects of the book.
I also thought the book makes you think about how beauty often disguises evil. The Shaval seem so lovely but have no regard for other sentient beings. Sometimes I think we humans act the same way towards each other and lifeforms on this planet.
Overall: 5/5 stars
I know you may wonder how I arrived at 5 stars when romance was a 2, but I don't average the scores. I think everyone is looking for something different in a novel and all I can say is I found what I was looking for and loved every minute of it.
Bottom Line:
If Romance is your only love, this book isn't for you.
If you're into only vampires or faeries, this book isn't for you.
If you loved the X-Files, you'll probably love this book.
If you enjoy deep, provocative Sci-Fi but like action, this book is for you.
Thanks so much to John Corwin for providing me with a copy of this book to review and for telling me about Goodreads! I rarely venture off Amazon but this website is pretty cool!
November 24, 2011
I received this book as a part of the Read 2 Review program.
First I would classify this book as beginning much like a dystopian novel then ending for science fiction. I read all genres for the most part, so this didn't bother me.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half behaved with the right mix of dystopian with a bit of romance for good measure. Then the second half of the book fell apart for me.
Let me explain. The author introduces us to a girl who behaves very much like a girl leaning toward being a girly girl. She loves and thinks of boys, clothes and shoes. Then the second half of the book, she starts to act and think more like a boy which may be natural because the author is male, but it threw me for a loop. The romance went from some to none for a good part. I understand Lucy must grow into the leader she is destined to become, but she is like a shadow of the character we thought her to be in a blink of an eye. I understand there is an event that precipitates that change, but I had a hard time accepting. I found myself skimming parts of the story to get back to where we had been led all along. We do get back there kind of. But there are also holes in the story with characters that go missing in the story with no explanation as to their whereabouts until they show up again. By the end of the story I found myself getting back to the good place I'd been in the first half. But sometimes it’s a little too late.
Although I read and love many book without romance, I hate to be teased. Don't start romance and decide later that's not the objective of the book. The story just lost its luster for me by the second half. Maybe I agree with some of the others that the story would have been better without romance. But in the end, I think the story benefited from it being there. I just think the second half of the book could have handled it better.
I also wonder if this is a standalone book or a beginning to a series???
Overall it was a pretty good read. I did like the story. I will probably read more from this author. If you’re not into romance, I think you will enjoy this one if you like dystopian or science fiction stories.
This book is probably not for "younger" young adults as sex although not explicit does play a part in the story and thoughts of characters bordering on explicit at times.
First I would classify this book as beginning much like a dystopian novel then ending for science fiction. I read all genres for the most part, so this didn't bother me.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half behaved with the right mix of dystopian with a bit of romance for good measure. Then the second half of the book fell apart for me.
Let me explain. The author introduces us to a girl who behaves very much like a girl leaning toward being a girly girl. She loves and thinks of boys, clothes and shoes. Then the second half of the book, she starts to act and think more like a boy which may be natural because the author is male, but it threw me for a loop. The romance went from some to none for a good part. I understand Lucy must grow into the leader she is destined to become, but she is like a shadow of the character we thought her to be in a blink of an eye. I understand there is an event that precipitates that change, but I had a hard time accepting. I found myself skimming parts of the story to get back to where we had been led all along. We do get back there kind of. But there are also holes in the story with characters that go missing in the story with no explanation as to their whereabouts until they show up again. By the end of the story I found myself getting back to the good place I'd been in the first half. But sometimes it’s a little too late.
Although I read and love many book without romance, I hate to be teased. Don't start romance and decide later that's not the objective of the book. The story just lost its luster for me by the second half. Maybe I agree with some of the others that the story would have been better without romance. But in the end, I think the story benefited from it being there. I just think the second half of the book could have handled it better.
I also wonder if this is a standalone book or a beginning to a series???
Overall it was a pretty good read. I did like the story. I will probably read more from this author. If you’re not into romance, I think you will enjoy this one if you like dystopian or science fiction stories.
This book is probably not for "younger" young adults as sex although not explicit does play a part in the story and thoughts of characters bordering on explicit at times.
December 2, 2011
Lucy is dead along with everyone else on Earth, but she refused to accept this fact, even though she is already a corpse. She insisted on getting her life and friends back even if she was a ghost. And they worked to find out what happened to them and more importantly, who did it?
This was an interesting book, nothing like I have usually read. I liked the unique story and writer's imagination but still I had difficulty to finish it. Maybe it wasn't totally the book, I am not a ghost story fan myself and this was a little more Sci-Fi than paranormal for my taste.
I liked Lucy, I believe Mr.Corwin did a brilliant job, creating her character and worked a lot on her, she strong and easily likable with realistic features - as realistic as it can be for a ghostly figure ;) - and I had the potential to like Chris, if I had the chance to know him better. I felt the characters weren't deep enough and certainly their relationship wasn't well developed. It just didn't give me the feeling, it should have about their romance.
Overall, I found the plot imaginative and story well written, though at times I struggled reading it and it bothered me. I believe, a book with this plot and imagination should have hooked me right away and shouldn't be that easy to put down at times.
Thank you for R2R and John Corwin for giving me this book and review opportunity.
This was an interesting book, nothing like I have usually read. I liked the unique story and writer's imagination but still I had difficulty to finish it. Maybe it wasn't totally the book, I am not a ghost story fan myself and this was a little more Sci-Fi than paranormal for my taste.
I liked Lucy, I believe Mr.Corwin did a brilliant job, creating her character and worked a lot on her, she strong and easily likable with realistic features - as realistic as it can be for a ghostly figure ;) - and I had the potential to like Chris, if I had the chance to know him better. I felt the characters weren't deep enough and certainly their relationship wasn't well developed. It just didn't give me the feeling, it should have about their romance.
Overall, I found the plot imaginative and story well written, though at times I struggled reading it and it bothered me. I believe, a book with this plot and imagination should have hooked me right away and shouldn't be that easy to put down at times.
Thank you for R2R and John Corwin for giving me this book and review opportunity.
November 23, 2011
I've never read a book like this before, I think it is more Sci Fi than paranormal but good just the same.. I would have given this 3.5 stars as opposed to 4.
I started of by being very very curious, how was a story going to be built upon starting with death? I soon found out...
I got to a part where Lucy found out about another species (I don't want to say much because of spoilers) and this part almost made me put down the book, it just wasn't for me but the curiosity on how the book would develop won over... thankfully...
I did enjoy this book, different as it was, a good 3.5 stars! I liked the love story, I enjoyed the fun bits, I did have a huge amount of curiosity that kept me turning the pages... but sometimes I could just of easily put the book away.
However, I am pleased that I finished the book, a little strange in places for me but it would definately suit Sci Fi fans as opposed to the paranormal genre (just my opinion).
The author has written this book well, the plot was amazing when looked at from an overall perspective and the imagination that has gone into the story is out of this world!!
I started of by being very very curious, how was a story going to be built upon starting with death? I soon found out...
I got to a part where Lucy found out about another species (I don't want to say much because of spoilers) and this part almost made me put down the book, it just wasn't for me but the curiosity on how the book would develop won over... thankfully...
I did enjoy this book, different as it was, a good 3.5 stars! I liked the love story, I enjoyed the fun bits, I did have a huge amount of curiosity that kept me turning the pages... but sometimes I could just of easily put the book away.
However, I am pleased that I finished the book, a little strange in places for me but it would definately suit Sci Fi fans as opposed to the paranormal genre (just my opinion).
The author has written this book well, the plot was amazing when looked at from an overall perspective and the imagination that has gone into the story is out of this world!!
January 4, 2012
I was lucky enough to get a copy of THE NEXT THING I KNEW through Read2Review.
The blurb was very interesting and immediately got my attention. When I first started reading I thought this was going to be a book based purely on paranormal elements but then it took an unexpected turn into the sci-fi realm and I was sucked in even further. The story flowed very well and each scene was filled with so much detail that I could actually picture myself in Heavenly. Lucy was an interesting character. I couldn’t quite decide if she was a gutsy, bad-assed teen with a chip on her shoulder or a sweet innocent girl trying to find her way in life, or at least the afterlife.
I loved the story’s uniqueness. It was action packed and full of adventure with a bit of romance thrown in to mix things up. Although the plot does not revolve around Lucy’s love life, I kept wondering who she would end up with.
Overall, this was a fun read. Thank you to John Corwin and R2R for giving me the opportunity to read THE NEXT THING I KNEW!
The blurb was very interesting and immediately got my attention. When I first started reading I thought this was going to be a book based purely on paranormal elements but then it took an unexpected turn into the sci-fi realm and I was sucked in even further. The story flowed very well and each scene was filled with so much detail that I could actually picture myself in Heavenly. Lucy was an interesting character. I couldn’t quite decide if she was a gutsy, bad-assed teen with a chip on her shoulder or a sweet innocent girl trying to find her way in life, or at least the afterlife.
I loved the story’s uniqueness. It was action packed and full of adventure with a bit of romance thrown in to mix things up. Although the plot does not revolve around Lucy’s love life, I kept wondering who she would end up with.
Overall, this was a fun read. Thank you to John Corwin and R2R for giving me the opportunity to read THE NEXT THING I KNEW!
November 26, 2011
I'm very stuck with my rating on this one... This book has a fresh, new perspective on death, and I even loved the plot. It was very well written and no major word/translation/grammatical errors or anything like that. But for what ever reason, I really struggled to finish this one. I liked the characters, they were even well rounded and believable, but maybe it was all the different aspects... Ghosts, aliens, giant robots, spaceships, angels.... I dunno, but I have decided to get the next installment of this series, because I did really like the plot process and hopefully the next one will be an easier read for me! :)
I would also like to thank mr. Corwin for. Copy of this book! He sent it to me for reviews and since I think that's just the coolest, his book is going to go on my blog in the next few days!! :) I do recommend this one to anyone who enjoys sci-fi reading.
I would also like to thank mr. Corwin for. Copy of this book! He sent it to me for reviews and since I think that's just the coolest, his book is going to go on my blog in the next few days!! :) I do recommend this one to anyone who enjoys sci-fi reading.
November 26, 2011
The idea of having everyone on Earth become ghosts was definitely original in my experience. I like a little scifi every once in a while, so a plot of having aliens trying to colonize the Earth was one I could get on board with. (Literarily. Literally I would definitely have a problem with that.)
The pacing was a little odd at times. The first third or so of the book was dedicated to the exploration of Heavenly and the rules of being a ghost, which was interesting for a while but eventually got a little slow. The things suddenly picked up a lot when the aliens arrived, and certain cooperation problems were solved with a speed that left me incredulous. I was also a little irritated that Lucy didn't seem to see a certain betrayal coming despite hints the size of an interstellar billboard.
There were a couple elements of this story that seemed totally disconnected from the main plotline. First, Lucy and Chris's romance bothered me for a lot of reasons that definitely were not resolved by the end of the book. (A "let's get it over with" attitude toward sex is not romantic at all and frankly a little disturbing.) I think this relationship could have been eliminated completely without affecting the plot in the least. Last living human Nick's appearances were a little more integrated into the story but still seemed a little random, and I was surprised that he wasn't involved in the climax of the story. I wish, though, that Nick had been the love interest in this book rather than Chris, which I think would have made a much better story.
I didn't get much of a sense of personality from Lucy for the first half of this book. Maybe this was a YA issue, but she just didn't seem to have any kind of goals or interests or anything. Eventually she did improve to the point where I found her mostly credible as a leader.
I also have a caveat for any religious readers: The Next Thing I Knew is quite explicitly anti-religious, which might bother you if you are not. (It bothered me a little, and I don't consider myself religious. I just don't like preachiness. Which is actually why I don't consider myself religious. Go figure.)
Overall, the story was pretty decent. Check it out if you like YA scifi or if you're looking for something a little different.
Check out the review with more info and recommendations at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...
The pacing was a little odd at times. The first third or so of the book was dedicated to the exploration of Heavenly and the rules of being a ghost, which was interesting for a while but eventually got a little slow. The things suddenly picked up a lot when the aliens arrived, and certain cooperation problems were solved with a speed that left me incredulous. I was also a little irritated that Lucy didn't seem to see a certain betrayal coming despite hints the size of an interstellar billboard.
There were a couple elements of this story that seemed totally disconnected from the main plotline. First, Lucy and Chris's romance bothered me for a lot of reasons that definitely were not resolved by the end of the book. (A "let's get it over with" attitude toward sex is not romantic at all and frankly a little disturbing.) I think this relationship could have been eliminated completely without affecting the plot in the least. Last living human Nick's appearances were a little more integrated into the story but still seemed a little random, and I was surprised that he wasn't involved in the climax of the story. I wish, though, that Nick had been the love interest in this book rather than Chris, which I think would have made a much better story.
I didn't get much of a sense of personality from Lucy for the first half of this book. Maybe this was a YA issue, but she just didn't seem to have any kind of goals or interests or anything. Eventually she did improve to the point where I found her mostly credible as a leader.
I also have a caveat for any religious readers: The Next Thing I Knew is quite explicitly anti-religious, which might bother you if you are not. (It bothered me a little, and I don't consider myself religious. I just don't like preachiness. Which is actually why I don't consider myself religious. Go figure.)
Overall, the story was pretty decent. Check it out if you like YA scifi or if you're looking for something a little different.
Check out the review with more info and recommendations at http://neverbakeinblack.blogspot.com/...
April 24, 2013
I got a copy for review in exchange for an honest review.
This is a really original book. I also would like to say I find it a strange book. Due to the originality of the story I decided to give it 4 stars. I love reading original stories and someone recommended this book to me, I couldn't find the paperback version so whenn this book was part of R2R I decided to enter and read the e-book.
This book is about Lucy and it starts with the moment she finds out she has died. And not only she has died, but the whole human race. Lucy and her friends start to find out what they can do as ghosts and what their limits are. And then whenn you finally start to get a sense of what is possible in this world something new happens and you have to get used to this. And this happens everytime whenn you get the feeling you know the world of this book. From urban fantasy it changes to some sort of science fiction. I found myself sometimes struggling to continue this book. I really like the originality of the story, but sometimes it is a bit confusion. Sometimes the story moves too fast and sometimes too slow. In the 200 pages of this book so many things happen. It is difficult to get used to the world, because what you think this world is and what the book is about changes everytime. I find it difficult to evaluate the book. It is really different from the books I normally read. a minpoint is the short size of this book, someitmes I felt there was not enough time to adapt to the new changes. And at the end of the book there are still so many questions and lose ends. And I would've liked some more elaboration on lucy's thoughts and feelings.
So to conclude: this is a really orginal, but strange story with many twists and turns. Everytime I was surprised again by the unexpected new directions the story took. I enjoyed the book, but it still took me some time to finish it. Further I think the story could've profit from making the book larger, there is still so much open. Or maybe I just am not used to read stories that leave so much open at the end. This book is certainly a recommendation for those who like original stories and love being surprised by a book.
This is a really original book. I also would like to say I find it a strange book. Due to the originality of the story I decided to give it 4 stars. I love reading original stories and someone recommended this book to me, I couldn't find the paperback version so whenn this book was part of R2R I decided to enter and read the e-book.
This book is about Lucy and it starts with the moment she finds out she has died. And not only she has died, but the whole human race. Lucy and her friends start to find out what they can do as ghosts and what their limits are. And then whenn you finally start to get a sense of what is possible in this world something new happens and you have to get used to this. And this happens everytime whenn you get the feeling you know the world of this book. From urban fantasy it changes to some sort of science fiction. I found myself sometimes struggling to continue this book. I really like the originality of the story, but sometimes it is a bit confusion. Sometimes the story moves too fast and sometimes too slow. In the 200 pages of this book so many things happen. It is difficult to get used to the world, because what you think this world is and what the book is about changes everytime. I find it difficult to evaluate the book. It is really different from the books I normally read. a minpoint is the short size of this book, someitmes I felt there was not enough time to adapt to the new changes. And at the end of the book there are still so many questions and lose ends. And I would've liked some more elaboration on lucy's thoughts and feelings.
So to conclude: this is a really orginal, but strange story with many twists and turns. Everytime I was surprised again by the unexpected new directions the story took. I enjoyed the book, but it still took me some time to finish it. Further I think the story could've profit from making the book larger, there is still so much open. Or maybe I just am not used to read stories that leave so much open at the end. This book is certainly a recommendation for those who like original stories and love being surprised by a book.
October 17, 2011
The Next Thing I Knew is an interesting YA science fiction/fantasy novel. Seventeen year old, protagonist Lucy Morgan wakes up to discover she and everyone else on the planet are dead; ghosts.
Lucy is a well rounded character who comes into her own as the story progresses. She is funny and sees the good in others. She ultimately becomes the leader of a small group of teens. They set out to discover what happened and save Earth. The plot is a unique, post-apocalyptic story. Typical of most YA books, the story developed at a fast pace keeping the reader on a roller coaster ride. There is some romance and implied sex, but the story line revolves around saving the earth.
Corwin’s imagination and writing style is well thought out and enjoyable. While it isn't completely believable, it fits into the realm of fantasy. Fantasy fans will enjoy the aliens and ghosts. Fans of science fiction will love the technology scattered throughout the tale. The Next Thing I Knew touched on good versus evil along with religious and moral issues. Overall, this is a good read and I recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy, science fiction in a young adult genre.
I want to thank John Corwin for sharing this novel with me in exchange for my unbiased review.
you can see more of my reviews @ http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewe...
or on my facebook blog: https://www.facebook.com/kimbathecaff...
Lucy is a well rounded character who comes into her own as the story progresses. She is funny and sees the good in others. She ultimately becomes the leader of a small group of teens. They set out to discover what happened and save Earth. The plot is a unique, post-apocalyptic story. Typical of most YA books, the story developed at a fast pace keeping the reader on a roller coaster ride. There is some romance and implied sex, but the story line revolves around saving the earth.
Corwin’s imagination and writing style is well thought out and enjoyable. While it isn't completely believable, it fits into the realm of fantasy. Fantasy fans will enjoy the aliens and ghosts. Fans of science fiction will love the technology scattered throughout the tale. The Next Thing I Knew touched on good versus evil along with religious and moral issues. Overall, this is a good read and I recommend it to those who enjoy fantasy, science fiction in a young adult genre.
I want to thank John Corwin for sharing this novel with me in exchange for my unbiased review.
you can see more of my reviews @ http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewe...
or on my facebook blog: https://www.facebook.com/kimbathecaff...
November 21, 2011
I received this book via R2R. As always, thanks to the lovely ladies who work so hard to bring us fun things to review.
So this story starts with the end of human race. Everyone dies at the same time. Lucy is the protagonist of our story and we follow her as the world tries to figure out how to move on.
Pros: Interesting story pattern. It kept me reading to try and figure where the story was going too. Well written.
Cons: Wow...ghosts? Aliens? It had me so confused. This story is more Sci-Fi than paranormal. A lot of things were left unanswered at the end of the story. What happened to Harb? What is Lucy going to do about Nick? What about the people in Heavenly? I just really wish I had more answers.
While it took me a while to get my stride on this one, I did like the character interactions for the most part. If there is a second book (done or in the works) I would most likely read it just to see if any of the questions get answers. There was just so much left hanging at the end..
So this story starts with the end of human race. Everyone dies at the same time. Lucy is the protagonist of our story and we follow her as the world tries to figure out how to move on.
Pros: Interesting story pattern. It kept me reading to try and figure where the story was going too. Well written.
Cons: Wow...ghosts? Aliens? It had me so confused. This story is more Sci-Fi than paranormal. A lot of things were left unanswered at the end of the story. What happened to Harb? What is Lucy going to do about Nick? What about the people in Heavenly? I just really wish I had more answers.
While it took me a while to get my stride on this one, I did like the character interactions for the most part. If there is a second book (done or in the works) I would most likely read it just to see if any of the questions get answers. There was just so much left hanging at the end..
November 29, 2011
This book was awesome. It was nice to have a change of pace from the norm. I was sucked into this book from the beginning with wanting to know what happened to the whole planet. The concept of aliens and how they viewed our species was nice to see. It was a move touch to have us wondering for a while why the was only one human alive. I thought Lucy was an amazing heroine. She was what liked in a herione headstrong and not afraid to show her emotions. The potential for a possible love triangle was a nice way to have it end. I'm glad there are possiblties that the Others may be able to come back. Overall this book was great. It was a great premise with well written characters with many faucets to them.
November 4, 2011
Funny, unique, ingenious. I loved the characters and the one-of-a-kind story. When a book starts out with everyone dying, you know it's going to be interesting. I highly recommend this book :)
November 25, 2011
I received this book as part of Read 2 Review (Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics! Goodreads Group).
Lucy Morgan discovers she has died….along with the entire population of the world. Everyone she knows is now a ghost, living in a realm called “Heavenly.” With the knowledge that the future she was looking forward to is gone forever, she is determined to figure out how and why this happened. Together with the help of her friend, Kyle, they discover that even though they are dead, there is still more danger coming their way.
‘The Next Thing I Knew” is a very creative and unique science fiction book. Mr. Corwin provides excellent descriptions of “Heavenly,” Earth after the “Apocalypse,” and the different forms of alien life Lucy and her friends encounter on their path to understanding what happened to the human race. It was easy to imagine their new world and experiences, and this made the book a very fun read!
The book touches on three main themes: self-image, religion, and how different individuals cope with loss. These are difficult concepts to include in a YA novel while still keeping it light and fun to read, but Mr. Corwin accomplishes this well. He integrates these underlying themes seamlessly into the characters and the story.
Some parts of the story left me confused, and I wished the ending wasn’t so abrupt.
For example-
With that said, I found the book entertaining and fun! The story got me thinking more about the importance of religion, relationships, and how we view others compared to how we view ourselves and I enjoyed this aspect of the book!
Hopefully this is the first in a series - I would like to see how Lucy's story continues.
I would recommend it to readers who enjoy science fiction.
Lucy Morgan discovers she has died….along with the entire population of the world. Everyone she knows is now a ghost, living in a realm called “Heavenly.” With the knowledge that the future she was looking forward to is gone forever, she is determined to figure out how and why this happened. Together with the help of her friend, Kyle, they discover that even though they are dead, there is still more danger coming their way.
‘The Next Thing I Knew” is a very creative and unique science fiction book. Mr. Corwin provides excellent descriptions of “Heavenly,” Earth after the “Apocalypse,” and the different forms of alien life Lucy and her friends encounter on their path to understanding what happened to the human race. It was easy to imagine their new world and experiences, and this made the book a very fun read!
The book touches on three main themes: self-image, religion, and how different individuals cope with loss. These are difficult concepts to include in a YA novel while still keeping it light and fun to read, but Mr. Corwin accomplishes this well. He integrates these underlying themes seamlessly into the characters and the story.
Some parts of the story left me confused, and I wished the ending wasn’t so abrupt.
For example-
With that said, I found the book entertaining and fun! The story got me thinking more about the importance of religion, relationships, and how we view others compared to how we view ourselves and I enjoyed this aspect of the book!
Hopefully this is the first in a series - I would like to see how Lucy's story continues.
I would recommend it to readers who enjoy science fiction.
September 5, 2012
This book totally rocks your world and beliefs in such a short space of time. You must go to the store and buy this book now. This is such an unique twist thrown at humanity in which humanity is entirely unprepared for and thensome. I wish there was more than 5 stars as a rating cuz in my opinion it should be a 10 start book. Here are my thoughts on the book:
Lucy Morgan is your normal teenage girl that has secret crushes and lives with her techno gadgets. There is just one thing about Lucy that you don't know~she's dead and so is everyone else around her. Lucy is a ghost that has the ability to control things outside of herself. Lucy's best friend Kyle is a very science minded guy which helps Lucy out greatly. Ms. Tate believes that this is the afterlife and this is God's punishment for mankind. Ms. Tate also believes that anyone who doesn't follow her beliefs are nothing but sinners in God's eyes. Lucy tries to create something for everyone to enjoy but somehow it is never complete and entirely useless. Lucy develops a relationship with Chris Rogers that is wholly unexpected to either of them. Lucy makes a startling discovery yet keeps it to herself for the time being. Lucy meets Harb, a young native of India, who tries to appear older than he really is. Harb likes being the center of attention yet no one really listens to a word that he says which frustrates him badly. Lucy meets another ghost named Anil, who teaches Lucy a better way of doing things that she controls. Lucy has Anil meet with everyone trying to discover there place in the afterlife. Lucy also becomes acuainted with the Rrilk named Zhrii and the Shaval whom she named Diana. Lucy makes another startling discover about the Shaval~They are the reason Earth is full of dead people. Will Lucy learn to control her abilities? What is Ms. Tate planning? What discoveries does Kyle make? How close with Lucy be with Chris? Why is Harb so secretive? Where does Anil fit in? Can the Shaval be turn from there present plans? Your answers await you in The Next Thing I Knew.
Lucy Morgan is your normal teenage girl that has secret crushes and lives with her techno gadgets. There is just one thing about Lucy that you don't know~she's dead and so is everyone else around her. Lucy is a ghost that has the ability to control things outside of herself. Lucy's best friend Kyle is a very science minded guy which helps Lucy out greatly. Ms. Tate believes that this is the afterlife and this is God's punishment for mankind. Ms. Tate also believes that anyone who doesn't follow her beliefs are nothing but sinners in God's eyes. Lucy tries to create something for everyone to enjoy but somehow it is never complete and entirely useless. Lucy develops a relationship with Chris Rogers that is wholly unexpected to either of them. Lucy makes a startling discovery yet keeps it to herself for the time being. Lucy meets Harb, a young native of India, who tries to appear older than he really is. Harb likes being the center of attention yet no one really listens to a word that he says which frustrates him badly. Lucy meets another ghost named Anil, who teaches Lucy a better way of doing things that she controls. Lucy has Anil meet with everyone trying to discover there place in the afterlife. Lucy also becomes acuainted with the Rrilk named Zhrii and the Shaval whom she named Diana. Lucy makes another startling discover about the Shaval~They are the reason Earth is full of dead people. Will Lucy learn to control her abilities? What is Ms. Tate planning? What discoveries does Kyle make? How close with Lucy be with Chris? Why is Harb so secretive? Where does Anil fit in? Can the Shaval be turn from there present plans? Your answers await you in The Next Thing I Knew.
October 4, 2011
The Next Thing I knew is a young adult book geared to the older end of that readership. In this book the whole human population has been killed. We have the story of Lucy who as a ghost lived, fought,loved, developed friendships and gave hope to the human race. We meet, aliens of several types, fanatic religious freaks, ghost, ghost and more ghosts of all types.
I typically don't read YA and don't step this far into the sci/fi end of fantasy. But this book was GOOD...It crammed so much into one book, I think if it had been a two part series we could have dewelled more on what was going on in Heavenly. Lucy was as lovable as an angst ridden teen coming into her own can be. Although there is no real sexual content nor is the book in anyway a true romance JC does a good job of letting the reader know what happened without being graphic. Once or twice I found myself lost because so much was happening that I had to go back and reread a section. It was nice to read a YA book that didn't seem geared to a female reader base. Even though JC's main character is a girl, there is nothing girlie about this book. I think it would appeal to both sexes.
I gave this book a firm 4 stars even though it is outside the type of book I truly enjoy reading I think it is well worth that step outside the comfort zone to experience Lucy and EVERYTHING she went through...gosh how often can you read an Alien/Ghost/Apocalypse book?
I typically don't read YA and don't step this far into the sci/fi end of fantasy. But this book was GOOD...It crammed so much into one book, I think if it had been a two part series we could have dewelled more on what was going on in Heavenly. Lucy was as lovable as an angst ridden teen coming into her own can be. Although there is no real sexual content nor is the book in anyway a true romance JC does a good job of letting the reader know what happened without being graphic. Once or twice I found myself lost because so much was happening that I had to go back and reread a section. It was nice to read a YA book that didn't seem geared to a female reader base. Even though JC's main character is a girl, there is nothing girlie about this book. I think it would appeal to both sexes.
I gave this book a firm 4 stars even though it is outside the type of book I truly enjoy reading I think it is well worth that step outside the comfort zone to experience Lucy and EVERYTHING she went through...gosh how often can you read an Alien/Ghost/Apocalypse book?
November 21, 2011
I was surprised by this book. The premise was very different from anything I've read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The book revolves around Lucy, who wakes up being a ghost and surrounded by friends and family who are ghosts too. She's determined to make the best out of the situation, experimenting new things and discovering how they came to be that way. It was interesting to read about the different things Lucy and her friends were doing and their abilities now that they were ghost. The writing was humorous and fresh and very descriptive, which made reading fun and enjoyable. I also enjoyed how the author brought a lot of elements together. He managed to incorporate the science fiction elements of aliens and space travel with the universal emotions of love and friendship. I felt that they just blended very well together. There were some other conflicts as well and they were dealt with in a way that made the story all come together. My only complaint is that I think the 'romance' aspect of the story could have been left out since it didn't really add to the story as a whole.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. Its a great, fast-paced, unique read.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. Its a great, fast-paced, unique read.
February 2, 2012
What kind of book is this? Maybe a sci-fi paranormal action romance? Anyway, it was good: engaging and imaginative with ghosts, aliens, angels, zealots, battles, betrayals and a smidgen of romance.
The book starts with all of humanity discovering they are dead and in some sort of afterlife that they call Heavenly. The whole concept of Heavenly was so intriguing, I found it hard to put the book down. The pace was good and the author provided plenty of plot twists. Nothing predictable here!
Why not four stars? I liked the characters, but never felt any real connection to them. The moments of triumph and tragedy didn't have as much impact as I would have liked. Also, some things that happened were never adequately explained, although that might take place in the sequel. The last is that .
Thanks to the author, John Corwin, for providing a free copy of the book via Smashwords.
The book starts with all of humanity discovering they are dead and in some sort of afterlife that they call Heavenly. The whole concept of Heavenly was so intriguing, I found it hard to put the book down. The pace was good and the author provided plenty of plot twists. Nothing predictable here!
Why not four stars? I liked the characters, but never felt any real connection to them. The moments of triumph and tragedy didn't have as much impact as I would have liked. Also, some things that happened were never adequately explained, although that might take place in the sequel. The last is that .
Thanks to the author, John Corwin, for providing a free copy of the book via Smashwords.
November 18, 2011
The Next Thing I Knew by John Corwin was a very unique and interesting read. From the very first page it begins with Lucy waking up to realize that everyone in the entire world has died. Everyone she know now exists only as ghosts. They are in a new realm where they can pretty much do whatever they want. They can visit any places on earth, in space, or in the new realm that they now live in. Lucy and her friends find it fun in the beginning, but then they try to find out how it is possible that everyone in the world could have died at the same time.
I really enjoyed this story. I would consider it more of a science fiction book than a paranormal romance. The story is very unique and kept my attention. The story had just a little romance in it, however I think it would have been just fine without it. The romance between Lucy/Chris wasn't very developed, maybe because you don't get to know Chris that much as a character. The story had many plot twists that I wasn't expecting. Very good, enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed this story. I would consider it more of a science fiction book than a paranormal romance. The story is very unique and kept my attention. The story had just a little romance in it, however I think it would have been just fine without it. The romance between Lucy/Chris wasn't very developed, maybe because you don't get to know Chris that much as a character. The story had many plot twists that I wasn't expecting. Very good, enjoyable read.
February 23, 2012
What a wild ride this book was. Imagine: one second you're doing everyday stuff and the next you're dead...surprisingly, it's not as horrible or macabre as it seems. The main character, Lucy, is a teen at the time, and she quickly discovers that normal rules no longer apply. She also discovers that the sudden death of everyone on earth wasn't from anything she would've suspected...and that twist leads to the main adventure of the book.
The pace and action were fast, and the twists and amazing things that occurred kept me captivated. The humor is TDF (pun intended)! If you enjoy science fiction/urban fantasy, you will love this book.
The pace and action were fast, and the twists and amazing things that occurred kept me captivated. The humor is TDF (pun intended)! If you enjoy science fiction/urban fantasy, you will love this book.
November 29, 2011
WOW!First, I want to say that the writing in this book was superb. It flowed very smoothly and it had me hooked from the beginning. I have to be honest. This is a book I would have never picked up on my own as I am more of a paranormal fan than a science/science fiction fan. However, this was so well written and the characters were so strong and had so much depth that I was easily entranced. The plot was intriquing and easy to follow as well as exciting. I can't wait for the next one in the series, hopefully there will be a next one? I am hoping a certain female lead hooks up with Nick.
May 26, 2013
For everyone who wonders what happens to us after we die, John Corwin offers an extraordinary story. Complete with ghosts, friendly and not-so-friendly aliens, and wacko religious zealots, this novel covers a spectrum of possibilities for life after death. The science fiction worlds and characters Corwin creates are alive and compelling, with enough action and danger to satisfy any reader's desire for an adventure in reading. I sure hope the next book in this series is just as well-written.
August 21, 2011
Thanks for the reviews! I'm just adding it to my "read" books along with the other ones I've written so they'll show in my queue. =)
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