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The Afterlife of Mal Caldera
Mal's life is over. Her afterlife is only just beginning…
By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Mal Caldera—former rockstar, retired wild-child and excommunicated black sheep of her Catholic family—is dead. Not that she cares. She only feels bad that her younger sister, Cris, has been left alone with their religious zealot of a mother, picking up the pieces Mal has left behind. While her fellow ghosts party their afterlives away at an abandoned mansion they call the Haunt, Mal is determined to make contact with Cris from beyond the grave.
She manages to enlist the help of reluctant local medium Ren, and together, they concoct a plan to pass on a message to Cris. But the more time they spend together, the more both begin to wonder what might have been if they'd met before Mal died.
Mal knows it's wrong to hold on so tightly to her old life. Bad things happen to ghosts who interfere with the living, and Mal can't help wondering if she's hurting the people she loves by hanging around, haunting their lives. But Mal has always been selfish, and letting go might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do…
Funny, emotional and life-affirming, The Afterlife of Mal Caldera will have readers laughing one minute and sobbing the next.
By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
Mal Caldera—former rockstar, retired wild-child and excommunicated black sheep of her Catholic family—is dead. Not that she cares. She only feels bad that her younger sister, Cris, has been left alone with their religious zealot of a mother, picking up the pieces Mal has left behind. While her fellow ghosts party their afterlives away at an abandoned mansion they call the Haunt, Mal is determined to make contact with Cris from beyond the grave.
She manages to enlist the help of reluctant local medium Ren, and together, they concoct a plan to pass on a message to Cris. But the more time they spend together, the more both begin to wonder what might have been if they'd met before Mal died.
Mal knows it's wrong to hold on so tightly to her old life. Bad things happen to ghosts who interfere with the living, and Mal can't help wondering if she's hurting the people she loves by hanging around, haunting their lives. But Mal has always been selfish, and letting go might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do…
Funny, emotional and life-affirming, The Afterlife of Mal Caldera will have readers laughing one minute and sobbing the next.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2024
About the author
Nadi Reed Perez
1 book25 followersNadi Reed Perez is an author and writer for The Call of the Flame, a fantasy fiction podcast. They live near Denver with a growing menagerie of cats and a few probable ghosts. The Afterlife of Mal Caldera (Titan Books, 2024) is their debut book. You can find them on Instagram and (for better or worse) on Tumblr @nadireedperez.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
June 12, 2024
In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy featuring a ghost in the afterlife. Unusual plot, interesting characters, powerful themes. Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t work that much for me. But to the right reader, this should offer much to ponder upon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Bookish Yays:
🤩 Mal’s character: not exactly likeable or typical. Loved her complicated nature, as well as her matter-of-fact ghost voice.
🤩 The offbeat plot: offered many surprises. I thought I knew what to expect from such a storyline, but I was wrong.
🤩 Ren and Cris: Loved these two characters! Wanted much more of them and also wanted much more for them.
🤩 Inclusive representation of ethnic and gender diversities. Loved how Día de los Muertos was woven into the plot.
🤩 The themes of grief, mental health, suicide and coping: dark topics explored well. Also the message: Make the best of life and don’t wait till it is too late.
🤩 The story being divided into sections titled after the stages of grief. Not the original five stages but a slightly amended ten stages. Interesting and appropriate!
🤩 The ending: good for the plot without being sappy or exaggerated.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 There’s a whole array of ghosts from various eras and it’s fun to read their interactions. But the afterlife of the ghosts wasn’t too appealing to me – almost all the living dead seemed interested in partying and physical relationships than on figuring out why they were stuck in the in-between.
😐 Prior to this, the author has written a fantasy fiction podcast titled ‘The Call of the Flame’. This debut novel offers strong podcast-type feels, with a lot of plot development happening through conversations. While these are insightful as well as funny at times, such writing doesn’t work well for me. If you aren’t bothered by scenes with lengthy back-and-forth conversations, then this point is irrelevant to you.
😐 Though the promised humour is present in the book, the overall tone is more emotional than funny. It’s not exactly a depressing book, but it is more poignant than the blurb claims.
Bookish Nays:
😟 At 464 pages, this book is quite long. And with too much time spent on the backstories of the other ghosts, the proceedings are also quite slow. The middle section feels especially dragged.
😟 Despite the above, the secondary character development falls somewhat flat. Character motivations aren’t much clear, even for important characters such as Alastair and Evie.
😟 The blurb makes it feel like this book is primarily Mal’s journey of making recompense, but it isn’t. A lot of time is invested in other subplots, some of which feel repetitive and unnecessary. I would have loved the focus to be mainly on Mal’s attempt to make amends with her sister Cris.
😟 While I am all for rad story ideas, reading sex scenes between a human and a ghost is too weird for me. The scenes are fairly clean, but I just couldn’t palate the concept. My bad!
The book is promoted as being for fans of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’. To my utter regret, I still haven’t got around to reading it, so I cannot comment on the common appeal. I did get some vibes of ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeda’ from this work, but only in the sense of characters navigating the afterlife in the hope of finding and providing closure. In tone, the Sri Lankan International Booker winner is much darker than this one.
Overall, I do see the merits of this work, but the extended conversational sequences and the human-ghost sex scenes didn’t work for me. If these aren’t an issue for you, and you enjoy atypical fantasies with meaningful themes, then this unusual story could be right up your alley.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to Titan Books and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “The Afterlife of Mal Caldera”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Mal Caldera. Twenty-seven. Half-Spanish. Ex-rockstar and rebel. Estranged daughter of her Catholic family. Selfish. Newly dead.
Does Mal regret being dead? Not really. Her only concern is that her younger sister Cris, who is now alone with their overly religious mother, should know that Mal didn’t kill herself. As the other ghosts are busy enjoying the afterlife, Mal finds a reclusive medium named Ren and attempts to convince him to get in touch with Cris. But as Ren and Mal come close to each other, Mal realises that her life had offered her some options that she no longer has.
The story comes to us in Mal’s first person perspective.
Bookish Yays:
🤩 Mal’s character: not exactly likeable or typical. Loved her complicated nature, as well as her matter-of-fact ghost voice.
🤩 The offbeat plot: offered many surprises. I thought I knew what to expect from such a storyline, but I was wrong.
🤩 Ren and Cris: Loved these two characters! Wanted much more of them and also wanted much more for them.
🤩 Inclusive representation of ethnic and gender diversities. Loved how Día de los Muertos was woven into the plot.
🤩 The themes of grief, mental health, suicide and coping: dark topics explored well. Also the message: Make the best of life and don’t wait till it is too late.
🤩 The story being divided into sections titled after the stages of grief. Not the original five stages but a slightly amended ten stages. Interesting and appropriate!
🤩 The ending: good for the plot without being sappy or exaggerated.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 There’s a whole array of ghosts from various eras and it’s fun to read their interactions. But the afterlife of the ghosts wasn’t too appealing to me – almost all the living dead seemed interested in partying and physical relationships than on figuring out why they were stuck in the in-between.
😐 Prior to this, the author has written a fantasy fiction podcast titled ‘The Call of the Flame’. This debut novel offers strong podcast-type feels, with a lot of plot development happening through conversations. While these are insightful as well as funny at times, such writing doesn’t work well for me. If you aren’t bothered by scenes with lengthy back-and-forth conversations, then this point is irrelevant to you.
😐 Though the promised humour is present in the book, the overall tone is more emotional than funny. It’s not exactly a depressing book, but it is more poignant than the blurb claims.
Bookish Nays:
😟 At 464 pages, this book is quite long. And with too much time spent on the backstories of the other ghosts, the proceedings are also quite slow. The middle section feels especially dragged.
😟 Despite the above, the secondary character development falls somewhat flat. Character motivations aren’t much clear, even for important characters such as Alastair and Evie.
😟 The blurb makes it feel like this book is primarily Mal’s journey of making recompense, but it isn’t. A lot of time is invested in other subplots, some of which feel repetitive and unnecessary. I would have loved the focus to be mainly on Mal’s attempt to make amends with her sister Cris.
😟 While I am all for rad story ideas, reading sex scenes between a human and a ghost is too weird for me. The scenes are fairly clean, but I just couldn’t palate the concept. My bad!
The book is promoted as being for fans of ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’. To my utter regret, I still haven’t got around to reading it, so I cannot comment on the common appeal. I did get some vibes of ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeda’ from this work, but only in the sense of characters navigating the afterlife in the hope of finding and providing closure. In tone, the Sri Lankan International Booker winner is much darker than this one.
Overall, I do see the merits of this work, but the extended conversational sequences and the human-ghost sex scenes didn’t work for me. If these aren’t an issue for you, and you enjoy atypical fantasies with meaningful themes, then this unusual story could be right up your alley.
3.25 stars.
My thanks to Titan Books and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “The Afterlife of Mal Caldera”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
September 2, 2024
Time of death: 51%
I count books as "read" if I make it to at least 50%. The release I got from DNFing this book was greater than any our gal Mal got.
I had few expectations from this book, but it disappointed them all. If you want a book about ghost sex, without any of the erotic bits, pick this up! Otherwise, it's entirely forgettable, and that's a sin I don't think you can just pray away.
I count books as "read" if I make it to at least 50%. The release I got from DNFing this book was greater than any our gal Mal got.
I had few expectations from this book, but it disappointed them all. If you want a book about ghost sex, without any of the erotic bits, pick this up! Otherwise, it's entirely forgettable, and that's a sin I don't think you can just pray away.
July 24, 2024
Mal Caldera is dead and this book is the story of what happens next to her. At first, she is determined to somehow connect with the living side, especially her sister, Cris, because there are unsaid things Mal desperately wants Cris to know. In the meantime, she learns the ways of ghost-life from those who have been dead for years. These ghosts wander about and intermingle with all the drama of their own pasts, throwing a forever party in a decaying ballroom.
I think Mal will be one of those characters who will stay with me. For better or worse, the author made the decision to ask the reader to emotionally invest in a character who is dead. That’s a lot. Because people want to cheer characters on, watch them evolve, and end up with a resolution but all while still breathing. Because that means there is hope. But here, the author chooses to have Mal work through her grief and find her peace in the afterlife. She’s not perfect. Sometimes she is the jerk she was in life, other times, she is the sweet, funny friend everyone loves. Part of me was feeling melancholy. I kept hoping that it was a gimmick and Mal was still alive but that only meant that the author had me hooked.
I enjoyed the writing but I did think the first half was too long and sometimes repetitious. Then the second half kicked into another gear as Mal grew focused on what she wanted for herself and her loved ones. Although Mal is Queer (her ex is a woman), in the present, her two love interests are men. You’ll have to read the book to find out how that works for ghosts.
Solid 4.25 stars for this debut and I’ll definitely look out for their next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think Mal will be one of those characters who will stay with me. For better or worse, the author made the decision to ask the reader to emotionally invest in a character who is dead. That’s a lot. Because people want to cheer characters on, watch them evolve, and end up with a resolution but all while still breathing. Because that means there is hope. But here, the author chooses to have Mal work through her grief and find her peace in the afterlife. She’s not perfect. Sometimes she is the jerk she was in life, other times, she is the sweet, funny friend everyone loves. Part of me was feeling melancholy. I kept hoping that it was a gimmick and Mal was still alive but that only meant that the author had me hooked.
I enjoyed the writing but I did think the first half was too long and sometimes repetitious. Then the second half kicked into another gear as Mal grew focused on what she wanted for herself and her loved ones. Although Mal is Queer (her ex is a woman), in the present, her two love interests are men. You’ll have to read the book to find out how that works for ghosts.
Solid 4.25 stars for this debut and I’ll definitely look out for their next book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 9, 2024
This book could have been good if it was actually about what the synopsis promises. And I wouldn't penalize a book for the sin of simply being about something that the synopsis did not suggest. But the vast majority of the 450 pages were about the minutiae of ghosts dancing and playing in a band and living in a haunted building and the very, very tedious details of these ghosts' day to day interactions (they are all horny and sleep with each other and get jealous of who is sleeping with who). This is the second book in a row where an editor needed to say, "Let's focus on what the plot is and refine how we get there, and shed 80 pages of treading water."
Also, there is a scene where a ghost and a human engage in mutual masturbation, if that sort of thing is up your alley.
ALSO also, a book that advertises itself as "life-affirming" shouldn't have multiple characters use suicide as a way to solve their problems.
Also, there is a scene where a ghost and a human engage in mutual masturbation, if that sort of thing is up your alley.
ALSO also, a book that advertises itself as "life-affirming" shouldn't have multiple characters use suicide as a way to solve their problems.
August 29, 2024
It was fine. Not bad, just not super inspiring. All of the trauma that was supposed to make me care, didn't. All of the struggles that Mal went through just didn't resonate with me so I was left reading a mildly interesting story. I also never figured out what the down side of death was. Sure there were some physical touch prohibitions and some sort of reason you could not become emotionally attached to the living but the tradeoffs seemed fairly cool.
I might read another by Perez but the ratings will need to be good.
I might read another by Perez but the ratings will need to be good.
June 17, 2024
This book was actually really great. I went in worried it would be "great hook, overwhelmed by generic romance plot," but it absolutely avoids that trap for something unique and cool. ("Unique," he says, right before he compares it to two TV shows). The first bit reminded me a *lot* of the Dead Like Me pilot, learning the rules of being dead/undead and Mal getting her bearings. The rest was more like Ghosts (UK or US, take your pick). The combination worked really well and made for a great read.
Read
June 29, 2024In a small way, this gave me major The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes.
October 3, 2024
This one I feel is more of a 3.5✨ You know, i didn’t read the part of the synopsis where it said “perfect for readers who loved They Both Die At the End” because if I did, I probably wouldn’t have shipped Ren and Mal as hard as I did😭 I’m tired of all of these ghosts falling in love with humans, it’s just hurting my feelings at this point🥲 I will say the story did drag on a bit toward the end because it felt like we had no real plot to follow, but it once we had a new purpose it wasn’t too bad. The longing and yearning however were gut-wrenching and you’ll be hearing from my therapist🥸
January 31, 2025
this book kept breaking my heart and then stitching it back up again over and over and over. i loved it.
Did Not Finish
July 31, 2024Now that I have a kindle, I just don’t think I’m going to finish this one. It was kind of slow and I just wasn’t getting into it. It’s also super long so what are they planning to do for the other 300 pages after her funeral??
August 16, 2024
*3,5
This book is not “funny”, I don’t agree with the mess that was going on and the focus on “sex” (may be from my personality/way of being), if there were any more “finger guns” and “my coin-trick smile” my eyes would have permanently stuck behind my head from rolling them, but I did like the ending, so 3.5
This book is not “funny”, I don’t agree with the mess that was going on and the focus on “sex” (may be from my personality/way of being), if there were any more “finger guns” and “my coin-trick smile” my eyes would have permanently stuck behind my head from rolling them, but I did like the ending, so 3.5
November 27, 2024
Maybe 2.5
Did Not Finish
August 7, 2024DNF’d at 51%
May 27, 2024
WOW. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. I’m definitely going to have a book hangover from this one because it was so incredible. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t want my current read to end, but this was it. I was heartbroken when I read the final page.
Have I convinced you to read it yet? If not, here’s what you need to know:
- There’s a focus on ghosts and the afterlife.
- The FMC is a ghost and falls in love with someone still living (but if you’re not a romance reader, don’t let this push you away).
- There’s incredible LGBTQIA2S+ and mental health representation.
- The author’s writing style is incredible and I’m pretty sure the words just magically flowed onto the page because oh my goodness, so well written.
- Kind of gives The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes, but is also totally its own masterpiece.
- Has the ability to make you laugh while simultaneously feeling immense sorrow.
- This needs to be turned into a series on Netflix.
That’s all I’m gonna say. Now go and read this book so we can talk about it!
Thank you to Titan Books for my gifted copy!
Have I convinced you to read it yet? If not, here’s what you need to know:
- There’s a focus on ghosts and the afterlife.
- The FMC is a ghost and falls in love with someone still living (but if you’re not a romance reader, don’t let this push you away).
- There’s incredible LGBTQIA2S+ and mental health representation.
- The author’s writing style is incredible and I’m pretty sure the words just magically flowed onto the page because oh my goodness, so well written.
- Kind of gives The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes, but is also totally its own masterpiece.
- Has the ability to make you laugh while simultaneously feeling immense sorrow.
- This needs to be turned into a series on Netflix.
That’s all I’m gonna say. Now go and read this book so we can talk about it!
Thank you to Titan Books for my gifted copy!
April 3, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
RTC.
RTC.
January 25, 2025
Took too long to end.
September 24, 2024
True rating: 4.5⭐️
I don’t think I’ve cried this much reading a book in such a long time.
This was so beautifully written. It touches on some really hard hitting and tough topics (such as death, and all forms of death, grieving and the lives people lead after losing their loved ones) but it was done so well and tastefully.
The story follows FMC Mal, who “accidentally” died at 27 years old. She lived a rockstars life and didn’t, from what she says, have any regrets. Her younger sister who is still alive is grieving and Mal can’t help but want to communicate with her. Mainly to explain how she died and how it wasn’t intentional.
Mal goes through a lot of character development and self realisation, accepting her death and all the true circumstances around it, and how she actually feels about being dead. It’s one of those things where we see a lot of genuine growth not at a fast pace in this book and it feels like you’re almost growing with her as the book goes on. She grows and accepts as she should and it’s not done at speed for the sake of the story.
She meets a lot of interesting characters, both ghosts and breathers, and helps the ghosts to also come to terms with their deaths as well as visiting their living relatives and seeing how they are coping. There’s also so much representation in this book that I really applaud the author. Especially with Mal being bi and with her Hispanic heritage, there’s some really wonderful moments of representation for cultures and backgrounds that just worked so well.
There’s so many different variations of grief and dealing with grief in this book that it actually provided me with some comfort. We all handle grief and losing a loved one differently and it was so brilliant to see this. Some accepting in their own way, others following the path of self destruction because they feel lost.
As mentioned, there are some pretty heavy topics where these themes are concerned but nothing is taken as taboo. It’s all discussed and explored really tastefully and in a way that leaves you emotional but in a good way?
Ren, the MMC, was my favourite. He had such an interesting character and background and I really think the author explained living but not really “living” really well. I truly felt for him and how he went on his journey throughout the book. He is someone that I think a lot of people can relate to and would hopefully find comfort in in some ways
Now the romance. Oh my goodness did this hurt. I love a good angsty romance but damn did I cry. I think I cried more at Ren (the MMC) and Mal than I did at other parts in the book. Without spoiling, this was perfect for this book. Whilst I wished for a different ending, it was perfect and suited the story so well. Ren grew from a very very dark place to a really happy, learning to cope with the world and his feelings for Mal. They had some really tough discussions especially with Mal being dead and there was one scene (no spoilers) which made me bawl my eyes out. It was bittersweet and perfect and so well written. The dialogue between the two was just wonderful and their relationship was so lovely though i do think Mal made some seriously bad choices where it came to Ren.
Overall, this book truly hit every emotion. It’s quite heavy and there were a lot of times where I wished there was a bit more humour to take the edge off but I suppose with the serious topics discussed in this book, the author probably didn’t want to lessen the seriousness.
I think the way grief and death was handled in this book and the way people can grieve different was explored amazingly. I truly believe this book is going to stay with me.
It’s one of those books where I really believe everyone should read it but I understand that there are going to be some trigger and content warnings and some very tough topics that aren’t for everyone.
But if you’ve ever wanted a fantasy book that deals with some hard hitting topics and really makes you feel all the emotions (both good and bad) I really really recommend this. It is sad but beautifully and hauntingly so.
I don’t think I’ve cried this much reading a book in such a long time.
This was so beautifully written. It touches on some really hard hitting and tough topics (such as death, and all forms of death, grieving and the lives people lead after losing their loved ones) but it was done so well and tastefully.
The story follows FMC Mal, who “accidentally” died at 27 years old. She lived a rockstars life and didn’t, from what she says, have any regrets. Her younger sister who is still alive is grieving and Mal can’t help but want to communicate with her. Mainly to explain how she died and how it wasn’t intentional.
Mal goes through a lot of character development and self realisation, accepting her death and all the true circumstances around it, and how she actually feels about being dead. It’s one of those things where we see a lot of genuine growth not at a fast pace in this book and it feels like you’re almost growing with her as the book goes on. She grows and accepts as she should and it’s not done at speed for the sake of the story.
She meets a lot of interesting characters, both ghosts and breathers, and helps the ghosts to also come to terms with their deaths as well as visiting their living relatives and seeing how they are coping. There’s also so much representation in this book that I really applaud the author. Especially with Mal being bi and with her Hispanic heritage, there’s some really wonderful moments of representation for cultures and backgrounds that just worked so well.
There’s so many different variations of grief and dealing with grief in this book that it actually provided me with some comfort. We all handle grief and losing a loved one differently and it was so brilliant to see this. Some accepting in their own way, others following the path of self destruction because they feel lost.
As mentioned, there are some pretty heavy topics where these themes are concerned but nothing is taken as taboo. It’s all discussed and explored really tastefully and in a way that leaves you emotional but in a good way?
Ren, the MMC, was my favourite. He had such an interesting character and background and I really think the author explained living but not really “living” really well. I truly felt for him and how he went on his journey throughout the book. He is someone that I think a lot of people can relate to and would hopefully find comfort in in some ways
Now the romance. Oh my goodness did this hurt. I love a good angsty romance but damn did I cry. I think I cried more at Ren (the MMC) and Mal than I did at other parts in the book. Without spoiling, this was perfect for this book. Whilst I wished for a different ending, it was perfect and suited the story so well. Ren grew from a very very dark place to a really happy, learning to cope with the world and his feelings for Mal. They had some really tough discussions especially with Mal being dead and there was one scene (no spoilers) which made me bawl my eyes out. It was bittersweet and perfect and so well written. The dialogue between the two was just wonderful and their relationship was so lovely though i do think Mal made some seriously bad choices where it came to Ren.
Overall, this book truly hit every emotion. It’s quite heavy and there were a lot of times where I wished there was a bit more humour to take the edge off but I suppose with the serious topics discussed in this book, the author probably didn’t want to lessen the seriousness.
I think the way grief and death was handled in this book and the way people can grieve different was explored amazingly. I truly believe this book is going to stay with me.
It’s one of those books where I really believe everyone should read it but I understand that there are going to be some trigger and content warnings and some very tough topics that aren’t for everyone.
But if you’ve ever wanted a fantasy book that deals with some hard hitting topics and really makes you feel all the emotions (both good and bad) I really really recommend this. It is sad but beautifully and hauntingly so.
August 4, 2024
I've never read a book that featured an afterlife consisting of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll before, still less one that made sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll seem so tedious. I kid you not, the ghosts who inhabit "The Haunt," the afterlife nightclub, really seem like the "bad kids" you would find in an earnest PSA about peer pressure. Not interested in joining our orgy? Well, then "you're a drag." Even by the middle where the protagonist started getting into it, it still seemed kind of tedious: the immortal phrase "vaguely sexual wallpaper" kept creeping into my head (thank you, Mystery Science Theater 3000, for that one).
The book did contain some good stuff, but it mostly came towards the end and the end was a looooooong time coming (speaking of a drag...it dragged in the middle and some sections felt like filler). There were some solid sections about grief and life vs death, although I never had a strong grasp of what made someone turn into a ghost vs what made them "move on" immediately.
Please be aware, those of you sensitive to the topic, that by the end this book is a LOT about suicide. The topic is handled reasonably well and isn't gratuitous or glamorizing, but there's a lot more of it than I would have expected based on the book's blurb.
The book did contain some good stuff, but it mostly came towards the end and the end was a looooooong time coming (speaking of a drag...it dragged in the middle and some sections felt like filler). There were some solid sections about grief and life vs death, although I never had a strong grasp of what made someone turn into a ghost vs what made them "move on" immediately.
Please be aware, those of you sensitive to the topic, that by the end this book is a LOT about suicide. The topic is handled reasonably well and isn't gratuitous or glamorizing, but there's a lot more of it than I would have expected based on the book's blurb.
September 26, 2025
I wanted to like this book and I *kind of* did because there were some interesting pieces to it. But for as long as it was, I got to the end and still didn’t totally understand the structure of the afterlife. Sometimes the dead could touch things - “if they forgot they were dead” ?? - but couldn’t touch humans. But one time Mal was able to make a flour handprint on Wren’s shirt?? The reason they weren’t supposed to interact with humans wasn’t totally clear - “because then they could all agree we exist.” ?? Why would that be a bad thing?? No reasons were given as to why some were stuck there and others weren’t. Were they supposed to be learning something? People seemingly disappeared for no reason, not after learning some “life(death) lesson.” The moral or existential framework of this book was very confusing or maybe non-existent.
June 8, 2024
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book....
an interesting read though i have to say it wasnt quite for me.... but its well written and others may find it to their liking....
mal is dead and she finds herself in the inbetween.... she finds herself wanting to get in touch with her sister and send her message
it has a theme that many will like
an interesting read though i have to say it wasnt quite for me.... but its well written and others may find it to their liking....
mal is dead and she finds herself in the inbetween.... she finds herself wanting to get in touch with her sister and send her message
it has a theme that many will like
September 8, 2024
An interesting premise, but poorly executed. The main character was tedious, shallow, and generally unlikeable. The book is far too long and rambling for the amount of actual plot. As a lover of tales of the afterlife, this was a huge disappointment.
November 22, 2024
I liked the Mal-Ren dynamic but I felt like it lacked a bit of drama or something that kept me interested.
February 12, 2025
Meh and kinda depressing; fits the winter gloom tho.
November 13, 2024
"If you died right now, would you put the 'fun' in funeral, or would your turnout be as sad as mine?"
Welcome to the Nadi Reed Perez stage at MetaphysicsFest 2024!
"What's up, you dead fucks?"
Mal Caldera is absolutely rocking the house, but will she ever realize that HERS IS the life of the party? Sorry, no spoilers here... what happens at the danse macabre stays at the danse macabre.
Originally picked this book thinking it would be a bit of Halloween fluff reading, but I haven't had my passion for existentialism reignited this much in ages. Not to mention the ballsy walk along the razor's edge of compassionate care and treatment for those in very real and immediate crisis.
Entertaining, intriguing, witty, poignant, and jarring on/at levels I didn't anticipate. Perez doesn't register as white noise; their voice is a welcome blast to the spectrum. 5-STAR LOVE IT when that happens!
So what do you say, fans of Seanan McGuire, quirky fiction, ghost stories with a heartbeat, and anyone with a pulse:
"Are you ready to join the afterparty?" 👻💖🤓
Welcome to the Nadi Reed Perez stage at MetaphysicsFest 2024!
"What's up, you dead fucks?"
Mal Caldera is absolutely rocking the house, but will she ever realize that HERS IS the life of the party? Sorry, no spoilers here... what happens at the danse macabre stays at the danse macabre.
Originally picked this book thinking it would be a bit of Halloween fluff reading, but I haven't had my passion for existentialism reignited this much in ages. Not to mention the ballsy walk along the razor's edge of compassionate care and treatment for those in very real and immediate crisis.
Entertaining, intriguing, witty, poignant, and jarring on/at levels I didn't anticipate. Perez doesn't register as white noise; their voice is a welcome blast to the spectrum. 5-STAR LOVE IT when that happens!
So what do you say, fans of Seanan McGuire, quirky fiction, ghost stories with a heartbeat, and anyone with a pulse:
"Are you ready to join the afterparty?" 👻💖🤓
December 14, 2023
I have feasted this year. One of my favorite types of books is the sort that drags me from joyous laughter to intrigue and tension to tears (just—books that break me down and build me back up again), and I keep getting to read books that do just that.
This gorgeous debut by Nadi Reed Perez is one of them (and HOW), and I'm so grateful to have gotten my greedy hands on an ARC!
Mal Caldera is going to rock your life—or your afterlife. This book is so emotional and delightful and real and queer and tackles the idea of loss and complicated family dynamics so deftly. Its entire lovable and incredibly human cast has my heart forever.
This gorgeous debut by Nadi Reed Perez is one of them (and HOW), and I'm so grateful to have gotten my greedy hands on an ARC!
Mal Caldera is going to rock your life—or your afterlife. This book is so emotional and delightful and real and queer and tackles the idea of loss and complicated family dynamics so deftly. Its entire lovable and incredibly human cast has my heart forever.
August 30, 2025
I was hoping this would be better than it was. Why do all the ghosts have to be so damn horny?
June 14, 2024
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Creative, riotous yet soulful spin on a series of classic afterlife/rock lifestyle tropes. A love letter to hope and life from the other side of the veil.
Cons: Too focused on the ghostly sex and partying (though it comes with the worldbuilding, to an extent).
WARNING! Suicide/attempted suicide, drug use, alcoholism. Familial abuse, depression, hospital internment, infidelity/promiscuity, grief.
Will appeal to: Those who like life-affirming stories, coming-of-age narratives (even after death) and found families.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Edelweiss. Thanks to Titan Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
NEW DIRECTIONS
I have to be honest: the synopsis set my expectations for a different story than the one I got, up to an extent. I figured Mal's attempt to communicate with her sister (and maybe her success in doing so) would be the main focus, along with Mal and Ren's (the medium) doomed love story. It turns out that I was right about the second thing (again, up to an extent) and wrong about the first, because this book encompasses so many more themes and situations - though it mostly boils down to coming to terms with one's own death, forgiving oneself and becoming part of a found family, plus helping the living to change their existence for the better. This could have resulted in a sappy (and fairly typical) tale, except the author made some interesting choices that gave enough of a spin to a series of familiar tropes and managed to keep the narrative sharper and rawer than it could have been. For one, Mal Caldera hadn't reached stardom status yet before she met her untimely death, and she was as flawed and selfish as they come (still is, at the start of her afterlife - though the good thing is, she's self-aware about it). Likewise, if the rest of the cast projects a cliché appearance at first, this soon enough makes room for surprises and unexpected twists (for all purposes, so does the story). The setting and worldbuilding (I'm talking about the afterlife-dimension-on-Earth here) are imaginative and well thought-out, and the ghosts' mythology is the right blend of familiar and fresh. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Creative, riotous yet soulful spin on a series of classic afterlife/rock lifestyle tropes. A love letter to hope and life from the other side of the veil.
Cons: Too focused on the ghostly sex and partying (though it comes with the worldbuilding, to an extent).
WARNING! Suicide/attempted suicide, drug use, alcoholism. Familial abuse, depression, hospital internment, infidelity/promiscuity, grief.
Will appeal to: Those who like life-affirming stories, coming-of-age narratives (even after death) and found families.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on Edelweiss. Thanks to Titan Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
NEW DIRECTIONS
I have to be honest: the synopsis set my expectations for a different story than the one I got, up to an extent. I figured Mal's attempt to communicate with her sister (and maybe her success in doing so) would be the main focus, along with Mal and Ren's (the medium) doomed love story. It turns out that I was right about the second thing (again, up to an extent) and wrong about the first, because this book encompasses so many more themes and situations - though it mostly boils down to coming to terms with one's own death, forgiving oneself and becoming part of a found family, plus helping the living to change their existence for the better. This could have resulted in a sappy (and fairly typical) tale, except the author made some interesting choices that gave enough of a spin to a series of familiar tropes and managed to keep the narrative sharper and rawer than it could have been. For one, Mal Caldera hadn't reached stardom status yet before she met her untimely death, and she was as flawed and selfish as they come (still is, at the start of her afterlife - though the good thing is, she's self-aware about it). Likewise, if the rest of the cast projects a cliché appearance at first, this soon enough makes room for surprises and unexpected twists (for all purposes, so does the story). The setting and worldbuilding (I'm talking about the afterlife-dimension-on-Earth here) are imaginative and well thought-out, and the ghosts' mythology is the right blend of familiar and fresh. [...]
Whole review here.
April 22, 2024
Contemporary fantasy is at its best when it manages to balance plot, characters and a sense of magic/otherworldly elements. The Afterlife of Mal Caldera does that, and more.
I loved the main character's development and sense of humour and how she learned to approach her mistakes with dignity and in a very human way. She benefitted from having a realistic attitude to the world and the sense of 'we only live once, enjoy it' doesn't come across as cheesy but rather balanced amongst the hope, tears and regret. I wish we had more scenes with Mal's sister, as I thought judging by the synopsis it would center more prominently around the family dynamics and interactions. There are a lot of side characters to create that sense of a paranormal family, and I loved the way different eras came together in the Haunt, another cool setting.
I loved the ending for Mal. It was absolutely perfect, and again really sets a balance to the novel's tone.
I loved the main character's development and sense of humour and how she learned to approach her mistakes with dignity and in a very human way. She benefitted from having a realistic attitude to the world and the sense of 'we only live once, enjoy it' doesn't come across as cheesy but rather balanced amongst the hope, tears and regret. I wish we had more scenes with Mal's sister, as I thought judging by the synopsis it would center more prominently around the family dynamics and interactions. There are a lot of side characters to create that sense of a paranormal family, and I loved the way different eras came together in the Haunt, another cool setting.
I loved the ending for Mal. It was absolutely perfect, and again really sets a balance to the novel's tone.
June 10, 2024
“You don’t know my ”—I almost spat the wrong word—“afterlife.”--Mal Caldera
Is it weird that a book about death is delightful? Well, you'll have to make peace with it, because The Afterlife of Mal Caldera was just that. Mal is dead, and she has some things to do. She wants to communicate some things to her sister, even though the new fellow ghosts she meets advise her against it. Both in life and death, Mal is not likely to take anyone's advice. That is the premise, as briefly as I can tell it to you. Because trust me that you want to go into this without knowing too much. It makes it so much more fun. Mal has to learn to navigate between the world of the living and her new world of the dead, but we as the reader make this journey with her, so I hesitate to say too much.
I will tell you this: I fell wholly in love with this story, with Mal, ornery as she could be at times, and certainly with all the folks- dead and alive- she meets along the way. Every person she encounters ends up playing a part in Mal's growth and development, because surprise! You can grow as a person in the afterlife! And Mal needs to do just that unless she wants to turn into a full-fledged "broken" spirit. Not only does she have to confront decisions she's made post-death, but those she made in her time alive, too. But all of this happens with an undercurrent of hilarity, as well as quite a few emotional moments. I have a feeling that this story will stay with me for a long time.
Bottom Line: Beautiful, funny, and motive, I loved everything about Mal's afterlife journey.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
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