The Rip

by Lisa Bird

Henry Warren is only seventeen years old when he is tragically ripped from his life in a car accident. But there's a catch. A harbinger of death arrives as Henry dies and guides him into the Huts, a neighboring purgatory. Here Henry has six days to fight for the return of his life in a competition called The Rip.

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2012

Reviews

[Callista Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this new modern teen fantasy story, we follow the death of Henry. He is the chosen hero for a race of beings trapped in a world between life and death, doomed to never go any farther. If he succeeds in helping them he can win back his life, if not he joins them for all eternity. All he must do is win by finishing first through a series of challenges against 13 other dead contenders all attempting to return to the moment of their death. More is at play than just a romp through the afterlife as things are more complicated than they seem.

While good and evil are not so straight forward as in the author's last series, her optimism in humanity and youth are still very present. While she does not deny the reader a pleasant ending, she does find her way into pulling on the heart before releasing the characters to a happily ever after, even giving you a last few moments to relish what their new life and death may look like.

A very enjoyable read, with enough danger, characters you can care about, and a real enough fantasy world that it all works together to be something that permits you to believe the illusion.