Grief in the Fourth Dimension

by Jennifer Yu

A moving and unique speculative YA novel about the afterlife and the unexpected connections that can be made in death.

In life, high school classmates Caroline Davison and Kenny Zhou existed in separate universes—Caroline in one of softball practices and family dinners; Kenny in one of NASA photo books and late-night shifts at his parents’ Chinese restaurant. But after their deaths, they find themselves thrown together as roommates in a mysterious white room—one that seems to exist outside of time and space, shows them their loved ones’ lives on a large hi-def TV, and grants their wishes with a sardonic sense of humor. As Caroline and Kenny watch life continue to unfold back on Earth, they realize they can influence events through radio signals, psychic mediums, and electromagnetic interference. In their efforts to console their families, they also start to understand the tragic depth of how their lives and deaths were connected and how to help their families—and themselves—heal from the losses.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Grief, Contemporary

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 16, 2024

About the author

Jennifer Yu is the author of three young adult novels, including the forthcoming Grief in the Fourth Dimension. When not writing, you can find her weeping intermittently about the Boston Celtics, photos of the Earth from outer space, and the etymology of the word disaster. She has hopscotched across New England, Southern California, the Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest, but is perhaps happiest when living out of the trunk of her Toyota Corolla. She earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled on this book in my libby app. I was drawn in pretty quickly just by the title.

The book follows 2 teens (Caroline and Kenny) as they observe and process the immediate aftermath of each of their deaths. Caroline is angry about her untimely end while Kenny worries about his parents and their (now) struggling restaurant.

The book explores the diverse ways people process grief. How can we honor our loved one's legacy while we continue to live life?

The storyline covered complex topics without shying away using easy explanations/outs. At some points, it was hard to continue reading because I had so much sympathy for characters on both sides of a major conflict.

I'm so glad I accidentally found this book. I truly hope this book is able to get some more publicity - as of now, only 414 people have even shelved this book!

[Patrycja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jestem naprawdę pod wrażeniem. Chociaż polecałabym jednak nieco młodszemu odbiorcy, ale wciąż pozostaje to wartościowa książka.

Tylko czemu ta okładka jest taka dziecinna i cukierkowa? Wygląda jak romans YA, a w rzeczywistości nie ma nawet grama wątku romantycznego.

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[ współpraca reklamowa @youandyabooks ]

“Pokój w czwartym wymiarze” Jennifer Yu to powieść o dwójce młodych ludzi, którzy pierwszy raz spotykają się... dopiero po śmierci. Trafiają bowiem do niecodziennego pokoju, w którym za pomocą telewizora mogą oglądać dalsze życie ich bliskich. W pewien sposób mogą oni też wpływać na ich poczynania. Czy będą w stanie pogodzić się z tym, że odeszli? Czy ich bliscy ruszą w końcu do przodu?

Jestem bardzo pozytywnie zaskoczona tym, jak dojrzale prezentuje się ta książka na tle innych powieści młodzieżowych. Od początku wiedziałam, że będzie ona poruszać trudniejsze tematy, jednak nie spodziewałam się, że zrobi to w sposób nieskomplikowany, jednak z idealnym wyczuciem. Bardzo dużo rzeczy w tej fabule zagrało - od relacji dwójki głównych bohaterów, po relacje z ich bliskimi, choć tę mogli obserwować już jedynie na odległość.

Książka wciąga od samego początku, a my oczami Caroline i Kenny’ego możemy śledzić urywki przyszłości ich przyjaciół i rodziny. Zwroty akcji są bardzo dobrze wyważone i w odpowiednich momentach potęgują chęć odkrycia coraz to kolejnych tajemnic. W to wszystko wpleciona jest nutka science fiction, ale nie jest to nic skomplikowanego, z czym młody czytelnik by sobie nie poradził.

“Pokój w czwartym wymiarze” to powieść zmuszająca do refleksji na temat żałoby, przyjaźni, czy więzi rodzinnych. Młodzieżówka bez tandetnych wątków romantycznych, ale niestety z nieco zbyt infantylną okładką i, moim zdaniem, takim sobie tłumaczeniem tytułu.

Myślę jednak, że jest to świetna książka dla młodego czytelnika, który szuka poruszającej lektury dającej przestrzeń do przemyśleń, a może nawet mobilizację do zmian, póki jeszcze jest na to czas.

[Sam Metcalfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to an Audio copy of Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu before publication on Jul 16 2024.
This was a great story that deals with the grief of passing from the departed POV and the family/friends left behind. The story covers philosophy, the science of space/time, and other dimensions, including depression, grief, suicide, death, social class, racial and migrant issues but not in a heavy way. I did find myself crying at certain points.
Two teenagers pass away in two separate instances and find themselves together in limbo where they can deal with their passing and watch their family deal with it on a big TV. They went to the same school but didn't know each other as they moved in different circles. Kenny is a depressed science nerd of Asian descent whose parents are running an Asian restaurant and they are struggling money-wise. Caroline is a white upper-class, popular, and well-loved in the community whose life is taken in a car accident due to a drunk driver. They become friends and help each other make sense of what is happening. Watching the family through the TV together they discover shocking information about their passing will this affect the friendship they have made?!
Well worth a read or listen, I have already recommended this to a friend.

[eve._.lyn reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ review ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
4.5 Stars
Grief in the Fourth Dimension by Jennifer Yu is an emotionally profound and moving story that follows the journey of classmates Caroline and Kenny in a mysterious room with a TV that shows them the lives of their loved ones after their deaths. Yu's innovative premise is further strengthened by the complex cast of characters and important themes that she explores. Caroline and Kenny come from very different life experiences and backgrounds. The juxtaposition of their differences composes a compelling and layered story. As readers watch the impact their death had on their families and friends, they learn more about who Caroline and Kenny were when they were alive, and the way these individuals shaped them.

I've never read a book that explored all the side characters so skillfully. From Kenny's family to Caroline's boyfriend, Dom, I found myself empathizing and understanding their struggles. Yu explores themes such as grief, suicide, murder, and poverty so masterfully. She weaved together Caroline and Kenny's lives in a way that shocked and amazed me. Near the end, I was brought to tears and moved by the emotional connection I had formed with the characters and the subjects that the author explored. I loved this book. It is one of the best YA novels I've ever read, and the characters will stick with me for a long time.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ quotes ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
"What sort of love must it take, I wonder, to be so gentle with someone when there's violence written in every line of their body? To see a live wire and reach out your hands to grasp it?"

"I'll lend you some of mine until you can find your own," she had said, but my faith was always in her."

[nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am unwell. This book had me bawling my eyes out. The way that the author describes grief is so accurate, that I had to stop reading several times because it evoked such strong emotions about my own personal life. This story is such a beautiful way of looking at death and life.

We start with Kenny, who has recently died and finds himself in a room worth a screen where he can watch his parents on Earth. Then, Caroline appears in the room and they must come to terms with their own deaths. Both Kenny and Caroline are able to watch their friends and families who are trying to grapple with their own grief.

Kenny, the son of immigrant parents and considered outcast at his school, learns about how his life did have purpose and learns to grieve everything lost.

Caroline, the popular sunshine girl that came from a happy wealthy family, must come to terms with her sudden death and learning to find peace with what could have been.

This book was one of those ones where I started reading and time just flew by. It’s such an accurate portrayal of grief for both the people that are incredibly close to the person who died and those that are on the periphery. I would be delighted to read more of this author’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this copy for review. All opinions are my own.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

vastly underrated (literally) - a moving book about loss, our connections and obligations to one another, and the nature of justice. fair warning, though, that there are (perhaps obviously) quite a few depressing scenes and revelations, and the reading experience probably should not be paired with a downcast mood.

[Kaktusik · Rating 4 out of 5]

[współpraca recenzencka]

Tej książce absolutnie nie można odebrać oryginalności, bowiem wydaje mi się, że nigdy wcześniej nie trafiłam na motyw życia po życiu. Początek fabuły może się wydawać dosyć mocno enigmatyczny, niby mamy jakieś tam podstawy wiedzy, jednak nie są one zbyt szeroko wytłumaczone. Dopiero z następnymi rozdziałami poznajemy historie naszych głównych bohaterów oraz tego, w jaki sposób doszło do ich śmierci. Krótkie rozdziały sprawiają, że można nabrać tutaj fajnego tempa przy czytaniu, jednak ogrom trudnych emocji równie często spowolnia proces czytania. Muszę przyznać, że kilkukrotnie w oku zakręciła mi się nawet łezka, a zwłaszcza przy tych ostatnich rozdziałach. Myślę, że po ten tytuł spokojnie mogą sięgać nawet młodsi czytelnicy, ale warto mieć na uwadze, że książka zawiera wiele trudnych momentów oraz wzmiankę dotyczącą depresji oraz samobójstw.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title, cover, and premise of Grief in the Fourth Dimension peeked some curiosity out of me with the idea of our two dead teen protagonists watching their loved ones move on with life after their lives were cut short. And it was very moving, crushing, and insightful at the same time. However, there are some moments of levity to keep things from getting too heavy or dark. There’s a speculative element with the purgatory room that Kenny and Caroline are stuck in after they die as well as some physics speak that isn’t that hard to understand for the average reader, which tries to explain some of the concepts, but not the main focus. In the end, it’s about how people deal with death and the time after in their own ways, how things don’t work out or end as cleanly as one hopes, and how there is life after. Like in real life, the grieving process is very different in each of the characters, full of realistic personalities. This story also deals with other things like race and class and how that affects how the larger community grieves.

I ended up finishing the audiobook in a weekend thanks to the shorter chapters, and how straight forward the prose was. The performances by Tim Lounibos and Rachel Wong were great, and get super emotional in some sections, which is really good, and dug me further into the emotions than I thought, especially when it came to some of the well done plot twists and reveals.

As indicated by the title, this does deal with the grieving process and the deaths of our two protagonists, as well as the consequences of post-death, so this might not be the best read if you’re looking for something happy. There’s also some profanity. But if you’re ready to look at the nitty gritty of the grieving process with a speculative twist, this is an intriguing look at grief. I will also see whatever else Jennifer Yu had in store for us.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley and Recorded Books. All opinions are my own.*

[BooksByMarsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pierwszy raz spotkałam się z tego typu książką. Była ona niby bardzo lekka i przyjemna, lecz skłaniała do różnych przemyśleń na temat życia oraz jego przemijania. Sposób ukazania tego, co dzieje się z nami po śmierci jako pokoju, w którym możemy obserwować swoich bliskich był naprawdę bardzo ciekawy. Caroline i Kenny mogli oglądać swoją rodzinę czy znajomych, to, jak sobie radzą po ich stracie, ale także mogli w jakiś sposób kontaktować się z nimi i wpływać na ich decyzje. Pokój dostarczał im praktycznie wszystkiego, co chcieli, oprócz narzędzi do odmierzania czasu. Przez to, że czas tam nie istniał bohaterowie mogli obserwować swoich bliskich w różnych sytuacjach. Książka pięknie ukazała wiele trudnych tematów takich jak śmierć, strata czy żałoba. Akcja cały czas się toczyła i mimo że na początku kompletnie nie rozumiałam fabuły to tak naprawdę wszystko zmierzało do jednego momentu, w którym wszystko się wyjaśniło, co tak naprawdę połączyło Caroline z Kennym.

Książkę, tak jak już pisałam, naprawdę przyjemnie się czytało, lecz także wzbudzała do refleksji, co bardzo mi się podobało. Zdecydowanie polecam ją osobom, które szukają historii skłaniającej do głębszych przemyśleń

[Shannon Miz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a charming and heartwrenching story! As you can tell by the title, this book does include a lot of talk of grief and death and such. But it does so in a really unintimidating way, which, as someone with a lot of death anxiety, I appreciated. We meet Caroline and Kenny as they first encounter each other "on the other side", which is to say, in a bizarre, blank white room with a screen that shows them snippets of things happening with their family and friends back on Earth. Or the Realm of the Living, or whatever.

Luckily, they manage to zhuzh up the room, and begin to tune in to their families whenever the magic TV lets them. They are able to see the aftermaths of their deaths, even though they happened months apart (time works differently in The White Room, okay?), and they even find that maybe they can have some effect on the choices their loved ones make. They also have to face their own thoughts on how things ended. Caroline is angry that a car accident robbed her of her life, which is certainly understandable, but will retribution really help her or her family grieve? Kenny, for his part, is worried about his immigrant parents, and dealing with financial problems, as well as the loss of their only son.

There is a lot more happening here, including a lot of complex relationships among the characters. Even from The White Room, the characters have to work through their relationships with those left behind, as well as each other. Caroline and Kenny came from very different worlds, and as such, have quite  different perspectives. But in order to really help their loved ones, they may need to understand and empathize with one another.

I did have one minor qualm, and that is that I do wish that the mental health piece had been explored a bit more. I understand, in a sense, why it wasn't, but I had hoped it would have been a bit more fleshed out. What was discussed was handled well though!

Bottom Line: This was a very sweet, sometimes sad,  and ultimately hopeful story about love overcoming time and space, essentially.

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Carolyn Harbour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I listened to this book, the more I loved it. It talks about so many forms of grief in such a manageable YA read, but it had me tearing up at times as well. It did talk about therapy and the realness of mental health, as well as real world experiences after death, but it also has fantasy and sci-fi aspects that I just adore.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! really engaging and touching

[Kayla Ivey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure I have any tears left to cry. This book is great for fans of THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END. Kenny and Caroline are roommates in the afterlife and try to help those on earth grieving their deaths while coming to terms with how they ended up dead in the first place. A heartbreaking tale.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC of the audiobook.

[Nicole Darrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished a book!
Such a unique and thoughtful look at grief and what lies after death. Great rec for teens but I think giving warnings on content is worth the “spoiler”. Not too precious of a lens which I love.

[emilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

młodzieżówka bez wątku romantycznego między głównymi bohaterami? ja w szoku. oczywiście wyszło to na dobre!

[RaspberryRoses]

This book is a struggle to review. But I'm going to try and do it anyway, since it's been rattling around in my brain ever since I finished it.

I loved the premise. And it's portrayal of grief is earnest and raw in many ways. The first "twist" that Kenny had committed suicide I was able to see coming, and I don't mean that as an insult or anything. It's good that it was well foreshadowed! The second "twist" that Kenny's mom was the driver who killed Caroline was a complete shock to me, and I also don't think that's a bad thing. I think it was set up well and I loved the timeline shenanigans in the first half. The characters seemed to struggle with understanding them, but it seemed clear to me...? I dunno. I play Uchikoshi games, maybe I just have my PHD in this sort of bullshit.

That second twist, though - as good as I thought it was, it led to the worst parts of this story. And it's hard to coherently critique this, because like... these characters are messy. And that's good! I like how messy they all are. Grief does that to people. But the moral conclusions that this book leads to...

I dunno. I don't think Caroline or her mom was wrong to want punishment for her death. If this was a wider critique about the existence of the prison industrial complex, then maybe that'd be something, but... it's not. The book seems to accept that if Kenny's mom WAS drunk, then it would have been acceptable to pursue jail time for Caroline's death. A lot of the arguing about this seems to hinge on the idea of 'she wasn't even drunk, though'! And it's like... I don't care? I don't care that her BAC was at an acceptable level. She still recklessly drove and ended up killing a young girl.

And it's just... it's so weird, how the book contorts itself around the idea that Kenny's mom shouldn't be punished. It's weird! And the fact that Kenny interfered with Caroline's phone call - where she was literally going to tell her mom to pursue jail time, where for once we could truly know 'what the victim would have wanted' - and the narrative never really apologizes for it? IT'S INSANEEE. And then Caroline just decides without enough development that actually she DOESN'T care that Kenny's mom killed her.

In a book that managed to handle other heavy topics with such deft and grace, the way it ended up treating this really soured me on it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was just wondering where all the sci-fi YA was - and this book appeared on my radar!

It’s quirky and humorous, but also brutal and honest. The characters have dynamic and realistic personalities, and the writing is fantastic. This YA book deals with intense themes in an appropriate and approachable way, something that not all authors are able to do.

I loved the twists in the story, and they ALL took me by surprise and kept me on my toes!

Jennifer Yu wrote a fantastic story about the power of forgiveness and kindness in the face of incredible grief. Highly recommended!

Thank you to Net Galley and Abrams Books for the ARC!

[Eleonora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicato, profondo, ironico, estremamente realistico, a tratti struggente.

“It’s striking, to me — the capacity of human beings to change, to grow, to heal.”

[Maddi Shiu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book explores suicide as well as murder with two separate characters. It shows the perspective of someone who was murdered, who learns that the person she’s with was suicidal. And vice versa.

All the characters, Kenny, Caroline, and all of the side characters, like Dom, Cooper, Iris and Jianyu, and all the parents, were all so unique and so complex. They were so skillfully written. Yu explores the themes of grief, suicide, murder and poverty, and they were all written beautifully. Kenny and Caroline’s story weaved together nicely. The plot twist was absolutely amazing. I love this book so much.


Quotes:

“That he and my mom survived thirty-two years without me before I existed, and they can definitely survive another thirty-two years without me now that I’m gone.” - Kenny

“You’re going to spend the rest of your life grieving. And that’s OK. It won’t be every day. But it will always be there.” - Mrs. Novak

“We can’t tell you that the pain of losing a child is something that never fully heals. The fact of it is that it simply remains with you forever, the grief ebbing and flowing with the passage of time, the wound staunched and reopened in turns by the procession of birthdays and Christmases and New Years that somehow continues despite the world having one less person in it to celebrate them.”

“Sure, maybe you made a - a mistake, but no one lives a perfect life. It’s how you respond to your mistakes that matters. It’s how you come back.” - Iris

“There is no loss like the loss of a child. There is no guilt like the guilt of thinking of all the ways I could have prevented her death. There is no regret like the regret of knowing I let her go to school that morning without telling her one last time that I loved her.” - Caroline’s father

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grief in the Fourth Dimension is a speculative YA novel following teenagers Kenny and Caroline after they find themselves sharing an afterlife in limbo. Together they must come to terms with the lives they lead, the deaths that claimed them, and the fallout among their friends and family left behind.

I love the genre bending between speculative sci-fi elements and contemporary YA drama. Yu takes what could’ve been a straightforward but emotionally compelling story and adds “the room” as a sci-fi element meant to challenge her characters and her readers. At times, the conceit feels heavy-handed, but perhaps this is intentional and a feature that younger readers would find novel and charming.

This would make a great book club pick for teenagers. The narrative asks a lot of intense moral questions of its characters but avoids laying out a clear correct answer. Avoiding spoilers, certain character arcs fell shy of true resolution, but this feels natural given the context and could lead to really insightful group discussions. Truly, Yu deals with heavy topics in an emotionally competent way that teenage and adult readers will appreciate. Even as the characters navigate their emotional journeys, the book is ultimately plot driven with moments of surprise, suspense, and anticipation.

I’d recommend this book to teenage readers of contemporary and sci-fi alike! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC audiobook!

[Jedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique and cute way to tell a story of death, grief, and depression which was very real at the same time. Sometimes it's nice to read about characters that are just typical nice people that you are rooting for because they are wholesome, and you want to believe that deep down, we are all good people and want to do the best for each other. I think this book will resonate with young people, because it doesn't shy away from the grief and complexity of it. I hope there are more books like this out there to give refuge and help give kids a better understanding of sometimes... How things are beyond your control but you always want to be in a universe where you tried. Not necessarily a book for everyone, but certainly has its place and I know I will be recommending it to my son when he's older. There are elements that are not addressed enough, depression, suicide. But it's not a book that's trying to preach about that side of things .

[Kayli Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5 stars

I stumbled upon this book when my mom and I wandered into Rediscovered books over a year ago and met the author. She was very nice, I recommended my favorite thai restaurant to her, and I thought why not support a fellow asian american girlie and try out her book.

Now my thoughts- This was devastating. Like gut wrenching, tears in my eyes every time I picked it up kind of devastating. But it was also so nicely written and one of the most unique stories I’ve read in a long long time. The revelation of the interconnectedness of the main characters’ stories had my jaw on the floor. 5 stars!!!

[ʟɪᴠ ʼ ୨♡୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

to była bardzo ciekawa pozycja, bardzo ładnie napisana. poruszająca pod wieloma względami, bardzo zaintrygował mnie ten pomysł, że bohaterowie po śmierci znaleźli się w pokoju pełnym technologii z różnych lat i w jakiś sposób mogą dawać znaki swoim bliskim. wzruszyła mnie w wielu momentach, ciężko było czytać o tym jak caroline czuła złość i ogromną niesprawiedliwość do tego, że umarła, a przecież ona chciała żyć dalej 🥺 zdecydowanie warta uwagi!

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re expecting a book that focuses on supporting grief in the 4D realm, this is not the book for you. I don’t always read the synopsis of a book, especially if it’s highly recommended by a book influencer who shares similar tastes to mine. Well, I should have because this book was not what I was expecting. It was a cute story and presented an interesting perspective on the afterlife, but it wasn’t what I had in mind.

[CindyGil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a great thought experiment and one that I’m enjoying having conversations with others about. It touches on topics many wrestle with like suicide, justice through a punitive system, and morality among others. The central characters are kind and intelligent which makes their dialogue and interactions fun to witness.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely good and emotional book!! Great as an audiobook

[mary_ksiazki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Idealna książka 12+, mimo że mam uwagi co do niektórych podejść to… wzruszyła mnie ta historia, te poziomy smutku, złości, pomocy i niezrozumienia

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. The author didn’t shy away from some of the messier aspects of grief, and what it can feel like to be a teenager.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook which was wonderfully narrated. I'm still waiting for the physical copy to be ready at the library. I'll flip through that, too.

I'd love to see this book turned into a TV series.

[Katherine Pershey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid YA novel - good characters & Good Place vibes.