The Soul's Guide to the After Death

by Gwenna Laithland

Susan Chambers woke up feeling like she had been hit by a bus.
Mostly because she had been hit by a bus.
And Susan Chambers wasn’t so much waking up, as she was arriving in The After Death, the place between one life and the next.

After forty-two years as a human, a freshly dead Susan must tackle some of the biggest questions in life, death and everything that comes after.

Why are mosquitoes the way they are?
What lessons can a soul learn from a single life?
Does it really matter if you were a good person?
Is there such a thing as a life that doesn’t matter at all?

With help from Aurora, her guide to The After Death, Susan must navigate through the memories and experiences that defined her before her soul can move on to its next experience. In confronting her past, her choices, and her failings, Susan must reconcile what it means to be alive, to live, and to let go.

Critics Say:
This is the best book my daughter made me read this week - Gwenna's Mom

Is this the one about ghosts or the "I see dead people" one? She reads me a lot of her stuff. It's great. Both of them are great so whichever one this is must be great. - Gwenna's Husband

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2025

About the author

Gwenna Laithland was born and raised in Oklahoma, the only child of a military family with both parents serving in the United States Air Force. She has absolutely no idea what she is doing most of the time but is pretty confident she is doing an okay job. She still lives in Oklahoma with her husband, Jackson, their three children and two spoiled dogs.

Reviews

[Ashley Ellgas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I follow Gwenna on her social media and absolutely love her content, so I really wanted to love this book. I didn't hate it, but the descriptions made it seem like it was going to be a funny book but it was a lot more philosophical than anything else. Dealing with trauma and healing in a way i could see being very therapeutic for some, I just couldn't connect with it. Plus, there were only 2 chapters (one, a few pages in the beginning, and then the rest of the book is one) which i personally found a bit weird. don't know if that was a conscious choice or a coincidence.

[Lindsey M · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like most of the good reviews are from people that follow/like the author from TikTok. The book was so boring and lacked any real depth.

[Laura Studer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the few typos, I really enjoyed this story. It was a refreshing take on what happens after we die and something I choose to believe, or hope, is real. Susan was a bitch, but even bitches can do good in their lives!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It is a new (at least for me) and an interesting way to look at what could be waiting for us when our time on this mortal plane is over.

[Heather Biondi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking concept. Smart, witty, well written! A nice quick read that puts a whole new spin on life after death. I like this version of life after death, the author made me want to believe in it. Some of the pop references were a little silly, but it didn’t ruin the overall vibe. Definitely recommend for a quick read!!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful moving novella that highlights how all experiences form us in ways we don't always see

[Megan Chamberlain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, let me start by saying - I love Gwenna's videos. But this book? This ain't it.

It seemed like such an awesome idea, but almost immediately the "mean girl" did an about face. The book became very repetitive and I am grateful it was a short novella because it took determination to get through. I liked the pop culture references, but the characters were flat and there wasn't a big revelation. For someone who was supposed to be a "Karen", Susan Chambers was more like a child that got scolded and did an immediate about-face.

There were also SEVERAL spelling and grammatical errors, so it doesn't seem like it was proof-read and copyedited well.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read

I've never read a book with a storyline like this! I loved every line and have already recommended it to many friends and family! It is a quick read that will leave you thinking it over for days.

[Diana May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unlike any book I have ever read before and I ATE THAT SHIT UP! I read this in under 24 hours and when you have a 1 year old and a 3 year old that's equivalent to reading in one 2 hour sitting for non parents.

The concept of the entire book struck a chord with me because my hippy mum was always telling me how she felt souls roamed around and re lived in a new form. To read a very similar concept filled me with nostalgia.

The way themes of generational trauma, accountability, holding onto shame, your impact on the world were explored in a meaningful, yet light and witty way was nothing short of genius. I never really write reviews but I felt compelled to because I loved this book so much!

Fully recommend and will immediately be buying a copy for my hippy mums birthday!

[BRandy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those who like “Midnight Library” or “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” will find some familiarity and enjoyment in this book. It starts out with a snarky, enjoyable humor that unfortunately tapers off into a venture down the CBT and philosophical rabbit holes. There’s grains of good. It’s a quick read with payoff and one liners to make you smile. Forgettable due to its surface level nature, but as a novella I could appreciate it for what it is.

[Sarah Woolworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needed more substance. it's a good book,it was also too short for my liking for the kind of book it was,but I get the jist. a lot of people will love it,it just wasn't for me.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Soul’s Guide to the After Death

I Picked Up This Book Because: I’m a fan of the author’s other book and social media.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Amazon Prime Music
Dates Read: 8/26/25 - 8/27/25
Rating: 2 Stars
Narrator(s): Gwenna Laithland

The Story:

Ummmm, IDK what the heck this was. I’ll admit I only read it because I like the author but this had two things I really dislike. An unlikable main character and endless speculation. I guess I can file this under “not my cuppa”.

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I was really looking forward to reading this book. It didn't disappoint. It's themes and discussions were handled well and it genuinely made me think about how our actions/interactions shape us and how much we are truly responsible for.

Gwenna has a voice that makes even the hard stuff easier to take. It's delivered with care and not judgement which is exactly how she comes across in this book as well (I see her as being in the guide role).

Would I recommend this? Absolutely. Who doesn't want to re-live someone's life and see where it went wrong and how our internalised traumas lie to us and make us question ourselves and our own personalities. Is there a happy ending to it all? Well, read it yourself and find out!

[Imke Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a slow and hard start, but an amazing ending.



It took me a while to really get into the story, because lets face it, susan is horrible. shes very skilled, but horrible all the same. The after death also took me awhile to get used to, i even had to skip and peek at the ending. but when i got into the story... hoo boy did it NOT let me go. i had to physically stop myself from reading deep into the night to finish it, because it was THAT good.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Gwenna in her podcasts already, this was a heavier topic presented in such a fun way.

[Logan Hill]

DNFed this book because even though it was Hilarious I have to much on my tbr to maul over something this bad

[Sandi k · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun, cute little book about death.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant concept. Loved the character progression and the thought provoking ideas.

[Anna Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gwenna. You don’t know me but I’ve followed you for years now and I love love you and loved this story. Would love to read more!! ❤️❤️❤️ thank you for this!

[Yaaresse]

DNF @ 12%.

I think this was supposed to be funny. But I just found it shallow and the humor abrasive.

[Nikohl Maw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining. The description of 80’s furniture is *chefs kiss*.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I love a thought experiment, and the first quarter of the book seemed akin to watching Eleanor meet Darci on The Good Place. (No fault there). 4 stars. The last quarter of the book was distinctly different in that the newness had worn off, and I got tired of being "told" but never "shown". It honestly felt like the author used the last quarter off the book as a personal therapy session. 2 stars. Will I be reading what Gwenna has coming next? Yes! I enjoy her work overall.

[Michele Dechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and appreciated Susan's character growth throughout the story. However, I feel it could have benefited from better editing. There were several misspellings, and the repetitive mention of Susan no longer having a corporeal body seemed excessive. I didn’t need to be reminded of that fact so frequently. Overall, I liked the concept of the book, but I believe it required more careful editing.

[Anastasia Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave a lower review than normal because of all of the errors that I found while reading the book. I love Gwenna, and I love that she wrote a novella. However, I do think that someone could have better proofread the book before publishing to make sure that there weren’t any errors.

[Tiffany ✨️ Bergamot Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan isn't the kindest human in the world. In fact, many people would call her a selfish b*tch. All of that changes the moment she steps in front of a bus without looking and her life ends as she knows it. Waking in an in-between space between life and more, she's made to confront who she was, how people perceive her, and how her soul can heal and move forward.

*****

This was an unexpectedly impactful novel. I felt like I was gentle parented through my own feelings of what makes a person "good" or "bad" and how their own perception is twisted and distorted based on the filters through which others see them. Susan is a volatile lead that we're not supposed to like right out of the gates. She starts out as rude, manipulative and entitled. From there we see the layered abuse from people in positions of power over her, her own perception of those events, and how that impacted who she is and how she treated others while she lived.

Accompanying her is the soul guide who acts in the role of a therapist or inner voice, prompting Susan to recognize the generational trauma she has and how she dealt with it, as well as the small ways she broke the cycle, and how she impacted those around her - whether it was with genuine intent or not. Seeing the good she did inadvertently, mirrored with her self-serving intent showcased how layered humanity is.

I loved how time was explained, the moments of pop-culture references, and how each soul and its lifespan is presented. This novel felt like a continuous story of self-realization as we broke through each fault in Susan's foundation. It was a conversation that addresses the core of Susan, and people as we are, and it ended in the most perfect way for her soul after that journey. I genuinely loved this novella and look forward to reading more from this author!

*****

Thank you to the author, Gwenna Laithland for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Novelish Delish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly wanted to like this Novella more than I actually did. I love seeing Gwenna on social media and I figured I'd love anything she wrote. I was truly intrigued by the concept of this Novella and it was great in theory. I just wish there was... I don't really know what I wanted. It was humourous and I did enjoy mostly,but it just felt... draggy?

In the end I did understand Susan more and why she was the way she was. I also enjoyed her character development along the way.

Maybe it just wasn't my kind of genre, and that's ok. We cannot all like the same thing, because that would make the world awfully boring.

[Kiley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The typos were incredibly distracting to the point that I'm surprised she had editors to thank in the acknowledgments and this story as a whole felt incredibly shallow. To me it came like your sins are absolved if other people were worse to you, you were just trying to protect yourself from the evil they inflicted. Which is hooey if you ask me. I have a hard time believing that someone as comically mean and spiteful as Susan would be this self aware and be able to turn her outlook around so quickly with a few well aimed questions from her guide. And this felt incredibly dated with the references to Twilight, Taylor Swift, and Dr. Who. Millennial cringe honestly.

All in all this felt like a bit of a rip off of Under the Whispering Door in that it's a cartoonishly unpleasant person getting their comeuppance through talk therapy to find that no its alright that they were a dick, it helped people sometimes!

I think it brought up a few good points but overall it wasn't a very good book.

[Rockymountainreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to need about 7-10 business years to process. I don’t usually pick up speculative fiction, this might even be my first, but if Gwenna writes it I’m going to read it. This read packs a pretty heavy punch that will make you reflect on your own morals and life experiences. It’s heavy material but presented in a really relatable way. The puns and funny lines help break the tension, and you can easily follow along with Susan’s journey of self discovery.
I highly recommend this to anyone ready to take a good look at life & death, good & evil, free will and other topics of self reflection.
I love Gwenna’s writing style, she could write a book about how paint dries and I’d obsess over it.

Idk if she’ll ever see this, but if she does… Thanks Gwenna, I needed this one. 🖤

[Chyanna Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

In short, I had a wonderful time with this book! It made me laugh, it made me think deeply and I've already recommended it to two people having finished it only a couple of hours ago.

First of all, Gwenna's writing — her actual prose — is beautiful and visceral. You feel the words on the page alongside the characters and that is not something that happens very frequently for me.

Of course, this has Gwenna's signature humor in it so I laughed out loud several times, but it also has a lot of deep philosophical ideas and ponderings put in a very digestible way. I loved the character descriptions and the banter dialogue between Susan and Aurora. It left me with concepts to ponder which is one of my favorite parts of a book.

This story gives the vibes of A Short Stay in Hell, the novella by Steven L. Peck, for it's unique take on what happens to us after death and the pondering of existential questions that comes with that but I found this story much more engaging, character driven, fulfilling and overall more fun than Short Stay. I also felt similarities to Drop Dead Fred, one of my absolute favorite childhood movies in all the best ways that I cannot explain.

I listened to the audiobook for a majority of my reading experience and hearing this read in the author's own voice — exactly as she wanted me to hear it — was such a fun and unique experience, that especially as someone currently writing my own novel, I deeply appreciated. This is the first audiobook that I have listened to in years at normal speed (ya'll I had one going at 3.3x the other day, I must be stopped) so thank you Gwenna, for also being a fast talking ADHD millennial.

Also, there are Twilight inspired bugs. That's all you get about that — read the book!

Overall this novella gets a 5 stars for me, I had a great time!

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Soul’s Guide to the After Death surprised me in the best way. It’s funny, emotional, thought-provoking, and unexpectedly profound, all wrapped up in a novella. The concept of what happens after we die isn’t new, and the author even acknowledges earlier works that explore it. But this story offers a fresh, engaging take that feels both intimate and expansive.

The journey of the main character, Susan, and her interactions with Aurora, who is equal parts philosophical and mischievous, really got me thinking. It wasn’t just about death. It was about the life we are living. The book explores morality, intention, and the gray areas between good and evil without being preachy. The idea that being selfish isn’t inherently bad was a particularly striking concept that kept being touched on.

Gwenna Laithland’s writing is sharp and heartfelt, with a strong voice that feels relatable and real. Sure, there are moments of millennial cringe, but it is part of Gwenna’s charm and brand. There were turns of phrase that genuinely made me laugh out loud. Audibly. In public. The book balances irreverence and sincerity in a way that feels very human.

The pacing is perfect for a novella. Nothing felt rushed, and nothing dragged. It was satisfying without over-explaining. This is a story I would recommend to anyone who enjoys introspective fiction, dark humor, or a new take on the afterlife. It doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but instead, it asks meaningful questions, and that’s what stayed with me.