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Second Afterlife
Soulmates. Jodoh. Tawing. They say we're created in pairs. Two people destined to be together until the day we die. But what happens when two soulmates die at the exact same time?
But only one of them survives.
One of them is Lia. She is the one who came back from the dead.
The other is Charlie, who hasn't realised he has been murdered.
Lia tries to navigate her life again while Charlie tries to navigate his afterlife for the first time. And somewhere in between, they manage to find love. But, dead or alive, fate can still throw you a curveball.
But only one of them survives.
One of them is Lia. She is the one who came back from the dead.
The other is Charlie, who hasn't realised he has been murdered.
Lia tries to navigate her life again while Charlie tries to navigate his afterlife for the first time. And somewhere in between, they manage to find love. But, dead or alive, fate can still throw you a curveball.
236 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2025
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 4, 2025
Personal Review: 3.5 stars!
I really really liked the idea of the book!
The first few chapters were a little “wait, what?” for me, kind of confusing at times. You really have to lean into your imagination to fill in some of the gaps. It’s not super straightforward right off the bat, so if you're someone who needs things spelled out clearly from the get-go, it might take a bit to settle in. But once you get the hang of the world and how the story’s being told, it starts to click. If you're struggling to visualize the story in your head, I imagined it played out like the Inside Out movie with a little dark twist - you'll see why when you read it.
I LOVED THE DIVERSITY AND LOCAL SETTING IN THE STORY! #SarawakianRepresent!
The language, the smooth code-mixing, it all felt so natural and effortless. The writing style was genuinely good, in my opinion. The dual POV and the way the narrative was handled felt like a breath of fresh air, I totally welcomed it. It was quirky, unfiltered, and I loved that!
The way pop culture references were included into the scenes and dialogue? Adorable. I genuinely appreciated that: movie titles, book titles, little nods here and there. As someone who leans heavily into that kind of stuff in real life, it made me smile and feel all giddy inside. I’m such a nerd, lol.
TMI TIME!! This might just be a me thing, but I really wanted Lia to call Charlie 'Charlie' instead of Charles, and THANK GOD, Michelle did not disappoint me! >//< The giggles I let out during that scene? A LOT. Because I was crashing out, "You read my mind, girl! You get it!" I love nicknames when they’re done right, but for Charlie, I just wanted it to be 'Charlie', especially coming from Lia. <3
"Are you still here?"
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Do you wanna go to the bookstore?"
"Can we?"
"I thought you were dead."
"I'm already dead."
The chemistry? Was chemistry-ing!
The back and forth banter?
The way they understood each other’s needs?
The protectiveness they had for one another?
ALL OF IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO ME.
LIA AND CHARLIE ARE SO PRECIOUS TO ME <3
The human parts of the book tugged at my heartstrings. It just hits in the feels when raw, vulnerable emotions are portrayed through the characters, making it so much more real and relatable.
I also really liked the touch of suspense and mystery, it made the storyline stand out even more.
Towards the end, I felt like the storyline really picked up, it got better, more cohesive, and had this nice flow to it. But (and it’s kind of a big but) you have to read it slowly. Like, really pay attention. If you skim even one line, you might find yourself suddenly lost in this maze of words, trying to backtrack and figure out what you missed. It’s not that the writing was bad, it just got a bit too layered or rushed in places, and that made it kind of hard to follow.
I wish the transitions or pacing in those final chapters were a bit smoother because the content was solid, it just needed a clearer path. It’s one of those books where if you're not fully present while reading, you're gonna be like, “Wait, what just happened?” So yeah, not a deal-breaker, but definitely something that could be improved.
Last, but not least, I really appreciated how different this book felt. It wasn’t perfect, but it had heart and that matters to me more than anything. It made me think, smile, confused, giggle, cry and honestly, that’s kind of the magic of reading, isn’t it?
I really really liked the idea of the book!
The first few chapters were a little “wait, what?” for me, kind of confusing at times. You really have to lean into your imagination to fill in some of the gaps. It’s not super straightforward right off the bat, so if you're someone who needs things spelled out clearly from the get-go, it might take a bit to settle in. But once you get the hang of the world and how the story’s being told, it starts to click. If you're struggling to visualize the story in your head, I imagined it played out like the Inside Out movie with a little dark twist - you'll see why when you read it.
I LOVED THE DIVERSITY AND LOCAL SETTING IN THE STORY! #SarawakianRepresent!
The language, the smooth code-mixing, it all felt so natural and effortless. The writing style was genuinely good, in my opinion. The dual POV and the way the narrative was handled felt like a breath of fresh air, I totally welcomed it. It was quirky, unfiltered, and I loved that!
The way pop culture references were included into the scenes and dialogue? Adorable. I genuinely appreciated that: movie titles, book titles, little nods here and there. As someone who leans heavily into that kind of stuff in real life, it made me smile and feel all giddy inside. I’m such a nerd, lol.
TMI TIME!! This might just be a me thing, but I really wanted Lia to call Charlie 'Charlie' instead of Charles, and THANK GOD, Michelle did not disappoint me! >//< The giggles I let out during that scene? A LOT. Because I was crashing out, "You read my mind, girl! You get it!" I love nicknames when they’re done right, but for Charlie, I just wanted it to be 'Charlie', especially coming from Lia. <3
"Are you still here?"
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Do you wanna go to the bookstore?"
"Can we?"
"I thought you were dead."
"I'm already dead."
The chemistry? Was chemistry-ing!
The back and forth banter?
The way they understood each other’s needs?
The protectiveness they had for one another?
ALL OF IT WAS BEAUTIFUL TO ME.
LIA AND CHARLIE ARE SO PRECIOUS TO ME <3
The human parts of the book tugged at my heartstrings. It just hits in the feels when raw, vulnerable emotions are portrayed through the characters, making it so much more real and relatable.
I also really liked the touch of suspense and mystery, it made the storyline stand out even more.
Towards the end, I felt like the storyline really picked up, it got better, more cohesive, and had this nice flow to it. But (and it’s kind of a big but) you have to read it slowly. Like, really pay attention. If you skim even one line, you might find yourself suddenly lost in this maze of words, trying to backtrack and figure out what you missed. It’s not that the writing was bad, it just got a bit too layered or rushed in places, and that made it kind of hard to follow.
I wish the transitions or pacing in those final chapters were a bit smoother because the content was solid, it just needed a clearer path. It’s one of those books where if you're not fully present while reading, you're gonna be like, “Wait, what just happened?” So yeah, not a deal-breaker, but definitely something that could be improved.
Last, but not least, I really appreciated how different this book felt. It wasn’t perfect, but it had heart and that matters to me more than anything. It made me think, smile, confused, giggle, cry and honestly, that’s kind of the magic of reading, isn’t it?
November 13, 2025
This story is about Lia and Charlie, soulmates who died at the same time. But they weren't supposed to. Not Charlie, who had 20+ years more life to live. And so Lia was living on borrowed time, Charlie's time.
Charlie lived in Lia, sharing her body. Lia could hear him in her mind. Technically, you could say she's possessed by Charlie.
They gradually got to know each other, falling for each other. Well, they were introduced as soulmates when they first met in the afterlife.
So Lia navigated her new life post-cancer while Charlie adapted to his life in the hereafter. Because of their B40, M40 status in life, they had fun exploring stuff Charlie didn't have the chance to do while still alive. Besides chatting and streaming horror movies, the two went on dates: going to the cinema, browsing the bookstore, eating roti canai. All was fun until it wasn't.
Trouble in Paradise stirred up on Charlie's end. Trouble that could jeopardize Lia's life. Charlie was willing to do everything to keep Lia safe, finding out the reason and circumstances of his own death along the way.
I had fun reading this story. Love the way the author introduced interesting places to go and places to eat in Kuching. I haven't got the time to verify its existence, but if it's real, I will go there to check it out when I go to Kuching in the future.
The author also got life after cancer down to a T. I am a cancer survivor myself, I can vouch for Lia's lethargy and life disorientation post active treatment. Thank you for being our voice, dear author.
The author also painted life in Kuching nicely. I got a glimpse of the masyarakat there. The langit and bumi differences between Lia and Charlie's life.
The afterlife description was nice too. Everything will be provided on your whim: you could conjure up a snack bar just by thinking about it. Your assigned grim reaper would walk in the door the moment you think about him. You don't really need to eat and do anything if you don't want to. All you need to do is enjoy your time there.
I do have questions. Like why is Cleo and the gang still there? Charlie can't think up his grim reaper to come over when the Dan thing was happening? Why can't he think up the rope bounding him to break or loosen? It would be interesting to talk more with the author about this and the veil part of stuff, I bet.
Overall, an interesting read. Do give Second Afterlife a try.
Charlie lived in Lia, sharing her body. Lia could hear him in her mind. Technically, you could say she's possessed by Charlie.
They gradually got to know each other, falling for each other. Well, they were introduced as soulmates when they first met in the afterlife.
So Lia navigated her new life post-cancer while Charlie adapted to his life in the hereafter. Because of their B40, M40 status in life, they had fun exploring stuff Charlie didn't have the chance to do while still alive. Besides chatting and streaming horror movies, the two went on dates: going to the cinema, browsing the bookstore, eating roti canai. All was fun until it wasn't.
Trouble in Paradise stirred up on Charlie's end. Trouble that could jeopardize Lia's life. Charlie was willing to do everything to keep Lia safe, finding out the reason and circumstances of his own death along the way.
I had fun reading this story. Love the way the author introduced interesting places to go and places to eat in Kuching. I haven't got the time to verify its existence, but if it's real, I will go there to check it out when I go to Kuching in the future.
The author also got life after cancer down to a T. I am a cancer survivor myself, I can vouch for Lia's lethargy and life disorientation post active treatment. Thank you for being our voice, dear author.
The author also painted life in Kuching nicely. I got a glimpse of the masyarakat there. The langit and bumi differences between Lia and Charlie's life.
The afterlife description was nice too. Everything will be provided on your whim: you could conjure up a snack bar just by thinking about it. Your assigned grim reaper would walk in the door the moment you think about him. You don't really need to eat and do anything if you don't want to. All you need to do is enjoy your time there.
I do have questions. Like why is Cleo and the gang still there? Charlie can't think up his grim reaper to come over when the Dan thing was happening? Why can't he think up the rope bounding him to break or loosen? It would be interesting to talk more with the author about this and the veil part of stuff, I bet.
Overall, an interesting read. Do give Second Afterlife a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2025
[BOOK 32_2025]
Second Afterlife by Michelle Grinsam.
.
Terima kasih kepada Buku Fixi untuk naskah ini.
.
Dalam banyak-banyak perkara yang aku nak bagi tahu, I love the ending! Walaupun cam sedih dan unexpected, tapi ia bagi aku perasaan sayu dan mata bergenang jua.
.
Buku ni ibarat menonton cerita fantasi KDrama. Permulaannya slow paced, lepas tu, tense sikit dan akhirnya ending yang sayu.
.
Lia is a brain cancer patient. While Charlie dies tragically in an incident. So, tak tahu la macam mana, takdir menemukan mereka yang sepatutnya 'soulmates' in real life, tapi mereka bertemu di 'transit kematian'.
.
Disebabkan ada system error gitu, sisa-sisa umur Charlie yang tinggal, diberikan kepada Lia. So, Lia yang sepatutnya hayatnya tidak panjang, mampu hidup lebih lama, tapi dengan roh Charlie menumpang dalam diri Lia.
.
Ada sebab la kenapa roh Charlie ada dalam badan Lia. Maksudnya kenapa Charlie masih belum move on ke alam kematian.
.
Okay, aku suka bila Lia tangkap gambar dia dan Charlie. hahaha. walaupun Charlie tak nampak pada mata kasarnya, tapi bila amik gambar selfie, Lia akan tinggalkan sedikit ruang untuk Charlie.
.
Buku ni kan fantasi, so, kena gunakan imaginasi yang tinggi la. haha
.
Overall, personally, aku rasa buku ni sangat slow pada awalnya. Tapi bila dah start pertengahan cerita, barulah laju towards the ending. Bagaimanapun, untuk yang baru berjinak-jinak untuk membaca English novel, buku ni mungkin agak 'tinggi' laras bahasanya, mungkin disebabkan kita pun perlu berimaginasi.
.
Apa-apa pun, sekali lagi, terima kasih kepada Fixi untuk review copy book ini.
Second Afterlife by Michelle Grinsam.
.
Terima kasih kepada Buku Fixi untuk naskah ini.
.
Dalam banyak-banyak perkara yang aku nak bagi tahu, I love the ending! Walaupun cam sedih dan unexpected, tapi ia bagi aku perasaan sayu dan mata bergenang jua.
.
Buku ni ibarat menonton cerita fantasi KDrama. Permulaannya slow paced, lepas tu, tense sikit dan akhirnya ending yang sayu.
.
Lia is a brain cancer patient. While Charlie dies tragically in an incident. So, tak tahu la macam mana, takdir menemukan mereka yang sepatutnya 'soulmates' in real life, tapi mereka bertemu di 'transit kematian'.
.
Disebabkan ada system error gitu, sisa-sisa umur Charlie yang tinggal, diberikan kepada Lia. So, Lia yang sepatutnya hayatnya tidak panjang, mampu hidup lebih lama, tapi dengan roh Charlie menumpang dalam diri Lia.
.
Ada sebab la kenapa roh Charlie ada dalam badan Lia. Maksudnya kenapa Charlie masih belum move on ke alam kematian.
.
Okay, aku suka bila Lia tangkap gambar dia dan Charlie. hahaha. walaupun Charlie tak nampak pada mata kasarnya, tapi bila amik gambar selfie, Lia akan tinggalkan sedikit ruang untuk Charlie.
.
Buku ni kan fantasi, so, kena gunakan imaginasi yang tinggi la. haha
.
Overall, personally, aku rasa buku ni sangat slow pada awalnya. Tapi bila dah start pertengahan cerita, barulah laju towards the ending. Bagaimanapun, untuk yang baru berjinak-jinak untuk membaca English novel, buku ni mungkin agak 'tinggi' laras bahasanya, mungkin disebabkan kita pun perlu berimaginasi.
.
Apa-apa pun, sekali lagi, terima kasih kepada Fixi untuk review copy book ini.
October 4, 2025
2.95/5 ⭐️(FINAL REVIEW)
I have THOUGHTS!!!! but i need to organize all of my notes first before giving a proper review.
Now, let's write this review for this book.
1) Characters
I personally enjoyed both Lia and Charlie. I like that their personalities reflect what they have experienced in life. Lia comes from a normal family, well-off, quite well-loved and her parents are still quite protective. I mean can't blame them for almost losing their child. Charlie is on the other spectrum, raised in a very broken environment with his mom, forced to endure the torture from his father. With this, you can already tell the dynamic that these two would have. I quite enjoyed their differing personalities especially when it came to discussions about their problems. Lia thinks Charlie is too pragmatic while Charlie thinks Lia is being entitled.
The other characters weren't bad themselves. I especially liked Lia's mom. And I definitely feel for Charlie's mom. Definitely the strongest character in the whole book. Charlie is also very strong, having to deal with graphic descriptions of his death and the truth of it in the end. Lia also very strong with her having to deal with her brain cancer. I genuinely loved that all the characters have their own strength to it.
2) Setting
If you like cinematic writing that intertwines Malaysian culture, specifically the Borneon culture and the geographic descriptions of local-loved places and food then you are going to enjoy this book.
3) Plot/Flow/Pacing
Now here is where it gets juicy. I was bored at times especially in the first 100 pages. I felt like it was taking so long to get into the main story even though The Veil was actually interesting to read about. I wish we could have gotten from undead side more. On the other hand, I did enjoy their dates. Their movie nights are enjoyable to read about as they have different tastes and perspectives and I find the polaroid photos are also cute. It's really the execution of the plot itself. Maybe I expected more lore into it and was just let down by it even at the end. Like the mystery behind Charlie's death wasn't even a mystery. I saw it coming miles away. Wished it was something related to Lia's death or something. But all in all, if you just want an easy-read popcorn book, then I feel like this would do the job.
That is all from my review. Thank you!
I have THOUGHTS!!!! but i need to organize all of my notes first before giving a proper review.
Now, let's write this review for this book.
1) Characters
I personally enjoyed both Lia and Charlie. I like that their personalities reflect what they have experienced in life. Lia comes from a normal family, well-off, quite well-loved and her parents are still quite protective. I mean can't blame them for almost losing their child. Charlie is on the other spectrum, raised in a very broken environment with his mom, forced to endure the torture from his father. With this, you can already tell the dynamic that these two would have. I quite enjoyed their differing personalities especially when it came to discussions about their problems. Lia thinks Charlie is too pragmatic while Charlie thinks Lia is being entitled.
The other characters weren't bad themselves. I especially liked Lia's mom. And I definitely feel for Charlie's mom. Definitely the strongest character in the whole book. Charlie is also very strong, having to deal with graphic descriptions of his death and the truth of it in the end. Lia also very strong with her having to deal with her brain cancer. I genuinely loved that all the characters have their own strength to it.
2) Setting
If you like cinematic writing that intertwines Malaysian culture, specifically the Borneon culture and the geographic descriptions of local-loved places and food then you are going to enjoy this book.
3) Plot/Flow/Pacing
Now here is where it gets juicy. I was bored at times especially in the first 100 pages. I felt like it was taking so long to get into the main story even though The Veil was actually interesting to read about. I wish we could have gotten from undead side more. On the other hand, I did enjoy their dates. Their movie nights are enjoyable to read about as they have different tastes and perspectives and I find the polaroid photos are also cute. It's really the execution of the plot itself. Maybe I expected more lore into it and was just let down by it even at the end. Like the mystery behind Charlie's death wasn't even a mystery. I saw it coming miles away. Wished it was something related to Lia's death or something. But all in all, if you just want an easy-read popcorn book, then I feel like this would do the job.
That is all from my review. Thank you!
June 25, 2025
Julia is in her early twenties when she's dealt a cruel fate dying from brain cancer. But just when everything fades to black, a miracle pulls her back. She's been given a second chance at life. But nothing could have prepared her for what came after.
Charlie was a quiet soul who passed on before his time, with almost no memory of how it happened. He assumes it was just a tragic accident. Now, he’s trapped in a strange place between the living and the dead, a kind of waiting room that exists outside time. And because Julia and Charlie died at the exact same moment, their souls became unexpectedly connected.
Charlie begins to share Julia’s revived body, seeing the world through her eyes like a silent guest. At first, it’s unsettling and confusing. But as time goes on, a strange comfort grows between them. What began as an accident of timing slowly becomes something much more meaningful.
As Julia tries to rebuild her life and reconnect with distant friends, Charlie wrestles with the reality of being caught between worlds. But danger begins to creep into both their lives. And when the threats become real, they must rely on each other to survive. They don’t just share a moment in time but also a purpose, and maybe even something like love.
This novel is more than just a paranormal romance. It’s a tender exploration of grief, hope, and the unexpected beauty of human connection. While the subplot involving underground crime could use more detail, the emotional storytelling makes this a memorable and heartfelt debut.
3.5 ⭐
Charlie was a quiet soul who passed on before his time, with almost no memory of how it happened. He assumes it was just a tragic accident. Now, he’s trapped in a strange place between the living and the dead, a kind of waiting room that exists outside time. And because Julia and Charlie died at the exact same moment, their souls became unexpectedly connected.
Charlie begins to share Julia’s revived body, seeing the world through her eyes like a silent guest. At first, it’s unsettling and confusing. But as time goes on, a strange comfort grows between them. What began as an accident of timing slowly becomes something much more meaningful.
As Julia tries to rebuild her life and reconnect with distant friends, Charlie wrestles with the reality of being caught between worlds. But danger begins to creep into both their lives. And when the threats become real, they must rely on each other to survive. They don’t just share a moment in time but also a purpose, and maybe even something like love.
This novel is more than just a paranormal romance. It’s a tender exploration of grief, hope, and the unexpected beauty of human connection. While the subplot involving underground crime could use more detail, the emotional storytelling makes this a memorable and heartfelt debut.
3.5 ⭐
July 5, 2025
First of all, the premise of this book is super interesting. It might take a bit of time to fully understand what’s going on, but the concept is definitely fresh and unique.
This is, dare I say, a “paranormal romance” book. But kudos to the author for making it more than just a romance. It is unapologetically about death. Reading this was somber and, I might add, mentally tiring—in a good way—because it’s more about grief and the quiet tenderness of being alive.
I really liked the author’s writing style. It’s smooth and easy to read, nothing jarring or awkward. I also really appreciated the subtle but strong Iban representation—it wasn’t loud or forced, but it still stood out in a meaningful way. The character development was solid too. I felt a strange kind of empathy for everyone, even when I didn’t agree with them.
Now, onto the negatives: I felt the subplot involving Dan needed more detail. The possession scene with the glob was understandable, but at times hard to follow. The mystery murderer also felt like an afterthought, and kinda not a mystery I guess. Perhaps it’s difficult to juggle romance, thriller, and mystery all at once—but to the author’s credit, the ending more than makes up for it. It was SAD. Like, emotionally wrecked sad. I felt hollow after the last page.
Giving this a solid 4.5 stars. Extra 0.5 because my uni was mentioned. Hehe 🫣
This is, dare I say, a “paranormal romance” book. But kudos to the author for making it more than just a romance. It is unapologetically about death. Reading this was somber and, I might add, mentally tiring—in a good way—because it’s more about grief and the quiet tenderness of being alive.
I really liked the author’s writing style. It’s smooth and easy to read, nothing jarring or awkward. I also really appreciated the subtle but strong Iban representation—it wasn’t loud or forced, but it still stood out in a meaningful way. The character development was solid too. I felt a strange kind of empathy for everyone, even when I didn’t agree with them.
Now, onto the negatives: I felt the subplot involving Dan needed more detail. The possession scene with the glob was understandable, but at times hard to follow. The mystery murderer also felt like an afterthought, and kinda not a mystery I guess. Perhaps it’s difficult to juggle romance, thriller, and mystery all at once—but to the author’s credit, the ending more than makes up for it. It was SAD. Like, emotionally wrecked sad. I felt hollow after the last page.
Giving this a solid 4.5 stars. Extra 0.5 because my uni was mentioned. Hehe 🫣
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews