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In-Between Days
Purgatory wasn't exactly where Owen thought he'd end up, but sometimes you don't quite get it right on the first go-round. Owen has spent the last twelve years somewhere between Heaven and Hell learning that lesson the hard way. But now Owen's sentence is complete, his penance done, and he's ready to meet with his caseworker, the Archangel Michael, to finally take that long-awaited trip to Paradise. But then she walks in to his life and everything changes. Mia, a burst of color cutting through the drab grey of the In-Between. She is excitement enough for Owen to delay salvation for two more weeks, and in that time, learn that he still has a long way to go before moving on.
"Desjardins unfolds his world with a light and humorous touch, exploring how love helps us survive the banal and ongoing injustices of life. -- Danielle McMannus, Manhattan Book Review
"Nick's prose comes at you like an old lover. It feels easy and familiar, yet can still seduce you with a sentence or a turn of phrase that is as exciting as fingertips stroking the back of your neck." --Gibson Grand, Author of Leave Your Money on the Dresser
"It is a rare thing for an emerging author to have a debut novel read in such a page turning, imagination capturing and exciting manner" --Richard D. Rowland, Author of Unspoken Messages
"Desjardins unfolds his world with a light and humorous touch, exploring how love helps us survive the banal and ongoing injustices of life. -- Danielle McMannus, Manhattan Book Review
"Nick's prose comes at you like an old lover. It feels easy and familiar, yet can still seduce you with a sentence or a turn of phrase that is as exciting as fingertips stroking the back of your neck." --Gibson Grand, Author of Leave Your Money on the Dresser
"It is a rare thing for an emerging author to have a debut novel read in such a page turning, imagination capturing and exciting manner" --Richard D. Rowland, Author of Unspoken Messages
- GenresFiction
182 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2017
310 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 11, 2019
*I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.*
In-Between Days is the debut novel by Nick Desjardins that was a pleasant surprise for me. The synopsis was a little unclear, so I wasn't sure what I was in for. What I discovered was a captivating, original tale about life, death, and everything in between- mostly in between! This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and then laugh again! I read it in one sitting, I just literally could not put it down!
In Between Days centers around Owen. Owen has spent the last 12 years in Purgatory- somewhere between Heaven and Hell, paying his dues the hard way. But his sentence is almost up, and Owen is eager to meet with his caseworker, the Archangel Michael, to finally begin his journey to paradise. But then Mia arrives in Purgatory, a woman unlike any Owen has met before. He is able to put off leaving for 2 weeks to spend it with Mia, but when his time is up- sort of literally, Owen definitely realizes he has much more to learn about moving on.
As I stated in my opening paragraph, I read this in one sitting. It was such a fascinating and original page turner! Original being a huge key word. Lately, it doesn't matter the genre, unique and original plots are hard to come by, so imagine my excitement to read something so creative!
The characterization was good. Owen is a likable guy- average, hard working. And Mia was great! Feisty and sarcastic in a fun way, it's easy to see Owen's attraction to her. Is it odd that I didn't really like the angels in this story? It's weird to say, but they were more like business men than angels- which I'm sure the author portrayed them as such on purpose. Still makes me feel weird!
The plot flowed smoothly. We learn how Owen dies, why he went to purgatory, and why he was there for so long.
My main issue with this book was the parts dealing with suicide. I don't know quite how to say it. The topic was not an issue, but the way it was written and the beliefs surrounding it was more my problem with it. A big pet peeve of mine is when authors interject their political or religious beliefs into their work. I feel this is what happened here- possibly. In the book, it seems that one of the main reasons people go to Purgatory was if they committed suicide. Now it wasn't the only reason given, but was more prominent within the story. I would have liked to have had the reasons for being there a bit more diverse. Just my opinion.
Overall, In-Between Days is a captivating diamond in the rough. It brings up a few philosophical ideals for the deep thinkers, and injects comedy to make it light enough for casual readers. The book captures your imagination and your heart from the beginning and does not let it go, making this a fun, heartwarming page turner! I look forward to reading more from Nick Desjardins!
In-Between Days is the debut novel by Nick Desjardins that was a pleasant surprise for me. The synopsis was a little unclear, so I wasn't sure what I was in for. What I discovered was a captivating, original tale about life, death, and everything in between- mostly in between! This book will make you laugh, make you cry, and then laugh again! I read it in one sitting, I just literally could not put it down!
In Between Days centers around Owen. Owen has spent the last 12 years in Purgatory- somewhere between Heaven and Hell, paying his dues the hard way. But his sentence is almost up, and Owen is eager to meet with his caseworker, the Archangel Michael, to finally begin his journey to paradise. But then Mia arrives in Purgatory, a woman unlike any Owen has met before. He is able to put off leaving for 2 weeks to spend it with Mia, but when his time is up- sort of literally, Owen definitely realizes he has much more to learn about moving on.
As I stated in my opening paragraph, I read this in one sitting. It was such a fascinating and original page turner! Original being a huge key word. Lately, it doesn't matter the genre, unique and original plots are hard to come by, so imagine my excitement to read something so creative!
The characterization was good. Owen is a likable guy- average, hard working. And Mia was great! Feisty and sarcastic in a fun way, it's easy to see Owen's attraction to her. Is it odd that I didn't really like the angels in this story? It's weird to say, but they were more like business men than angels- which I'm sure the author portrayed them as such on purpose. Still makes me feel weird!
The plot flowed smoothly. We learn how Owen dies, why he went to purgatory, and why he was there for so long.
My main issue with this book was the parts dealing with suicide. I don't know quite how to say it. The topic was not an issue, but the way it was written and the beliefs surrounding it was more my problem with it. A big pet peeve of mine is when authors interject their political or religious beliefs into their work. I feel this is what happened here- possibly. In the book, it seems that one of the main reasons people go to Purgatory was if they committed suicide. Now it wasn't the only reason given, but was more prominent within the story. I would have liked to have had the reasons for being there a bit more diverse. Just my opinion.
Overall, In-Between Days is a captivating diamond in the rough. It brings up a few philosophical ideals for the deep thinkers, and injects comedy to make it light enough for casual readers. The book captures your imagination and your heart from the beginning and does not let it go, making this a fun, heartwarming page turner! I look forward to reading more from Nick Desjardins!
October 21, 2020
This was so great and then it just died on me at the end. It’s such a cool story - I just wish it was longer and had ended differently.
June 17, 2020
This one caught me early, and I finished it in two sittings. Fantastic writing, and enough rock and roll allusions and Easter eggs to keep me guessing. Really interesting and refreshing take on the afterlife, and while I didn’t grow up Catholic, enough “historical” characters to keep reinvigorating my interest. Somewhere between Nick Hornby and Dante, which is a wonderful combo.
June 26, 2019
• Title: In Between Days
• Author: Nick Desjardins
• Series: Stand-Alone
• Pages: 172
• Genre: Fiction
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 4.5
First off...Why is this title not more well known? Seriously.
If were were to cross the attitude and delivery styling of Richard Kadrey with the world building and snarky humor of Simon R Green you would have this book. It is literally the best of both worlds. Even being incredibly short, its a good story.
Owen, our main protagonist, is doing penance in Purgatory. Here everything is some form of monochromatic gray, food and drink has a dismal flavor at best, existence in general is one day after another of the same ol’ same ol’ and the gaudiest wallpaper known to man pops up everywhere like a bad weed. (Lucifer’s petty way of sticking it to the man).
Owen has finally done his time and he cant wait to be out of this place. While waiting for his meeting with his archangel caseworker to schedule his trip upstairs a new arrival changes everything. Meet Mia. A gorgeous blonde siren with the brightest blue eyes he never thought possible.
All of a sudden Owen isn’t so ready to leave. Convincing his caseworker to give him an extension to his penance, Owen and Mia find a way to make this gray world a little brighter while he tries to come up with a way to get her out along with him.
Over all I thought it was an incredibly well rounded book. It had a nice steady pace and a unique approach to Purgatory. The cast was great. If I had to nit-pick about anything it would have to be Mia. I don’t think she was developed as well as she could have been given how much of an impact she was having on Owen. At the very least the timing of when we learned the important facts of her were misplaced in the story. Jonas, (whom I absolutely adored and is one of the better supporting characters I’ve encountered.) even though we get his full back story pretty late in the book, you get enough hints throughout to get a good grasp on him. If Mia had been approached the same way or at the least questioned into telling more of her story and her declining to tell, I think it would have been more impactful.
The ending is a little too abrupt but I can appreciate it for what it is. Outside of that I really enjoyed this title. I will never be able to see a gaudy wallpapered anything without giggling my head off over the scene of Uriel’s mad tirade into the elevator with a scrapper for the rest of my days. It’s definitely going into my rotation of titles I re-read when I’m trying to decide what I want to tackle next or just want something quick and entertaining.
I highly recommend.
• Author: Nick Desjardins
• Series: Stand-Alone
• Pages: 172
• Genre: Fiction
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 4.5
First off...Why is this title not more well known? Seriously.
If were were to cross the attitude and delivery styling of Richard Kadrey with the world building and snarky humor of Simon R Green you would have this book. It is literally the best of both worlds. Even being incredibly short, its a good story.
Owen, our main protagonist, is doing penance in Purgatory. Here everything is some form of monochromatic gray, food and drink has a dismal flavor at best, existence in general is one day after another of the same ol’ same ol’ and the gaudiest wallpaper known to man pops up everywhere like a bad weed. (Lucifer’s petty way of sticking it to the man).
Owen has finally done his time and he cant wait to be out of this place. While waiting for his meeting with his archangel caseworker to schedule his trip upstairs a new arrival changes everything. Meet Mia. A gorgeous blonde siren with the brightest blue eyes he never thought possible.
All of a sudden Owen isn’t so ready to leave. Convincing his caseworker to give him an extension to his penance, Owen and Mia find a way to make this gray world a little brighter while he tries to come up with a way to get her out along with him.
Over all I thought it was an incredibly well rounded book. It had a nice steady pace and a unique approach to Purgatory. The cast was great. If I had to nit-pick about anything it would have to be Mia. I don’t think she was developed as well as she could have been given how much of an impact she was having on Owen. At the very least the timing of when we learned the important facts of her were misplaced in the story. Jonas, (whom I absolutely adored and is one of the better supporting characters I’ve encountered.) even though we get his full back story pretty late in the book, you get enough hints throughout to get a good grasp on him. If Mia had been approached the same way or at the least questioned into telling more of her story and her declining to tell, I think it would have been more impactful.
The ending is a little too abrupt but I can appreciate it for what it is. Outside of that I really enjoyed this title. I will never be able to see a gaudy wallpapered anything without giggling my head off over the scene of Uriel’s mad tirade into the elevator with a scrapper for the rest of my days. It’s definitely going into my rotation of titles I re-read when I’m trying to decide what I want to tackle next or just want something quick and entertaining.
I highly recommend.
November 21, 2017
“His big attempt at sticking it to the man is that awful, retro wallpaper, It pops up everywhere here. It’s unsightly, and it will give you a wicked paper-cut, but that’s about it.”
Has a very CW’s “Supernatural” feel to it. Purgatory lacks color and the “angels” are kinda jerk probation officers in suits. If you’re a Christian and easily offended you probably shouldn’t read this. With that said, the book shouldn’t be taken seriously about the afterlife, but I still found myself cringing at some aspects and “Biblically incorrect” natures.
Owen comes off as an average guy, which isn’t bad at all. He’s hard working and diligent, and cares for the people he’s close to; at lease the Owen that has almost redeemed himself.
There’s not very much that tells me what kind of person Mia was. Sure, she’s awesome and snarky, but there’s little time with her character to actually gain any knowledge of her.
The biggest regret of the story is probably the smallest detail. Owen was there twelve years before Mia, but they seem around the same age, making Owen around twelve years older than Mia. It was mentioned once then dropped without digging any deeper. Mia adding little comments about TV shows, music, celebrities, and books Owen has never heard of would go a long way in creating that time difference and making it real.
The plot was straightforward. The reader learns why Owen came to be in purgatory instead of moving on after his death and gives a clear view of the world he’s stuck in until his case worker, the Archangel Michael, clears him. With the author being Catholic there was a great deal of mentioning suicide victims in purgatory and not many other causes. I would have liked to heard of reasons beyond suicide for people to be stuck in purgatory, that’s for sure, but we do hear his boss’s heart wrenching story that’s more that sure to make a reader shed a few tears.
Overall In-Between Days is a nice novelette. It’s a short read with a bit of snarky comedy, mild philosophy, and an interesting take on the afterlife.
Has a very CW’s “Supernatural” feel to it. Purgatory lacks color and the “angels” are kinda jerk probation officers in suits. If you’re a Christian and easily offended you probably shouldn’t read this. With that said, the book shouldn’t be taken seriously about the afterlife, but I still found myself cringing at some aspects and “Biblically incorrect” natures.
Owen comes off as an average guy, which isn’t bad at all. He’s hard working and diligent, and cares for the people he’s close to; at lease the Owen that has almost redeemed himself.
There’s not very much that tells me what kind of person Mia was. Sure, she’s awesome and snarky, but there’s little time with her character to actually gain any knowledge of her.
The biggest regret of the story is probably the smallest detail. Owen was there twelve years before Mia, but they seem around the same age, making Owen around twelve years older than Mia. It was mentioned once then dropped without digging any deeper. Mia adding little comments about TV shows, music, celebrities, and books Owen has never heard of would go a long way in creating that time difference and making it real.
The plot was straightforward. The reader learns why Owen came to be in purgatory instead of moving on after his death and gives a clear view of the world he’s stuck in until his case worker, the Archangel Michael, clears him. With the author being Catholic there was a great deal of mentioning suicide victims in purgatory and not many other causes. I would have liked to heard of reasons beyond suicide for people to be stuck in purgatory, that’s for sure, but we do hear his boss’s heart wrenching story that’s more that sure to make a reader shed a few tears.
Overall In-Between Days is a nice novelette. It’s a short read with a bit of snarky comedy, mild philosophy, and an interesting take on the afterlife.
July 22, 2018
Lately this year, I've been coming across a lot of debut novels from really gifted writers. "In-between days" is one of those books. It is incredibly well-written, crisp in its language, vivid in its imagery; and unabashed in its dialogues. I had no inkling of how the book was going to turn out when I first opened it, but only a few pages along, and I was already hooked in its story and fine construction.
I love the author's wit and humor throughout the pages. It makes for quite an entertaining read. I especially appreciate a book that has a "personality", and In-between days easily falls into that category. The characters are quirky in their own ways, and the overall concept of the book is fascinating. I would recommend this to readers of any age or those particularly going through an existential crisis. It's reminiscent to "Veronika decides to die" somehow, but in a completely different setting. To sum it up, it's an imaginative and entertainingly provocative look at the afterlife.
I love the author's wit and humor throughout the pages. It makes for quite an entertaining read. I especially appreciate a book that has a "personality", and In-between days easily falls into that category. The characters are quirky in their own ways, and the overall concept of the book is fascinating. I would recommend this to readers of any age or those particularly going through an existential crisis. It's reminiscent to "Veronika decides to die" somehow, but in a completely different setting. To sum it up, it's an imaginative and entertainingly provocative look at the afterlife.
March 29, 2019
This book was written by the son of a friend of a friend. I heard of it a couple of years ago and thought if I had that close a connection to the author, it couldn't be that great. WRONG!!! Suicide sends Owen packing off to a grey and dreary afterlife to learn some lessons he missed in life. He is then promised a train trip to Paradise by Michael, the profane, cigarette smoking archangel. On the day he is to leave, he meets Mia, another suicide, who is just arriving. He immediately falls in love and asks for a delay in his departure so he can get to know her. He invites her to visit his workplace the next day. Owen works in a decrepit old bowling alley run by a contrite Nazi collaborator. Nick Desjardins has the promise of catching up to Christopher Moore in the comic fantasy genre.
October 25, 2018
This was such a good, quick book to read in one sitting. As a basically non-religious person, I enjoyed this concept of the afterlife, and the relatable personalities of the angels. I found myself quickly gaining an emotional investment in the wellbeing of the main few characters, as well. Without spoiling anything, the ending of the book is not what I expected, but better and more meaningful than what I had assumed would happen. There’s a wonderful sense of peace at the end of the story. :)
October 12, 2018
I received this book for free with the promise of a review, and, wow. I didn’t expect to like the book as much as I did. I started off a little unsure when Owen met Mia, but it ended up going in a great direction and the ending was perfect. I only wish the book was longer, and, as much as I’d love a sequel, it really doesn’t need one. Excellent, quick read and I definitely recommend it.
November 9, 2018
Desjardins does such a wonderful job of painting a picture of the afterlife. The description of the angels was a bit shocking at first but it gave much needed lightness to such a dark place. No one wants to think about being stuck after they die; but if I had to be in purgatory, I’d rather be no place but the Depot.
October 4, 2023
It was breezy, made me remember for a bit what it felt like to be in honeymoon love with someone. Git wit, class, and while it doesn’t change life or strike the sort of pinnacle of fiction level, it does not intend to. It’s good. Read it.
November 19, 2017
Beautifully written and captivating!
December 23, 2017
Very creative visuals. Ended kinda strange. Over all worth the read!
November 15, 2017
RTC closer to the release date.
January 9, 2018
An all around incredible book. Very thought provoking and challenges the way you view mental health as well as the afterlife. Desjardins uses incredible imagery to grab the readers attention from beginning to end. Can't recommend enough!
January 22, 2019
Having really enjoyed previous short stories by this author, I was so excited to see this book come to be released. The story captured my imagination instantly, the words flowed so smoothly, and the imagery was wonderfully descriptive. The main characters were easy to love and relate to especially as they revealed more and more about themselves. Finished the book quickly and can't wait to read more of his writing in the future.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews