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Surviving Death
A prophecy. A rebellion. A young woman thrust to the forefront. Welcome to the afterlife.
Tilly’s death isn’t going very well. She’s been assigned the last job anyone wants: escorting souls to Hell. Worse, the afterlife is run on an automated system of justice based on arbitrary rules and three-strike punishments, and despite her best intentions, her strikes are running out.
One more screw up and she’ll be damned for all eternity.
Just like her mother.
Furious at the ridiculous rules in the afterlife, Tilly risks her own damnation in a search for justice. She sets out on a quest through Heaven and Hell—one that makes her the accidental face of a rebellion and leads her to an ultimate showdown with Lucifer and Death himself.
Her mother’s soul—and the souls of mankind—depend on her.
Tilly’s death isn’t going very well. She’s been assigned the last job anyone wants: escorting souls to Hell. Worse, the afterlife is run on an automated system of justice based on arbitrary rules and three-strike punishments, and despite her best intentions, her strikes are running out.
One more screw up and she’ll be damned for all eternity.
Just like her mother.
Furious at the ridiculous rules in the afterlife, Tilly risks her own damnation in a search for justice. She sets out on a quest through Heaven and Hell—one that makes her the accidental face of a rebellion and leads her to an ultimate showdown with Lucifer and Death himself.
Her mother’s soul—and the souls of mankind—depend on her.
- GenresFantasy
368 pages, Paperback
Published September 11, 2020
35 people are currently reading
1343 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Gribble
16 books53 followersYou know that feeling you get when you sneak back to bed from a trip to the bathroom at 3 am? That one that causes you to stop and look into the dark abyss behind you? The one that makes you dive into bed and hide under the covers?
Sarah Gribble loves that feeling. She wants you to have that feeling in broad daylight, safe on your couch.
Sarah has written and published dozens of short stories that explore uncomfortable situations, basic fears, and the general awe and fascination of the unknown. She's currently cooking up more ways to freak you out and working on a novel.
Follow her at @sarahstypos and sign up for her email list at https://sarah-gribble.com for free stories and updates.
Remember: Don't ever let your foot hang outside your blanket at night. Just don't.
Sarah Gribble loves that feeling. She wants you to have that feeling in broad daylight, safe on your couch.
Sarah has written and published dozens of short stories that explore uncomfortable situations, basic fears, and the general awe and fascination of the unknown. She's currently cooking up more ways to freak you out and working on a novel.
Follow her at @sarahstypos and sign up for her email list at https://sarah-gribble.com for free stories and updates.
Remember: Don't ever let your foot hang outside your blanket at night. Just don't.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 18, 2021
This isn’t normally a book I’d pick up, but I’m glad I did! I found myself neglecting other projects and staying up too late to read it for a few days. Gribble offered a fresh twist on religion and mythology, compelling and dynamic characters, and a fast-paced story full of action and intrigue (with a dash of the macabre and a side of romance). The ending felt a bit rushed and somewhat vague, but I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to her next one!
September 2, 2020
I read this very much as a librarian checking out the latest YA offerings.
Finding herself in the world of Between (the space between Heaven and Hell), Tilly finds herself drawn to her enigmatic mentor, Naveen, whilst slowly piecing together the circumstances of her own death. As she does so, a prophecy - of which she is a part - unfolds around her leading to conflict with Death, Lucifer and a variety of other known characters from world mythologies and religions.
Whilst being a great read, this story also introduces the ideas of what constitutes sin, what would a person once have been condemned for, pockets of information that subliminally educate the reader in areas they might not have considered before. I do like that in a book or a film, throwing in little snippets of information which add to a person's general knowledge in an enjoyable manner!
Surviving Death is a terrific romp through Heaven, Hell and in Between; a page-turner, capturing both attention and imagination. Highly recommended.
Finding herself in the world of Between (the space between Heaven and Hell), Tilly finds herself drawn to her enigmatic mentor, Naveen, whilst slowly piecing together the circumstances of her own death. As she does so, a prophecy - of which she is a part - unfolds around her leading to conflict with Death, Lucifer and a variety of other known characters from world mythologies and religions.
Whilst being a great read, this story also introduces the ideas of what constitutes sin, what would a person once have been condemned for, pockets of information that subliminally educate the reader in areas they might not have considered before. I do like that in a book or a film, throwing in little snippets of information which add to a person's general knowledge in an enjoyable manner!
Surviving Death is a terrific romp through Heaven, Hell and in Between; a page-turner, capturing both attention and imagination. Highly recommended.
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November 12, 2020< Great all around. Adored it. I highly recommend >
The world of Between is the space between Heaven and Hell, and that's exactly where we come to meet Tilly, our young heroine. Now, Tilly is not entirely sure how she got to Between. And we start with her trying to piece together the whys and hows to that. She meets Death, Lucifer, and characters from other mythologies and religions. The book took me on a great imaginative journey exploring the concept of sin, heaven, hell. This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows I'm someone who cannot read horror-- Can't-- I was skeptical whether or not I would be able to get through it. Wonderful surprise-- I could not put it down. I bought it on Kindle first, to test it; loved it, and bought the paperback version to keep forever. The book is magical; it's witty and entertaining. A Brilliant take on the afterlife. It's appropriate for a YA audience but in no way limited to it. I loved it. Great all around. Adored it. I highly recommend it. Way to go, Sarah Gribble. Fantastic!
The world of Between is the space between Heaven and Hell, and that's exactly where we come to meet Tilly, our young heroine. Now, Tilly is not entirely sure how she got to Between. And we start with her trying to piece together the whys and hows to that. She meets Death, Lucifer, and characters from other mythologies and religions. The book took me on a great imaginative journey exploring the concept of sin, heaven, hell. This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows I'm someone who cannot read horror-- Can't-- I was skeptical whether or not I would be able to get through it. Wonderful surprise-- I could not put it down. I bought it on Kindle first, to test it; loved it, and bought the paperback version to keep forever. The book is magical; it's witty and entertaining. A Brilliant take on the afterlife. It's appropriate for a YA audience but in no way limited to it. I loved it. Great all around. Adored it. I highly recommend it. Way to go, Sarah Gribble. Fantastic!
September 16, 2020
The gods are a dysfunctional family who rules the four realms. Tilly, a resident of Between, is learning the ropes with the support of her mentor Naveen, a powerful and mysterious man. Things are not going well for Tilly or Naveen. Oh, and there’s a prophecy. You can read this story as an entertaining, yet dark, romp through the afterlife, and you won’t be disappointed. Or, you can dig a little deeper and explore the cultural values about life and death that Sarah Gribble artfully explores.
October 4, 2020
What a pleasant surprise
This was not what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised and found that I couldn't put the book down ... I just had to find out what happened to the characters! Kudoes to Sarah for an unusual take on things and making me rethink the whole life and death thing. Can't wait to see what Tilly gets up to next.
This was not what I was expecting and I was pleasantly surprised and found that I couldn't put the book down ... I just had to find out what happened to the characters! Kudoes to Sarah for an unusual take on things and making me rethink the whole life and death thing. Can't wait to see what Tilly gets up to next.
September 13, 2020
A book. You will NOT want to put down
This is a dark exciting book. The author has vividly brought to life Heaven and Hell, also well rounded characters, who you want to triumph over evil. There are also hints of humour, reminds me of Terry Pratchett. A real page turner.
This is a dark exciting book. The author has vividly brought to life Heaven and Hell, also well rounded characters, who you want to triumph over evil. There are also hints of humour, reminds me of Terry Pratchett. A real page turner.
October 12, 2020
Enjoyable romp through the mythologies of death
Good dialogue, vivid imagery, satisfying ending. Nice escape! Gribble has given a new twist to the ideas of the afterlife.
Good dialogue, vivid imagery, satisfying ending. Nice escape! Gribble has given a new twist to the ideas of the afterlife.
June 28, 2021
The characters in this story were super interesting, and I loved the creative way the author weaved in a mental health thread.
December 2, 2021
Keeps you reading
No spoilers - The characters were very well rounded and the story interesting enough to keep me reading reading late into the night. It’s an excellent balance of intensity and introspection.
No spoilers - The characters were very well rounded and the story interesting enough to keep me reading reading late into the night. It’s an excellent balance of intensity and introspection.
October 5, 2020
A dark and enjoyable ride around the afterlife.
October 20, 2020
So imaginative and creative! This story had everything, horror, love, morals, existential doom. So good!!
May 1, 2021
Finally a book up my alley. Loved it!
It took me way too many books to finally be able to give a rating of 5 stars again!
It took me way too many books to finally be able to give a rating of 5 stars again!
March 28, 2022
An innovative, creative, completely new take on the afterlife, complete with a dose of reality and relatable relationships.
There’s a titch I get lost in the last third but it’s worth getting through for the big reward of the end.
Gribble: you’ve written something true. Your love of humanity shows through. And you are so generous with all the religions, cutting through what divides us to shine a light on what holds us all together:
Hope.
Worth a read — I devoured it in a day.
Can’t wait to see what she writes next.
There’s a titch I get lost in the last third but it’s worth getting through for the big reward of the end.
Gribble: you’ve written something true. Your love of humanity shows through. And you are so generous with all the religions, cutting through what divides us to shine a light on what holds us all together:
Hope.
Worth a read — I devoured it in a day.
Can’t wait to see what she writes next.
January 2, 2024
A unique take on hell and heaven and some of its key characters. It’s the story of an unlikely hero.
June 28, 2022
Congratulations on your fabulous debut novel. I’m not usually a horror fan, but this was a provocative interpretation of life after death and hell.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews