Afterlife: The Boy Next Realm

Gr 10 Up–When Kyra watches her younger brother, Major, take his last breath, she notices a strange boy with a black cloak lurking by his hospital bed. Desperate to know who he is, she chases him as he slips away. Soon they are in another realm, the Afterlife, where the stranger reveals himself as Spirit Keeper Eric. It’s his job, he explains, to carry human souls into the Afterlife. Kyra, in a desperate attempt to bring her brother back to the real world, bargains with Eric, who claims he was close to her in another life. She agrees to have her own soul partially taken out of her body so that she can travel through the Afterlife and rescue Major. As Kyra encounters unusual characters, she pushes through her fear to save him. Conjuring shared memories, which are preserved in this liminal space, she uses them to gain access to the mystical aspects of death. Fog, dangerous creatures, and confusion confront her as she gets a glimpse of what happens after death. The author creates a mystical world that explores existential questions about life, death, and memory. The illustrations are vibrant and atmospheric. Though the adventure aspect of the story will appeal to many readers, some may find the deep, philosophical content about death difficult to handle.