Radiance

Radiance
by Alyson Noel

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

Can I just say that I loved reading Riley's scenes in the Immortals series and I was super excited to find out that Ever's "bratty" ghost sister would be getting her own series?! Riley is a little spit-fire and I love her. Her stubbornness no longer gets her into to trouble, but in fact helps her in her new job as "Soul Catcher" in the Here and Now. :)

Speaking of the Here and Now...Noel has created a really interesting and multi-layered version of Heaven that I can't wait to explore further. As Riley learns more about what she'll be doing in the afterlife, so do readers. It is absolutely captivating. I had such fun imagining the scenes in Radiance!

Though this new spin off series is geared to a middle grade audience instead of YA, I actually think that I like this new series better than the Immortals...sorry Ever!! It drew me right in from the opening lines:

Most people think that death is the end.
The end of life - of good times - the end of, well, pretty much everything.
But those people are wrong.
Dead wrong.
And I should know. I died almost a year ago.


How much better can a series opener be??

Definitely a must read for those who enjoy the Immortals series or books like Everlost by Neal Shusterman and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin.


Full disclosure: Copy received from publisher for review