Elsewhere

I bought this book right after it was published in paperback. The hardcover seemed to be so interesting, but was rather expensive. So I waited, bought it, read it and was quite impressed. Well, I got this book back from a friend today and just wanted to look at a certain passage quite at the beginning. And ... whoosh, I skipped breakfeast and ended up spending the free morning on the couch. I personally do not favour the concept of reincarnation or soul-recycling after death, but this novel, which follows 15-year-old Liz after a fatal accident to "Elsewhere", where she lives her afterlife with her now young grandmother for 15 years until she is a seven-days-old infant again ready to be sent down the river, is very much worth reading. Contrary to Liz' believe that her life is over - and meaningless - without her usual surroundings, family and friends, she eventually finds happiness, an avocation and even love. The novel convincingly depicts human and animal life as a cycle with the different cycles building together a line and states that death is just a part of life. Most important however is the message that in life quantity is not what counts but quality. After re-reading I have to say that the story gets even better the second time. I will definetely keep this book. Who knows what I will think next time?