Finished Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans. I received a copy from the publisher.
Summary (from Goodreads):
“Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).
‘I pause to look around the hive – all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories … I’ve wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.’
Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend … and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.
Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.”
I was so excited to get a copy of this, and it completely exceeded my expectations. Of course, all I knew going in was that this was THE YA ARC to get at BEA (and nearly impossible to find), and I was unable to get a copy there. So yay for the ad in Shelf Awareness that gave me my own copy.
This is the debut that everyone’s going to be talking about this year. It’s got something for everyone: a fantastic, sweet love story; a mystery (really, TWO mysteries: the past that has Felicia so wrecked and exactly what is going on in Level 2); incredible writing and great characters. But what it will really do is drive all the readers absolutely insane waiting for the second part.
The most interesting thing about this is that it’s paranormal YA but it really feels completely contemporary. All the weird things that happen in this novel take a back seat to the people that inhabit it. And while there are so many weird things—SO. MANY.—it feels completely commonplace. Not in a boring way, but in the way that it just seems like potential and possible and…well, normal. In a completely extraordinary way. But it’s also at its core about people and not just what happens to them. Does that make sense?
Highly recommended.
Oh this one looks so good! maybe I can borrow?! Pretty please! :)
Sent from my iPad
Loaned out now but remind me. :)