Radiance by Alyson Noël is definitely a book that drew me in with its cover.I mean, why is this dog looking off into the distance at this bright light? And why is this little girl ignoring it to touch a dandelion?
And why does the place she’s in have this etheral quality to it?
It’s absolutely stunning.
So, of course, I had to learn more about the story.
“Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she’s summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can’t quite figure out.Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her 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 he’s never met Riley…”
–Description from Goodreads.
This was a fun story.Yes, it’s about a young girl who suddenly dies and is thrust into the Afterlife, but I just *loved* Riley’s character. She has spunk!
And she’s so *real.*
All of the things she worries about — namely, her tendency (when she was alive) to follow her older sister around and copy her — are things I imagine any younger sister worries about.
Being the older sister, myself, I was the one who put up with the annoying sister tagging along.
I loved how she just jumped right in and didn’t wait for explanations. She was very impulsive.
And I cracked up at her fashion choice for the first day of school in Here.
Bodhi was great, too. Their interactions were so great.This is a quick read that you’ll enjoy. It’s a very telling story about death and finding your purpose in life (or whatever is after).
Radiance by Alyson Noël will be released Aug. 31, 2010.
**Disclaimer** An Advanced Reading Copy of this book was provided to me for review by the publisher, Square Fish, an imprint of Macmillan.
Great review! I've heard this is a middle schoolish book, but I'll probably get it from the library when I want a cute read.
I still haven't read anything by this author but she's very near the top of my TBR list.
I love this book. Great for middle grade readers!
I love that cover! So much! I'm not too sure about the plot aspect of this book, considering it's about "the afterlife" and stuff, but maybe I'll give it a try. Wonderful review!
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Thanks for the review of Radiance. I really want to read this one.
I loved this book too. Really well written.